After it was announced that Ellen Pompeo was leaving Grey’s Anatomy after 19 years, there was much speculation as to which character was now going to take over the voice narration now that Meredith was gone. From the very beginning, Meredith’s narration has always had a key purpose as she often bestowed some important life lessons on the viewers or told them how certain experiences shaped and changed her into the talented surgeon she is today. However, she wasn’t the only person to become a narrator on the show.
From Derek Shepherd and Cristina Yang to Jackson Avery and Callie Torres, several characters have occasionally taken over the role from Meredith to offer their own thoughtful reflections about the major events that have occurred at Grey Sloan Memorial. While Meredith would often resume voiceover duties within the next episode or so, now that she has left, this has given the writers a golden opportunity to delve into the arc of several of the other main characters. There’s certainly a good selection of characters who are worthy of taking up the role.
Winston Ndugu
Considering that Winston hasn’t been on the show as long as the other characters, the cardiothoracic surgeon would be a great contender to replace Meredith as there is still so much about him that remains undiscovered. Now that Winston has become the new Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial and has sworn that he will spend the next couple of years proving himself to be one of the best surgeons in the country, fans can expect to see him involved in a lot more cases and surgeries.
Given that there is a lot of responsibility that comes with becoming a department head, it would be interesting to hear Winston’s insights and how he is coping in his newfound position. Season 20 could even delve more into Winston’s personal life and see him reflect on how he feels about his and Maggie’s tumultuous relationship, or if he has considered reconciling with his estranged father.
Jo Wilson
Jo Wilson is another great choice to take over as the main narrator. It was already hinted in season 18 that Jo would be a perfect replacement for Meredith, especially since the writers began to explore the OB/GYN life and career in more depth. It also seemed like the writers increased the number of parallels between her and Meredith’s arcs, as Jo’s storylines often involved her attempt to overcome huge obstacles or struggle with her feelings for Link. With her now attempting to juggle her residency, a new romance, and parenthood, Jo will certainly have a lot to reflect on come season 20.
Teddy Altman
Season 19 of Grey’s Anatomy ended on quite a cliffhanger for Teddy Altman as her life seemed to be hanging in the balance after she suddenly collapsed in the O.R. While it does appear that she will be fine since several reports revealed that Kim Raver renewed her contract for season 20, it’s highly likely that this near-death experience will affect Teddy’s outlook on life and how she approaches certain situations. With her having also become Grey Sloan Memorial’s Chief of Surgery, Teddy will have to make some huge and groundbreaking decisions. Making her the narrator could be a great way to convey all of Teddy’s thoughts and feelings.
Amelia Shepherd
With Kai ending their relationship, Meredith moving to Boston, Maggie beginning a new job in Chicago, and Derek’s legacy possibly being tarnished, Amelia has had to cope with a lot of change. It’s certainly likely that these major events will affect her character arc in season 20. However, fans are ready for it.
While everyone will miss seeing Amelia share the screen with Kai, Meredith, and Maggie, their absence does give the writers the opportunity to let Amelia focus on her own well-being. She may even start spending more time with her nephew, Lucas, now that he’s at Grey Sloan Memorial. If the writers do decide to go down this point, then it wouldn’t really be surprising to see her take over the voiceover role from Meredith.
Owen Hunt
With Teddy’s life hanging in the balance after she collapsed in the O.R. in the season 19 finale, Owen will also face a rough road ahead. Although it’s highly likely that Teddy will remain the Chief of Surgery, the cardiothoracic surgeon may need to take some time off to recover. This means that Owen may step in as the interim.
However, his tenure as Chief may be completely different this time around due to the fact that Owen may struggle with balancing his personal and professional life. Owen may also struggle in the aftermath of what happened to Teddy. Taking all this into consideration, an Owen voiceover would be a great way to see what new lessons he’s learned this time around and how all these major events may have changed him.
Any Of The Season 19 Interns
With a new set of interns introduced to the cast in season 19, it would be quite easy to replace Meredith with one of them. Lucas, Simone, Jules, Mika, and Benson’s presence has been quite refreshing as their passion for surgery and their competitive nature have reminded them of the way Team M.A.G.I.C behaved when they first arrived. However, if there is one thing viewers took from their stories, it was that they had a lot of lessons to learn. There’s no doubt that the new interns will face similar hardships in the seasons to come, so it will be interesting to hear what epiphanies they come to realize.
Richard Webber
Grey’s Anatomy’s very best general surgeon, Richard Webber, may also take over as the show’s main narrator – especially since it seemed that the writers are setting him up for a huge arc in season 20. As seen in the season 19 finale, Richard was one of the individuals who was almost involved in a plane crash on the way to Boston. Although everyone was shaken up, Webber’s struggles with alcohol addiction did resurface as he admitted that the incident almost caused him to relapse. If the writers of Grey’s Anatomy decide to explore Richard’s struggles more, then he deserves to narrate some episodes in order to tell his story.
Miranda Bailey
Considering that she has appeared in over 400 episodes (and is also one of few actors to appear on the show since season 1), it only seems right that Miranda Bailey takes over as the show’s main narrator. While Bailey initially played a key part in Meredith’s story as she was the one who helped shape her into the prestigious surgeon she is today, she eventually came into her own when the writers began to explore her life and personality in depth.
In the last couple of years, viewers have seen Bailey take a step back from surgery to work on her reproductive health clinic while also fighting for reproductive rights. With her research also making her one of the few Catherine Fox award winners on Grey’s Anatomy, fans are looking forward to seeing how this shapes Bailey’s arc and what she is thinking of doing next.