Welp. Meredith Grey has officially left Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
On Thursday night’s midseason premiere of Grey’s Anatomy, the medical drama finally said goodbye to its iconic lead Ellen Pompeo… but it wasn’t exactly the emotional or triumphant exit most fans were expecting! Spoilers ahead!
Almost exactly 18 years after fans were first introduced to Meredith, just a young and ambitious intern, in 2005, Grey’s wished the doctor farewell in this week’s episode titled, “I’ll Follow the Sun.” Despite this being the show’s biggest exit yet, the titular character had very little screen time in the episode — and the plot line left much to be desired for most viewers.
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The show kicked off after the mother of three’s home caught fire. While the home was still standing, she and her children were forced to live in a hotel for the remainder of their time in Seattle, Washington since the damage was done. With plans to move to Boston so her eldest, Zola, could attend a more prestigious school, Meredith arrives at the hospital for her last day as chief of surgery. She’s immediately confronted by her on-again, off-again love interest Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman), who’s pissed she hasn’t discussed her move with him yet, but she doesn’t think she owes him an explanation — despite the fact he literally JUST moved to Seattle to be closer to her! Instead, Meredith complains that during a previous encounter, she told Nick “I love you” and he didn’t say it back. Feeling like the fallout was solely pinned on him, Nick storms out… until they’re forced to go into an emergency surgery together.
Tessa, an author they’ve met before, is the patient this time around. During a CT scan, Nick and Meredith make snide comments to each other about Tessa being a woman living alone and stuck in her ways (sorta like Mere these days). Tragically, the writer passes away — yes, you read that right. One of the best surgeons in the series lost her final patient. Whoa. Meredith and Nick then begin their confrontation again, with the leading lady saying:
“I want you in my life if you want to be in my life but if I have to choose, I’m going to pick me, I pick my kids, and I pick what’s best for us, and I’m not going to beg you to love me.”
A MAJOR character development from her time with Patrick Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd!
Then the plot went full-on rom-com! After a farewell party for the beloved doctor is held in the lobby of the hospital, she and her kids head to the airport. Meanwhile, Nick sulks in a bar until he realizes he must confess his true feelings. He gets in his car, but knows he’ll be too late. With Meredith already on the plane, he calls her and says:
“I love you. I fell in love with you the first day I met you, I fell in love with you the second day I met you, and I’ve loved you every minute of every day that I’ve known you.”
But after clearly hearing all of this, Meredith pretends there’s a bad connection and hangs up! She then proceeds to read to her children a copy of Tessa’s final book, which she was asked to deliver to the author’s publisher following her death. The excerpt talks a lot about life moving forward with no such thing as a fairytale happy ending. She reads:
“I’ve flown rockets and slayed dragons, I’ve saved lives and I’ve had my life saved. I’ve been through broken bones and a broken home and the death of people I love but I’m still here. I’ve had adventures that most people only dream about and I’ve had losses that I still dream about, and if there is one thing I’ve learned in all my adventures, is that there is no such thing as a life lived happily ever after, unless the happily means simply that we are still alive, that the sun is rising on another day because with every sunrise comes the possibility of happiness and also the possibility of heartache. And sometimes, it’s all rolled up together. As long as the sun rises on your life, there will be new dragons to slay. So the end of my story is not any kind of ever after, because I’m still alive, I’m still here, and the sun still rises on my life.”
And that’s it!
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Seriously! Nineteen seasons of heartbreaking lows and unbelievable highs for this character and THIS is how she’s leaving?! What was the point?! The tribute video was more emotional than that! Fans were NOT happy with the lackluster ending, and they made their opinions loud and clear on social media! Ch-ch-check out some of the reactions (below)!
“What did Ellen Pompeo do to deserve this horrible send off OMG!?!?!?!?! This is worse than when Alex left at least they gave it some razzle dazzle and trauma?!? wtf!!!!
“408 episodes, 19 seasons, 18 years as the main character and this was the goodbye Meredith Grey got – such a disappointment for such an iconic role. Meredith and Ellen deserved better.”
“I’m not even being dramatic when i say this was easily the worst character exit on grey’s anatomy.. she’s the main character and THAT was her exit? i simply can’t keep defending these new seasons”
“THE SHOW IS CALLED GREYS ANATOMY AND THIS WAS MEREDITH GREY’S LAST EPISODE AFTER 19 SEASONS OF HEARTBREAK AND TRAUMA YET WE GOT NOTHING AND I MEAN LITERALLY NOTHING? NOT EVEN ONE FLASHBACK?? WHOEVER WROTE IT DESERVES JAIL TIME. Goodnight. My Thursday nights are free”
“alex got an entire episode dedicated to his farewell montages and EVERYTHING. the person the show is named after got a sad little toast and a camera pan around the room”
The hot takes continued — look!
Whoever wrote this farewell Ep for Meredith GREY…. I hope your pillow is hot on both sides. This was UNDERWHELMING. #GreysAnatomy pic.twitter.com/UdCDFJDVR8
— Shanice???????? (@shabarnes35) February 24, 2023
Where the fuck is the closure? After 19 seasons of ugly crying on Thursday nights? This? Is? What? We? Got???? #GreysAnatomy pic.twitter.com/TwlHI32D3l
— allie (@plssnoperceive) February 24, 2023
Who wrote that shit show of a farewell episode? I just wanna talk. #GreysAnatomy pic.twitter.com/Pw2XyVq4sA
— allie (@plssnoperceive) February 24, 2023
Shondaland, ABC and everyone involved in that trash episode will never know peace from me. #GreysAnatomy
pic.twitter.com/rGLRXlEdlu— Camm ⁴⁴ ☁️ (@cammiemark) February 24, 2023
https://twitter.com/anthonyislegit/status/1628956326586990592
https://twitter.com/greyspostit/status/1628959901304102914
we could’ve gotten a montage like this for Meredith Grey’s goodbye and y’all gave us that garbage like be so fr rn pic.twitter.com/slHUtZyyy8
— nicky ????️ oathbreaker (@baldurswraith) February 24, 2023
https://twitter.com/JustinGunderman/status/1628974087878987778
ELLEN POMPEO HAS GIVEN HER ALL TO THIS SHOW FOR 19 SEASONS AND YALL DO HER LIKE THIS?!?!#GreysAnatomy pic.twitter.com/5ddSbMvkVY
— jess. (@jessdoitttt_) February 24, 2023
There is some hope for a bit of resolution coming soon. According to Deadline, Ellen is expected to return for the Season 19 finale later this year. She could also make appearances in future episodes if the show’s picked up for more seasons, and it is likely to receive at least one more season. So, let’s just cross our fingers and hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of the iconic character! Thoughts?! Were you disappointed by this ending?? Sound OFF (below)!
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