Where is Meredith Grey Going After ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Farewell?

Meredith Grey might not have expected to deal with plane crashes, shootings, and bombs when she took the Hippocratic Oath but that’s exactly what she got during her tenure at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital – a tenure that is, sadly, coming to an end.

Actress Ellen Pompeo, who has starred at the helm of Grey’s Anatomy since its 2005 premiere, announced she will be leaving the show in November 2022. But a clip from tonight’s episode gives us a first glimpse at what her farewell will look like.

The clip shows Grey walking with her three children – Zola, Derek, and Ellis – through the hospital, ready to go with their luggages. “You’re going to take these gifts and visit your old daycare teachers,” she instructs them. “They’re going to be very excited to see you. Do you remember where you’re going?”

“Mom, I’m not a baby!” Derek responds, before walking off with Ellis like a pair of mini teenagers. Where did the time go?

It’s difficult to imagine Grey’s Anatomy without Meredith, who has become a mainstay for the medical drama series. But the show has seen many of its core cast members off over its 18 years on ABC. Luckily, she gets to leave Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital on her own terms and not because of a freak accident like some of her less fortunate castmates. 

But where will Meredith go from here?

Where is Meredith Grey going?

Meredith revealed earlier in the season that she will be moving to Boston to continue her research into Alzheimer’s. 

Today’s episode, which is the spring premiere of season 19, might be Pompeo’s last day as a regular cast member on the show, but that does not mean this is the last we’ll see of her iconic character.

Pompeo hinted that there are already plans for her to return to the show back in November 2022 when she announced her departure. “You know the show must go on and I’ll definitely be back to visit,” she wrote in an Instagram post. According to Deadline, Pompeo agreed to only appear in eight episodes this season since she wanted to take on new projects, but she will remain on as narrator and executive producer. She is expected to return for the season 19 finale. 

What happens now that Meredith is leaving Grey’s Anatomy?

As Pompeo said, the show must go on. There is still a lot to unpack with the rest of its cast including the new class of surgical interns we met this season. However, a 20th season hasn’t been confirmed just yet. 

Pompeo’s exit as a series regular makes the show’s end feel much more imminent. But I think fans would agree that, as television’s longest-running medical drama series, Grey’s Anatomy deserves a proper sendoff instead of being canceled. 

It’s hard to imagine what the Grey’s Anatomy series finale will look like. Will it be a happy ending? Do those even exist in the Grey’s universe? We’ll just have to tune in and see.