As the famed medical drama Grey’s Anatomy concludes its twenty-first season, the question arises: should the show end? 

The show began two decades ago in 2005.

Grey’s Anatomy starts on the first day of protagonist Meredith Grey’s (Ellen Pompeo) surgical internship, following her through her residency, then surgical career throughout the many seasons. Along with Grey’s career, it also follows her personal life, including friendships, relationships and the death of many loved ones.

The show is loved by many and has people deeply invested in the plot and characters. 

While viewers bond with characters, long-running shows usually face challenges when it comes to their stars. Actors can become bored, and their personal lives and career ambitions may change. 

So what do these actors do? They leave—quitting, getting fired, or even walking off mid-season—to pursue a struggling rom-com career. But ironically answering the question, “Who was that girl in that thing?” (Yes, I’m talking about Kathrene Heigl.)

Luckily the show’s creator Shonda Rhimes has a quick and easy way to dispose of the characters, an extremely dramatic death (usually having some connection to something with an engine). 

Around the sixteenth season, fans felt the show became too formulaic, criticizing the deaths, relationships and plots. 

Fans were not the only ones who noticed. The show’s star, Pompeo, tried to convince the creators and producers to end the show after season 18. When they said no, Pompeo simply left the show. Rhimes, nonetheless, continued the series. 

Rhimes has held the show up for a surprisingly long time, while most successful shows, such as The Office or Gilmore Girls, started wrapping up the series around their sixth or seventh season.

So here we are with a once beloved drama, now living to highlight Pompeo’s occasional cameo. The show was exhilarating and colorful, quite ironic given the main character’s name, Grey. However, with the departure of the beloved, lovesick doctor the show became, well: Gray.