After 20 years of going strong, Grey's Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo has provided a glimpse of how the series may one day reach its conclusion. Even if Grey's Anatomy's ratings aren't quite what they used to be, the series remains one of ABC's longest-running and most popular franchises. It's one of the network's greatest institutions, with some fans having followed the extreme ups and downs of the ever-changing Grey's Anatomy cast for quite literally decades at this point.
The series certainly isn't in too much danger at the moment, as Grey's Anatomy season 22 has already been confirmed. Even decreasing viewership ratings on the network doesn't change the fact that Grey’s Anatomy remains extremely successful when it comes to the show's streaming numbers. But nothing lasts forever, and ABC will inevitably have to drop the curtain on the series someday. It's hard to say how the show could ever outdo some of its more high-stakes stories for a series finale, but Meredith Grey's portrayer herself has hinted at least one promising condition for the series' ending.
Ellen Pompeo Says That She Will Never Completely Leave Grey's Anatomy
She Isn’t Ready To Let Others Profit From Her Work Without Being Involved
As can only be expected from any series that runs 20 seasons or more, the Grey's Anatomy cast has gone through countless changes over the years. Most of the interns who feature in the show's first season are no longer in the cast, and anyone tuning in for the first time in a few years might not even recognize most of the characters they see. Fortunately, however, Ellen Pompeo says Meredith Grey isn't leaving Grey's Anatomy any time soon if she has anything to do with it. In her words:
"That would make no sense, emotionally or financially. The show was streamed more than a billion times in 2024. More than a billion times. The companies that own the show and stream the show make a lot of money from our images and our voices and our faces. If I were to walk away completely, everybody gets to make money from my hard work for 20 years and I wouldn't make any money. To me, it doesn't make any sense that everybody [else] gets to profit off of my hard work. And emotionally, the show means a lot to people. I want to have an attitude of gratitude toward the show" (via El País).
It's difficult to argue with her logic, especially considering the current climate of the entertainment industry. Remakes and spinoffs have led to franchises straying far away from their original identity, often in the hands of entirely new teams, and years of Pompeo's work could only become further distanced from her. That makes it more necessary than ever to hold on tight while the show's still around, especially after Pompeo has been there for all of Grey's Anatomy’s most shocking episodes. Thankfully, it looks like her own character's death won't become a storyline for any outings in the near future.
Pompeo's Comment Hints That Grey's Anatomy Will End With Meredith's Story
Her Limited Involvement Won't Keep Her From The Series Finale
It's still impossible to say whether Grey's Anatomy will end with Meredith's death, but her character will naturally have to play a key role in the finale as long as she's around. And while the series does have a knack for writing off characters in heartbreakingly lethal fashion, it actually makes the most sense for Meredith to survive to the end of the show. The finale will certainly be one of Grey's Anatomy's saddest episodes for a number of fans, with many likely to feel it a bittersweet goodbye whether the characters themselves get happy endings or not.
Meredith sticking around until the end would facilitate other cameos that would appeal to fans as well. Not every character who's left the series has gone the way of George O'Malley (T. R. Knight), Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh), and Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey); Sandra Oh is open to returning to Grey’s Anatomy as Christina Yang. Especially now that Meredith's research into Alzheimer's feels like it could eventually bring her story full circle, it would be great to see some of the favorite friendly faces return when the series does wrap up that storyline.
Why Meredith Is The Perfect Person To Close Out Grey's Anatomy
Her Importance Is Right There In The Title
Although Grey's Anatomy's new interns bring a certain familiar warmth to the show, this has always been Meredith's story above all else. The title's spelling makes it clear that it's not a mere reference to Henry Gray's classic textbook, meaning the show's premise doesn't make sense anymore if Meredith ceases to play any role whatsoever. Pompeo has stepped back to focus on projects like Good American Family as well as her actual family, but she still remains a key component of the show's lifeblood.
Even when she doesn't appear in the flesh, there are only rare instances in which Meredith doesn't provide the thematic narration for each episode. When other characters do step in, it's typically because of their prominence in the episode rather than due to any absence on Meredith's part. Grey's Anatomy simply wouldn't feel the same if the show were ever to silence her voice, and it shouldn't end until Meredith has hit a point in her character arc in which she's truly run out of things to say.
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