Ellen Pompeo recently announced that although she would be returning to her role as Doctor Meredith Grey on season 19 of Grey's Anatomy, it would be in a limited capacity. Instead of starring in the typical 18 to 22 episodes of the medical drama, Meredith is set to only be in eight episodes of the newest season, which is set to premiere on October 6.
The news of Pompeo's limited role in the series for which she serves as the main character has been met with confusion from longtime viewers of the show, wondering how Grey's could possibly continue without the titular character. However, scaling back Meredith's role could be good for the future of the series, as well as for the ing characters that will finally have a chance to take the reins and make the show their own.
She's Already Been Through Enough
Meredith Grey's character has been through the wringer since the show started, and her trauma hasn't let up during the 18 seasons that have already aired. She's been through losing multiple loved ones (including her sister and her husband), surviving a bombing, hospital shooting, near drowning, and a plane crash.
There isn't much else a person (even a fictional character) could endure, and it could take years for her to process all of her grief. Putting Meredith through even more tragedy would be melodramatic and cliché, especially given that nearly every bad thing that could happen to a person has already happened to her.
She Doesn't Have To Be The Main Character
While Grey's was about Meredith's journey through her internship, residency, and becoming a successful surgical attending, that wasn't all. She began her intern year with four other students who were main characters that had almost as much screen time as she did.
The show has evolved past the point of being just about Meredith's life, as every character has made their mark and proved why they deserve to be in the spotlight as well. The true main character of Grey's could just be Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, where doctors come and go, but the setting always remains the same.
She Wasn't In Much Of Recent Seasons Either
Season 17 took place during the year of the pandemic and was worked into the storyline. For much of the season, Meredith was on a ventilator after contracting COVID-19, and many of her scenes revolved around her lying in a hospital bed or reconnecting with people she lost on a dream-like beach.
Because she took a backseat, the majority of seasons 17 and 18 were focused on other characters in the hospital, with Meredith's storylines existing almost entirely on their own. She was still the main character, but she hardly interacted with the other of the main cast.
There's No New Storylines For Her
It seems like over the course of 18 seasons, Meredith Grey has already gone through as much as a person could possibly handle. That includes her love life, which has granted her many great love stories (and many heartbreaking ones that have come to an end).
There's no storyline that Meredith hasn't endured, and it's clear by the way the writers have disposed of every one of her new love interests that Derek Shepherd was her one true love. All of her closest friends (Cristina and Alex) have left Seattle, and she's already had nearly every job at the hospital.
Other Characters Can Take Center Stage
The show has introduced a plethora of new characters over the course of 18 seasons, and many of them have gotten developed backstories of their own.
With Meredith in a limited role, newer characters can take the forefront and lead the hospital and the series without having to worry about incorporating Mere into their lives. Characters like Jo and Amelia have risen to the top of fan-favorite lists over recent years, and giving them the Meredith Grey treatment may be what the show needs moving forward.
