Grey's Anatomy: Pandemic Edition
By: Nadia Castro
Shondaland continues to thrive as Grey’s Anatomy aired its first episode of Season 17 on Nov. 12. During this pandemic, the show was put to a halt until it was safe to get back to work. On social media, the Grey’s Anatomy actors and crew show behind the scenes precautions that they take while filming. Since 2005, the hit ABC show contains not only drama within a hospital, but real-world crises that are going on. For example, Season 16 ended with Meredith Grey fighting for health insurance. This season is no different, starting the first episode, “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” by showing that Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital is going through the COVID-19 pandemic.
From losing patients because of how rapidly the virus can take over the body to trying to find a manageable cure that can keep patients steady, the first episode showcased how doctors were dealing with patients during the pandemic. It’s known that doctors are having a difficult time physically and mentally right now, which is what Grey’s Anatomy wanted to depict. It is shown that Dr. Maggie Pierce checks in on Meredith’s children from the back door since she has to social distance due to being in the hospital exposed to the virus. This exposes the reality doctors face of not wanting to be with loved ones out of fear of spreading the virus, so they stay at hotels or take profoundly serious precautions when entering their home.
As Grey’s Anatomy portrays COVID-19 through the lenses of doctors, there are still dramatic qualities that have the fans reaching for their tissues. Meredith Grey gets COVID, experiencing asymptomatic symptoms and gradually getting worse until she is unconscious for most of the episodes. During her sleep, Meredith is called by a stranger on the beach that is revealed to be none other than Dr. McDreamy, also known as Derek Shepherd. Even though Derek Shepard is dead this meant the possibility of Meredith dying and going with her forever love.
Does Grey’s Anatomy stop there? That is a definite no. Fans were ecstatic when they were left to guess what other character could return in Meredith’s coma dream. Many were rooting for the return of Lexie Grey, Meredith’s baby sister. Sadly, it was not her sister, but George O’Malley who was one of her close friends who also passed. Throughout the show, patients contract COVID-19 rapidly and deal with how loved ones say goodbye through a camera instead of being by their side. Many don’t even get to say goodbye to their loved ones because they don’t know when the time will come.
From the latest episode, Miranda Bailey, the Chief of Surgery, faced a terrible loss with her mother, who got COVID-19 while in an assisted living facility. A fellow doctor, Tom Koracick, tested positive, yet was asymptomatic. He was rushed to the hospital as he seized and sweat with a fever, depicting how COVID-19 is not just a cough but many other symptoms. This pandemic has hit people differently in many ways especially doctors, so Grey’s Anatomy wanted to bring this to life in their show, as they do with many important topics. At the end of episode five, the show took time to showcase the names of people who passed during these trying times.
The season has yet to end, so what will be next on Grey’s Anatomy, or who will be next?