Whereas different 11-year-olds within the ’90s might have been preoccupied with cruising the mall or enjoying video video games after wrapping up homework, precocious Meg Marinis was typically hovering over the household’s clunky digital phrase processor, punching out “ER” scripts like an impressed TV author on deadline.
“Scripts” could also be an overstatement, the present showrunner of “Grey’s Anatomy” clarifies. “It might better be called fan fiction,” she says inside her workplace on the Prospect Studios lot in Los Feliz. With two older sisters, Marinis typically watched TV reveals that have been barely inappropriate for her age — like “Friends,” “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “The X-Files.” However she actually cherished the office drama and the medical facet of “ER,” typically crafting her personal flashback-heavy episodes and exploring the angsty romance potential between characters like Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) and Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) or Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) and Doug Ross (George Clooney).
“I got so into the [medical] terminology. I thought it was so cool, I don’t know why,” she says. “And the way that everything was on the move and quick and alarms would be blaring. It was so exciting and, in the middle of it, there were love stories. It wasn’t just one thing.”
Perhaps manifestation was at work. Nowadays, she’s busy helming the present medical drama stalwart over on ABC. “Grey’s Anatomy” returned Thursday for the second half of its twenty first season in dramatic model — an armed theft at a comfort retailer threatened Jo’s (Camilla Luddington) being pregnant, whereas Teddy (Kim Raver) and Owen’s (Kevin McKidd) marriage is dealing with challenges. This week, Marinis has been placing the ending touches on the season finale, which can start taking pictures later this month.
Protecting the tales flowing on TV’s longest-running medical drama could be an intricate problem, not in contrast to the procedures that happen at Gray Sloan Memorial Hospital, the present’s setting. The sequence additionally boasts a big ensemble forged, and the presence of its namesake character, performed by Ellen Pompeo, was scaled again. However Marinis has skilled for it. She’s been with the present practically so long as the remaining authentic forged members. She was employed proper out of faculty as a writers’ manufacturing assistant because the drama was heading into its third season. She labored her manner up, changing into a author’s assistant and medical researcher earlier than being promoted to workers author. She was tapped to supervise the present forward of its twentieth season, which launched in 2024.
At her workplace (and in a separate video name), Marinis spoke about Pompeo’s future with the present, the chatter surrounding new medical drama “The Pitt” and which “Grey’s” character will do one thing they’ve by no means carried out earlier than. This interview has been edited for readability and size.
Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Gray in “Grey’s Anatomy.”
(Anne Marie Fox / Disney)
Beginning with Season 19, Ellen Pompeo’s display time was scaled again as she pursued different initiatives, primarily Hulu’s upcoming “Good American Family.” It was introduced she’d seem in a minimum of seven episodes this season. Is that also the case and can we see extra of her?
We’ve aired three together with her, so that you a minimum of have 4 extra and I’m simply gonna let y’all proceed to observe to see what else you get. With Ellen, we all the time need her to be right here as a lot as she she will be able to and she or he needs. That’s an open dialog shifting ahead. After this season, we have now but to have these conversations as a result of her present is about to premiere. However we wish her right here as a lot as doable as a result of she is the essence of the present; her voiceover, it’s nonetheless in each episode. What we did this final season, we tried to take a look at her episodes as teams of episodes as a result of it’s extra enjoyable to inform an arc with Meredith, quite than a bunch of various one-offs. Meredith’s relationship with Nick [Scott Speedman] is absolutely necessary to me. I like her having the ability to discover love after Derek [Patrick Dempsey]. Scott Speedman is superb. He’s so recreation to come back right here and play with us at any time when he’s in a position to. It’s simply staying true to her character as she’s advanced over over 20 years and the way she interacts with the brand new characters that we’ve introduced, is absolutely attention-grabbing to me.
However discussions haven’t began but about how a lot she’d seem for a doable Season 22?
These conversations haven’t fairly began but. I consider that there’s one thing in place [from her previous deal] for her already, however I’m not fully conscious of it. My feeling is that it will most likely be across the similar quantity as this season, and it additionally simply is dependent upon her schedule.
Are you able to think about ”Gray’s” with out Meredith? Her title is within the title, her story set this world in movement.
I hope that we don’t ever must see a “Grey’s” with out Meredith every so often. We’ve got a tremendous forged alongside Ellen Pompeo. I feel our episodes with out her are are simply as robust, but it surely’s simply so good to listen to her voice with the voiceovers. However I additionally really feel that even when she’s not within the episodes, it appears like she could be there. We continuously reference her. She’s clearly come out as a world-class surgeon out of this hospital. Bailey [Chandra Wilson] and Richard [James Pickens Jr.], after they’re coping with a brand new class of interns, they invoke that spirit of Meredith that anytime they suppose that they’ve obtained a tough intern, they keep in mind who they introduced up and what she grew to become. We nonetheless have [Derek’s family] Amelia Shepherd [Caterina Scorsone] and Lucas Adams [Niko Terho]. The essence of Meredith by no means disappears.
What are you able to tease about Meredith’s Alzheimer’s analysis? It’s unclear how she’ll be concerned after upsetting Catherine Fox (Debbie Allen) together with her shift in focus.
We’re positively going to select that again up once more in one of many first few episodes after we return. I feel persons are gonna be very joyful to see the place it goes. We wrote this some time in the past, however we go into among the points that researchers are dealing with proper now, with securing funding and what you select to middle your analysis on actually has an impact on whether or not you get cash or not. We’re going to see Meredith wrestle with these challenges.
What about her private life? Secure to imagine that Nick is the one?
Properly, he’s the one after Derek. Plenty of dialogue occurs as a result of all people is all the time asking, “Will she get married again? Will she do this again?” And I don’t suppose it’s a lot about marriage, however the truth that the 2 of them have now merged their lives collectively on the finish of final season. I feel that’s an indication for followers to suppose that he’s the one. He is also any person who respects the life that she had earlier than him and he’s by no means going to attempt to exchange that. He may prefer to get married, however he is aware of who Meredith is and he’s by no means going to push that on her. I additionally like how he challenges her in ways in which individuals since Derek haven’t, which additionally makes me suppose that he’s her equal. He’s going to push again when he appears like he’s being pushed away.
Niko Terho and Camilla Luddington in a scene from the mid-season premiere of “Grey’s Anatomy.”
(Tina Thorpe / Disney)
The present has tackled well timed subjects earlier than, whether or not it’s immigration, abortion, COVID. Once you see among the healthcare-related headlines below this present administration, significantly Medicaid, are you interested by whether or not these points are price exploring subsequent season?
We all the time have a look at it from the physician’s viewpoint. Our followers have all kinds of various views and opinions and affiliations. We all the time take the stance of “what are doctors going through these days?” Once we did the COVID season, we advised that story fully from a physician’s viewpoint. We didn’t discuss politics, we didn’t discuss who was proper, who wasn’t proper. We simply confirmed the impact that the pandemic had on our docs and the isolation and loneliness that they needed to undergo. We’ll do the identical factor if we see headlines we wish to discover.
Heading into this mid-season premiere, I used to be apprehensive the place this being pregnant scare was going to go as a result of Jo has endured quite a bit. Her infants are positive. However was there a model the place she misplaced one or each infants?
It was positively pitched and I mentioned, “No, she’s not losing those babies.” I’m thinking about enjoying the truth of how tough multiples are and in order that’s why we did that story the best way we did as a result of that could be a frequent process that many ladies undergo. I wish to additionally respect the truth. I don’t suppose it’s going to be a full-term being pregnant with these infants. Is she out of the woods? I wouldn’t say sure, as a result of she’s a girl pregnant with twins.
What’s happening with Teddy, Owen and Cass Beckman (Sophia Bush)? Would you name it a love triangle?
I’m very excited for the followers to see the again half of the season as a result of we observe that story extra carefully. I’m somebody who likes to create the most important mess doable within the tales after which I feel the writers are like, “Oh great, she’s tangled us in some knot again that we can’t figure it out.” However it’s a 21-season present. We’ve got to make mess with a purpose to to maintain it attention-grabbing and completely different. That is one thing we actually haven’t carried out earlier than on our present with a wedding, a minimum of. I additionally suppose that the scenes that Kim and Kevin are performing are so actual and susceptible and uncooked, and so they don’t have any time of their lives to prioritize themselves and their relationship as a result of they’ve youngsters and their jobs. We’re seeing type of the implications of that.
Your first season as showrunner was delayed and truncated on account of the twin Hollywood strikes. In your second season on the helm, the latest wildfires in Los Angeles shut down manufacturing. How was it to guide a present in a time like that?
We shortly contacted everybody and stopped and we heard that different reveals had carried out the identical factor. There was this immense strain of “am I all of a sudden blowing thousands and thousands of dollars by us not working?” However I can’t ask my crew to depart their properties and their households. Then we began getting experiences that a few of our crew members had misplaced their properties, which was terrible. That Sunday, they mentioned that individuals can return to work on Monday and I requested us to attend yet another day as a result of I simply suppose we wanted to mobilize and determine how we might assist our crew members who misplaced properties. Fortunately, we have been [in a position where] it wasn’t about making air dates for us. We referred to as the crew again the Tuesday [after the start of the fires]. We had a simple day. Debbie Allen and I spoke to the crew in the beginning of the day. We employed a therapist to come back to set so that individuals might converse to her. I feel it actually helped calm all people simply to have normalcy.
Manufacturing on “Grey’s” was halted throughout the wildfires. “We hired a therapist to come to set so that people could speak to her. I think it really helped calm everybody just to have normalcy,” Meg Marinis mentioned.
(Marcus Ubungen / Los Angeles Occasions)
What’s the problem of taking on a present that’s been on for 20 years?
I really feel higher about it this yr now that I’ve carried out one season. The strain is immense. You’re taking Shonda Rhimes’ child and caring for it for her when she’s constructed it to be an trade icon. And likewise simply the immense strain from the followers — making the tales really feel recent and thrilling after 20 years; not repeating your self. And simply the strain of being the chief of the present as a result of there’s probably not a day the place you may disguise in your workplace and be unhappy in regards to the fires. It’s important to construct up all of your power since you actually set the tone and in the event you appear in management, your crew’s going to really feel protected.
Due to price range trims, you have been tasked with having to slim the forged down and cut back display time for some veteran forged members. How did you method that?
It was a number of conversations with Shonda. She got here right here and spoke to the forged with me and helped clarify what was happening. They fully understood that when she and I spoke to them collectively, they knew it wasn’t one thing that we needed to do, that it was simply the state of the trade. It was one of many worst moments of of my job, understanding the local weather of what’s occurring, and I like each single character right here and no one needs to make that cellphone name.
“Grey’s” has endured as others within the style have come and gone. Once you see one thing like “The Pitt” change into this drama that has individuals speaking, what do you are taking from that at this stage in “Grey’s” run?
There’s a few issues — you may’t assist however suppose, “Oh, what kind of stories are they telling? Are they telling cooler stories than we are?” I actually wish to watch “The Pitt,” I’m ready till hiatus as a result of I do love medical reveals, however I strive to not watch them after I’m writing simply to remain fully centered on “Grey’s.” I don’t wish to compete or examine. They’re all completely different. The curiosity signifies that individuals nonetheless like medical reveals. They’re nonetheless related.
The life “Grey’s” has on TikTok is fairly superb. I’ll by no means not cease to observe a video of somebody filming their pal or important different reaching the George O’Malley episode for the primary time.
I feel it’s a testomony to Shonda Rhimes and what she created with these authentic characters — watching them develop via their profession. Everyone can determine with beginning your first job and never understanding what you’re doing and never making some huge cash and never having time for relationships and your greatest pal is your co-worker. It’s so enjoyable to have the ability to see individuals relive these moments or stay these moments for the primary time. I feel that there’s one thing comforting in a present that’s been on for therefore lengthy, which you could all the time flip to “Grey’s Anatomy.” There’s a author’s thread the place they textual content issues [like the TikToks]. There was a meme that was like “we’re gonna see the end of democracy before the end of ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’”
You’re at the moment placing the ending touches on the season finale. Is there one thing you may tease now that may make sense as soon as we watch it?
Teddy will do one thing she’s by no means carried out earlier than.
