With so many long-running series coming to a close, and some as soon as next year, Grey's Anatomy is one that appears to be planning to continue. With shows theoretically having to end at some point, many fans have to wonder if Shonda Rhimes has an exact idea in mind for how the show will wrap up when it draws to a close. Well, what Grey's Anatomy's creator had to say on the matter may surprise you. Rhimes said:
I have written the end of the show at least six times. Seriously, every time I felt like, 'This will be how the show ends,' we've gone past those moments so many times that I've stopped trying to come up with envision for it. We just don't end. I have no idea now. Krista and I have joked that my daughter, Harper, and her daughter Coco will end up running the show one day.
There is a lot to unpack in Shonda Rhimes' response to EW, and the first thing is rather obvious. Rhimes has written an ending not once or twice but six times for the long-running medical drama. It is easy to understand why, when you consider how long the show has endured. Grey's Anatomy is about to embark on its fifteenth season. The number of potential endings that have been written in the past is not the only interesting thing about Rhimes' ending-revealing quote.
Adding another layer of intrigue is that Shonda Rhimes reveals Grey's has "gone past" what sounds like multiple moments that may have played a role in the series' original endings. Meaning that fans may have potentially seen events that at one point could have marked the end of Grey's Anatomy, only to see them realized as new beginnings for the show. The good news for fans of the veteran drama is that Rhimes currently has no ending planned.
That development means fans can currently indulge in the show's seemingly endless status. Not to mention that it can be taxing to know that the creators of your favorite show already have an ending in mind. That is a development that can feel restrictive, knowing that what you are watching is all leading to a concrete endgame. In the case of Grey's Anatomy, it is still showing no signs of fatigue after fourteen seasons. The new season, dubbed "The Season of Love," is right around the corner.
In her interview, Shonda Rhimes also shared about letting go of the day-to-day operations of Grey's Anatomy. That role is now filled by executive producer Krista Vernoff. With another season of drama almost underway, fans will have more episodes to take into consideration when they dream up their ending for the show. Should Rhimes and Vernoff's daughters end up taking over the reins, they may not have to worry about that for a long time to come.
Grey's Anatomy returns for Season 15 with a 2-hour season premiere that will air Thursday, September 27 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The medical drama will bow alongside many other shows, making their returns and premieres this fall, including on ABC's schedule.
