ET – Rumblings that Grey’s Anatomy may be nearing the end of its shelf life have gotten louder as season 17 resumes, and in a new interview, showrunner Krista Vernoff revealed she’s approaching the end of the current season on dual tracks, which includes the potential end for ABC’s biggest hit.
“I’m planning a season and a finale that could function as either a season finale or a series finale,” Vernoff told The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m planning for both contingencies and it’s hard and it’s not ideal. It’s not where I wish we were.”
The recent remarks align with Grey’s star Ellen Pompeo’s comments on a February appearance on CBS Sunday Morning that she’s still working out her future on the long-running medical drama, on which she’s starred as Meredith Grey since 2005.
“I can’t say. We honestly have not decided. We’re really trying to figure it out right now,” Pompeo said of whether the show will continue past season 17, which is the last year of her current contract.
Vernoff shared that she’s asked ABC to inform her ahead of time if season 17 will indeed be the last.
“I’ve told them that I have to know before I’m making the finale what we’re making,” she said in the THR interview. “Because there are a couple of character threads that will change. I’ve got plans for both contingencies. Either there will be closure or I will build something in that allows me to have a bit of a cliffhanger and a thread for next season.”
Operating with a level of uncertainty and producing Grey’s, as well as the firefighter spinoff Station 19 and her upcoming Katey Sagal drama, Rebel, has left Vernoff mentally exhausted.