Ellen Pompeo Hinted That Season 16 Of “Grey’s Anatomy” Might Be Its Last

Lllloonnnnggg-running ABC mainstay Grey’s Anatomy is about to begin its 15th season and the HDIC (head doctor in charge) Ellen Pompeo hinted to EW (via Deadline) that its next season might be its last. I would hope so! How is this show still on? Didn’t MVP Sandra Oh leave awhile back? Didn’t they run over Dr. McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey) with a truck and kill off Dr. McSteamy (Eric Dane) in a plane crash? And they dumped the lesbians, right? For shame. Debbie Allen is an icon but even she shouldn’t have to hold this disaster-prone hospital together for more than, say, 10 years, right?

Grey’s is about to beat out E.R. (another show that went on far too long) as the longest-running hospital drama in television history. To celebrate, they’ve gotten six different EW covers including one featuring Ellen in a questionable choice by the stylist involved. In the interview, Ellen sounds like she’s tired as hell of playing that whiny doctor.

Pompeo, who plays Meredith Grey on the ABC medical drama, was asked if she sees herself continuing on the show beyond Season 16. “I’m clearly not prepared right now to make any formal announcement about what my future is on the show, but I am really feeling like we have told the majority of the stories that we can tell,” Pompeo told EW. “It’s about time that I mix it up. I’m definitely looking for a change.”

That doesn’t mean she’s necessarily going to be phoning it in during this season and next. Don’t be nervous that you’re going to see Meredith Grey dialing up the other doctors in a split-screen ala Three’s Company because the producers reduced her to 60 seconds an episode. That really happened to Suzanne Somers. There was no justice for Chrissy Snow!

“I still am fighting every day for the quality of the show to be good and for the actors to be happy,” says Pompeo, who posed for her latest EW cover while wrapped in EKG rhythm strips.

There was a hint of discord when it was revealed that some cast members (Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew) were let go before this season began filming and the gossip was that maintaining Ellen’s salary had something to do with it. Ellen denied the rumor. She says she still loves the show and the fans and could probably do this shit in her sleep at this point.

The actress, who’s played Meredith Grey since 2005 and has appeared on six EW covers since originating the role, adds, “I still care very much about the show.”

“Bless their hearts, they’re adorable,” Pompeo says of the show’s fanbase In the Pacific Northwest, who always seemed to find where she and the others were filming. “It’s incredible how this show just keeps resonating with every young generation. It’s really touching.”

Speaking of shit, I had to stop watching Grey’s at a very specific point. No, it wasn’t during the hospital shooting spree episode or when Jessica Capshaw’s character wouldn’t stop screaming post plane crash and it made one of our dogs howl. No, it was a rerun episode where they had to do a “fecal transplant” between a wife and her husband. Apparently, it’s a real thing but nope, not even, no thank you. Progress isn’t always a good thing. Ewww.

Pic: EW