Will Ellen Pompeo Returns to Grey’s Anatomy Season 8?

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It’s one thing for a show to lose its main character, but it’s another to lose a character whose name is in the main title. I’m not sure how fans will feel about the idea of Grey’s Anatomy with Meredith Grey. Things aren’t set in stone however, as TV Line spoke with series creator Shonda Rhimes about the possibilities of the show continuing past the eighth season.

“I really don’t know [who might re-sign] and I don’t presume to know,” Rhimes said. “Everybody has an individual choice to make and I get that.”

Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey are the only remaining original cast members. Pompeo hasn’t been very clear on whether she’d renew her contract for a ninth season, saying she hasn’t been asked about it yet. Should Pompeo decide not to return, it’s likely her character’s sister would take over as the Grey in the title.

“I would totally take that on -– if that were to be the case,” Chyler Leigh said during a September Fancast.com Q&A. “I don’t know where Ellen is [with her thinking], but that would seem like the logical next step.”

It’s good to know there’s some kind of a backup plan in place for the show. As long as the creative team can get behind it and it’s done well and they give Pompeo a good exit it shouldn’t be a problem. It’s good to keep in mind though that it’s still too early to tell anything for sure and all we can do is wait and see how things go during Season 8.

9 Comments

1. 

   Sue

   May 24, 2011 at 12:30 pm

   If Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey leave Grey’s Anatomy please just take the show off the air because it would not make sense! Its Grey’s Anatomy not Little Grey’s Anatomy. I personally will not be watchign and I believe many other people will not be watching as well.

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   • 

     Anonymous

     June 24, 2011 at 9:35 pm

     Right, I’m on of them.

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     • 

       Anonymous

       June 24, 2011 at 9:36 pm

       I meant *one* …. hate typos

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2. 

   juicy87

   May 24, 2011 at 12:55 pm

   I’d still watch! I love Lexie and Mark, and Callie and Cristina. The rest of the cast are unreal talented and could definetely carry this show and provide viewers with tons of awesome entertainment.

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3. 

   fazou sayed

   May 24, 2011 at 1:13 pm

   If the show is without Meridith or Derek i think Shonda will be digging her own grave.And it will be good if she sees help with a career advisor.Because she will certainly be in the wrong field.Mistakes have been made.

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4. 

   Michele

   May 24, 2011 at 3:16 pm

   “Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey are the only remaining original cast members.”
   - Did I miss Christina’s, Alex’s, Bailey’s, the Chief’s big exits or something? How can they say they are the only remaining original cast? Still, don’t want Ellen to leave, it wouldn’t be Grey’s without her.

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5. 

   Sean

   June 10, 2011 at 8:24 pm

   I will still watch Grey’s if Meredith and Derek leave. I think of the show as an ensemble cast and not Meredith as the main star .. yes, the show is named after Meredith (kind of). The show is a play on words off of the anatomy book Gray’s Anatomy written by Henry Gray. The show has seen exits from original cast members such as Izzie Stevens, Preston Burke and George O’Malley as well as past series regulars such as Addison Montgomery and Erica Hahn. Yes, I think ratings will drop when they leave the show .. but I don’t think it would make the show bad, It would just change the show a bit, as it would with any main cast member leaving, the other main characters in the show has enough depth and dimension and fans to be able to carry the show without Meredith and Derek I believe.

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     Anonymous

     June 24, 2011 at 9:38 pm

     Yeah, it started off fantastically for a couple years there with MerDer the main focus, but Shonda took a turn and made u want to c it as an ensemble because she so screwed up MerDer’s story.

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6. 

   kierra

   August 23, 2011 at 7:44 am

   i dont think meridth should leave i watch the show for her i just want a happy ending if christina is still in it i will watch it if merder is gone

   Reply