Why Grey’s Anatomy Fans Should Keep Watching Despite Ellen Pompeo’s Exit, According to Kate Walsh

Screenshot of Addison Montgomery on Grey's Anatomy
(Image credit: ABC)

When Grey’s Anatomy returns to the 2023 TV schedule from its winter hiatus, it will mark the end of an era, as fans will say goodbye to Meredith Grey. Series star Ellen Pompeo will exit the popular ABC drama in the middle of its 19th season, and while that might seem like a death sentence for some longtime series, this actually could be the best way to keep Grey’s Anatomy going for years to come. That’s what Kate Walsh hopes, at least, and she actually listed a few reasons why fans should stick around to see what’s in store for the Seattle surgeons post-Meredith.

Kate Walsh is back on Grey’s Anatomy for the current season in a recurring role as fan favorite Addison Montgomery — aka Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd’s ex-wife. While she certainly knows what a loss it is for the show to see Meredith Grey moving her family to Boston, Walsh said she’s optimistic about the series’ future, telling People

The storylines are so strong... The new interns this season, I love that they're all fallible and messed up, and so that makes it, I think, a lot more interesting. Interns and attendings, you have OG's come back like me, and that's been really fun, and also just the writing has never been stronger on the show.

Grey’s Anatomy has continued to tackle real-world issues in Season 19, with Kate Walsh’s character being one of several to help patients who have been affected by the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade. The actress also pointed out how the new intern class has helped to bring back what made us all fall in love with Grey’s Anatomy in Season 1.

Five actors joined the medical drama’s cast for Season 19 as a new class of first-year residents: Simone Griffith (Alexis Floyd), Lucas Adams (Niko Terho), Benson “Blue” Kwan (Harry Shum Jr.), Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane) and Mika Yasuda (Midori Francis). It gave the series a reboot vibe, and so far it seems like many fans have enjoyed getting to know the rookie doctors, particularly Lucas, after he was revealed to be Derek Shepherd’s nephew (however, Lucas’ mom remains a mystery).

In addition to bringing interns back to Grey Sloan, Grey’s Anatomy has also seen the return of some past characters, and not just Kate Walsh. Jesse Williams made an appearance as Jackson Avery, and Greg Germann also reprised his role as Tom Koracick as part of the Boston storyline. Showrunner Krista Vernoff said these kinds of “delightful surprises” have been sprinkled throughout Season 19 to help fill the Meredith Grey-sized void that will be left.

Hopefully Grey’s Anatomy really can survive without Meredith, and according to Kate Walsh, it’s off to a good start with stronger-than-ever writing. Ellen Pompeo is still set to appear in the midseason premiere at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, February 24, on ABC, as well as the Season 19 finale. In the meantime, you can stream Seasons 1-18 with a Netflix subscription, and catch up on the first half of Season 19 with a Hulu subscription.  

Heidi Venable
Content Producer

Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.