With every season renewal beyond Season 14 that Grey’s Anatomy seems to nab miraculously, the great grandmother of all medical dramas has seriously overstayed its welcome.
And I promise I say this purely out of love as a superfan myself, as someone who has seen every episode, some more than once.
I hate to compare it to this but remember Season 5, Episode 19, when the great aunt continues to be revived, and the niece and nephews seem like monsters each time they hold their breath, hoping she’s gone for good? Well, Grey’s Anatomy is the great aunt in this scenario, and the fans are the children. There, I said it.
Numerous TV shows have ended much too early, but it’s a rarity for a show to have lasted beyond its expiration date. And while there’s no one reason the show has gone downhill, these are some of the factors I think contribute to its decline.
Grey’s Anatomy cast photo
Shonda Rhimes Signs With Netflix
Many people don’t know this, but Shonda Rhimes, the original creator, and writer for the show exited and turned over her duties in 2017 when she decided to sign with Netflix.
She passed the showrunner title off to Krista Vernoff, who has been with Grey’s Anatomy since the beginning.
I’m not sure if I actually notice a difference in the writing, but it does seem like Rhimes’ exit in 2017 aligns similarly to when the show started to lose its steam.
Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but the show began recycling storylines, it lost important characters, and honestly, the drama between doctors began to go off the rails.
Original Characters are Replaced
The amount of times I’ve come across articles about Sandra Oh’s return is astounding. I’m not sure why everyone’s obsessed with theorizing her comeback. Oh has repeatedly said for years that she’s outgrown the show and will never return.
Cristina Yang on Grey’s Anatomy. Credit: ABC
However, without Cristina, there was no hope for the show. Sure, Derek was Meredith’s true love, but Cristina was Meredith’s soul mate. So her exit was quite the blow, and I don’t think the show ever truly recovered.
Oh’s departure in Season 10 left only a sputter of decent seasons in its wake. Cristina was a bulk of the humor and comedic energy, and without her, it lost a huge piece of itself.
Every few seasons, the show introduces new interns. We’re used to that. But, once they were forced to replace attendings and original cast members like Cristina, Callie, Arizona, and Alex, it brought less desirable characters to the forefront.
Amelia, Teddy, Owen, and Maggie are currently the main four alongside Meredith. Originally they were side characters, only meant to add drama to the lives of the original cast. But as original members began to leave, their storylines began to evolve and steal the focus.
Amelia, the other Shepherd, replaced Derek, and Teddy replaced Cristina.
Excessive Drama
With an entirely new shift in perspective, the new doctor’s storylines overshadowed any exciting patient cases. While in the first few seasons, there was a striking balance between special medical cases and doctors’ personal lives.
Owen and Amelia on Grey’s Anatomy. (ABC/Byron Cohen)
There used to be a formula. Midway through each season, there would be a unique and interesting patient case (hysterical pregnancy, sex accidents, etc.), and then the season finale would end on a major event like a shooting or plane crash.
Now, it seems the only major news we’re left with is whether or not Amelia will finally find true love, commit, and tie the knot. Or, who’s going to have the next baby.
And don’t even get me started on how absent Meredith was for this latest season. Meredith has never been my favorite character, but that doesn’t change the fact that the show’s named after her, and she is the main focus of the show. So, when all we saw was her on the beach and in a hospital bed, it definitely felt like we were cheated.
The only good thing to come out of Meredith’s beach rendezvous were guest appearances from old cast members. Seeing Lexi, Mark, and Derek on the beach brought back deep nostalgia for how the show used to be.
As Season 18 is now in the works, I truly hope the show can end peacefully afterward. It’s been dragged on long enough, and it would be the first show I’d ever wave goodbye to willingly.
Please, end the show before it’s too late, so I no longer have to continue watching it out of loyalty.
Now, what do you think? Should the show end? Don’t forget to leave your thoughts down in the comments!