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Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) has had a long career and made many mistakes. But will his last one be the end of his career? Grey’s Anatomy hinted that could be the case.

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from the Grey’s Anatomy episode “Put the Squeeze on Me.”]

The Webber Method failed on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

Season 18 showed Dr. Webber excitedly teaching with The Webber Method. This allows each resident to remove a gallbladder as the lead surgeon in the operating room (OR). Many surgeons pushed back on this, but Webber got his way.

Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli) performed the surgery, and he started without an attending. The patient started bleeding uncontrollably and died before help could arrive.

Schmitt went into shock after the loss. He was supposed to present the facts about the case to other surgeons in Grey-Sloan, but he left and never returned. Dr. Webber tried to get him back to work by visiting him at his home. But Schmitt made it clear he has no plans of going back.

Will Dr. Richard Webber leave surgery for good?

James Pickens Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber sits down wearing a doctor's coat in 'Grey's Anatomy'
James Pickens Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ | Richard Cartwright/ABC via Getty Images

“Put the Squeeze on Me” showed Dr. Webber calling Schmitt to check up on him. But he refuses to answer and still hasn’t returned to work. Dr. Catherine Fox (Debbie Allen) reminded him that not everyone belongs in an operating room.

Dr. Webber went on to work with Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) on the patient who was attacked by a python. He wanted to put a chest tube into the patient, but Bailey stopped him to do a CT. They found out his organs moved up into his chest cavity from the pressure of the snake’s hold. So if Dr. Webber had inserted that chest tube, it would have gone through his liver and bowel. 

The episode ended with Webber talking to Fox. “I made a bad call today, and if a resident had implemented it, it could have killed a man,” he admitted. “This morning, you said, ‘Not everyone belongs in an OR.’ Well, I created a teaching method, pressured you and Bailey to let me implement it, and it may have ended a very promising resident’s career.”

He later said, “I want an assessment. A physical exam, a cognitive review, a fine motor skills test. I want it all. And if my judgment is off, if I don’t belong in the OR anymore, then I want to know.”

Fans weigh in on Richard Webber possibly retiring

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‘Grey’s Anatomy’: People Love Richard So Much They Forget All the Terrible Things He’s Done

Some Reddit fans are trying to look at the bright side of the chief retiring. “I hope we get a huge retirement party for Richard that brings back all the (still living) old main cast!!!” one fan wrote. “I think greys is going to have a major character shift situation and we will lose some of the remaining OGs. Meredith is either leaving or taking Bailey’s job if Bailey leaves to take the NASA position.”

Other fans aren’t surprised at all to see his storyline. “Just reading the description ‘Richard ponders his surgical abilities’…. Hasn’t this happened at least every two seasons since the beginning of the show?” someone else wrote.

“Love Richard to death, but would not be mad if he finally did retire. It’s time,” another fan added.

It looks like some fans are ready for the character to retire. But they’ll have to wait and see if this is finally it.

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