“Grey’s Anatomy” appears to be an unstoppable beast and despite criticisms from some of the fanbase, I think the show had a very strong run during Season 19.
If you’d prefer to avoid spoilers for “Grey’s Anatomy”, stop reading now.
Despite waving goodbye to Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Maggie (Kelly McCreary), even though both returned for the season finale, the show got back to basics with the introduction of five new residents – Dr. Simone Griffith (Alexis Floyd), Dr. Benson “Blue” Kwan (Harry Shum Jr.), Dr. Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane), Dr. Mika Yasuda (Midori Francis), and Dr. Lucas Adams (Niko Terho). Those characters took the show back to its roots, throwing back to season 1 when Meredith and co. first started working at the hospital.
In the season finale Griffith ditched her fiancé at the aisle to run into the arms of Adams, only for her fiancé to wind up in hospital following an accident while tensions between Millin and Kwan rose after Kwan ignored a DNR to save Millin’s elderly flatmate Max (Juliet Mills). Meredith called Marsh (Scott Speedman), Maggie, Amelia (Caterina Scorsone), Richard (James Pickens Jr.) and Bailey (Chandra Wilson) to her lab in Boston ahead of the Catherine Fox Awards, to share an exciting but controversial discovery in her quest to cure Alzheimer’s.
There were a couple of surprises during the episode too. Jo (Camilla Luddington) and Link (Chris Carmack) finally revealed their true feelings for each other (as did Meredith and Marsh), Bailey won the Catherine Fox Award despite not being nominated, Winston suggested it was time for her and Maggie to get a divorce, and Teddy (Kim Raver) dramatically collapsed during surgery on Sam (Samuel Page), leaving Griffiths and Adams to take over and seemingly kill him on the table.
With such a huge cliffhanger, to me it felt like “Grey’s” was back to its best and there’s plenty of story to mine in Season 20. Add to that the change of showrunner for the new season and there’s a lot of potential. Here’s what I’d like to see:
Unless it’s a bluff, it looks very likely that Teddy is going to survive her collapse. According to TVLine, Kim Raver has renegotiated her contract for Season 20, which suggests that she’ll be sticking around. Of course, this could all be a cover so that fans have no idea what the character’s fate is but I’d be surprised if they kill her off. Teddy has somewhat come into her own as Chief in Season 20 and now her drama with Owen (Kevin McKidd) is behind her (forever I hope), there’s a lot more to explore with the character.
2
Sporadic visits from Meredith (and Maggie)
When Ellen Pompeo announced she was stepping down as a season regular in Season 19, she did say that she’d be popping back. She’s kept good on that by appearing in the season finale and I hope that we see Meredith a few more times in Season 20. It’s great that she’s still doing the voiceovers for the episodes but surely you can’t drop a storyline like her Alzheimer’s discovery and then not follow it up? Similarly, Kelly McCreary should pop back every now and then too but its less clear if McCreary has any plans to do that at this point.
3
Jo and Link to seriously explore their relationship
The will-they-won’t-they of Jo and Link was a huge storyline during Season 19. The two best friends have already crossed the line and then returned to being friends but that season finale moment saw them finally admit they were in love with each other. Might Jo’s feelings change if Sam dies on the table as it was strongly suggested he had? I hope not, and i hope that the characters get a chance to explore what a real relationship looks like. They’re perfect for each other and there’s a ready made family right there.
4
Addison to come back as a full-time season regular
Having Addison (Kate Walsh) pop back so many times the past two seasons has been a real treat. The work she’s been doing with Bailey, providing healthcare to pregnant women who need it across the country, is super important and now Bailey has a Catherine Fox Award, surely that storyline will continue. I know Addison has her family in Los Angeles, but maybe it’s time they relocate to Seattle and Addison comes back to the hospital full time.
5
Much more of the new interns
I have absolutely loved the new interns. For me, they’ve revitalised the show and given it a fresh focus and I genuinely love them all. There’s so much story to tell with all of them – will Griffith and Adams actually have a future together? Can Millen and Kwan get past themselves to admit their feelings for each other? Will Yasuda prove to be the best of the interns thanks to her determination and Yang-like cut-throat approach to her job? I can’t wait to find out.
6
The return of more legacy characters
The last few seasons has seen “Grey’s” successfully bring back legacy characters and with such a long history, there are many more that could come back. Top of my list would be Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), who let’s be honest was done dirty by the showrunner and writers. I also wouldn’t be mad if April (Sarah Drew) came back, even for an extended guest stint, and dare I say it, it’s time for Izzy (Katherine Heigl) to come back?
7
Amelia to find out who she is without the support of her sisters
The wheels came off for Amelia again in Season 19 after the departures of Meredith and Maggie, and her breakup with Kai (E.R. Fightmaster). Amelia needs to find out who she is away from her sisters and without needing to have a relationship to anchor her. Given that Richard was drinking again by the end of Season 19, I want Amelia to step up and be the support for him that he needs. At some point, Amelia has to be an adult and this is her time.
If there’s any character on the show that has been done a huge disservice it’s Helm (Jaicy Elliot). She’s been with the show since Season 14 but Season 19 saw her totally sidelined and working at Joe’s after quitting the hospital. The end of the season saw her return to her job, sharing Chief Resident with Schmitt (Jake Borelli) and she was enjoying a new relationship with Yasuda. Justice for Helm! Let’s see her soar in Season 20.
Schmitt barely got a storyline in Season 19 did he? Aside from a brief romance that went nowhere, all he seemed to do was be awful to the new interns as he took on Chief Resident. That was pretty much the extent of his storyline. I miss the Schmitt of old who was funny, a bit clumsy and endlessly adorable. Let him lighten up, give him a new love interest and let him get back to being fun!
10
More medical cases that span multiple episodes
The show has always had great medical cases at the heart of its episodes and I’m heartened to see many of them spanning more than one episode. I want that to continue in Season 20, with patients being treated across multiple episodes and really making their mark on the show. Remember how iconic Denny (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) was? I’d like more patients like that.
“Grey’s Anatomy” seasons 1 – 19 are streaming now on Disney+.
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