Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Gray got a big send-off at the start of 2023 of Grey's Anatomy. Despite her diminished screen presence, Pompeo continued to star in the credits and never lost her status as a regular character as she also remained the narrator of the series.
Now, the title star of ABC's medical drama can reappear in some of the episodes traditionally associated with a series regular role.
Pompeo will appear in at least seven of the 18 episodes of season 21, sources say. That number is likely to increase. If the episode count reaches double digits, it won't be far off from the workload of the other Grey's Anatomy regulars. They will be reducing the number of episodes as a cost-saving measure and will each skip a few episodes next season. Representatives for ABC and Grey's Anatomy producers ABC Signature and Shondaland declined comment.
Following her season 19 "exit" episode, Pompeo returned for that season's finale. In season 20, she appeared in half of the ten episodes, including a major role in the season premiere and finale. She will also remain an executive producer and provide the voiceover that frames each episode - something that will continue next season.
“She’s always a huge part of the show; we have an open door policy with her. When she is able to be here, we welcome her with open arms,” Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Meg Marinis revealed back in March. “She’s constantly in my head, her voice.”
In that interview, Marinis noted her “great relationship” with Pompeo, which has been among the factors fueling speculation last year that Pompeo might consider returning full-time after Marinis took the reins as Grey’s showrunner ahead of Season 20.
There was a problem with availability. Pompeo stepped down from her on-screen role so she could pursue other projects, starting with the Hulu limited series Natalia (formerly titled Orphan), based on the story of Natalia Grace, which she stars in and produces through her company Calamity Jane. This past season, Pompeo juggled the two series, both produced by ABC Signature, but that's no longer a factor: Natalia wraps up at the end of this week, ahead of the start of season 21 production for Grey's Anatomy.
Regardless of her on-screen presence over the past year and a half, Pompeo's continued top spot on Grey's Anatomy reflects the fact that her character Meredith remains the heart of the series.
“We have to let her go and do some other things, but she’s still our queen. She’s still our No. 1,” Grey’s executive producer/director/recurring guest star Debbie Allen said of Pompeo in December.
What awaits Meredith next season is her career at a crossroads after she defied her boss and head of the Catherine Fox Foundation (Allen) by refusing to give up her controversial Alzheimer's research and hand over all her notes to Koracick. Instead, Meredith published a summary online.
On the other hand, Meredith's relationship with Nick (Scott Speedman) got a big boost in the finale after he came from Boston to express his love and she revealed that she made an offer on the house he picked out so she could live with Ellen's children could live together.
Comments (0)