If you sensed a disturbance in the force yesterday, it was probably the news that Josh Radnor is coming to Grey's Anatomy, which was first reported by People magazine. In a sneak peek provided to the outlet, Meredith can be seen getting ready for her (blind!) date. She doesn't know who the guy is or what he looks like, because her matchmaker wants her to meet him with no preconceived notions. But, thanks to People's reporting, fans know it's gonna be Ted Mosby, and they're going to want to know how long Josh Randor will be on Grey's Anatomy. That way everyone can prepare themselves for whether Ted and Meredith is going to be the real deal.
To be fair to Radnor, he's not actually playing Ted on Grey's Anatomy. It's just that his last meaningful TV role was the hopelessly romantic How I Met Your Mother character who could be... a tad annoying during the dating process. Ted's a hard character to shake, and fans just don't want that type of love story for Meredith, OK? So much so, that one fan even took to Twitter to let Radnor know exactly what he thought of the actor's new role. "You break her heart, I’ll break your neck @JoshRadnor," Twitter user zac_patty3 said. Radnor replied, "Terrified to let you all know I'll be on Grey's Anatomy tonight."
That's right, Radnor will be joining the show for its fourth episode, airing on Oct. 11. But how long will his blind date character be sticking around? As ABC already announced, the Oct. 11 episode is a two-hour crossover event with Station 19. That means if Radnor appears early enough — he'd technically already be in two episodes. But that might be the end of his Grey's run.
The biggest reason he may not be around for much more than his introductory episode is that this seems like stunt casting at its finest. Take TV's most love-lorn dater and pair him with Meredith who basically doesn't even know how to date? It's social media hashtag fodder, and pretty similar to how they cast Felicity's Scott Speedman for a single episode to flirt with Meredith. Although fans were dying for him to return for a romantic arc, Speedman confirmed to TV Guide that the role was probably one and done.
Plus, according to E! News, Ellen Pompeo told Entertainment Weekly that the show was looking to find Meredith a partner who "makes an impact." Perhaps that impact will be its ability to get people taking, which Radnor's casting already has.
Besides the high profile casting hinting that Randor's role isn't that likely to stick around (can you ever see him as not-Ted?), there's also the fact that showrunner Krista Vernoff hinted that Meredith will be dating a lot of different people this season. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Vernoff said Season 15 is all about Meredith + the dating pool, for what is really the first time.
"Meredith didn't really date originally. She fell in love with McDreamy," Vernoff pointed out. Meredith also did that in the pilot for the show, so there wasn't much time for dating outside of a small window when Derek and Addison were figuring things out and Meredith met that hot vet. Although, even that was a relationship, not just her dating casually.
Vernoff also considers Riggs, Meredith's post-Derek relationship, to be nothing but a rebound. "Now, she's really single, she's past the intense, initial grief," Vernoff said. "She's agreeing with Cece, the matchmaker, that there is no cap on happiness ... And that means putting herself out there in a whole new way. Actually seeking love. That's brand-new."
Meredith isn't likely to go on one blind date and automatically meet her next Mc-something. No, she's going to have to deal with the trials and tribulations of dating in today's world, while continuing to grow and put herself out there. So, sorry Radnor fans, but he may just be around for Thursday night. And hopefully he doesn't do any breaking of Meredith's heart — she's already suffered enough.
