In the Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 finale, “Happily Ever After?,” Nick Marsh reunited with Meredith Grey in Boston. Despite not having spoken since Nick told Meredith he loved her over the phone — and she pretended not to hear him — the pair reconciled and even shared a kiss. It seems that the episode title perfectly captured the state of Meredith and Nick’s relationship, because while the pair did share a sweet moment, if they will get their happily ever after is still in question mark.
Meredith and Nick first got together in Season 18 when Ellen Pompeo was still a series regular. However, following Pompeo’s midseason exit from the main cast, Meredith’s status is now part-time at best. Nick, on the other hand, is currently still a full-time employee of Grey Sloan Memorial back in Seattle, so Grey’s Anatomy has to decide what to do with the couple.
Grey’s Anatomy Has Multiple Options for Meredith and Nick’s Future
Grey’s Anatomy has three options for how they can proceed with Meredith and Nick: They can carry on a long-distance relationship, break up for good or Nick can move to Boston. A long-distance relationship would allow for Nick to be with Meredith, but also keep his job as director of the residency program at Grey Sloan. Since the residency program has already been through quite a few hiccups, Nick staying at Grey Sloan would provide it with much-needed stability. However, viewers have already seen what can happen in a long-distance relationship in Season 19 when Amelia Shepherd and her partner Kai had a less than cordial breakup.
If Nick is going to be included in the future of Grey’s Anatomy, the simplest solution would be to have Meredith and Nick end their relationship for good. If this were the case, Nick could continue being the mentor that the interns so desperately need. However, because Nick and Meredith’s relationship has been so turbulent, it would be very unfulfilling for audiences to sit through all that drama to only see heartbreak. It would be more rewarding for both the characters and viewers if Meredith and Nick had some form of a happy ending, which means making a major change to Scott Speedman’s status with the show.
Nick Marsh Leaving Grey’s Anatomy Is His Best Ending
A listicle of Meredith Grey’s traumas would include her husband Derek’s death, nearly getting blown up, facing down a hospital shooter and nearly dying from COVID. If there is any Grey’s Anatomy character that deserves a happy ending, it’s her. Meredith doesn’t need to be in a relationship to get her happy ending; she is an amazing mother and is conducting groundbreaking research. But finding a way to make things work with Nick would add to her happiness and be a huge step forward after her post-Derek romantic ups and downs.
While Nick moving to Boston would be a loss to Grey Sloan, anything less would be unsatisfying for his character. If Nick were to stay in Seattle, it would be awkward to have him continually reference a relationship with Meredith that’s happening mostly off-screen. But it would be downright painful for them to break up and have him not reference it at all. That means it’s for the best that Nick joins the list of characters who have departed the show; while he’ll be missed, at least he’ll get the ending that best suits him.
Whatever happens to Meredith and Nick, both characters deserve some form of happiness. The clearest way for them to achieve it would be if they stay together — even though that would mean Scott Speedman leaving Grey’s Anatomy. There’s no reason that he couldn’t return as a guest star when Pompeo does, and then audiences would be content knowing that Meredith and Nick’s story was continung, even if they’re not getting to see it.