Why Grey's Anatomy Could Never Survive Ellen Pompeo's Exit

If Ellen Pompeo leaves Grey's Anatomy before the show's end, can the series survive without her? Most likely not. Let's take a look.

Why Grey's Anatomy Could Never Survive Ellen Pompeo's Exit

Grey’s Anatomy is believed to be nearing its end, but Ellen Pompeo might not be there until the final episode, raising the question of whether Grey’s Anatomy could survive without Meredith or not – and the truth is, the show could never carry on without her. The branch of medical dramas has seen a number of popular TV series, and one that has been dominating the genre in recent years is Grey’s Anatomy, created by Shonda Rhimes. Grey’s Anatomy premiered on ABC in 2005 and is currently in its 18th season, with a 19th already confirmed.

Grey’s Anatomy explores the stories of patients and the staff at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital (formerly Seattle Grace Hospital), led by Meredith Grey (Pompeo). Grey’s Anatomy has followed Meredith’s whole professional journey as well as some key moments in her personal life, though most of them have been marked by tragedy. Meredith began as an intern at Seattle Grace Hospital and is now Head of General Surgery, and she’s one of only three characters from season 1 to still be an active part of the show, along with Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr).

As happens with most long-running TV series, Grey’s Anatomy’s quality has decreased over the years, but the show continues to be quite popular with the audience, even if most of its most popular characters have already left. Grey’s Anatomy has also gone through a number of controversies and it has been criticized for how it handles its characters’ departures, as the writers tend to kill them, but Meredith’s presence in the show has served as the glue of it and the hook that has kept the audience interested in the series, which is why it wouldn’t be possible for Grey’s Anatomy to survive without Ellen Pompeo.

Speaking to ET, Pompeo admitted it’s hard to reinvent the show at this stage, but given its value as an inspiration to young viewers and “generations of healthcare workers”, they are trying to keep it going, though not necessarily with her. When talking about a replacement, however, she only said they will “find someone, maybe, or we won’t”. As mentioned above, Meredith Grey has become the connecting link between the original cast and the current crew at Grey Sloan, and as the lead of the show, she also serves as the hook that has kept the audience around. Although Bailey and Webber are also popular with the audience, as are other characters like Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), Grey’s Anatomy would definitely suffer in the absence of Meredith, and after all these years, it wouldn’t make much sense to continue the show without the character whose name is on the title.

Surely, Grey’s Anatomy has already taken subtle steps toward a future without Meredith Grey by focusing more on other characters, having Meredith split her time between Seattle and Minnesota, and her considering Hamilton’s job offer before being convinced to stay at Grey Sloan for a little longer, but that doesn’t mean the show will survive for long without its lead. Whether Ellen Pompeo leaves Grey’s Anatomy before the show’s end or stays until the final episode, what’s true is that Meredith Grey deserves a good ending that leaves no loose ends, and after all the tragedies she has been through, she should finally get a happy ending.