Grey's Anatomy Says Farewell to Ellen with a Nod to Cristina and Derek
Fans are not ready to say goodbye to Meredith.
Today is the day. The new and highly anticipated Grey's Anatomy episode I'll Follow The Sun will feature the departure of its beloved protagonist Meredith Grey.
And while the exit of the fan-favorite character may be emotional enough on its own, the creators clearly want dedicated fans to cry their hearts out, as the trailer for the episode features memories of Derek Shepherd and Cristina Yang, and its title directly references one of Cristina's wise speeches.
Everyone's favorite Dr. Grey is leaving Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital for Boston, where she will be researching Alzheimer's disease.
And while the official description for the episode promises Meredith a huge farewell party and a difficult conversation with Nick, who will reportedly want to discuss their future, its title contains a nod to the two people Meredith loved more than anyone, her late husband Derek and her best friend Cristina.
Just before leaving the hospital in Season 10, Cristina gave Meredith a pep talk about Derek:
"You are a gifted surgeon with an extraordinary mind. Don't let what he wants eclipse what you need. He's very dreamy, but he's not the sun ... you are."
So I'll Follow The Sun clearly refers to that moment, and probably even hints that Meredith will completely break up with Nick to focus on her new studies, which in fact mirror Derek's Alzheimer's trial.
But the title is not the only way the creators pay tribute to these two important characters.
They also released a very touching trailer that shows a montage of the most memorable little moments between Meredith and her loved ones, from the first day she walked into Seattle Grace Hospital 19 years ago to the day she finally leaves.
After watching the video, fans didn't miss a beat in expressing their emotions.
"Never in my life would I have thought Meredith's departure would affect me sooo much… every time I see this damn video part of me breaks and I just sob," one of the fans commented on YouTube.
Longtime fans just can't seem to find the strength to say goodbye to the beloved protagonist.
Grey has been a part of their lives for what seems like forever. Fortunately, this is not the last time we will see Ellen Pompeo as Meredith. The star, who is also an executive producer, will continue to narrate the episodes and appear in the season finale.