‘I Don’t Always Have A Say’: Ellen Pompeo Reveals Recent Grey’s Anatomy Story Choice She Disagreed With, And It’s Honestly One That Bothered Me Too

by

Ellen Pompeo has never shied away from expressing her honest opinions regarding “Grey’s Anatomy” or the character she’s played for twenty years now. As we draw near to the nerve-wracking finale of Season 21, slated on the 2025 TV schedule, Pompeo shared candidly that she didn’t always have control over Meredith’s decisions, even going so far as to voice her strong opposition to a particular storyline in the current season, which I found personally troubling.

It’s common knowledge that the actress has expressed strong dislike towards Meredith’s memorable “Pick me, choose me, love me” scene, even though it’s considered one of the most iconic “Shondalogues” on Grey’s Anatomy. However, this isn’t her only issue with the show, as Ellen Pompeo revealed to Variety that despite being an executive producer, she doesn’t always have control over the writers who are focusing on the larger storyline. In her own words:

– The actress dislikes certain scenes or plotlines, but due to her executive producer role, she’s not always able to change them because the writers have a bigger picture in mind.

In some instances, I don’t get to decide the actions of the character. Often, authors prioritize the plot over considering if the character, such as Meredith Grey (the one you’ve developed), would actually make a certain decision. This season, I found myself strongly disagreeing with a choice that Meredith was making.

Ellen Pompeo discussed episodes from Season 21 titled “Jump (For My Love)” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” both of which can be streamed with a Hulu subscription and feature Lena Waithe as Dr. Evynn Moore. In these episodes, Meredith discovers that Evynn has concealed her wife’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis to become eligible for a life-saving liver transplant. Ultimately, Meredith decides to expose the dishonesty, leading to the liver going to another recipient. Pompeo commented on this situation.

My issue with that plotline was that the Meredith Grey I’ve envisioned would have consistently said something like, ‘I’m angry that you lied, but let’s devise a strategy to manipulate the system and secure you this liver. The system is flawed. It needs fixing.’

Indeed, my thoughts mirrored yours as I watched the episode. Isn’t this the same Meredith we know from tampering with Derek’s Alzheimer’s trial to favor Richard’s wife over the placebo? The Meredith who abducted Zola when her foster child was in danger of being taken away? The Meredith who was arrested and nearly lost her medical license due to insurance fraud, all in the name of saving a child’s life? Ellen Pompeo further stated:

Rather than choosing to be angry and inform UNOS and the board about her deceit, Meredith decides – for reasons unknown – to betrayal and report herself as unworthy of receiving the liver. For two decades, she’s manipulated the system to perform ethical surgeries and care for patients genuinely, often going above and beyond to heal and assist people.

I completely concur with Ellen Pompeo’s viewpoint. It seemed inconsistent for Meredith to act so rigidly by-the-book, to a point where she would deny life-saving care based on legality, which didn’t align with her character. According to reports, Ellen was reportedly so upset that she had an emotional outburst. Lena Waithe is said to have helped Ellen understand that the writers were manipulating the plotline in a way that favored Scott Speedman’s character, Nick Marsh (Meredith’s partner).

It’s true that Scott Speedman deserves some appreciation as well, but I still find myself sympathizing with Ellen Pompeo to some extent. After all, she is the leading actress, and it was surprising to me, a longtime fan, that she would betray someone who has been engaging in similar actions as she has in the past. Now, at least, I have a clearer idea of why she might have acted that way!

Don’t miss out! The last three episodes of Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 will premiere on ABC and Hulu at 10 p.m. ET, Thursday, May 1st. In these final installments, you’ll see the talented actress Piper Perabo joining us in a recurring role, thanks to her work on Yellowstone. If you can’t watch live, don’t worry – episodes will be available on Hulu the next day. And if you want to catch up on the first 20 seasons, you can find them with a Netflix subscription!

Read More

2025-04-29 22:12