The Grey’s Anatomy season 20 finale left the stories of many characters without a clear path for the upcoming season, but in doing so, it also created an unexpected villain for Grey’s Anatomy season 21. Grey Sloan Memorial went through major shake-ups in the last seasons, losing the residency program in Grey’s Anatomy season 18, only to get it back with new interns in season 19 for the interim chief to leave for Boston. While Grey’s Anatomy season 20 didn’t include major challenges for the hospital, the mass firing of Grey’s Anatomy doctors in the finale showed nobody was safe.

While a change in leadership made sense after what happened with Amelia and Meredith’s Alzheimer’s study being funded secretly, the number of changes hinted at by Grey’s Anatomy season 20’s finale risked recreating a new shortage of doctors, which originated all Grey Sloan Memorial’s problems since the aftermath of the pandemic. However, one character coming firmly on top after the unexpected purge of doctors from Grey Sloan Memorial also showed how it wasn’t bad for everybody, highlighting how the mass firing concentrated all the power in only one character’s hands, easily setting them up as Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s villain.

Catherine Firing Most Grey’s Anatomy Protagonists Sets Up A War In Season 21

The Fox Foundation Just Became Too Involved With Grey Sloan Memorial’s Dealings

Catherine’s actions in Grey’s Anatomy season 20, episode 10 aimed to re-establish order in one of her hospitals, but in doing so, they created a strong base of surgeons who opposed her repression, as her move took something from all of them and threatened to take even more from Miranda and the interns. While Catherine needed to fight Meredith after she had promised to follow another hunch but instead continued her work that could have ruined her reputation and career, the rest of her actions were highly avoidable, even when someone questioned her authority.

In addition, despite being head of the Fox Foundation like Catherine was for years, she was never that involved in the dealings of one hospital. Even when Grey Sloan Memorial was in deep crisis with the residency program probation in Grey’s Anatomy season 18, Catherine didn’t handle the day-to-day issues, always relying on the chief of surgery for that. Axing half the doctors’ jobs in Grey’s Anatomy season 20’s ending thus connoted Catherine’s new tendency to decide all by herself, alone, after she decided Grey Sloan had gone too far without someone stern leading the ship doing the foundation’s interests.

Catherine’s Stubbornness Against Meredith’s Research Set Up Her Villain Turn In Season 20

Only Catherine’s Power Trip Justifies Her Season 20 Finale’s Proposal To Give Koracick The Study

While Catherine’s villain turn has yet to be confirmed in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, early signs were there throughout season 20. Indeed, Catherine’s glacial treatment of Meredith once she learned about her new line of research after Grey’s Anatomy season 19’s finale already highlighted how different she was compared to the past. Moreover, her comments threatening unemployment to Link and Monica Beltran when they only offered the standard of care to Grey Sloan’s benefactors instead of going out of their way to solve their problems also showed how Catherine had threatened poorly various doctors throughout season 20.

The last straw was her proposal to Meredith and Amelia to let Koracick take over their work. Despite going against her orders, Meredith and Amelia had proven able to revolutionize a field left unchanged for years, making them the right people to continue the job even if they persisted in going against Catherine’s judgment. Instead, Catherine pettily offering to hire Teddy again only if Meredith and Amelia gave their research to Koracick showed how far gone she was, not putting research first but her pride in Grey’s Anatomy season 20.