Grey’s Anatomy Season 22’s Premiere Death Wasn’t A Cop-Out

Lorianne Palinkas has been a reality television writer for Screen Rant for four years. After teaching middle school English for twenty years, she knows a thing or two about high drama, complicated alliances, and even singing competitions. Growing up in New York City gave her a solid foundation in the arts and culture.

Grey’s Anatomy season 21 ended with a bang as an explosion rocked Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, and several lives hung in the balance, leaving fans to wonder which of their favorite characters would survive the season 22 premiere. Many speculated that a major character such as Dr. Atticus “Link” Lincoln (Chris Carmack) would be the one to die in the tragedy, but they were wrong as Grey’s Anatomy killed off Dr. Monica Beltran (Natalie Morales), the attending pediatric surgeon, instead.

After the explosion, Monica was trapped in an operating room with intern Dr. Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane) and a nurse, and she believed that part of her pelvis was shattered as she was pinned under a piece of equipment. Despite her injury, she talked Jules through surgery on a 6-year-old patient named Parker. When the surgery was finished, Jules realized that Monica was unconscious and began CPR, but it was too late, and Monica passed away.

Amelia Will Face A Dark Struggle

When Monica first arrived at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital during Grey’s Anatomy season 20, it seemed as though she might be a love interest for Dr. Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), but she turned down Amelia when she asked her out on a date. However, it was clear that they had a strong connection.

Amelia is an alcoholic, and she occasionally relapses. Monica’s death could be a trigger for her to start drinking again, which would kick off a whole new storyline for her on Grey’s Anatomy. Her guilt due to believing that the explosion was her fault, combined with her relationship with Monica that never was, might be too much for her.

Whether Amelia starts drinking again or not, Monica’s death will have a profound effect on her, which will then branch out to many other characters on the show. This proves that Monica was more than just a minor character who had no impact on Grey’s Anatomy.

Jules will surely be traumatized by Monica’s death, especially because she held her in her arms after she’d passed away. The trauma will take an emotional toll on her, but, in the long run, Jules will gain something else from her final interaction with her cherished mentor, Monica: her confidence.

When Monica first informed Jules that she’d have to perform Parker’s surgery on her own, Jules panicked because they were running out of anesthesia. However, Monica calmed her down by stating that their pattern was that Jules would panic spiral, and she would snap her out of it, and they didn’t have time for that with Parker. Monica knew Jules well, which meant that she was an excellent teacher who paid attention to the needs of her students.

Winston Lost A Friend & Lover

Lately, Winston has been attracted to Jules, and they had a moment of shared grief when Monica died. After she sobbed in his arms, they looked into each other’s eyes, but then she ran away from him. Monica’s death could bring them closer together, either as friends or more, as they both navigate life without her.

Although some Grey’s Anatomy fans thought that Monica’s death was a cop-out because they felt that she wasn’t a main character, they’re wrong. Monica might not have been as major of a character as Link, but she made an impact on the show, and her passing has quietly set up the whole season.

Monica’s death will be the catalyst for so many storylines, and will continue to affect characters such as Amelia, Julies, and Winston for a long time. Monica was more than just a plot point: she was an influential Grey’s Anatomy character who’ll be greatly missed.