Grey’s Anatomy’s Open Door Exits Are A Good Thing For Season 20
Grey's Anatomy has seen many characters come and go in its 19 seasons, but their open-door exits have proven to be a good thing for the future.
Grey’s Anatomy season 19 saw multiple major characters leave the hit ABC medical drama, but, fortunately, their exits also left the potential for them to return. Despite both Meredith and Maggie leaving in the latest season at different points, they both returned for the Grey’s Anatomy season 19 finale episode, leaving the door open for potential future appearances. Throughout its historic run, many characters have left Grey’s Anatomy, either by leaving Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital or being killed off, but many characters have returned due to open-door exits and even some hallucinations and dream sequences, like on Meredith’s COVID-19 coma-induced beach in season 17.
Grey’s Anatomy has been on air since 2005, having released over 400 episodes and counting now that Grey’s Anatomy season 20 is on the way. Today, there are only two series regular cast members, Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey) and James Pickens Jr. (Richard Webber), that still remain from the pilot. However, this doesn’t mean that some of the fan-favorites who have since left never returned to Grey’s Anatomy through guest starring or recurring roles. Though Grey’s Anatomy season 20 being the first full season with Meredith could be a cause for some concern, the open-door exit she and others had is actually a positive for the series going forward.
Grey’s Anatomy Has Lost Too Many Legacy Characters
Though Grey’s Anatomy has introduced great, compelling new characters for each character that leaves, they have lost too many legacy characters over the years which could lead to drops in viewership. For many, Meredith was the last Grey’s Anatomy legacy character that they kept tuning in for, especially after suffering the losses of Cristina, Izzie, April, Alex, Arizona, Jackson, and so many more. Fortunately, many of these characters simply left the show, giving them the opportunity to come back. Grey’s Anatomy’s creativity has even allowed deceased characters like Denny, George, Mark, Derek, and Lexie to make appearances in the afterlife.
As a medical procedural, many of the Grey’s Anatomy episodes follow the same formula: there are cases and patients that the different doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital are tasked with solving alongside plenty of entertaining relationships and workplace drama. Thus, it’s often the characters that keep viewers coming back season after season, even when so many of the beloved legacy characters are long gone. Grey’s Anatomy has been running for enough time that some characters like Amelia, Teddy, Owen, and Jo, despite not being a part of the show from the very beginning like Bailey and Richard, have also become akin to the original characters in their own right.
Grey’s Anatomy Having Recurring Legacy Characters Will Keep Fans Coming Back
While Grey’s Anatomy frequently has characters return through guest appearances, there have been instances where legacy characters have recurred, appearing in multiple episodes a season. In Grey’s Anatomy season 19, Kate Walsh returned as Addison in a recurring role after having left the series to star in the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff Private Practice at the end of season 3. Addison appeared in one Grey’s Anatomy season 18 episode, and then returned for five episodes in season 19, playing a much larger and more important role in the storyline. Having Addison back after a 10-year absence helped to keep fans tuned in, especially with Meredith leaving around the same time.
In Grey’s Anatomy season 17, Patrick Dempsey also took on a recurring role seasons after Derek’s tragic season 10 death. Though it was just through Meredith’s coma-induced beach dream sequences, his appearances showed how important it is to have recurring legacy characters on Grey’s Anatomy. As much as the newer characters have helped to keep the show afloat for all these seasons, it’s the legacy characters that built the show’s fanbase, and it’s their recurring appearances that keep fans coming back year after year.
It’s A Special Event When Addison & Jackson Return
Part of why having open-door exits and recurring legacy characters is so vital to Grey’s Anatomy’s longevity is because every time they do return, it becomes a special event. Grey’s Anatomy season 19 featured many special events, from Meredith and Maggie’s sendoff episodes to the two-hour finale where they returned, but Addison’s five episodes and Jackson’s guest appearance were just as big for longtime viewers. Not only do they feel this way for viewers, but they are marketed as special, which could potentially bring back fans who had stopped watching the show earlier on because their favorite character had departed.
Addison and Jackson’s open-door exits leave plenty of room for them to make special appearances in Grey’s Anatomy season 20. Addison is still working with Bailey to help bring reproductive care to patients in states banning it, which means she could recur once again. Jackson also has connections to Seattle and Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital because of his mother’s marriage to Richard, and with the progression of her cancer, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him on Grey’s Anatomy again, as he has done many times since his season 17 exit.
Ellen Pompeo & Kelly McCreary Will Return For Grey’s Anatomy Season 20
Grey’s Anatomy’s season 20 has raised many questions about who will be returning, or if anyone else may be leaving the show. The Grey’s Anatomy season 19 finale saw the returns of Meredith and Maggie, with both of their storylines opening the door for future appearances. Meredith and Maggie might not be working at Grey Sloan anymore, but they have plenty of ties to the hospital and Seattle despite now being in Boston and Chicago respectively. In the season 19 finale, Maggie and Winston made the decision to stay married but apart, meaning season 20 will likely see the couple dealing with the distance through some appearances from Kelly McCreary.
In the recent Variety’s Actors on Actors interview Ellen Pompeo did alongside her former Grey’s Anatomy costar, Katherine Heigl (Izzie), Pompeo said she will “be making some appearances hopefully next year.” This is good news for longtime Grey’s Anatomy fans as it suggests that both she and McCreary will be back in season 20 despite having left the show. While there are many factors that have contributed to Grey’s Anatomy’s staying power, the return of legacy characters is part of what makes it so special, which helps to keep viewers coming back over 400 episodes since it all began.
