Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 Teases Paying Off An Old Richard Story From Season 3

Warning! SPOILERS about Grey’s Anatomy season 20, episode 5 ahead.

Summary

• Grey’s Anatomy season 20 hinted at Richard possibly retiring with episode 6’s promo showing him fumbling after Lucas paged him and his unwillingness to return to the OR.
• Richard’s career has been marked by his devotion to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, making his retirement something he never considered before.
• Richard’s retirement would bring significant changes but not the end of his biggest contributions to Grey Sloan Memorial on Grey’s Anatomy.

Richard Webber has been a central character in Grey’s Anatomy since its inception, but one storyline that would have greatly changed his role in season 3 was just repeatedly hinted at by Grey’s Anatomy season 20. Having covered various roles for Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, including that of chief of surgery for many years before being involved as residency program director until the program briefly shut down, Richard ended up easing into the chief medical officer position. Despite often occupying leadership positions, Richard was just as known for his surgical prowess, making all those roles synonymous with him.

Richard’s role as a leader and mentor was always such a staple that many continued to call him chief despite not being the hospital’s chief of surgery for years. While taking the fall for Meredith saw Richard briefly work for Pac North in Grey’s Anatomy season 16, his devotion and time were always for Grey Sloan, to the point that it often caused problems in his personal life throughout Grey’s Anatomy. However, the fallout of Grey’s Anatomy season 19’s ending marked a different outlook for Richard, hinting at a past storyline possibly coming to pass in Grey’s Anatomy season 20.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 Is Hinting At Richard’s Retirement

Grey’s Anatomy Season 20, Episode 6’s Promo Sees Richard Fumble With Helping Lucas

Richard’s job was threatened throughout Grey’s Anatomy, but Richard fought tooth and nail against each challenge, refusing to leave his job and often finding himself taking another leadership position while always operating at Grey Sloan Memorial. However, Grey’s Anatomy season 20, episode 6’s promo briefly showed Richard responding to Lucas Adams’ paging only to freeze in front of the patient’s medical crisis.

Richard being seemingly slow to respond thus hints at his retirement from surgery becoming a more tangible outcome after years that he spent fighting off that possibility.

Richard’s unease with surgery was established in Grey’s Anatomy season 20, episode 4, when he offered to help Teddy train to return to the OR before backing off right before the surgery. His description of not feeling at home in the OR after his pause portrayed a stark difference from previous breaks that saw him restless to return, while this time Richard didn’t trust himself to put a patient’s life in his hands. While his doubts might have started after almost relapsing at Grey’s Anatomy season 19’s end, they persist despite making the right choice to pursue sobriety and meetings.

Richard’s Retirement Has Been A Possibility Since Grey’s Anatomy Season 3

Adele Asked Richard To Choose Between Her & The Hospital But Richard Chose Surgery

Richard’s career was often in danger, especially considering the health problems and cataclysms that befell the hospital throughout Grey’s Anatomy. However, whether recovering from the brain tumor that almost left him blind in Grey’s Anatomy seasons 1 and 2 or the cobalt poisoning in Grey’s Anatomy season 16, Richard fiercely wanted to return to being chief of surgery and a surgeon, thinking about his career and his hospital first even when his health was threatened. Richard’s tendency to put the hospital first even affected his personal relationship, dooming for some time his marriage to Adele.

Richard’s retirement was introduced in Grey’s Anatomy season 3’s premiere via Adele’s ultimatum, which she posed to him after the ordeal of their niece’s tumor made it evident that even when his family was in danger he prioritized the hospital. However, even in the face of losing Adele, Richard couldn’t choose retirement, making his commitment to the hospital greater than any romantic relationship he ever had. Retirement was never an option for Richard, who joked that he would have considered it a happy ending if he died in OR 2, but Grey’s Anatomy season 20 hints things might have changed.

Richard Retiring Wouldn’t Mean His Time In Grey’s Anatomy Is Over

Richard’s Amazing Teaching Proved He Still Had An Important Role Even Without Surgery

Considering how stubbornly he always fought to return to the OR, Richard abandoning surgery for good would be a world-changing event in Grey’s Anatomy. Still, it wouldn’t be the end of Richard Webber at Grey Sloan Memorial. Indeed, while Richard always operated in Grey’s Anatomy, some of his biggest wins in the medical drama didn’t happen through the surgeries he performed, but from the lessons he taught to his students. Not only did Richard convince Schmitt and Helm to return as residents in Grey’s Anatomy seasons 18 and 19, but he also never stopped proposing teaching innovations.

Grey’s Anatomy season 20, episode 5 put some distance between Richard and his qualms about returning to perform surgeries by letting him be helpful to Meredith, but even that exchange showed how Richard’s greatest achievements always included taking care of his coworkers and subordinates. Even if he never imagined retiring from surgery, Grey’s Anatomy has proven time and time again how Richard’s most memorable moments were teaching ones or those making use of his leadership skills. This would make Richard’s retirement a massive change for Grey’s Anatomy, but one that could potentially make Grey Sloan even better as a result.

Grey’s Anatomy
returns on ABC with season 20, episode 6 on May 2, 2024.