If Meredith Grey Visited 'Scandal...'

When watching an episode of Scandal, it's hard not to imagine the potential for crossovers; with so many actors best known for shows like The West Wing, Grey's Anatomy, and Gilmore Girls appearing at Pope & Associates each week, one gets to wondering what it'd be like if the characters from those series combined. Would Josh Lyman get in a scandal? Would Rory Gilmore like D.C.? Unfortunately, those crossovers would never happen, because those shows are off the air. A Grey's Anatomy mix, though, could be a real possibility — and according to Grey's star Ellen Pompeo, a Meredith trip to D.C. would result in total, amazing chaos.

"The show can’t be in Washington, because then I would know that my parents are really alive and living in the White House and that might piss Meredith off if she goes and sees that Ellis and Thatcher both faked their deaths,” Pompeo said to Entertainment Weekly.

As Grey's fans know, last season ended with Meredith and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) fighting over a possible cross-country move to D.C. for Derek's job; he wanted to go, thinking it would be good for the family, while Meredith hated the idea of leaving their home in Seattle. Although Rhimes has said the fight won't break up the couple's marriage, she hasn't said what the decision will actually be — could Meredith end up dropping in on her parents' new lives in Scandal world? Just imagine how crazy that'd be...

Ellis is Alive

Meredith has had to deal with a lot of death in her life, including the sudden passing of her mother, Ellis, from Alzheimer's complications. The two never had a great relationship, but towards the end, they managed to finally reconcile, thanks to Meredith's weird ferry-boat-almost-death thing during season three. But all that closure would be for naught if Meredith discovered that her mother was alive and well, married (and now widowed) to another man, and with several children she knows nothing about.

And Henry is, Too

Only this as equally weird as realizing your dead mother is alive? Realizing your dead patient, who you know died on the operating table, is alive, as well. Lucky Meredith would get to experience both!

Thatcher's Gay

Pompeo's comment about Thatcher's death is wrong — Meredith's dad, in the Grey's universe, is alive, if not well. Last we saw of him, he was receiving a liver transplant from his daughter after his own was destroyed from alcoholism. Since then, little has been known about Thatcher's role in Meredith's life, but it's hard to imagine that her discovering that he's gay, widowed, and a new father wouldn't take a toll on their relationship.

Her Mother's Old Boss is A Texas Lobbyist

In a flashback episode of Grey's a few years back, viewers learned that Ellis had once been a lowly doctor taking the orders of the arrogant Dr. Gracie, played by Gregg Henry. On Scandal, Henry's Hollis Doyle, the Texas lobbyist who played a major role in the show's first two seasons. Meredith and Dr. Gracie never met, but if she learned he knew her mother while she was young, you can bet she's going to want to get to know him — and perhaps not like what she finds.

Owen's Mom Has Died

As Cristina's best friend, it's likely that at one point or another, Meredith met Owen's family, including his mother (Debra Mooney). On Scandal, Mooney played Verna Thornton, the Supreme Court Justice smothered to death by Fitz. Obviously, she and Meredith would never meet, but it would be very spooky for the Grey's star to see photos and hear memories of the mom of her best friend's husband.

Old Patients Are Everywhere

Everyone from Bellamy Young to Josh Molina has been treated on Grey's at one point or another, and not all of them had the best of experiences. Good luck to Meredith, navigating the anger and grief of former patients' complaints who didn't realize what they were getting themselves into at Seattle Grace-Mercy Death.

Images: ABC (7)