Summary

With just 10 episodes, Grey's Anatomy season 20 hasn't had enough time to delve into each of its characters' nuanced lives outside of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Even so, one newly introduced surgeon has a lot of potential; after a decade, she may be the perfect replacement for Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh). Of course, no one can truly take Cristina's place: Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary) and Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) have bonded with Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) in a sisterly way, but they're hardly her "person." Still, Grey's Anatomy might have finally found a doctor with Cristina-like edge.

Grey's Anatomy season 21 will need to invest in attendings and mentors who are just as compelling...

The most recent season of the long-running medical drama has seen the return of fan-favorite surgeon Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), though her appearance amounted to a one-off guest role, as well as the reassurance that Meredith isn't really gone. She may no longer work at Grey Sloan, but Pompeo has appeared in four of the installment's 10 episodes. There's clearly a lot of change happening as the series settles in with its latest batch of interns. Needless to say, Grey's Anatomy season 21 will need to invest in attendings and mentors who are just as compelling, which is why Natalie Morales' Dr. Monica Beltran feels like such a great fit.

Although she's the new attending pediatric surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, Dr. Monica Beltran has only appeared in a handful of Grey's Anatomy season 20 episodes. For the most part, the series has portrayed her as someone who is both strong-willed and confident. Monica isn't argumentative for the sake of it, but because she knows her approach is solid. This kind of no-nonsense, stoic approach to the job echoes Cristina Yang's time on the show. While Dr. Yang certainly had a very personal drive to be at the top of her game, she (mostly) didn't let the white noise of workplace politics bleed into her work.

Monica Beltran may not be striving to earn Catherine Fox Awards, but she is clearly a top-of-her-game pediatric surgeon. So far, she hasn't gotten too involved with any of the hospital's endless drama. It seems like the writers of Grey's Anatomy are setting up an enemies-to-lovers romance between Monica and Amelia, who's extremely put off by Beltran's cool confidence when they first meet. Still, the focus on the fact that Beltran is a surgeon who doesn't let the private interfere with her work feels very akin to the series' treatment of Cristina.

In Grey's Anatomy season 20, episode 6, Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli), co-chief resident at Grey Sloan, approaches Monica about writing him a recommendation. Realizing the deadline has passed, Levi pivots, suggesting Monica share her support verbally. When she asks Levi to catch her up to speed on why he wants to be a peds fellow, Levi runs through a laundry list of reasons. Namely, Dr. Webber suggested him for the position, he's been told he's good with children, and there's a dire need for more pediatric surgeons. While Monica calls his pursuits "noble," she rejects the offer to recommend Levi.

Much to the chagrin of the Grey's Anatomy fandom, the season 17 finale proved that Cristina Yang's time on the show really is finished.

It's clear that Monica Beltran is open to taking residents and interns under her wing. She hasn't outwardly balked at the chance to teach or mentor anyone. At the same time, she holds her specialty and the patients and families she serves in high regard. As Grey's Anatomy has proven time and again, pediatric medicine isn't for the faint of heart. In the same way a mentor like Cristina Yang took Shane Ross' passion for cardio seriously, Beltran wants to sense that same level of enthusiasm from her students. Levi might have good reasons for wanting the fellowship, but that isn't enough.

Although it's hard to know what Cristina Yang is like in 2024, it's also clear that the Dr. Yang of yesteryear is different from Monica Beltran. While Cristina's desire to win awards was certainly tempered by the time Sandra Oh left the show, she never stopped wanting to be the very best surgeon. Monica doesn't necessarily exude that level of ambition, but the show has made multiple references to her being the best peds surgeon around. Of course, part of the issue is that viewers don't know a lot about Monica yet.

The most painful Grey's Anatomy character exits are not always written as deaths but are still emotional as characters leave for new opportunities.

In episode 6, she sits outside the hospital and plays Candy Crush to decompress. Previously, she mentioned not having had a vacation for at least three years. Still, Grey's Anatomy season 20 hasn't given much insight into Monica Beltran's personal life or history. Likely, this is because season 20's smaller order of episodes really cuts into that time needed to flesh out supporting characters. For now, viewers can only glean things from Beltran's professional demeanor and workplace interactions. Unafraid to back down, Monica ultimately chooses to do what's most logical for her patients, just like Yang.

From directing feature films like Plan B and Language Lessons to making onscreen appearances in hit series like Dead to Me, The Morning Show, and Santa ClaritaDiet, Natalie Morales seems to have a pretty packed schedule. Although Grey's Anatomy has been struggling to replace Justin Chambers' Alex Karev, there's no telling if Monica Beltran will stick around. Grey's Anatomy season 21 a historic renewal for the record-setting series has been green-lit, but Morales' involvement isn't certain. If anything, Monica Beltran deserves more of a chance to prove that she can fill the no-nonsense Cristina Yang void.

New episodes of Grey's Anatomy season 20 air on Thursdays on CBS through May 2024, with episodes available for next-day streaming on Hulu.

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.

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Grey's Anatomy Has Finally Found Its Cristina Yang Replacement After 10 Years - Screen Rant