We’re still reeling from even bigger news with Ellen Pompeo saying goodbye to the series and her character.
However, while Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Episode 6 is small potatoes in comparasion, Meaghan Frey, Joshua Johnson, and Jasmine Blu discuss the end of an era with that fall finale.
Join us below!
What would you rate this as a midseason finale? Did it leave you eager for the show’s return?
Meaghan: B-. Coming off such an iconic Grey’s Anatomy episode in the previous week, it was hard not to feel like this episode was a letdown.
Grey’s Anatomy is famous for doing epic midseason finales that leave us on the edge of our seats waiting for the show’s return, but unfortunately, this episode lacked that tension.
The episode in itself may not have left me eager for Grey’s to return, but the general direction of the first half of the season has been such an improvement on recent seasons that I’m incredibly excited to see what else they have in store for us.
Joshua: I agree with Meaghan that this didn’t seem like a midseason finale. Were I, not a fan of the show and this particular season, this episode would have done little to hook me back for the spring premiere.
After the episode ended, I checked to make sure that it was the midseason finale, not the penultimate episode of 2022–I thought there was one more episode to come. I was also surprised that Meredith’s departure didn’t end the midseason.
On the one hand, that means long-time show fans will tune in February to see her send-off, but I would have enjoyed the next two months thinking about how Grey Sloan would adjust in Meredith’s absence.
I already know Meredith is moving to Boston, so her house burning down (see below) isn’t the “cliffhanger” that midseason finales usually have.
Jasmine: I’d give it a C+. I felt it was mid. While I’ve enjoyed this season immensely, nothing about the midseason finale got my attention, and I say that as someone who loves the idea of Simone and Lucas together.
I expected a big cliffhanger or something exciting, but I forgot about most of the content when the credits rolled.
The shocking loss was the Grey home. React!
Meaghan: I heard some rumblings before the episode that it would be the house, so I can’t say I was shocked, but it was still devastating.
That house has been as much of a character in the series as Meredith Grey herself. So many important moments from the series have happened there. Nearly half of the cast has lived in that house at one point or another.
My only complaint would be that they did not give the house the proper send-off it deserved. It deserved to have a montage of all the classic Grey’s moments — both good and bad — that happened in it. Leaving out something like that is the only thing that kept me from being a blubbering mess.
Joshua: I don’t know what I was expecting as far as the shocking loss, but it wasn’t the Grey home. I’m fairly spoiler-phobic, so I had no idea what to expect, but as the episode played on, I was expecting Bailey Grey to die after he said “Come watch the lightning with us!”
I am sad about the loss and teary-eyed. As Meaghan said, so much of the cast has lived there over the past 19 years! That said, the house deserved a bigger send-off, which is one of the reasons the midseason finale felt so “blah.”
Jasmine: Yeah, I agree with both of you. I also heard some rumblings about the house, but I didn’t give it much thought. However, I expected a bigger loss than the home.
It’s sad, and yes, there were so many memories there, and the house was its own character, but I didn’t feel as impacted by it as I probably should’ve because they didn’t do a nice montage or something.
What were your thoughts on the Lucas/Amelia resolution?
Meaghan: With such a huge build-up last week to how the situation would end, this didn’t feel like much of a resolution. So much of it happened off-screen.
We also have yet to get a resolution of the actual issue between Lucas and Amelia. Sure, Lucas came forward to the other interns, but that doesn’t fix things between him and Amelia.
I need them to sit down and set some boundaries with each other, but more importantly, try to understand where the other person is coming from.
With Mer leaving, it would be nice for Amelia to feel like she has some family support outside of just her chosen sister, Maggie. Lucas also could use that support, and Amelia is the perfect person to give it to him as a fellow black sheep of the Shepard family.
Joshua: I’m so mad at Amelia, and I hate being mad at Amelia. She could have walked into the room and made it clear that she and Lucas weren’t sleeping together instead of forcing him to admit that he was a Shepherd.
What Lucas did was absolutely wrong on several levels, but Amelia could have worked with him to come up with something to say to the rest of the interns instead of forcing him to admit something that he didn’t want to; correcting his mistake didn’t have to mean that his full truth was revealed against his wishes.
I’m looking forward to the moment when Amelia sees herself in Lucas so he can have some support outside of Simone.
Jasmine: It was so anticlimactic, and it felt like a waste of time by that point.
And yeah, Joshua, the more I think about it, the more annoying it was that Amelia still didn’t respect his boundaries or wishes. She really became precisely like the people she used to complain about often when she was in his position.
How did you feel about Nick’s reaction to Mer’s decision? How do you think this will impact their relationship and future?
Meaghan: Nick’s reaction was completely understandable. Nick expressed his frustrations with how Mer handled the situation while reassuring her that he understood why she needed to leave.
Mer needs to put her children before her relationship with Nick, but she should’ve had a conversation with him before she officially made the decision, so he at least feels like he is being factored in.
What is probably causing even more issues is that Mer hasn’t asked Nick to come. Mer isn’t the type who will ask someone to uproot their career for her, but it would be nice for her to tell him that she wants him to come, understands if he can’t, and reassure him that she wants to continue their relationship regardless.
If they hadn’t already reduced Scott Speedman to a recurring character, I would be questioning whether Nick will be leaving with Mer, but with that reduced role, it seems pretty clear he is going.
I want Nick and Mer to be endgame, so I’m fine with him leaving from that perspective, but I also love Nick as an individual character, so losing him will hurt.
Nick has been such a great addition to the hospital and has been, hands down, the best leader of the residency program. Here’s to hoping all the great changes he has made don’t fall to the wayside with him gone.
Joshua: It’s weird to say this, but I wish I were more like Nick–slow to anger, easy to understand, but still expresses his feelings and sets boundaries in adult and healthy ways.
I love that he told Meredith that she understood why she made the decision, and he wished she would have talked to her at the same time–both things can be true for him.
I absolutely agree with Meaghan that while Meredith needs to make the decisions she needs for her family, she has spent more than a year figuring out how to fit Nick into her life and her into his.
What I like most about Nick is that he seems to be the opposite of Derek emotionally.
Whereas Derek often took Meredith’s “bait” and ran with it, resulting in an argument, Nick doesn’t take her bait. Rather, he clearly and calmly states his own feelings with what’s being said, creates space for Meredith to have her feelings, and stays true to what he needs for himself.
I think that’s the type of person Meredith needs, but she regularly puts Nick in the backseat whether or not she realizes it.
Regardless of Scott Speedman’s status in the cast (regular vs. recurring), I see three possibilities: either Nick follows Meredith and Owen takes the Residency Program (a terrible idea for the residents); Nick and Meredith have a long-term relationship, or Nick and Meredith break up.
For the last two options, Speedman can still stay a recurring character in the hospital, and his plots can be directly tied to the interns instead of trying to come up with a now-tertiary character who was introduced solely to be someone’s love interest; he would pop up to teach, impart wisdom, be a mentor, etc., but without a focus on developing his personal life.
Jasmine: Nick shouldn’t have been the sole factor in Mer’s decision, but she owed it to him to communicate about her actions.
I was gobsmacked that he found out the same way everyone else did that she was leaving. He had every right to be pissed, and I agree entirely with Joshua’s assessment of Nick. He’s genuinely emotionally mature and communicative, expresses himself well, and handles conflicts and everything so well.
Joshua, I love everything you said about Nick.
Every bit of it. You too, Meaghan. He’s such a great character and person and so enjoyable. I love his energy and adore him as residency director. I don’t know what’s in store for him, but I expect him and Mer to be endgame, so he probably has to follow her.
Would Teddy be a good fit for Chief? If not her, who should take on the role?
Meaghan: I don’t see any reason why Teddy couldn’t be a great Chief, but I also haven’t seen many reasons why she could be, so I’m taking a wait-and-see approach with this one.
Also, her taking on the role of Chief would likely strain her and Owen’s relationship, even if he fully supports her right now. Honestly, none of the current doctors have earned the role, and there isn’t a single one I can clearly picture stepping into.
They need someone who can see the bigger picture. Jackson would have been perfect for the position if he hadn’t taken over the organization. Richard should probably step in on a short-term basis until someone emerges as a clear front-runner.
Joshua: At this point, why not? At this point, make me Chief; everyone else has been Chief.
That said, when Owen suggested, some stuff clicked into place for me. I’ve never fully cared for Teddy, but I’ve always thought that she was an excellent surgeon, knew how to lead people, and clearly knew how to think quickly and clearly in high-pressure situations (unless her husband commits a crime and then her reaction is “let’s run from the law!”).
I think the opposite of what Meaghan thinks; Teddy being Chief might actually help their relationship.
Right now, Teddy is the Chief of Trauma and Owen is a Trauma Attending–like Winston and Maggie, they’re with each other all the time, which doesn’t give them time or space to deal with and process what they are feeling in the wake of their plot last season.
I don’t remember how much time Owen has left on his probation (was it six months?), so I can see Teddy becoming Chief, Owen becoming Chief of Trauma, and their relationship working out.
Jasmine: Short of getting a new person for fresh blood, I’m here for it. Almost everyone else has taken a stab at it. She’d do well in the position because she leads and runs things well. And yeah, it may help her and Owen’s relationship more than harm it.
Are they ruining Maggie and Winston’s relationship, or do you think it’s worth fixing? Is Maggie out of line?
Meaghan: They are giving Maggie and Winston the Amelink treatment, and I’m not here for it. Winston and Maggie have had such a happy, healthy relationship and to watch it destructing before our eyes over an issue that came out of nowhere is frustrating as can be.
They are both horrible communicators, which is the root of the problem. Winston could have nipped this in the bud if he had just expressed his frustrations to Maggie before they boiled over.
If Maggie would listen to Winston and respect his decision instead of judging and degrading him, they could move past this. Maggie telling him that she would never give up cardio for him and that she can’t respect him for being willing to make that sacrifice was a slap in the face.
I’m not saying that either of them should give up what they love, but Winston obviously is fine with making a change. He easily could’ve looked for cardio positions outside Grey Sloan but chose to pursue a different specialty; that’s his choice. I hope these two can move past this, but I’m not interested in watching them continue like this much longer.
Joshua: Going off of my last answer, I think I see a “switch” in these two couples (Maggie/Winston, Owen/Teddy).
For the past six episodes, even though they’ve had tiffs, we’ve seen Maggie and Winston speak with each other openly and honestly about their feelings, listen to each other, and try to take steps that would help their relationship.
In the past couple of episodes, the lines of communication have been damaged. I can see the show letting Teddy and Owen “heal” while Maggie and Winston continue to go through this relationship strife.
If that’s the case, I will be highly annoyed. I don’t mind if Maggie and Winston have these sorts of martial fights–fighting is a natural part of a relationship, as you seek to understand each other.
I agree with Meaghan that Winston and Maggie aren’t communicating very well with each other. I appreciate that Winston found a solution to a problem he perceived–but he should have talked about Maggie with the entire situation first.
He should have come to her and talked about how her being his boss and them being together 24/7 is something that wasn’t healthy for him. Conversely, Maggie seems like she’s refusing to “hear” Winston.
I have to say, I understand where she’s coming from–having just had that Ellis fever dream and knowing what she knows about Ellis, I can see why Maggie would get upset that it appears Winston is choosing love over his career the way that Ellis almost did.
But she’s refusing to try to understand Winston’s point of view–that he loves her, he loves medicine, he doesn’t want to lose either, and that vascular surgery is a way for him to love both.
They can work it out. I enjoy their relationship because they work together as a couple.
Jasmine: They really are randomly pulling an Amelink with Winston and Maggie, and I did NOT like how that turned out, so I’m annoyed by this whole thing.
Did we need this again? Honestly, I’ve defended Maggie for YEARS because she’s been unfairly dragged and bashed for existing, but I can’t even act like she’s not irritating the hell out of me right now.
It doesn’t even matter when Winston says something because she never listens to or respects what he has to say.
While I don’t think anything will happen to them, every time we get one of these Winston and Maggie scenes, I comment on how Maggie isn’t even trying not to lose her husband, and I wouldn’t bat an eye if it happened.
Lucas and Simone kissed. React!
Meaghan: I genuinely enjoy the connection between Lucas and Simone, so I’m all for it.
However, I’m also not mad about Simone not being willing to jump into things with him yet. I’m willing to ride a slow burn train if it gives us one of the next great Grey’s Anatomy couples.
But hey, even if they end up being each other’s person, I’ll be fine with that too. Just keep giving us more of them!
Joshua: Everything Meaghan said. When Simone first found out Lucas’s secret a couple of episodes ago and they had a moment, I remember saying to my mom, “I actually wouldn’t mind if they became each other’s people.”
Alexis Floyd and Nico Terho have excellent chemistry together, so however the show decides to pair them off, I’ll be happy about it.
Jasmine: Yes, I can agree with all of this. I was sold on these two from their very first interaction, and it hasn’t been lost on me that they’re constantly orbiting around one another, working together, sitting with or near each other, and so forth.
I love them. I’m excited about the possibilities with them and that they could be the next-gen love story and fan-favorite ‘ship.
I love Floyd and Terho’s chemistry, and they’re beautiful together. And I don’t think people realize how underrated and underrepresented interracial ships with two POC are and how refreshing it is to see, so that’s cool, too.
I have been rooting for a kiss between those two, but I wasn’t a fan of the execution of this one. It felt shoehorned into the episode and very forced, which took some of the wind out of my sails with something I genuinely wanted to happen. I did love the way he cradled her face, though.
He’s totally smitten, and I look forward to where this goes when they return. I’m going to root for romance and them being each other’s person because why limit yourself when you can have both coexisting?
What was your favorite part of the finale? Do you have anything else you’d like to address?
Meaghan: I wasn’t a huge fan of this episode so picking a favorite part is tough, but Mika telling Teddy how much she inspired her during their case this week was a highlight in an otherwise bleak hour.
Mika is the most underrated intern for me right now. By pairing Blue with Jules and Simone with Lucas, they’ve let her be the odd man out, but every time she is on the screen, I adore her.
Speaking of Blue and Jules, I really love their very Alex and Izzie-esque dynamic. Alex and Izzie were my favorite of the OG couples — other than MerDer, of course — so I’m very on board with that type of pairing being replicated.
Joshua: As Meaghan said, this episode didn’t have the payoff I was expecting, but there were little things here and there I appreciated.
I loved when Jules got to one-up Blue with her knowledge of metallic jewelry; her line “Good consult” was very Izzie but without the self-righteousness that would have come with it.
I appreciated the “get to know you” moment that the two had afterward as well. I don’t know that I’d want them paired off as a couple (again, everyone knows how I feel about people being paired off just for the purposes of a relationship), but I do like their friendship.
Like Meaghan, I also enjoyed Mika this hour.
Her reaction to Teddy removing the chest tube and plugging the wound with gauze was so well acted I knew immediately what was “awoken” within her; a lot of her cases so far have been trauma, so it makes sense to me that a trauma maneuver would move her.
I’m looking forward to seeing more of her in the back half of the season.
Finally, something that made me emotional about the episode was Bailey telling Webber that she wouldn’t take over as Chief.
Becoming Chief was something that Bailey has worked toward since Season Two, so to see her take all of her experience for the last 17 seasons, realize that she can’t do it all for the sake of her physical and mental health, and hold firm in that decision is remarkable.
I think of the idea that Black women have to work twice as hard to get half as far, and I think Bailey’s choice is an acknowledgment that she is okay with where she is and what other people think of that decision is no matter of hers.
Jasmine: Hmm. I didn’t really have one. I agree with you about how underrated Mika is out of the interns, and Nick was top-notch during this installment and pretty much all of them. Maggie handing Mer the post-it was nice.
What are your hopes, wishes, or predictions for when the series returns?
Meaghan: This first half of the season has been stellar overall, and I hope they keep up this momentum after the break.
It’s become clear that the strength of this season is the interns. They bring a fresh energy to the table, and seeing the world of Grey’s through their eyes has brought the series full circle back to its prime of the early years.
I’d rather see them double down on the interns and pull back on the old cast a bit, or at least limit the number of the old cast they focus on. They obviously brought this round of interns in for a reason, and they need to commit to that fully instead of making the same mistakes they have with past intern classes.
If Grey’s wants to survive past this season, it’s time for a change, and these interns are that change they need.
My other big hope is we get a good send-off for Mer. As much as her character has fallen off for me in recent years, she still is the OG, and I want her exit to be treated as such.
My worry is that because of the fact that Ellen hasn’t committed to leaving or staying past this season, they won’t treat this as a real goodbye to Mer, but if they don’t do it now and then she does decide to leave, and they bring her back for one final goodbye it just won’t feel the same.
They’re better off treating it like the end of the road for her, and then if she comes back, then great, but if not, we at least got the closure we and the series deserve.
Joshua: I agree with Meaghan: I want more interns and less old cast. I don’t think we need to see every old cast member every episode, but we do need to see the interns every episode.
I also hope that Meredith’s send-off is appropriate. I currently can’t imagine saying goodbye to Meredith Grey–it would be like saying goodbye to Buffy 19 years ago. With just two more episodes left this season, I need the show–and the hospital–to treat Meredith like a queen.
I’d also like the stress of the doctor shortage not to be a plotline anymore. I feel like it’s played out; it’s making Schmidt feel unlikeable (and Jo, when she interacts with him; her entire plotline in the ER got on my nerves, like, you’re a doctor, so get up and help people instead of shopping for baby clothes).
Most surprisingly: I’m just excited for the show to come back in general, something I don’t think I’ve felt in a couple of years (especially after last season and the Covid season before that).
Jasmine: I definitely hope they keep up the momentum they had sans the midseason finale. Their strength is the interns and how fresh they have been with them.
As a result, we need more of the inter-storylines, arguably making them more of the primary stories told. They need to scale back on covering every single one of the veteran characters in an episode.
They should rotate one or two of them per episode, with the interns being consistent. Mer definitely deserves a great send-off. It should go without saying.
I hope that they handle it with the importance and respect it calls for since she’s the titular character, and it has been 19 years. If they don’t get any other send-off right, and they’ve had some questionable, polarizing, and downright offensive ones over the years, they have to get this one right.
Oh my goodness, Jo irked me when she was online shopping in the middle of a busy ER within earshot of patients. It was so stupid!
Over to you, Grey’s Fanatics. Do you agree with us? Sound off below!
Grey’s Anatomy returns with all-new episodes and Ellen Pompeo’s final installments as a series regular in February.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.