After 11 Years, ABC Sets Up A 4-Time Grey’s Anatomy Trend Out Of Desperation

Grey’s Anatomy is poised to repeat a story 11 years after the ABC medical drama moved on from it. There are several questions that Grey’s Anatomy needs to provide answers to as it heads into its season 23. While Grey’s Anatomy season 22 didn’t end in a cliffhanger that endangered several characters’ lives as season 21 did, its finale, functioning as a farewell episode for two longtime characters, left several key storylines without a proper ending or a clear setup for season 23.

Indeed, by putting Teddy and Owen at the front and center of Grey’s Anatomy season 22’s finale and baking the bridge disaster into their exit storylines, Grey’s Anatomy season 22, episode 18 gave the couple the perfect happily ever after. After all, Teddy and Owen had gone through their fair share of troubles in the last couple of seasons, thus deserving an explosive farewell episode that made them re-evaluate their life together while simultaneously justifying their exits reasonably. This inevitably meant that Grey’s Anatomy season 22’s finale couldn’t examine how their departures would impact Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital at large.

This leaves the question of who will be Grey Sloan Memorial’s chief of surgery following Teddy and Owen’s move to Paris one Grey’s Anatomy season 23 needs to answer. Unfortunately, the ABC medical drama already teased that Richard Webber will be chief again, repeating one of Grey’s Anatomy’s oldest storylines and likely making one of the few original characters remaining the only one to lead Grey Sloan Memorial four times.

Richard Webber Is The Only One Who Can Be Grey Sloan Memorial's Chief Of Surgery (Again)

Webber’s increased involvement in the management of Grey Sloan was already visible in Grey’s Anatomy season 22. Between his offer to handle the bridge collapse crisis after he noticed Teddy was distracted and his being the one to fire Kwan and suspend Bailey from the OR, it’s clear that Richard is still willing to lead the hospital he sees as his when he perceives it as in danger. Moreover, there are clues to Webber returning as Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital’s chief in Grey’s Anatomy season 23’s trailer.

One of the biggest shakeups teased by Grey’s Anatomy season 23’s trailer is the new VIP floor at Grey Sloan Memorial. Catherine Fox and Richard are at the center of its inauguration, something that would exclusively make sense if they were both there to represent an institution. It’s obvious the institution Catherine represents, as she led the Fox Foundation that owns Grey Sloan Memorial for decades. However, Richard’s presence could only be warranted if he represented Grey Sloan in an official capacity, making his return as chief almost a certainty.

Behind-the-scenes events also point to Webber taking over as chief. In an interview with TV Insider, Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Meg Marinis revealed how season 23 will feature “how the hospital rebounds from [that] loss,” referring to Teddy and Owen’s exit. Framing their departure as a loss that Grey Sloan needs to move on from implies the hospital’s need for someone to rise to the occasion to support it. Richard Webber becoming chief again would make that possible.

Very few other doctors could become chief with so little notice. Indeed, Meredith and Bailey both having held the position in the past makes them possible options. However, Meredith being based in Boston and Bailey going back to school to pursue a master's degree in public health means they are almost impossible choices for the job. This leaves Webber as the sole familiar face who can lead Grey Sloan Memorial in a time of upheaval.

Why Webber Becoming Chief Can Be A Blessing In Disguise For Grey's Anatomy Season 23

Richard returning as chief after 11 years since he last held the position can easily feel like a storyline rehashed too many times. After all, Webber was Seattle Grace Hospital’s Chief of Surgery for years before being kicked out in Grey’s Anatomy season 6. He eventually returned to occupy the position in Grey’s Anatomy season 7, but Webber only held it briefly before nominating Owen Hunt as his successor. This was also repeated before the board appointed Bailey in Grey’s Anatomy season 12.

Richard possibly becoming Grey Sloan Memorial’s Chief of Surgery for a fourth time would strengthen this pattern of over-reliance on him that Grey’s Anatomy followed in the two-plus decades since its inception. His return made sense after Richard was first forced out, as Derek told the board about his relapse principally because he had coveted Richard’s job for several years. However, the second time Webber returned felt more like a prop than a consequential development for him as a character, as it only served the story given that the hospital couldn’t remain without a chief.

Richard returning to his original post could nevertheless be a blessing in disguise if Grey’s Anatomy season 23 finally tackles the problems that plagued Richard’s tenure as chief. Grey’s Anatomy’s first six seasons consistently showed that those were never solved. Indeed, Richard’s favoritism was always blatant, as he repeatedly let Meredith’s poor professional choices go unpunished in Grey’s Anatomy, while having other residents face the consequences of their actions.

Grey’s Anatomy season 23 can solve that problem if it lets Richard come to terms with his flaws, and Benson Kwan’s redemption arc following his dismissal offers the perfect opportunity for Richard to do so. This way, Richard’s return to chief in Grey’s Anatomy could also forward his story instead of just being a temporary solution to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital’s absent chief problem.

Source: TV Insider

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