Here's how Meredith Grey leaves Grey's Anatomy in Ellen Pompeo's last episode

24 February 2023, 12:33

Meredith says goodbye in Grey’s Anatomy’s season 19 episode 7 trailer

By Katie Louise Smith

Ellen Pompeo is officially leaving Grey's Anatomy but what happens to Meredith Grey? How does she leave Seattle?

Loading audio...

Meredith's final day at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital has finally arrived. A few months after confirming that she will only be appearing in eight episodes of Grey's Anatomy's 19th season, Ellen Pompeo has appeared in her last episode as the lead of long-running medical drama.

Last night (Feb 23), episode 7 of season 19 (aptly titled 'I'll Follow the Sun') saw Meredith say goodbye to Seattle ahead of her big move to Boston with her kids Zola, Bailey and Ellis.

While the episode made clear to remind viewers that Meredith probably will be back in the future, Ellen will no longer be a series regular. She's reportedly set to appear in one more episode of season 19, too.

How does Grey's Anatomy say 'see you later' to thee Meredith Grey? Grey's mid-season finale had already set the whole thing up. Here's what happens.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ellen Pompeo (@ellenpompeo)

How does Meredith leave Grey's Anatomy?

If you tuned into Grey's season 18, you'll know that Meredith has low-key had one foot out of the door for a while. She's been working in Minnesota, toying with the idea of moving away from Seattle and starting fresh.

After Bailey quit, Meredith was appointed interim Chief of Surgery and helped restart the intern programme. However, in and amongst all of Meredith's personal feelings about moving on, she realises something about one of her kids.

Zola has been experiencing panic attacks and anxiety over school, and they soon realise that it's because she's an extremely gifted child. Like, a literal genius, apparently. Meredith then sets out to find an appropriate school for her.

In episode 5, Meredith and Zola head to Boston to look at a STEM school. Zola falls in love with it and Meredith agrees to move there so she can attend. On top of that, Jackson Avery (who now works in Boston) offers Meredith all kinds of resources so she can start researching a cure for Alzheimer's.

Meredith decides to leave Seattle so Zola can go to school in Boston. Picture: Liliane Lathan/ABC via Getty Images

Another factor that ultimately issued into Meredith's decision to leave? She no longer has a house. In true Grey's Anatomy fashion, a natural disaster also strikes Mer and her house goes up in flames after being struck by lightning in a brutal storm.

No one dies (thankfully), but it seems like all her belongings have gone up in smoke. Except for her and Derek's Post-It vows that Maggie and Winston managed to save. (Thank God.)

In episode 7, the day finally arrives. Meredith arrives at GSMH for one more day, does a surgery, it doesn't end well. She then has a conversation with Nick and calls him out for not saying that he loves her back after she said it to him. Bailey and Richard throw her a leaving party where she reminds everyone that she's "only going to Boston and I'll probably be here next week. Then, she heads off to the airport, hops on the plane with her kids and heads to Boston.

So there you have it: Meredith has officially moved across the country, with Zola, Bailey and Ellis in tow. To attempt to cure Alzheimer's on the Catherine Fox Foundation's budget. Leaving Nick on read while she put herself and her kids first this time.

ELLEN POMPEO OFFICIALLY SAYING GOODBYE TO MEREDITH GREY 😭💔 pic.twitter.com/xg2YcYEu11
— Grey’s Anatomy (@The_GreyMethod) November 17, 2022

When is Ellen Pompeo's last episode of Grey's Anatomy?

While Meredith's goodbye episode ('I'll Follow the Sun') aired on February 23rd, 2023, it seems like we'll be seeing her one more time this season.

Back in August, it was reported that Ellen Pompeo will appear in eight episodes of season 19. Mer's goodbye episode is the seventh of the season, which means fans could hope to see her again one more times before she dips.

Ellen will also reportedly continue to narrate the beginning and end of each episode as Meredith for the rest of season 19. It's the end of a truly iconic era.

Confirming the news on Instagram, Ellen wrote a heartfelt message to fans about her departure, adding that she will one day return "to visit".

"I am eternally grateful and humbled by the love and support you have all shown me, Meredith GREY and the show for 19 seasons!" she wrote. "I love you madly and appreciate you right back. This isn’t your first time on the rollercoaster… you know the show must go on and I’ll definitely be back to visit."

Grey's creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes also shared a goodbye message, and added: "This isn't a goodbye, it's a see ya later!"