Entertainment Extra - Your source for on screen entertainment from the Logansport Pharos-Tribune
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2 ENTERTAINMENT EXTRA By Sarah Passingham TV Media T he time has come to say goodbye to one of television's longest-serving characters. Ellen Pompeo ("Old School," 2003) makes her final appearance as a series regular in a new episode of "Grey's Anatomy" Thursday, Feb. 23, on ABC. Having starred in over 400 episodes since the show's debut in 2005, Pompeo has seen her character, Meredith Grey, grow from surgical intern to chief of surgery at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital over 19 sea- sons of the medical drama. Pompeo announced her upcoming departure from "Grey's Anatomy" via her Instagram last November, when she thanked loyal viewers, saying, "through it all ... none of it ... would have been possible without the best fans in the world." News of Pompeo appearing in only eight episodes of Season 19 broke last summer when it was also announced that she would be focusing on, starring in and exec- utive producing a limited series based on the 2009 horror film "Orphan" for Hulu. Throughout her time on "Grey's Anatomy," Pompeo's character, Meredith, has arguably had two loves in her life. The first — the one that kicked off the series — is Derek Shepherd, or "McDreamy" as he came to be known. Portrayed by Patrick Dempsey ("Disenchanted," 2022), Derek was meant to be a one-night stand to Meredith — someone who left in the morn- ing, never to be seen again. Of course, he is seen again, many times, in what turned into an 11-season-long saga: they fall in love; he gets a divorce; they form a family and begin to grow apart; and finally, they reconcile before he is tragically killed in a car accident. Meredith's second love is her best friend, Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh, "Killing Eve"), who meets Meredith as a fellow intern and eventually becomes a cardiothoracic surgeon. The two form a deep friendship, with the pair regularly referring to each other as their "person" through- out the series. Oh left "Grey's Anatomy" in Season 10 when Cristina left Grey-Sloan Memorial to run a research hospital in Zurich, Switzerland. Now, with Pompeo making her on-screen exit, two other longtime cast members are poised to pull ahead in total number of series appearances. Chandra Wilson ("Frankie & Alice," 2010) and James Pickens Jr. ("42," 2013) have also been a part of "Grey's Anatomy" since its very first episode. Wilson stars as Dr. Miranda Bailey, a surgeon at Grey-Sloan Memorial who started the series as an intimidating resident who showed she could separate her personal and professional lives to an impressive degree — keeping a husband and preg- nancy to herself at one point — while working at the world's most gossipy hospital. For Wilson's part, she told Variety in 2020 that she will be a part of "Grey's Anatomy" "until the wheels come off." Wilson went on to add, "I keep showing up when they call me and tell me that we're doing another one." Pickens Jr. is Richard Webber, MD, a surgeon who maintains his position of chief of surgery throughout most of the series. Webber had a close relationship with Meredith's mother, surgeon Ellis Grey, portrayed by Kate Burton ("Big Trouble in Little China," 1986). While his charac- ter has talked about retirement being on the horizon several times over 19 seasons, Pickens Jr. hasn't said anything about put- ting "Grey's Anatomy" and Dr. Webber behind him. With prolific, 400-plus episode regulars out of the way, it would be a disservice to talk about "Grey's Anatomy" without men- tioning some of its most memo- rable past cast members. Former series regular Justin Chambers ("The Offer") portrayed Dr. Alex Karev in over 350 episodes of the series, beginning as a fellow intern alongside Meredith and exiting the series in Season 16, having reached the career high of chief of surgery, to be with Dr. Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl, "Firefly Lane"). Current cast member Kevin McKidd ("Trainspotting" 1996) has directed over 30 episodes of the series in addition to starring as Dr. Owen Hunt, a surgeon with a past life in the Army and who has now served for 15 seasons of "Grey's Anatomy." Don't miss one of the biggest moments in TV history as Meredith waves goodbye to Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital when Season 19 of "Grey's Anatomy" resumes Thursday, Feb. 23, on ABC. Schwering Realty 2 x 2" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" On the Cover Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey in "Grey's Anatomy" Longtime lead leaves 'Grey's Anatomy' Chase Center 3 x 2" American Legion Post 60 2 x 3" Thrifty Muffler 2 x 2.5"