SPOILER ALERT: The story includes details about Season 21 Episode 8, Drop It Like It’s Hot.

The fall finale of Grey’s Anatomy Season 21, Episode 8, Drop It Like It’s Hot, brought emotional farewells, tragedy, and major character exits, including Midori Francis’ Mika Yasuda. Following last week’s departure of Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli), the episode marked Mika’s heartbreaking decision to leave Grey Sloan Memorial after enduring immense trauma.

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Bids Farewell To Levi As Mika Faces Uncertainty & Tragedy

The fall finale of Grey’s Anatomy Season 21, Episode 8, Drop It Like It’s Hot, brought emotional farewells, tragedy, and major character exits, including Midori Francis’ Mika Yasuda. Following last week’s departure of Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli), the episode marked Mika’s heartbreaking decision to leave Grey Sloan Memorial after enduring immense trauma.

Mika’s Struggle with Loss and Trauma

Set six months after a devastating van accident that killed her younger sister Chloe, Mika returns to work visibly changed. Haunted by memories of her sister, she navigates Grey Sloan with a heavy heart, revisiting the room Chloe died in and even the morgue. Her grief culminates in a harrowing meltdown during a patient’s coding emergency, revealing the depth of her pain as she pleads with Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson):

“Just take me, Dr. Bailey, take me.”

Realizing she needs space to heal, Mika tells Bailey she’s leaving Grey Sloan, saying,

“I need to find a way forward, but I can’t do it if everything around me reminds me of her.”

A Bittersweet Goodbye

Before her departure, Mika shares an intimate moment with Jules (Adelaide Kane), deepening the emotional weight of her exit. Their heart-wrenching goodbye encapsulates Mika’s inner turmoil—walking away from love and her dreams in pursuit of healing.

Midori Francis Reflects on Mika’s Journey

In an interview with Deadline, Francis discussed her decision to leave the show after two and a half seasons, praising the writers for crafting a poignant exit arc for her character.

“The only way Mika would leave the hospital is if something really bad happened… And boy, they created something so incredible for me to play.”

Francis also celebrated the evolution of Mika from comic relief to a complex, layered character.

“I got to do both sides of the iconic Grey’s Anatomy pendulum in one character. I was so, so happy about that.”

On Set Farewells and Future Possibilities

Reflecting on her bond with her fellow interns, Francis shared the emotional weight of saying goodbye. While Mika’s departure felt necessary, Francis hinted at her openness to returning to Grey’s:

“I would be absolutely delighted to return. I don’t know if Mika would… for her, it would be triggering.”

What’s Next for Mika?

Francis envisions Mika focusing on her healing journey, eventually channeling her grief to help others. Whether Mika’s path leads her back to Grey Sloan remains uncertain, but her impact on fans and the Grey’s universe is undeniable.

With Grey’s Anatomy continuing to balance its legacy of drama and character evolution, Mika’s exit serves as a poignant reminder of the show’s ability to tackle human resilience and vulnerability.

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ – Adlaide Kane, Mirodi Francis, Chandra Wilson, Alexis FloydDisney/Anne Marie Fox

 Including the coding emergency, you got to close out your run on Grey’s with not one, not two, but three scenes opposite the great Chandra Wilson, going back to the very end of the previous episode when Mika woke up. How was it working with Chandra and finding that closure for Mika in her final conversation with Dr. Bailey?

FRANCIS: I don’t think I knew that it was going to be Dr. Bailey who led Mika through this until very close to when it happened. And as you can imagine, being somebody who watched the show in middle school. Dr. Bailey seemed super real to me when I first met Chandra Wilson, it was very difficult for me to be like, you are a person, you’re not Dr. Bailey. It was only as I kept getting the scenes, and I was like, Oh, Dr. Bailey is leading me out here.

There are lots of great moments as an actor, specifically. The moment when Mika wakes up and it was Dr. Bailey holding her hand was one of the more profound experiences for me as an artist. Because here’s this person that I respect, this powerhouse actor who’s still killing it, 21 seasons in, and she’s the one holding me through this.

Then I started to learn more about how she’s helped so many other interns, and I got to be part of the cycle. But yes, looking up in her eyes during that scene was one of the more profound experiences for me as an actor. So simple answer, if you had to choose, Dr. Bailey is a pretty good one to go through those things with.