Grey's Anatomy season 21 to conclude his character Levi's story.
Now, Deadline reports that another series regular, Midori Francis, who plays intern Mika Yasuda, will depart the show. Like Borelli, sources say Francis is in negotiations to come back next season to finish Yasuda's story. Francis' exit is being described as "amicable" with the actor wanting to take the "next step" in her career.
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How Will Yasuda's Exit Affect Grey's Anatomy Season 21?
She Plays an Important Role in the New Intern Class
In her last two seasons on the show, Yasuda has been a mediator of sorts among the interns. With Jules and Blue and Simone and Lucas fighting their romantic feelings for each other, Yasuda has been able to bring the group together when needed. She's given the others a much-needed reality check, reminding them how lucky they are to be working at Grey Sloan. That grounding energy is important at times when the group comes across as a little immature and too caught up in their petty disagreements.
More importantly, Francis' exit is a setback for the show's LGBTQ+ representation. Yasuda is currently in a relationship with Taryn Helm, and while it's still relatively new compared to some of the show's other couples, Grey's has done a good job establishing a sweet dynamic between the two. It'll be a shame to see that go and is particularly hard to take when coupled with Borelli's exit, as his character Levi's coming out arc was a high point for the show.
Will More Actors Leave Grey's Anatomy Next Season?
With the Budget Cuts, Anything Is Possible
Reports indicate that Grey's Anatomy cast will each appear in fewer episodes next season. When g contracts, series regulars agree to a certain number of episodes per season. However, with the budget cuts, these numbers are expected to go down. Instead of renegotiating to a lower number of episodes, there's a chance some actors will choose to leave all together. After all, longtime cast who have been around for several seasons are accustomed to the bigger paycheck that comes with appearing in more episodes.
However, others could see a reduced episode count as a career opportunity, similar to the way Ellen Pompeo has been able to pursue other projects while still popping in every few episodes. While budget cuts are never ideal, it's not the worst time for this to happen to Grey's Anatomy. In the wake of Pompeo's reduced role, the show has become a true ensemble, making it much easier for characters to miss an episode or two without the audience feeling their absence. Hopefully, that's what continues to happen in season 21.
Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.
Source: Deadline
Grey's Anatomy
- Network
- ABC
- Showrunner
- Meg Marinis
- Directors
- Rob Corn, Kevin McKidd, Debbie Allen, Chandra Wilson, Allison Liddi-Brown, Jeannot Szwarc, Tony Phelan
- Writers
- Shonda Rhimes, Julie Wong, Jen Klein, Tameson Duffy, Meg Marinis
Cast
Ellen PompeoDr. Meredith Grey
Chandra WilsonDr. Miranda Bailey
A high-intensity medical drama which follows Meredith Grey and the team of doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial, who are faced with life-or-death decisions on a daily basis. They seek comfort from one another, and, at times, more than just friendship. Together they discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white.
