The longest-running primetime medical drama Grey’s Anatomy has been airing for 22 seasons now. Fans who were there during the first years claim the show went downhill after Cristina’s (Sandra Oh) exit or Derek’s (Patrick Dempsey) death. Even with the new batch of interns taking the spotlight, newer fans see the latest seasons as underwhelming at best. Arguments can be made with respect to the show’s quality over time, but the truth is newer seasons have featured notable highlights.

Ever since Krista Vernoff returned to join Shonda Rhimes as co-showrunner in Season 14, Grey’s Anatomy went through a reinvention that produced thoroughly engaging storylines. But there’s a specific point in which the show produced one of the best seasons of its modern era. In Season 17, Grey Sloan Memorial had to face head-on the COVID-19 pandemic. Though at the time, it might have hit too close to home, it gave Grey’s Anatomy a new meaning and purpose in the ever-changing landscape of medical TV dramas.

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Felt Relevant Once Again in Season 17

Image via ABC

The COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down. Shutting everything down to prevent the spread of this new and deadly disease, humanity had to adapt to face this new reality. In entertainment, this meant shutting down productions of movies and TV shows – thus paralyzing the industry for the foreseeable future. When Grey’s Anatomy was able to resume production, the big questions of what the doctors of Grey Sloan should do and how they should proceed were answered swiftly – tackle the pandemic head-on.

By covering this delicate topic, Season 17 of Grey’s Anatomy made the show feel relevant once again. Whereas there was a long-standing tradition of showcasing catastrophe episodes every year, the entirety of Season 17 covered a real and global crisis that the doctors seemed powerless to face. The stakes felt real once again, as the hospital had to adapt to new sanitary measures, while trying to keep its patients and staff safe. Still, when the topic was gloomy, the later episodes of the season managed to end on a high note, flashing forward to the introduction of the vaccines and finally being able to recover the sense of normalcy we live with today.

Meredith’s Beach Featured the Return of Several ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Fan-Favorites

Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) will never be exempt from catastrophes in her life. Whether personal or professional, she has always been on the brink of figurative or literal death. In Season 17, she was one of the early cases of COVID-19 the hospital had to treat. This brought the controversial beach into the show’s narrative. Love it or hate it, this metaphysical space was an escape from the dark reality both the audience and the hospital were facing at the time. This became our safe space – a maskless and bright place where happy reunions simply happened.

Thus, Season 17 featured fan-favorite and long-awaited returns in one of the few ways that made sense in the show’s narrative. This was the precise moment to bring back Chyler Leigh’s Lexie for one final heartfelt chat with her sister. Lexie’s comeback also brought Eric Dane’s Mark, as a sign that they had found a happy ending after all. T.R. Knight’s George strolled by to talk about how his death affected Meredith’s life. Last, but not least, Meredith saw Derek once again at this fateful moment. Seeing the power couple reunited was a tender callback to their better times. All of them encourage Meredith to keep fighting and return to her family. And though they were constructs of her own comatose mind, their appearances felt like a hug in the direst of times.

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 17 Features the Last Impactful Deaths the Show Has Seen

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Grey’s Anatomy’s tradition of featuring impactful deaths practically stopped with Season 17. It makes sense, considering it’d be hard to top their emotional punch. The first was Elena Bailey (Bianca F. Taylor), Miranda’s (Chandra Wilson) mother. After becoming infected with COVID-19 at her nursing home, Elena’s chances of survival were minimal, because the elderly were at higher risk. Grey’s Anatomy faithfully depicted the frustrating protocols that this catastrophe brought forth. The people who represented our support system were fated to die in isolation during this harrowing time. By showing this through Miranda’s resignation and Elena’s final moments, the series honored the victims of the pandemic.

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While these doctors saved lives, they also made some poor decisions.

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The second victim that this season claimed was Giacomo Gianniotti’s Andrew DeLuca. He died a hero, because he was responsible for the apprehension of a human trafficker, and his goodbye was one of the most heartfelt and heartbreaking moments in the modern era of Grey’s Anatomy. Meeting Meredith at her beach, he thanked her for the time they shared and for pushing him to get to know himself. The ambivalence of having to “choose” between life and death is elevated by DeLuca’s reunion with his mother. His bittersweet farewell represents an ideal welcome to the afterlife – and not everyone has gotten this courtesy in Grey’s Anatomy.

In retrospect, Season 17 of Grey’s Anatomy has quietly become one of the best of its modern era. More recent outings have struggled to recapture the emotional impact that this season had. With Pompeo’s departure as a regular in Season 19, this could also be considered the last time Meredith was front-and-center as the main focus of the show. Since the series is nowhere near its end, hopefully it will recapture this gut-wrenching feeling once again.

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Release Date

March 27, 2005

Directors

Rob Corn, Kevin McKidd, Debbie Allen, Chandra Wilson, Allison Liddi-Brown, Jeannot Szwarc, Tony Phelan

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Writers

Shonda Rhimes, Julie Wong, Jen Klein, Tameson Duffy, Meg Marinis

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  Chandra Wilson

  Dr. Miranda Bailey

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After hugely positive first responses arrived earlier this week, Chris Hemsworth fans look set for a huge treat when his new heist thriller Crime 101 debuts next week. Starring Hemsworth and his MCU mate Mark Ruffalo, Crime 101 is now one of the most anticipated movies of the month, with one critic calling it “the kind of classy heist thriller we don’t see much of these days,” and another saying it’s “slickly crafted, tightly written, and filled to the brim with compelling characters and a moody, immersive LA atmosphere.”

As fans wait for Hemsworth’s latest big hit, many are heading back into his catalog and checking out one of his most divisive movies: Blackhat. Directed by Michael Mann — whose magnum opus Heat is proving a popular point of comparison with the aforementioned Crime 101 — Blackhat stars Hemsworth alongside Oscar-winner Viola Davis, Tang Wei, and Mindhunter‘s Holt McCallany. Written by Morgan Davis Foehl, the film stars Hemsworth as convicted hacker Nick Hathaway, who is offered clemency to help hunt down a dangerous cybercriminal.

At the time of writing, Blackhat is one of the 10 most-streamed movies on HBO Max worldwide. The action thriller joins two of the Best Picture favorites at the upcoming Academy Awards in the current top ten, with Paul Thomas Anderson‘s masterpiece, One Battle After Another, in third and director Ryan Coogler‘s beloved vampire flick, Sinners, at the top of the charts. A synopsis for Blackhat reads:

“After a Hong Kong nuclear plant and the Mercantile Trade Exchange in Chicago are hacked by unknown perpetrators, a federal agent proposes that the FBI work with China to find the cyber-criminals. The leader of the Chinese team, Chen Dawai, insists that convicted hacker Nick Hathaway be released from prison to help with the investigation. As Nick and his comrades chase their quarry, it becomes evident that the hackers have a sinister motive for their actions.”

‘Blackhat’ Was a Huge Box Office Bomb

Against a reported production budget of $70 million, Blackhat‘s 2015 theatrical run was an enormous disaster as it bowed out with just $19.6 million worldwide. Split between a domestic haul of $8 million and a further $11.6 million from overseas markets, Blackhat hugely disappointed, no doubt thanks to consistently terrible critical reception. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the movie earned just 33% from critics, with the consensus reading, “Thematically timely but dramatically inert, Blackhat strands Chris Hemsworth in a muddled misfire from director Michael Mann.”

Stay tuned to Collider for the latest streaming stories.

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Release Date

January 16, 2015

Runtime

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133 minutes

Director

Michael Mann

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Writers

Morgan Davis Foehl

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Producers

Jon Jashni

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