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When Does ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Return? Plus More Details About Season 20

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when does greys anatomy return
ABC/Raymond Liu

*Warning: Spoilers ahead*

ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy has kept our attention for 19 (almost 20) seasons, drawing us in with every ill-fated heartbreak and surprise twist. But now that Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) is departing the show as a series regular, we can’t help but wonder what’s next for the medical drama. For example, when does Grey’s Anatomy return for season 20? And what happened in the season 19 finale?

From the cast to the (newly-announced) premiere date of March 14, 2024, keep scrolling for all the details.

when does greys anatomy return abc
ABC/Raymond Liu

1. When Does Grey’s Anatomy Return?

Grey’s Anatomy season 20 will finally premiere on March 14, 2024, as announced by Deadline. Now, this may confuse some viewers because the show typically premieres in September. However, ABC pushed several premiere dates because of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

Creator Shonda Rhimes discussed the show’s future in an interview with E! News and confirmed that it’s here to stay. “It’s such an amazing show and it’s doing so well as it’s moving forward,” she said. “I’m going to leave it alone and see where it goes, and we’re going to stay a show as long as everybody wants to be there and as long as the fans want to be there.”

when does greys anatomy return cast
ABC/Raymond Liu

2. What Happened in the Season 19 Finale?

The finale was split into two parts—one installment (titled “Wedding Bell Blues”) focused on the new interns, and the other (titled “Happily Ever After”) followed the attendings at the Catherine Fox Awards. There was a lot of progression for romances, including Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) and Atticus “Link” Lincoln (Chris Carmack). But the most notable twist was the departure of Meredith Grey (Pompeo) and Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary), who are both pursuing opportunities outside of Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital.

But wait, there’s more. The finale ended on a major cliffhanger involving Teddy Altman (Kim Raver), whose fate is up in the air. After complaining about a toothache, she passed out in the OR. The episode concluded with her husband, Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), performing CPR on her.

when does greys anatomy return harry shum jr
ABC/Raymond Liu

3. What Will Happen in Season 20?

Well, it will likely explore the aftermath of Teddy’s fainting spell, which hopefully isn’t as serious as it appeared. (It wouldn’t be the first time Grey’s Anatomy implied that someone has died only to bring them back, so don’t count her out.) It will also highlight more of the interns, who will become the focus now that Meredith is no longer a series regular.

In an interview with Pride magazine, Jake Borrelli teased what’s to come for his character, Levi Schmitt. “By the end of season 19, I feel like we’re starting to get a grip on [Dr. Schmitt’s] own teaching technique,” he said. “I’m hoping that we get to see him thrive a little bit more in that space. I keep going back to the blood donation storyline, for queer men specifically, because we talked about it quite a bit at the end of last season. I would love to revisit that and educate people more on that.”

Midori Francis IG Story.
Midori Francis/Instagram

4. Has Filming Started on Grey’s Anatomy Season 20?

These stars better grab their scrubs, because the Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital is opening its doors yet again!

We got intel that the latest season was underway when a few stars from the show shared pictures from the set to their social media. Camilla Luddington (Jo Wilson) posted a video to her Instagram Story, which featured her walking by a sign that said, “Grey’s Anatomy Table Read.” Her co-star, James Pickens Jr. (Richard Webber), reposted the video to his own account. In a different slide, Luddington said to her followers: “I’m on my way to the table read for the new season and I don’t know if you guys can see, but it is raining in Los Angeles, which is really crazy.”

Meanwhile, Midori Francis (Mika Yasuda) shared a snap to her Story that saw her eating a meal with a few of her fellow cast members.

greys anatomy
ABC/Raymond Liu

5. Will Meredith Return for Season 20?

It hasn’t been confirmed, but there’s a chance that Pompeo will reprise her role of Meredith Grey. In an interview with Variety’s Actors on Actors, the 53-year-old actress teased the possibility of returning for season 20. “I will be making some appearances hopefully next year, if I can find some time,” she said. “It’s not a complete goodbye. And I think we’ve got an interesting story to tell.” *Crosses fingers*

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