Ten blade! Push 10 of Epi! Scrub in! It’s a great day to save lives as the hit ABC show Grey’s Anatomy gears up for season 18. But how much longer can the show survive? Ellen Pompeo, who stars as Meredith Grey, says that the end might be closer than some fans think.
“I mean, I’ve been trying to get away for years. I have been trying. It’s not because I haven’t been trying,” said Pompeo in an interview with Entertainment Tonight at this year’s Emmy Awards. However, she promised that it would live on as long as more storylines could be written for the show. Pompeo continued that she could not give any more details about the show coming to a close due to “promises” she has made to those in the ABC network. Last season, the show writers created a storyline centered around COVID-19, the Black Lives Matter protests and the encouragement to get viewers vaccinated.
According to Insider, season 17 was the most polarizing season of Grey’s Anatomy yet. It is no secret that Grey’s had never shied away from controversial topics, from having LGBTQ+ relationships early on in the show before they were widely accepted, to speaking up for victims of sexual assault, to arguing for a more equitable and equal healthcare system in the US. But moving into the age of the pandemic, many fans were angry to see coronavirus in the show. They wanted to watch the show as an escape from what was going on in the real world. Nevertheless, by writing the pandemic into the show, the actors could film more safely with personal protective equipment than if they tried to act like coronavirus was not present.
To some fans, it seemed like season 18 might have been a victory lap for the show as many characters from earlier seasons returned for some final words. Viewers got one more look at characters like George O’Malley, Lexie Grey, Mark Sloan and Derek Shepherd. In a USA Today article, showrunner Krista Vernoff commented on the intensity of season 17 in saying, “The reason why you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh’ [after] every episode is because we approached it with a certain reverence of ‘OK, if this is the last season and we’re doing COVID, what are we doing?’”
Shonda Rhimes, the creator of Grey’s Anatomy, reported having upwards of six different endings to the show written. As of now, there are many avenues the show could explore, between bringing back old timelines or writing new ones. Looking to season 18, it seems the writers have chosen a combination of both, bringing back some more characters from previous seasons like Addison Montgomery and seeing how Jackson Avery adjusts to his new administrative role in Boston. Kate Walsh, who will be reprising her role as Addison Montgomery, announced her return to Grey’s in a TikTok video on Sep. 2, dressed in a doctor’s coat accompanied by suspenseful music.
For now, many fans are hoping to have a few more meaningful seasons or one more thrilling finale season from Rhimes and Pompeo. Tune into the Grey’s Anatomy season 18 premiere on Thursday, Sep. 30 at 9 p.m. on ABC.
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