Meredith secretly treating Catherine already caused massive problems in her relationship with Richard in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, as their fight continued for at least half of the season. However, the secrecy surrounding Catherine’s health wouldn’t have only been a problem for Richard, but Jackson too, as Catherine had already adamantly kept the progression of her illness from them before.
Grey’s Anatomy season 21 gave Meredith and Richard the chance to have it out about Catherine’s secret that Meredith hid from Richard, but the same wasn’t possible with Jackson, whom Meredith effectively shut out without any kind of explanation. This makes it necessary for Grey’s Anatomy season 22 to tackle Meredith and Jackson’s inevitable argument, left ignored for too long.
Meredith treating Catherine in Grey’s Anatomy season 21 revealed her problems weren’t directly related to cancer progression, but season 19 had also revealed that Catherine refused to get into the clinical trials Koracick suggested to her, hinting at her cancer having to make a comeback eventually.
While Meredith keeping Catherine’s secret was the right thing to do, doing so broke Jackson’s trust. This makes their impending fight both personal and professional, as not only did Meredith just shut him out, but she also took her research with her without an explanation to Jackson, who had always been invested in curing Alzheimer’s and made Meredith’s research possible.
Meredith’s Alzheimer’s Research Wouldn’t Have Started As Easily Without Jackson
Jackson Avery Is The Reason Meredith Was Able To Move As Easily To Boston
Grey’s Anatomy highlighted how Meredith cared about her Alzheimer’s research every chance it got, but it wouldn’t have been possible without Jackson and the Fox Foundation. Indeed, Meredith initially only wanted to move to find the school that worked best for Zola, and even considered ludicrous the idea she could study Alzheimer’s in the hope of finding a cure.
It took Jackson’s persuasion, along with his presentation of the facilities at the Fox Foundation in Boston to convince Meredith to study the illness that controlled so much of her life. Preoccupied as she was with Zola’s anxiety, Meredith couldn’t immediately see how studying Alzheimer’s could have helped her daughter; Jackson helped Meredith see how researching Alzheimer’s also helped Zola.
Losing the foundation’s support showed Meredith how difficult securing funding was, but she never had to go through that at the beginning, because Jackson wanted to be at the forefront of the research that Meredith spearheaded. Meredith didn’t truly listen to Jackson’s perspective, instead wanting to be free of Catherine, when she owed so much to Jackson’s investment in her.
Their history, in addition to how Jackson’s actions effectively made Meredith and Amelia’s advances in Alzheimer’s research possible, warrants Grey’s Anatomy season 22’s return to tell Jackson’s story. This is especially true in light of Jackson’s complete disappearance from season 21, which must mean Grey’s Anatomy only brusquely paused his story instead of abandoning it altogether.
How Jackson Avery’s Presence Can Resolve Meredith’s Problems With Her Research
Meredith’s Research Problems Are Far From Finished Given Its Magnitude
Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s finale showed Meredith’s determination in seeing her research continued, to the point she decided to sever her ties to Grey Sloan to continue funding the research she wanted rather than what her investors wanted. However, the money she got from selling her shares will eventually run out, making the threat of bankruptcy for Meredith’s family return.
This opens the door for Jackson’s involvement back into Meredith and Amelia’s Alzheimer’s research. After all, their initial findings proved their research’s validity, proof that he and the Fox Foundation didn’t have when they started funding it. This can make their new potential working relationship more balanced, as they could equally express what they expected from their collaboration early on.
Considering Jackson’s fundamental input and Meredith’s limited funds compared to a multimillion-dollar foundation, returning to cooperate is inevitable. However, this time they can all put into practice what they learned from their mistakes, leading to a productive partnership that can make Meredith, Amelia and Jackson happy in Grey’s Anatomy season 22.
