By Grace Cornell

The first season of Grey’s Anatomy premiered on March 27, 2005. 15 years later, millions of people watch (and re-watch) the series on Netflix and continue to tune in every Thursday night to watch the newest episode on ABC. Grey’s debuted their 17th season on November 12 to 5.93 million viewers, which is actually less than their usual premiere rate. The newest season follows the doctors at the fictional Grey Sloan Memorial hospital, in Seattle, Washington, as they are affected by COVID-19.

Just like many television shows and movies, Grey’s Anatomy’s production was put on hold back in March due to COVID-19. The show’s 16th season was intended to have 24 episodes, but when production shut down, the show was forced to use the 21st episode as a season finale. Three months later, showrunner Krista Vernoff met with the show’s writers room and asked them to convince her why season 17 should focus on COVID-19, as opposed to being an escape for viewers from the virus. 

Photo credit: Grace Cornell.

Some people may not know that the Grey’s writers room includes real doctors, to ensure that what is being portrayed on tv is accurate. Dr. Naser Alazari M.D.,a senior surgical advisor for the show, joined the Grey’s Anatomy Surgical Communication Fellowship in 2013, which was created for doctors to “serve as consultants for a period of time and help the writers guide the direction of the medical stories told on the show.” Alazari, who is currently a doctor at Reliant Immediate Care, told Vernoff, “This is the biggest medical story of our lifetime, and it is changing medicine permanently. And we have to tell this story.” Production resumed in early September, with multiple COVID tests per week for the cast and crew, personal makeup bags, and different camera lens techniques to make actors appear closer together than they actually were. The 17th season takes place some time after season 16 ended and finds Seattle in the middle of the virus’ first wave. 

As the show’s 17th season continues on, what do fans think about its portrayal of COVID-19? Ashley D’Ambrosia (‘21) says, “the show has also done a great job so far showing not only how the doctors are affected by COVID physically but also mentally.” The episodes show the characters having emotional breakdowns over the virus, and some of the characters have become infected. This season is more dramatic than others because it shows the stress that a virus can put on a hospital. The season 17 premiere was two hours long and Ani Bundel, a cultural critic at NBC, said that it was, “the most moving season premieres in the show’s history, which after nearly two decades is saying a lot.” While this season covers more serious topics than previous seasons, the show still finds time for laughter and old characters. Some episodes feature departed characters visiting Meredith in a dream-like state on a beach. Anne Ross Hope (‘21) says, “I’m watching it just for the beach scenes.” 

Photo credit: Sherri Carlson.

After 17 years on air, only three of Grey’s original cast members remain. Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, and James Pickens, Jr., have played their respective characters— Meredith Grey, Miranda Bailey, and Richard Webber—for all 17 seasons. Over the years, dozens of beloved cast members have come and gone. The character of Addison Shepherd, portrayed by Kate Walsh, left to have her own show, Private Practice, which ran from 2007 to 2013 and Hope (‘21) says that show is “better than Grey’s.” Other departures found Sandra Oh’s character Christina Yang and Justin Chambers’ Alex Karev leaving Seattle for other opportunities. Sadly, some characters, like T. R. Knight’s George O’Malley, were killed off on the show when the actor portraying them left the show. The ever-changing character list makes one think: How do the fans feel about so many departures, and why do they keep watching?

Ellen Pompeo. Photo credit: Wikimedia user lukeford.net.

D’Ambrosia (‘21) has a simple answer: “I’ve watched the entire show [all 16 seasons] two times so at this point, why would I give up?” She explains that it’s the relationships in the show that keep her watching and the original characters are what got her hooked. However, after one of her favorite relationships ended, she “was actually considering quitting the show.” But of course she didn’t quit watching, because why stop on the 16th season when it’s going to continue?

Beckett Foster (‘21) started watching the show during quarantine and ended up watching the whole series three times. The show may be long, but it interests viewers instantly by “brilliantly stitching together the personal, the professional and the soap-operatically outrageous,” as New York Times writer Elisabeth Vincentelli writes in her article “Comfort Viewing: Why I Still Love ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’” Vincentelli writes about needing another adult-centered show after watching 90s medical drama ER and stumbling across Grey’s. Another article that discusses why people still watch, by CheatSheet’s Rachel Hunt, can be summed up solely by the title: “‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Do Fans Still Watch the Show Because They Are Too Invested to Stop or Do They Still Enjoy It?” Personally, I watch because I’m too invested and I enjoy it. The show never seems to run out of disasters or plots, and some may be ridiculous, but that’s part of the reason why I love the show. 

I’m not the only one who enjoys Grey’s Anatomy. Over its run, Grey’s has won numerous awards, including four Primetime Emmys, one GLAAD Media Award, two Golden Globes, 16 NAACP Image Awards, 18 People’s Choice Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. The critically acclaimed TV show has captured the hearts of millions of viewers and delivers heartwarming and heart wrenching stories. You don’t have to watch all 17 seasons, but I do suggest at least watching an episode.