Grey’s Anatomy season 21 will see more of Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey according to a new report. ABC’s premier medical drama is entering its third decade with Grey Sloan in a crisis. Grey’s Anatomy season 20 ended with most of the doctor’s jobs in jeopardy, setting up a more intense follow-up when it returns with new episodes this fall. Despite the uncertainties that the crew at the famed Seattle hospital is facing, fans can find solace in the idea that when it comes back, Meredith will have increased screentime despite Pompeo’s exit from the project in Grey’s Anatomy season 19.
In a new report by Deadline, not only is Pompeo set to make an appearance in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, but she’s already set to appear in seven episodes. That’s already almost half of the show’s confirmed 18 outings for the upcoming year. Additionally, the publication’s anonymous sources also revealed that there’s a chance that Meredith could appear in more, which would essentially give her around the same workload as most of the program’s series regulars. As previously reported, some veteran actors “will each skip a couple of episodes next season” as part of ABC’s cost-cutting scheme.
Why Grey’s Anatomy Can’t Just Let Go Of Meredith Grey
Meredith Continues To Be The Face Of Grey’s Anatomy
Technically, Grey’s Anatomy is an ensemble medical drama. Everyone has their respective favorites, and other characters have compelling storylines. At the core of it, however, Meredith is the true lead of Grey’s Anatomy. The show started with her humble beginnings at the hospital and grew with her over the years. When she stepped back from the show back in season 19, ABC never really got rid of the character. Instead, she just took a reduced role, which meant that she wouldn’t have as heavy of a workload as a series regular.
She appeared in half of the episodes of Grey’s Anatomy season 20 and was heavily involved in the opener and ender. That said, it didn’t really have enough time to celebrate the milestone year because of the shortened 2023-2024 TV season, which was delayed due to the much-needed dual strikes of 2023. Coming in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, storylines that they weren’t able to do last year will have more time to develop. Beyond that, Meredith’s presence will also help in terms of ABC’s plan to do a cast roulette every week, which could prove to be divisive.
Whether this will be the trend beyond Grey’s Anatomy season 21 is currently uncertain. In any case, even when Meredith officially stepped back from being a series regular on the medical drama, Pompeo remained and remains as an executive producer of the show. So if the series needs her, it shouldn’t be difficult to recruit her to return if the narrative calls for her appearance.