Spoilers for Grey’s Anatomy Season 22

For a show that I originally discovered because of its queer representation, it’s crazy to see how far it has fallen. In the Grey’s Anatomy season 22 premiere (yes, it’s really been going on for that long), showrunners decided to kill off the beloved bisexual pediatric surgeon Monica Beltran (Natalie Morales), and in doing so they may have killed off much of their queer fanbase.

Do you remember the days of Grey’s Anatomy where queer fans thrived? Where Calzona, aka Callie and Arizona (Sara Ramirez and Jessica Capshaw), were as strong as ever? The seasons where Carina DeLuca (Stefania Spampinato) graced our screens? We were too busy crying over another disaster that hit the hospital, that we didn’t realise just how lucky we were!

Dr. Beltran first graced our screens in the season 20 premiere, and ever since, the show had subtly hinted that she and Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) would eventually end up together. Despite Amelia’s fluid sexuality being hinted at throughout the show, she didn’t have her first fluid relationship until season 18, where she met non-binary neuroscientist Kai Bartley (E.R. Fightmaster).  Unfortunately their relationship became rocky, they broke up, and Kai left the show. However, the introduction of Monica Beltran put a new ship on the horizon – Monmelia (Monica and Amelia). Monmelia fans were waiting for the slow burn to burn a little faster, but instead we got till death do us part.

Speaking of Amelia Shepherd, and as much as it hurts to write this, in Season 22, Episode 2, she announced she’d be taking a sabbatical. Meaning we won’t see our favourite neurosurgeon for the next 8 episodes. In other words: we won’t be seeing the iconic Amelia Shepherd on our screens till 2026.

Amelia is arguably one of the only reasons a lot of people still watch Grey’s Anatomy – she’s the show’s saving grace. Many of the OG characters have long left the show, or been killed off. And, despite not being a character since day one, Amelia is a fan favourite due to fans falling in love with her on the popular spin-off Private Practice. We have waited months for Amelia to grace our screens again, and instead we’re rewarded with a half a season hiatus from our favourite character?

Fans have even joked (though I’m not sure it’s a joke at this point) that they’ll be boycotting the show till 2026, using the hashtag #OnSabbaticalWithShepherd. As tempting as it may be, I’ve spent way too many years of my life hooked on this show to stop now.

So, now that Monica is dead, and now that Amelia is gone for a while, what queer characters do we have left? Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli) said farewell last season. Mika Yasuda (Midori Francis) also left, ending the blossoming relationship between her and Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane). I mean, we still have Taryn Helm – if the show decides to give her some screentime. Basically, for upcoming episodes, we’re stuck with Jo (Camilla Luddington) and Link (Chris Carmack), and whatever the hell is going on with Teddy (Kim Raver) and Owen (Kevin McKidd).

As much as we may joke about the decline of queer representation, the impact runs deeper than we think. Grey’s Anatomy was one of the first network shows to feature major queer characters. It was a show that pushed boundaries. It showed young viewers that it was ok for two women to fall in love and get married. Queer love was celebrated, not destroyed almost as quickly as it was created.

I hope Grey’s Anatomy can one day go back to its roots – if not, cancellation may be the best ending.