Grey’s Anatomy Season 21’s Best Romance Is Over Before It Even Started

Spoilers are ahead for the Grey’s Anatomy season 20 finale.

The Grey’s Anatomy season 20 finale included plenty of cliffhangers, and while most of them will be resolved in the show’s landmark 21st season, one budding romance is over before it even began. Due to the dual SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes of 2023, Grey’s Anatomy season 20 received a slim 10-episode order — essentially, less than half of the show’s standard season order. For an ensemble series like Shonda Rhimes’ long-running medical drama, fewer episodes created a problem. Storylines that would have played out in multi-episode arcs — or over entire seasons — were trimmed significantly.

Worse still, certain characters who seemed positioned to have big stories in Grey’s Anatomy season 19’s cliffhanger ending were reduced to supporting roles. Without enough time to explore characters, let alone relationships, the show’s romances suffered in season 20. For example, while Grey’s Anatomy was poised to do Taryn Helm justice in season 20, Jaicy Elliot’s Helm had an incredibly condensed relationship (and breakup) with Mika Yasuda (Midori Francis). Even established couples, like Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman), were left spinning their wheels. However, the unrealized potential of one particular budding romance stings the most.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 20’s Finale Teased Mika Yasuda & Jules Millin’s Steamy Romance

Yasuda & Millin Almost Kissed Before Blue Interrupted Them

By the end of Grey’s Anatomy season 19, Yasuda and Helm had finally acknowledged their romantic spark. While season 20 picked up with the pair seemingly head-over-heels, the pairing didn’t last very long, especially given the compressed 10-episode timeline. Grey Sloan’s newly minted co-chief resident, Helm was so intent on not giving Yasuda special treatment that she actively stood in the way of her girlfriend’s education — or so Yasuda claimed. After a short-lived stint of cold-shouldering each other, Mika and Taryn called it quits ahead of Grey’s Anatomy season 20’s ending.

Ultimately, the breakup fixes a major Grey’s Anatomy criticism: Yasuda prioritizes her career over Helm, and even acknowledges the inherent and uncomfortable power imbalance that exists in an intern-resident relationship. In the penultimate episode of the season, Yasuda uses her newfound time to help fellow intern Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane) study for the ABSITE exam. The pair pull an all-nighter and fall asleep side-by-side on a cot. In the morning, the frazzled duo rush to the exam room, but the sparks between them are palpable — and only become more obvious in the finale.

Midori Francis Is Leaving Grey’s Anatomy Before Season 21

Yasuda Won’t Be A Series Regular Going Forward

The finale, “Burn It Down,” takes Mika and Jules’ apparent chemistry a step further. The soon-to-retire Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) allows Yasuda and Millin to finish a portion of a complex procedure; Webber forgets a key step, which leads to post-surgery complications. Ultimately, the patient dies, which completely guts Mika and Jules. When Yasuda experiences a panic attack, Millin tries to talk her through it. The poignant moment pushes Yasuda and Millin together — both emotionally and physically. Although Benson Kwan (Harry Shum Jr.) interrupts the pair before they kiss, their connection feels inevitable.

Unfortunately, Grey’s Anatomy season 21 viewers won’t be able to watch Yasuda and Millin’s would-be slow-burn romance unfold. While the medical drama is returning for a 21st outing, Midori Francis, who plays Yasuda, is set to exit the show. Francis’ departure will majorly impact the series in more ways than one. For starters, Yasuda was Grey’s Anatomy‘s best replacement for Meredith, but it was also refreshing to see a queer character really thrive on the show for the first time in seasons, especially when doctors like Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli) and Helm have gotten short shrift.

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Grey’s Anatomy Has Continued To Make Strides With LGBTQ+ Representation Despite Queer Couples’ Breakups

Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Is Losing Several Queer Characters

For various reasons, it seems that many Grey’s Anatomy doctors won’t be working at Grey Sloan in future season 21 episodes. Not only is Midori Francis’ Mika Yasuda leaving the show, but Jake Borelli’s Levi Schmitt, who joined the cast in season 14, is also exiting Grey’s Anatomy. While those losses are certainly a blow to the show’s LGBTQ+ representation, Grey’s Anatomy season 21 has the opportunity to showcase several exciting queer characters and stories. Not only does it seem likely that Station 19‘s Carina DeLuca-Bishop will return to Grey’s Anatomy, but Natalie Morales’ Monica Beltran has emerged as one of the show’s best new characters.

Grey’s Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy is considered one of the great television shows of our time, winning several awards and four Emmys. The high-intensity medical drama follows Meredith Grey and the team of doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial, who are faced with life-or-death decisions on a daily basis. They seek comfort from one another, and, at times, more than just friendship. Together they discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white.

Cast

Kelly McCreary , Patrick Dempsey , Kevin McKidd , Chandra Wilson , Jesse Williams , Jake Borelli , camilla luddington , Ellen Pompeo , Chyler Leigh , Eric Dane , Caterina Scorsone , Giacomo Gianniotti , Anthony Hill , Kate Walsh , Justin Chambers , Sarah Drew , Greg Germann , Martin Henderson , Katherine Heigl , T.R. Knight , Sara Ramirez , Jerrika Hinton , Richard Flood , Sandra Oh , Kim Raver , Jason George , Tessa Ferrer , Isaiah Washington , James Pickens Jr. , Gaius Charles , Chris Carmack , Brooke Smith , Jessica Capshaw

Release Date

March 27, 2005

Seasons

20

Writers

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

Directors

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

Showrunner

Meg Marinis

Creator(s)

Shonda Rhimes

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