'Grey's Anatomy' Spoilers: Ending Happens Only When Ellen Pompeo Hangs Her Scrubs, Shonda Rhimes Says
"Grey's Anatomy" aired its 300th episode this week and the show celebrated the milestone with a special story. Show creator Shonda Rhimes admitted that the series will not end until star Ellen Pompeo herself says so.
Pompeo's character is the heart of "Grey's Anatomy" and the title refers to Meredith Grey. Fans pointed out halfway through the series and when the original stars have departed that if Pompeo would leave then the show won't be "Grey's Anatomy" anymore.
"Ellen and I have a pact that I'm going to do the show as long as she's going to do the show," Rhimes told E! News. "If she wants to stop, we're stopping."
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The other cast members also agree Pompeo is in a special position aside from being the lead. Jason George (Ben Warren) described Pompeo as the show's quarterback and Rhimes as the coach.
"Without Shonda and Ellen, I don't know if we make 100, 200," George said.
Amusingly, Pompeo only took the job on "Grey's Anatomy" over 14 years ago so she can make a quick buck. She told Good Housekeeping in 2016 that she initially hesitated to star in a TV show because she didn't want to be stuck in it.
Her agent convinced her that "Grey's Anatomy" might not even make it to air. Alas, the series, which debuted in the 2005 midseason, became an instant hit.
Pompeo said the biggest challenge to leading a long-running show is to consistently give great performances year after year. There have been days when she felt stuck creatively and there have been times she and Rhimes disagreed about where her character's direction headed.
Meanwhile, this week's 300th episode featured the likeness of former characters, Izzie, Cristina, and George. Two young doctors helping out people from a roller coaster accident reminded Meredith of her old friends Cristina and George, while a pregnant blonde patient looked a lot like Izzie.
"Grey's Anatomy" airs Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. EST on ABC.
