It's time to check back into Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, because Ellen Pompeo's send-off on Grey's Anatomy is happening on February 23. But as the longtime actress prepares to sign out for the last time as a series regular, the medical drama wants to honor two of Meredith Grey's loved ones as well.
In a new report from TVLine, the ABC show gave a few details about what fans could expect from the latter half of season 19. In the premiere episode, "I'll Follow the Sun," the outlet writes that "on Meredith’s last day at Grey Sloan, the doctors plan a goodbye surprise" before she heads to Boston to conduct research on Alzheimer's. It also notes that Nick (Scott Speedman) "confronts her about the future of their relationship," which currently sees them trying to work things out for a long-distance romance.
While the premise sounds intriguing, fans may have not picked up a subtle nod to two other characters.
The episode title references Meredith's late husband Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) and best friend Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), who in her final moments in season 10 said, "You are a gifted surgeon with an extraordinary mind. Don't let what he wants eclipse what you need. He's very dreamy, but he's not the sun ... you are."
But that's not the only place where Grey's Anatomy honored Meredith's relationships with Derek and Cristina. When the show dropped an emotional trailer featuring a montage of the character's journey at Grey Sloan, they made sure to share pivotal moments with all three of them. Naturally, folks picked up on it and had to comment.
"CRISTINA COME BACK TO ME," one fan screamed on Instagram. "'I'll Follow the Sun' is such a fitting name for the episode," another added on YouTube. "The end of an era ... I'm crying 😭😭," a different user agreed.
Despite the outpouring love for Meredith's last season in a full-time role, it won't be the last time Ellen will star on Grey's Anatomy. The actress recently clarified her status on the drama, and viewers needn't worry about where she stands because she'll be in one more episode before season 19 wraps.
"For the record, it's not really my final," she told Entertainment Tonight. "It's a little bit of a trick they're playing on people."
