Warning! SPOILERS ahead about Grey’s Anatomy season 23, episode 3.One storyline called attention to Meredith Grey’s original replacements in Grey’s Anatomy season 23, years after priming them as such. When Meredith first left Seattle in favor of Boston in Grey’s Anatomy season 19, it was unclear how involved she would be in Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital’s affairs. Since then, she managed to keep a connection to Grey’s Anatomy‘s central storylines, and her opposition to Grey Sloan Memorial’s new chief in Grey’s Anatomy season 23 further proves that. However, it’s also undeniable that Meredith is no longer part of the daily storylines at the heart of Grey’s Anatomy.
Throughout ABC’s longest-running primetime medical drama, Meredith Grey’s story followed a definite path. While all Grey’s Anatomy characters went through their fair share of traumatic events, Meredith overcame more than most, which made her an example of resilience, especially considering all the loved ones that she lost in her time at Grey Sloan Memorial. This gave her a specific role in the context of Grey’s Anatomy‘s story, one no other original character could fill in after her departure.
Her absence thus raised questions over which character could offer a similar development, with Amelia Shepherd, Jo Wilson, and Simone Griffith all offering different ways in which they would embody Meredith. Grey’s Anatomy season 23, episode 3 nevertheless decided to continue Jo and Simone’s positioning as Meredith’s replacement through one storyline that illustrated both doctors’ serious challenges and tackled them together, offering them a path they could follow to overcome their problems in season 23.
Simone & Jo’s Grey’s Anatomy Season 23 Storylines Both Mirror Meredith’s Struggles
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Simone’s past already drew comparisons with Meredith’s, after Grey’s Anatomy season 18 revealed right after her introduction that she had a traumatic history with Grey Sloan Memorial, due to her mother dying there while giving birth to Simone. Going through the Alzheimer’s diagnosis of her grandmother and Simone and Lucas’s relationship mirroring MerDer only increased the similarities between the two.
Similarly, Jo’s difficult family history and what her residency at Grey Sloan Memorial put her through often highlighted her affinity with Meredith. That became all the more evident when facing the impossible challenge of quitting OBGYN and medicine altogether. While Meredith never did the same, she nevertheless escaped Seattle and Grey Sloan when times were too tough right after Derek’s death.
Simone’s molar pregnancy and intense fear over going through anesthesia stemming from her mother’s complex delivery at Grey Sloan that killed her also served as a reminder of her similarities to Meredith. Jo being the one to perform the D&C on Simone forced them both to face their fears, effectively embodying Meredith’s best qualities by finding a way to persevere, facing their challenges head-on just like Meredith would have.
Grey’s Anatomy season 23, episode 3 not only highlighted Simone and Jo’s similarities with Meredith, but it also brought their challenges to the forefront. Indeed, Jo being the one to help Simone despite having quit from Grey Sloan Memorial reminded her that she might have birth trauma, but she is also an exceptional doctor who listens to her patients and finds unique ways forward for them. Simone not only faced her fear of subjecting herself to a procedure at Grey Sloan, but she also realized how much she wanted children despite her pregnancy never being viable in the first place.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 23 Needs To Include Meredith In Jo & Simone’s Stories
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Jo and Simone’s breakthroughs cannot stop there after what they realized in Grey’s Anatomy season 23, episode 3. However, in showing a kinship with Meredith’s path, their storylines should continue to be developed with a helping hand from Meredith herself. After all, Meredith’s role in Grey’s Anatomy season 23 is set to be big, especially after she positioned herself against a focus on VIP healthcare in season 23’s premiere.
Every time Meredith appeared in Grey’s Anatomy after Ellen Pompeo stepped down as series regular, her storylines focused either on her Alzheimer’s research or fights with the Fox Foundation. Meredith’s Grey’s Anatomy season 23 story follows a similar path, as Meredith expressed her displeasure at Grey Sloan’s focus on VIP patients, feeling that the new VIP floor lowered care standards for the rest of the hospital.
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Jo and Simone’s progress with their respective challenges is obviously good, but Grey’s Anatomy season 23 should use Meredith’s visits to mentor them. After all, nobody went through the unimaginable only to come out stronger as Meredith. Given how she had originally taken Jo and Simone under her wing, she could easily offer her support when she visits Seattle for her patients, bringing back Meredith’s touch relative to Grey Sloan’s longstanding doctors and residents instead of solely as a hero, willing to vanquish Seth Norton’s misguided ways in Grey’s Anatomy season 23.
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