Grey’s Anatomy is often celebrated as one of the best procedurals of the 21st century, boasting a ton of accolades and acclaim. When the team at Grey Sloan isn’t saving lives, they’re usually either shacking up with one another or dealing with their own personal issues. As such, the writers work to provide the audience with a ton of drama from every angle.
Meredith Grey is ultimately the star of the show, providing the audience with a singular character that they can follow. But, as the show continues to raise its stakes, many fans believe that the hit medical drama has spiraled out of control. Yet, a certain fan theory suggests that the protagonist is actually suffering from a serious degenerative disease.
Fans Believe That Meredith Is Actually Suffering From Alzheimer’s
Meredith Grey was first established as an ambitious intern who was eager to shake off her mother’s admirable reputation and finally make a name for herself. Over the course of 21 seasons, Grey has suffered just every type of high and low, making her a prodigal figure within Grey Sloan. Though the show still maintains a positive reputation, it’s hard to deny the fans who are begging for the procedural to be put out of its misery. Some audiences believe that the show has become entirely unrealistic and just isn’t very interesting anymore.
Yet, a fan theory suggests that all of these inconceivable events are just part of a wider plan to reveal that Meredith is actually suffering from Alzheimer’s. Thus, the idea suggests that none of these crazy events actually happened, and Meredith’s failing mind is just filling in the blanks as she loses her sense of self. For example, the theory proposes the idea that Derek Shepherd didn’t actually die in Season 11, and he actually divorced Meredith because he couldn’t cope with looking after her. Though some viewers may find this a bit of a long shot, it would explain why Derek struggled to get a CT scan, which would have been a routine procedure for his type of injury. Another example is her Harper Avery win. While she’s a great surgeon, many fans felt it was a tad extreme to allow Grey to win such a prestigious award, especially when characters like Yang and Bailey were also working on tremendous research. Thus, the theory denotes that Meredith actually made this event up because she kept on getting her mother’s legacy confused with her own.
Adding on to this, the theory also gives a further explanation for Meredith’s frequent voiceovers. Even when Meredith doesn’t appear in an episode, she punctuates the beginning with a voiceover that explores certain medical conditions or phenomena. In turn, fans believe that this segment is actually Meredith discussing her memories with her children and carers, debunking the idea that she’s an omniscient narrator. This may seem completely outlandish, but it’s a similar idea to the end of Roseanne, where the protagonist reveals that the entire show was just the basis of her latest novel. Generally, fan theories are simple assumptions that don’t always match up with the wider lore of the respective show. But, this theory is quite realistic and promotes the idea that Grey Sloan isn’t some sort of prophetic hospital that spawns tragedy and curses and is actually the product of the protagonist’s failing imagination.
Does the Theory Really Hold Up Against the Grey’s Anatomy Canon?
Fan theories are very compelling, but they’re only worthwhile if they actually hold up. Long-time fans of Grey’s Anatomy will know that Alzheimer’s is a common part of the show’s canon. Not only did Meredith’s mother, Ellis Grey, pass away from the disease in Season 3, but Meredith also tested positive for certain genes in Season 9, indicating that she’s likely to develop the condition in later life. Admittedly, some fans may roll their eyes at this explanation as Alzheimer’s is a very common condition, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable for the show to mention it, especially in the early 2000s. Fans saw a similar thing with E.R. and the show’s constant references to HIV and AIDS or House’s satirical references to lupus.
But the fact that this disease is referenced so frequently can’t just be a coincidence. Even in the most recent seasons, Meredith has desperately been trying to excel in her Alzheimer’s research but just keeps on hitting a wall. This could also be a link to Meredith’s condition, highlighting that she can’t progress in her research because she’s losing her basic functions, and her diagnosis is just circling around her head. Plus, Alzheimer’s would explain why so many characters keep departing from Grey Sloan, only to return a few years later. Teddy Altman, April Kepner, and Addison Montgomery are prime examples of this trend and could lead to the idea that Meredith simply forgot these characters, and they only returned to Grey Sloan when Meredith remembered them.
Another big criticism of Grey’s Anatomy is that it seems to sweep popular characters under the rug without giving them any further explanation. As such, Joe’s Bar is a forgotten memory, and people like Casey Parker were swept away without any consideration or context. Though many fans see this as a sign of poor writing, this fan theory argues that Meredith is quickly forgetting the key faces of Grey Sloan, and they may be slipping away into absurdity. Thus, Meredith may not remember her dates with Derek at the Emerald City Bar, so the writers are forced to push Joe aside.
This Fan Theory Explains the Longevity of the Show
Before this theory causes fans to lose their minds, it’s important to take a step back and note that Alzheimer’s is an extremely complex disease and isn’t as simple as Meredith making up a fantasy hospital in her head for the audience’s entertainment. Yet, this theory would explain how the show has managed to conjure up so many plotlines over the past two decades. In fact, some fans can’t believe that Grey Sloan is still standing, especially after a flood, a mudslide, and a bomb threat. But, if this theory is true, it promotes the idea that Meredith sees her workplace as an escape, acting as a background for her delusions. This would give a reason why everyone is so close or why they choose to have such intimate relations with each other. Not to mention, it would also explain why Meredith holds such a high position in the hospital and is able to harbor so much power and respect among her peers.
Like many fan theories, it seems unlikely that these ideas will come to fruition, but it doesn’t mean that they’re entirely false. In reality, no one knows how Grey’s Anatomy will end or whether the show will conclude. Take General Hospital, for example, which first premiered in 1963 and has amassed a staggering 15,000 episodes. But, since Alzheimer’s is such a significant diagnosis throughout the show, it only seems reasonable that the main character would also have something to do with it. However, many fans still wonder how the writers would even begin with explaining this idea or whether it would please audiences, especially those who have been tuning in since 2005. Plus, Alzheimer’s doesn’t really match up with Grey Sloan’s role as a leading trauma and cardiac hospital. Overall, Grey’s Anatomy fans certainly have a lot to sink their teeth in when it comes to this fan theory, and it seems that they’ll have to wait a few years to see if it’s really true.
