In the latest Grey's Anatomy season 21 finale preview, we've learned that Amelia Shepherd, Lucas Adams, and others are about to become hostages in this week's drama-packed episode. Dylan's mother has become angry and desperate enough to put everyone -- including her daughter -- in danger. And the show really wants us to believe that one or more of the people in that operating room aren't going to make it out alive ... Amelia being one of the prime candidates.
It's quite possible that the show really could send her straight to the morgue, never to be seen again -- either in this episode or the Season 22 premiere this fall. It's been a while since we had a good old-fashioned major character death. Grey's has taken to coming up with other, arguably more realistic ways to write characters out of the show in recent seasons, and to be fair, it was a welcome shift for a while. But I, and other fans, are starting to get the itch for some classic soap opera medical drama. It might be time.
And as much as I love Amelia, and don't want to say her death would be a worthwhile end to her story, some form of character exit -- alive or dead -- wouldn't be the most outrageous move at this point. It hasn't been lost on me that the writers really haven't known what to do with her in the last few seasons. Reuniting her with Addison was golden, and giving her a healthy, promising relationship that brought out the best parts of herself was great ... until the breakup. Lately she's really only served as Meredith's Alzheimer's research sidekick and a convenient plot addition when someone needs brain surgery or the writers need us to remember that Derek existed.
If Amelia survives -- and there's a pretty good chance she will -- I do not want this to turn into another relapse storyline. It is extremely important to depict trauma responses of all forms, especially among those who struggle with addiction. But we've been there with her before. Arguably too many times. I'm not sure there's a way they can repeat the same story beats and somehow make it interesting. I'd give them a chance if they tried it, but I just don't want it. I am not the only one.
And this is why I wouldn't be surprised if this was the storyline that led her off the show -- for a while, in a more limited capacity similar to Meredith, or for good. I don't see how else her character can continue to grow at this point. Where else is there for her to go? Maybe being closer to Meredith and her family would be good for her. Maybe that's the best possible next step for her character.
Grey's has a tendency to either go exactly where I think it's going or head off completely in the opposite direction. I look forward to finding out which road we're taking this time around.