In Grey’s Anatomy, Miranda Bailey quit as chief and surgeon of the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital after the residency program was cancelled and her health started to suffer.
Grey’s Anatomy has been on the air for many years and many fans still tune into the show to feel a sense of nostalgia and comfort when watching the show.
However, it was a shocking moment when Bailey quit at the end of the eighteenth season of the show, after the residency program had been cancelled.
Why do people still watch Grey’s Anatomy?
Grey’s Anatomy is currently airing its nineteenth season and after 17 years on the air, many people have wondered why loyal viewers keep tuning in to watch the team at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital after all these years.
For some fans of the show, tuning in to watch the series at a certain time every week has become a habit over the years and is a comforting, relaxing ritual that is part of their lives now.
Other viewers genuinely still enjoy watching as the intrigues of the doctors’ personal lives and the various medical mysteries play out on their screens. The show definitely also carries a sense of nostalgia for many casual viewers and fans.
Grey’s Anatomy: Why did Bailey quit?
One of the characters that has been a fan-favourite on the show from its start in 2005 is Miranda Bailey.
Bailey, who is played by Chandra Wilson, is one of the only remaining characters in the show from the original cast, with Ellen Pompeo and James Pickens Jr. filling in the remaining slots.
This is why fans of the show were so shocked and distraught when Bailey quit her job in the final episode of the eighteenth season.
Although it is understandable why Bailey would quit after the hospital’s residency program is shut down, since this was arguably the most important part of her job, Bailey is such an integral part of the hospital and fans were sad to think that they will not be seeing her on the show anymore.
Even though Bailey quitting was one of the biggest bombshells in an episode full of surprises, fans were happy for Bailey that she could prioritise her mental and physical health over a job that just does not seem as fulfilling as it used to.
However, in true Grey’s Anatomy fashion, even though Bailey quit, there is no doubt that she will still be featured in the newest, nineteenth season of the show.
Did Bailey leave Grey’s Anatomy for good?
Now that season 19 of Grey’s Anatomy has started airing, many of the mysteries regarding whether Bailey would be coming back to the hospital or not have been cleared up.
While it was clear from the teaser trailer that was released for this season that Bailey would find out about the new class of residents and from the fact that Chandra Wilson had been included on the official returning cast list for season 19, that Bailey would definitely be featured on the new season of the show in some way.
It was unclear until the third episode of the nineteenth season, how exactly this would play out.
However, since the airing of this third episode, it is clear that Bailey will be returning to the hospital on her own terms, which will come as a great relief to fans of the show.
Why were fans so upset to see Bailey quit?
Even with the strong nostalgic draw that Grey’s Anatomy has, fans have had to watch many of their favourite characters leave the show for good over the years. Bailey’s departure, though justified, was also unexpected and sudden.
To add to this, Bailey is an integral part of the hospital, both as a chief and a surgeon.
This means that even though Meredith has been offered her job in the interim, the show will have to do a lot of manoeuvring to fill the void that she has left, and it is unclear how the hospital will continue to function without Bailey with everything else that is going on.
Why did it take Bailey so long to decide to come back?
When Bailey quit at the end of season 18, it was evident that she just had too much on her plate, and with a daughter and her own health to take care of, she could just not sustain her workload any longer and this likely made her decision to return a difficult one to make.
Bailey makes it clear that she only decided to return to focus on rebuilding the hospital’s clinic in the wake of Roe v Wade being overturned, and this is why it took her so long.