The solution to Meredith and Catherine’s fight was set up earlier than Meredith’s research focus became a problem in Grey’s Anatomy. Although Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s premiere focused on different issues among those established in Grey’s Anatomy season 20’s finale, a great chunk of the season premiere dealt with the aftermath of Meredith’s decision to quit and publish her study’s findings. Meredith and Catherine’s fight thus took center stage in Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s premiere, for how it influenced Meredith and Amelia, but also Jackson who wanted to continue to fund them, and Catherine, who just wanted to stop them.
Jackson’s influence proved instrumental in convincing Meredith to steer from the warpath and consider apologizing to Catherine so that Amelia, Owen and Teddy could get their jobs back. However, Meredith’s visit to Catherine soon shifted her priorities once she found Catherine unexpectedly collapsing in her own office with only Meredith to help her. Meredith checking up on her led her to discover how Catherine’s cancer had progressed, presenting yet another difficult argument for the two to have. While the discovery gave Meredith incredible leverage, it also heavily hinted at the sad way the fight between Meredith and Catherine could end.
Catherine Decided She Doesn’t Want Invasive Cancer Treatments Back In Grey’s Anatomy Season 19
Catherine Has Been Hiding The Truth From Jackson & Richard For Some Time
While Meredith discovered Catherine’s cancer was progressing only because Catherine collapsed in front of her, Catherine had known about it for some time. Indeed, one scene in Grey’s Anatomy season 19, episode 5 showed Tom Koracick chasing Catherine and pushing her to either consider invasive treatments for her progressing cancer or to tell Jackson and Richard, as they had a right to know and soon they would have realized it nonetheless when her cancer spread. Catherine adamantly opposed Jackson and Richard’s involvement, highlighting how she wanted to spend her last months in a hospital as a doctor, not a patient.
While Catherine eventually told Richard about her cancer progressing in Grey’s Anatomy season 19, episode 10, after Richard realized her Reiki treatments had something to do with it, Richard still didn’t know how much the cancer had really progressed. This became evident once Meredith proposed to call Jackson and Richard, which Catherine vehemently opposed. Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 2’s trailer already showed how badly Catherine’s cancer affected her liver, prolonging Meredith’s time with Catherine, trying to convince her to agree to a treatment. However, this story also hinted at the sad ending Meredith and Catherine’s fight could have.
Catherine’s Cancer Progressing Hints At Her Impending Death
Catherine & Meredith’s Exchange Revolved Around Their Legacies
Meredith and Catherine’s fight may very well be resolved before Catherine’s death, especially if that were to happen in Grey’s Anatomy season 22 or later, but all their exchanges in Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s premiere point to Catherine’s death happening relatively soon. Not only did Catherine remind Meredith of everything that needs to be prepared before dying, but she also focused her message on taking stock of her life, and being remembered as a medicine innovator rather than for her last days spent sick at the hospital.
Catherine focusing her message on taking stock of her life and being remembered as an innovator hint at her impending death.
Between Catherine’s pragmatism about her condition and her certainty of wanting to handle her illness in private, Grey’s Anatomy season 21 dropped various hints Catherine’s death might happen soon. If her last days were to be spent bargaining with Meredith over her Alzheimer’s research but also what to do for the management of her cancer, Catherine’s death would mark the end of their fight, adding another layer of difficulty to their already challenging altercation in Grey’s Anatomy season 21.
Grey’s Anatomy season 21 releases new episodes every Thursday at 10 pm ET on ABC.