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'Not ready for her to go': Fans get emotional over Ellen Pompeo leaving 'Grey's Anatomy' in Season 20 finale

Season 20 of Grey's Anatomy might the last season of the long-running series franchise after its main lead leaves

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA : Season 20 of 'Grey's Anatomy' may be the show's eventual conclusion as the show's main lead Ellen Pompeo, who plays Meredith Grey, is exiting the long-running series. It can be challenging to decide whether to stop a successful series, while taking the characters and the show's narrative possibilities into account. But with the significant changes the show has already undergone since its inception,

'Grey's Anatomy' is in a sense already a completely new story. And it is no surprise that old viewers will, in all probability, stop watching once their last link to the show, Meredith, leaves. Season 20 hits the big screens on Thursday, February 23, 2023, airing on ABC and available to stream on Hulu. Fans have quickly taken to social media to express their emotions over the announcement.

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Shonda Rhimes, the show's creator, as well as Pompeo herself have previously said they anticipated the end of 'Grey's Anatomy' when the actress left. Narratively, this makes sense considering that Meredith serves as both the inspiration for the show's name and its primary point-of-view character throughout its long run.

Losing one of the surviving original Season 1 characters would not only make it confusing to continue 'Grey's Anatomy' without its titular heroine, has also upset devoted viewers. Only Drs. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr) would be left as connections to the Grey's Anatomy pilot season without Meredith. This highlights how Pompeo's resignation indicates that season 20 might be an appropriate time to terminate the show.

'Not ready for her to go'

Fans on Twitter expressed how emotional this season's finale will make them. One fan said, "The last episode of greys anatomy for me I’m not watching after Meredith leaves no one is worth watching after she’s gone". Another commented, "My last episode till the season finale. Back to the start for me. Even if characters come back no mer no greys." Another tweet lamented, "I’m not ready for her to go🥺", while another fan echoed these thoughts, writing, "IM NOT READY for MER to Leave 😫😭! & IM NOT OK🥴" Fans around the globe are coming together to say goodbye, as one long-time show watcher tweeted, "my therapist will be hearing about this btw". Another viewer, who wanted the show to continue, wrote, "I am going to miss Meredith!! I hope she comes back for a visit."