[ALERTA DE SPOILER: O texto abaixo contém spoilers do último episódio de Ellen Pompeo como personagem fixa em “Grey’s Anatomy”]
This Thursday (23rd) the farewell episode of Ellen Pompeo in “Grey’s Anatomy” was broadcast. The actress left the storyline as a regular character after playing the protagonist Meredith Gray for 19 seasons, who had been through many traumas, loves and of course many patients and surprise cases.
In the chapter titled “I will follow the sun” (“I will follow the sun,” in Portuguese), we follow the character’s final hours in the hospital, making her career, and Meredith, unexpectedly, didn’t say it in a peaceful way way goodbye. The story begins just weeks after the fire at her home, from which she is still recovering while preparing to move with her family to Boston, where she will work to find a cure for Alzheimer’s.
His newest love, Nick (Scott Speedman), is upset with his love interest because he moved away from Minnesota because of her and the doctor is now making a change without discussing the matter with him. Meredith then recalled that Nick didn’t return it when she said she loved him.
To add to this frustration, Mer also lost her last patient at Gray Sloan, children’s book author Tessa Hobbes (Patricia Richardson), leaving her devastated. Luckily, Tessa had a USB stick of her last manuscript, so her work survived after her death. After the surgery, she told Nick that she wanted him in her life but wasn’t asking him to stay.
Later, the protagonist is surprised to find all her colleagues gathered in the hospital lobby, ready for the final farewell and to toast her with champagne. “You used to be the bane of my existence. You’ve grown into one of my biggest reasons for pride,” said Bailey (Chandra Wilson). “This place won’t be the same without you,” added Richard (James Pickens Jr.).
During the farewell party, she told her colleagues that she would come back for visits. “I’m just going to Boston and you know I’ll probably be here next week,” Mer said, leaving a possible return to the series up in the air.
Later, former Dr. Helm (Juicy Elliot) advised Nick what he is giving up. “She’s Meredith Grey. She’s impossible, perfect, brilliant and she cares. (…) For some stupid reason she likes men, so she never fell in love with me, but she fell in love with you. and are you here How stupid are you?” asked the young woman.
After the scolding, Nick ran to the airport to find Mer. Realizing that he would not arrive on time, he called his beloved, who was already on board. “I love you. I fell in love with you the first day I met you, I fell in love with you the second day I met you, and I loved you every minute of every day I met you” he said. However, Meredith pretended not to hear him and said she would call him once she and the kids got to Boston. The score of the two was set for the remainder of the season.
The episode ended with another generation of Gray Sloan interns moving into Meredith’s childhood home after she, Maggie (Kelly McCreary) and Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) gave their house keys to Griffith (Alexis Floyd), Yasuda (Midori Francis) and Adams ( Niko Terho).
Meanwhile, on her flight to Boston, Mer read her three children the manuscript of the patient’s last book, which she had lost. “As the sun rises in your life, there are new dragons to slay. That’s why the end of my story isn’t forever, because I’m still alive. I am still here. And the sun still rises in my life,” the character concluded.
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Thanks for everything Meredith Grey!! 🥺❤ #GreysAnatomy pic.twitter.com/GsXBgSmnPw
— Central Ellen Pompeo (@centralep_) February 24, 2023
reaction of the fans
At dawn, fans flooded social media with their reactions to Mer’s departure. Despite the guaranteed cry, many said they were unhappy with the “disappointing” storyline. After 19 years of suffering and joy with the protagonist, fandom concluded that the farewell was not worthy of Grey’s importance in the story.
“I can’t believe the last episode of Meredith Gray was the show’s worst sendoff. It was NOTHING special GO FUCK YOU ABC I wanted to cry myself sick,” complained one Twitter user. “Yeah, apparently Krista Vernoff didn’t have the slightest ability to say goodbye to Meredith Grey,” wrote a second, referring to the series’ current showrunner.
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what a terrible episode. HORROROUS. I can’t believe the last episode of Meredith Gray was the show’s worst sendoff. it was nothing special
GO FUDER ABC I wanted to cry myself sick https://t.co/lIylf35Gpm— mis (@milena_mimisS2) February 24, 2023
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Apparently, Krista Vernoff didn’t have the slightest ability to say goodbye to Meredith Gray #GreysAnatomy
—andri (@andriisagatelli) February 24, 2023
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Meredith Gray’s farewell was like this:#GreysAnatomypic.twitter.com/9QNY1leTlp
— ًdani 🐱 (@sxweetchild) February 24, 2023
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What a TERRIBLE episode to say goodbye to a protagonist, Meredith Gray deserved better #GreysAnatomy
— 💭 (@pickdempeo2) February 24, 2023
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I can’t believe I watched 19 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy to follow Meredith Grey’s life!! That it ends like thispic.twitter.com/blBE292WKO
— 𝐊𝐄𝐋📖 (@Imkeldempsey) February 24, 2023
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With Meredith Gray gone, they must put an end to the series. He arrives. He arrives! Renew for a twentieth and final season and give Richard, Amelia and Miranda Bailey a decent ending. At least these three deserve it, the actors especially. we love #Gray but enough! pic.twitter.com/J7XIuBkUtz
— Gi (@giovannamccgb) February 24, 2023
Also heralded as the final episode of Pompeo, and with the numerous releases from the cast saying goodbye to the actress, Ellen is indeed set to return in this season’s finale, which airs May 19. She will also continue to voice for the episodes, which fans think is a sign that Ellen could reprise the role in the future.