VIEWERS have always revelled in the close-knit friendship between Dr Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo, pictured) and Dr Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) in the deliciously-scripted medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy.
Aside from their connection and unconditional love for one another, their contrasting personalities fuel their crazy encounters. They were sometimes plain silly, or terribly serious and even furious or comforting each other through a difficult period.
They were each other’s person, but not in an Arizona and Callie way. Now that the BFF’s are no longer – with Oh quitting the show last season – it might be rather vacuous for fans. Heck, if only for the first episode.
But that is something creator Shonda Rhimes has been sentient of. And that’s why in season 11, Rhimes will be keeping Meredith awfully busy with professional and personal woes. The world will be revolving around her.
Some of the things that will be eating at our favourite protagonist this season include: the arrival of her half-sister, dealing with Dr Derek Shepherd’s restlessness and growing desire to go somewhere else.
Rhimes will be dropping the “familial grenade” this season.
By the way, the writers, given the whole Meredith-centric plotting, will be incorporating flashbacks to Richard Webber’s relationship with her mother Dr Ellis Grey from their younger days.
MEREDITH’S JOURNEY OVER THE SEASONS…
• When the show first started, Meredith was a far cry from the family person that she is now. After a series of one-night stands, including one with O’Malley, she started dating Finn Dandridge, a veterinarian. But that was short-lived when she reunited with Shepherd.
• Following a ferry accident, she is rescued by Derek. While she flatlines in hospital, where she has a few interesting afterlife encounters, she is eventually resuscitated.
• Her half-sister Lexie Grey started working at Seattle Grace Hospital, which provided some challenges for Meredith, who initially rejected forming any relationship with her.
• After numerous breakups and make-ups, Meredith and Derek tied the knot – writing their vows on a post-it note.
• Following a dramatic shootout at the hospital, Meredith discovered she was pregnant. Sadly, she miscarried and learnt that she had a “hostile uterus”, which may be connected to other genetic flaws.
• Meredith, ever the bleeding heart, tampers with Derek’s Alzheimer’s clinical trials, which sends her relationship into a tailspin and impacts on their plans to adopt Zola, an orphan from Malawi. Of course, they eventually worked things out.
• Lexie dies in the plane crash that several of them were involved in. Aside from struggling to deal with the loss, Meredith couldn’t bring herself to board another plane.
• After passing her medical board exams, Meredith becomes the attending general-surgeon at Seattle Grace Mercy West. With her new title came a new nickname from the fresh batch of interns. She wasn’t happy about being dubbed “Medusa”.
• In the aftermath of the plane crash, each of the doctors involved sue the hospital for negligence, which bankrupts the hospital. To save it, they all pool their money and become directors and get the additional financial backing from the Harper-Avery Foundation.
• And then Meredith gives birth to a baby boy, achieving this under the worst of weather conditions, with an anxious Shane Ross overseeing the delivery.
• In the last season, Meredith was becoming overwhelmed with the demand of motherhood and frustrated by the fact that she wasn’t making much progress as a surgeon. This caused a rift between Cristina and her. Her emotional state wasn’t helped by Derek considering the American president’s proposal to conduct an important clinical trial. And it was a tearful farewell to her BFF Cristina as they had their last dance.
• Grey’s Anatomy season 11 airs on M-Net (DStv channel 101) tonight at 7.30pm.