Grey's Anatomy Keeps Losing Cast Members. As A Longtime Fan, I'm Getting Frustrated (2024)

Grey's Anatomy is one of the best medical dramas of all time, and is currently airing its whopping 20th Season on ABC (and streaming with a Hulu subscription). I'm a dedicated fan of the series, one who doesn't plan on quitting... although now I often don't watch the episodes live. But there's a problem: Grey's keeps losing cast members, and I'm getting really frustrated.

Because of how long Grey's Anatomy has been on television, we've see a ton of main characters come and go. But lately it feels like every time I get attached to one of the surgeons at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, they end up leaving. Not even counting Ellen Pompeo's departure as a series regular, this has happened time and time again. It was just revealed that Mika Yasuda actress Midori Francis will be departing next season, after just two seasons as one of the surgical program's new interns. And this happens just as that new ensemble has finally settled into the show and become characters that I understand and am actively rooting for.

While the mystery of who Adams' mother is remains, Yasuda is by far my favorite of the new class of interns. Her passion and competitive feelings about surgery harken back to the show's roots, where we followed Meredith, Cristina, George, Alex and Izzie as they trained to become world class surgeons. And I'm wondering exactly how Grey's will write of Yasuda given her personal and professional plot points.

Midori Francis' departure from Grey's Anatomy also feels similar to that of Scott Speedman's time as a series regular. Bringing Nick Marsh back so many years after his introduction to the show was a bold swing. It took fans like myself a while to adjust to him not only being Meredith's love interest, but also a surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial. But I got on board, and loved seeing him help train the new class of interns. But unfortunately Speedman is no longer a series regular, even if we still get to see him pop up here and there in relation to Meredith's story.

Obviously Grey's is a show like any other, and actors' personal and professional lives often dictate why they have to leave jobs. TV show schedules are notoriously grueling, and Grey's Anatomy has also been facing budget cuts, which might contribute to why Francis is out. But as a longtime fan who is committed to sticking out the show for as long as it runs, these cast departures are definitely making the job harder. I mean, I'm still not used to Meredith largely being off the show, although it's a relief having Ellen Pompeo continue to narrate.

Grey's Anatomy airs new episodes Thursdays on ABC. Check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.