Has 'Grey’s Anatomy' outgrown its creator? Shonda Rhimes says fans now control the ending

Highlights:

• No final blueprint exists for the show's conclusion.
• The original ending plan from season 15 is totally scrapped.
• Fan devotion is the reason for the 22-season marathon.
• Rhimes suggests the audience now holds a stake in the finale decision.
• Aiming for a positive send-off, but no timeline is on the table.

The woman who built Grey’s Anatomy from scratch has no idea how it ends. Seriously. That’s wild, right? After 450 episodes and this current Grey’s Anatomy season 22, the person who started it all is just as in the dark as we are. She thought it would be over years ago. This whole endless Shondaland saga? It’s on you: the fans.

Shonda Rhimes admits she no longer knows how Grey’s Anatomy will end Getty Images/Instagram/greysabc

Whatever happened to the original ending?

Gone. Rhimes had one, way back. When the series hit roughly its 150th episode, she already had the final moment mapped out. But things didn’t go as planned and the story just kept expanding. She once imagined it would all wrap up by the fourth or fifth season. Now, seeing it still running strong in 2024, she can only call it “insane.”

So who actually decides when it's over?

This is the interesting bit. Rhimes is handing over some of the keys. She says the decision isn't really just hers any more. It's the fans' and the cast's. There's a debt there, you know? After all, they’ve stuck with it. So, ending it feels like a group vote. She can't just yank the cord without a nod from the crowd. It’s their show as much as hers, maybe more.

What can we expect from the finale whenever it comes?

No date, no plot details. Rhimes just has a vibe she's chasing. She wants it to be "positive," a "great way" to finish. It's vague, sure, but it tells you something. She's not planning some brutal, everyone-dies cliffhanger. Maybe. Probably. The goal seems to be satisfaction over shock. But with this show, who knows? They could change their minds ten times before the final script is printed.