After Grey’s Anatomy kept bringing back dead people this season, killed off a major character, and then said goodbye to another, I thought the series was coming to an end. Naive, I know, because the ABC just renewed the series for an EIGHTEENTH season. Eighteen, mon dieu.
According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), the series was officially renewed after executive producer and star Ellen Pompeo signed a shiny new deal. After all, she is the show.
The amount of money ABC threw at her was kept under lock and key, but I assume it’s a shitload.
Sources told THR that Pompeo secured a salary increase for season 18, as did original stars Chandra Wilson (Bailey) and James Pickens (Richard). LOVE to see it.
There was no further renewal news beyond season 18, but at this rate, I assume the series will just run for ever.
Season 17 of the medical drama tackled the COVID-19 pandemic, with Meredith admitted to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital with a positive diagnosis. And then she fell into a coma, where she was reunited with her dead loved ones in a dream sequence.
We saw the return of T.R. Knight as George O’Malley, which still makes me so sad, as well as Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd.
George died in season 5 after he jumped in front of a bus to rescue a woman, while McDreamy carked it in season 11 after he was hit by a semi truck.
Oh, and then the annoyingly ageless Chyler Leigh reprised her role as Lexie Grey, Meredith’s sister, alongside Eric Dane as Mark Sloan.
Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) also visited Meredith on limbo beach, before he fully passed over to the land of the dead because this show can’t stop killing people. Gianniotti clocked seven seasons on the series, which is a pretty solid innings.
AND THEN, Jesse Williams announced his departure from the show after 12 whole years as Jackson Avery.
Who will die a gut-wrenching death next / decide it’s time to exit the show because it’s been almost 20 years? Stay tuned.
A better question: how will season 18 top dead people on limbo beach? I mean, I know it probably will, but how?
Grey’s Anatomy, season 17 is streaming now on Disney+, with new episodes dropping each week. Suss it out HERE.
