Grey’s Anatomy is now five episodes into Season 16, and as each episode passes the thought keeps popping up that this can’t be the end? Is producer Shonda Rhimes setting up another new Grey’s Anatomy spin-off?
If so, you go girl, I see you!
For starters, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) is fired, but also maintaining her character in a neon vest, with her chain-gang-garbage-picker-upper crew. Or, whatever they call people who pick up trash to satisfy a community service order.
She’s starting to look not so much like the lady that she was when George was around, (it happens to the best of us, ok), her new boyfriend is quite a bit younger, and while they have been pushing it as this sweet, romantic relationship where a young hottie is in love with an older woman, (yes, it happens), it really hasn’t felt “right.” Not just because I want DeLuca for myself, (I most certainly do), but because the two just don’t have the chemistry she’s had with past beaus.
Meredith’s new relationship with the much younger Dr. DeLuca has seemed unbelievable and then forced down our throats at least one too many times, (let him go and send him to ME!), she’s lost her job and has lost her ability to practice medicine — for a totally honest and admirable reason.
On top of that, Pompeo was clear about her discord with being paid less than her male equal and show soulmate, Dr. Derek “McDreamy” Shepard (Patrick Dempsey).
Pompeo negotiated a deal for $20 million a season, (damn, girl), but came forth in an interview with Taraji P Henson, posted on Variety in June, 2019, saying that Patrick Dempsey was making almost double her salary the first three seasons, although she was the lead in the show. Maybe $20 million is a good way to end Meredith Grey’s career and for Ellen to start fresh on something else — a talk show, perhaps?
The next clue will backtrack us to Karev and Webber being fired in the season beginning. Karev finds refuge at Pacific Northern, shortened to Pac-North, (which is not-so-lovingly portrayed as a place you would only send an enemy), another local Seattle Hospital. Karev convinces Webber to come join him, as Chief of Surgery, in turning the hospital around.
Each episode has dedicated at least a few scenes depicting how much TLC Pac-North needs from some “real” doctors. Things are always going wrong, but each episode brings a bit of feel-good progress with it.
Meredith’s article “expose” in episode four leans more credibility to this new “spin-off location,” with Dr. Owen Hunt, played by sexy ginger Kevin McKidd, accepting Karev’s offer of Head of Trauma at Pac-North Hospital.
I’m not sure if Amelia and Link’s relationship, (played by Caterina Scorsone and Chris Carmack), will spill over into this spin-off, but it’s nice to see Amelia truly happy.
Does anyone else remember her in Private Practice, which aired from 2007-2013? She was a hot mess with a good heart. Good for her turning her life around after the loss of her boyfriend and son, then surviving a brain tumor. They’ve now cast her with arguably the hottest guy on the show, with a character name of Dr. Attacis Lincoln. Um, yes please!
We need them on the spin-off, we’ve got to see this played out, she deserves it.
WE deserve it!
It all came together in my brain within the last few minutes of episode four…we finally see DeLuca and Meredith having another “you don’t get me” moment. Bailey is pregnant and menopausal, (sounds like a nightmare). Karev, Webber, and now Hunt are at Pac-North, which has been incorporating itself into Grey-Sloan Memorial airtime.
Is this the beginning of the end for Grey’s Anatomy? We know from past experience that Shonda Rhimes has a knack for taking great characters and building on them. After sixteen seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, is it time to bring a new show out for us?
No doubt Ellen Pompeo will make guest appearances, like my soul sista Christina Yang (played by Sandra Oh) did. All I have to say is leave Dr. Koracek, (played by Greg Germann), behind. Pretty please.