we said goodbye many characters for 21 seasons Grey’s Anatomy. That tradition continues on tonight’s episode of the ABC medical procedural show. Jake BorelliLast episode as Levi Schmitt (for now).

Levi first entered the empty halls of Gray Sloan Memorial in Season 14 as an intern. He quickly made a lasting impression when his glasses fell into a patient’s stomach on his first day, earning him the nickname “Glasses”. That tumultuous first day prepared Levi for a journey of self-discovery and self-confidence.

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In the seven seasons since then, we’ve seen Levi reckon with his sexuality and come out as a proud gay man. He rose from a hopeless intern to chief assistant. He realized his calling was pediatric surgery. Bailey when (chandra wilsonWhen he learned that Schmitt was considering leaving Gray Sloan for a research position in Texas, he persuaded Webber (James Pickens Jr.) to make a counter offer with the position of joining general surgery. Levi had the opportunity to try on the iconic navy blue bib before deciding that heading to Texas was the right move for him. His brief tenure at Gray Sloan highlighted how much the character had grown and how much Bailey and Webber trusted him.

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When it comes to exits, Levi Schmitt gets one of the happiest Grey’s It featured a cast that has left so far. She has a new job she’s excited about and a boyfriend she’s in love with. James (Michael Thomas Grant) agreed to go to Texas with Levi to give their relationship a real chance. The two walked hand in hand into the Seattle rain to start their new life together. It was a heartwarming rebound in an otherwise devastating episode.

Parade He spoke with Borelli about completing Schmitt’s time at Gray Sloan and what he hopes the fan-favorite doctor’s future holds.

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When do you think it really happened for Borelli that the Peds were where they needed to be?
I think it’s been known from the beginning. We saw him have many great moments with young people and his ability to relate to them. We go back to the Halloween episode where he dresses the kid up as a sunflower because he can understand why this kid wants to be something different. He’s always been a supporter of these young characters because I think he connects with them. But I think when he hosted the bar mitzvah for his patient, that was one of the biggest moments when he realized, outside of just the medical stuff, there’s so much more you can do to make your patient feel seen and to get them ready. essentially the best way to heal.

When the decision was made for him to leave Gray Sloan, how much did you contribute to Levi’s departure?
Actually, I contributed quite a lot. Meg, the showrunner, and I sat down and talked a little bit about her ideas and why she thought Levi should leave Gray Sloan. I have to share my dreams for how I want this arc to conclude. I wanted us to see what Levi had learned and what I still wanted to get out of Levi. One of the main things I brought up was that after being offered the assistant job, she went overboard and wore the dark blue scrubs. This was a big moment that I personally have dreamed about forever. I noticed the dark blue scrubs were getting smaller and smaller. I pitched it and it ended up making it into the episode and turned into a great visual that showed how far Levi had come. This was also something that other characters could comment on, which I thought was a really cool addition.

Before saying goodbye to this character, was there anything special you thought should happen for Levi?
I definitely wanted to see Levi truly stand on his own. The decision to choose his career was for him, by himself and by himself. We really didn’t want her to leave for a man. This was really important. I think we solidified his strength in the helicopter episodes, which was a big story beat we all wanted to see. He could hold his own and really take control. (I) wanted to consummate his relationship and see him really enter into a loving, queer relationship that was based on communication and things that were a little deeper than what we normally see on TV, especially for gay people.

We saw people leaving Grey’s Anatomy on a spectrum of traumatic experiences. What does it mean to you that Levi got this romantic and happy send-off instead of being crushed by a plane or dying in a freak natural disaster?
I saw every episode Grey’s Anatomy multiple times. I was definitely worried. It’s totally appropriate to see Levi and all this coming into his own, coming into his weirdness, stepping into his truth, and then moving towards a happier life. I’m delighted and will continue to wonder what Levi is aiming for moving forward.

Jo gives a very moving speech to Levi about the impact she has had on him, but what do you hope her impact will be on Gray Sloan as a whole?
I think it reminded people that they should lead with their hearts. He really became a character encapsulated in that. He really speaks his truth, especially to people in power. It’s something he supported throughout his time at Gray Sloan.

Is there still anything left on your Grey’s to-do list as to whether or not you’ll return to the show?
I guess we’ll have to wait a few seasons. But I think it would be incredible for him to come back as a complete specialist. It would be great to see him actually in charge of people, and it would be on my bucket list to see how being in Texas has changed him. It would be such a shame to leave and then never know what happened to him.

Grey’s Anatomy It continues Thursdays at 10pm ET on ABC. Episodes are available to stream on Hulu the next day.

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