Dr. Montgomery, please answer the phone! Fans of Grey’s Anatomy were excited to see their favourite characters and the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital they’ve come to know and love return with the opening of Season 18 on ABC on Thursday, September 30.
Not just the audience, but also Kate Walsh, a beloved former Grey’s actor, was eager to return! Walsh announced her return to Grey’s Anatomy on Sept. 2 via social media, and she’ll be back for its 18th season.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 1 finale featured Dr. Addison Montgomery, a neonatal surgeon who was later joined to the show’s roster for Seasons 2 and 3. Private Practice, starring Walsh as Addison, spanned six seasons and saw her character go to Los Angeles.
Is there a reason why Addison chose to return? Given her complicated relationship with Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), what can we expect from her in Season 18? Is Grey’s final season, Season 18, its last? What are the answers to those questions, and what else do we know about Grey’s Anatomy Season 18?
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Grey’s Anatomy Returned For Season 18 on What Date?
When Season 17 of Grey’s Anatomy was delayed owing to COVID-related issues, Season 18 will follow a more traditional timetable. Grey’s Anatomy returns for its 18th season on Thursday, September 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT for its season premiere.
Grey’s Anatomy’s 18th season began filming on Wednesday, August 11th. So, with the comment, “Guess what time it is?,” Pompeo posted a video of herself in a makeup chair on set to Instagram Story. #GreysSeason18.”
Grey’s Anatomy Airs At What Time?
Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC are prime time for Grey’s Anatomy’s 18th season. Cast members who have returned for the upcoming 18th season of Grey’s Anatomy. Season 18 is scheduled to see the return of every cast member who appeared in Season 17.
With Pompeo, Chandra Wilson (Dr. Miranda Bailey), and James Pickens (Dr. Richard Webber), the original cast members who successfully negotiated contracts for Season 18, the show was renewed for a second season in 2018.
Preceding Season 17, actresses Kim Raver (Dr. Teddy Altman) and Camilla Luddington (Dr. Jo Wilson) signed multi-year contracts committing them to their roles through the end of the show’s 18th season.
As for the supporting cast, we know that Kelly McCreary (Dr. Maggie Pierce), Caterina Scorsone (Dr. Amelia Shepherd), Jake Borelli (Dr. Levi Schmitt), Chris Carmack (Dr. Atticus Lincoln), Richard Flood (Dr. Cormac Hayes), and Anthony Hill (Dr. Winston Ndugo).
Will all be returning as series regulars, with Debbie Allen, Jason George, Alex Landi, and Stefania Spampinato (Dr. Catherine Fox) also
Grey’s Anatomy: Days of Our Lives!
The cast and crew of Grey’s Anatomy have announced their Season 18 return dates.
There were no deaths from COVID this season, but that doesn’t mean that everyone is still on Grey Sloan Memorial.
He was the show’s first major cast member to leave, and he played Dr. Andrew DeLuca. When DeLuca uncovered a child trafficking organisation and was stabbed in the process, he was slain.
Jesse Williams, who initially appeared on Grey’s Anatomy in Season 6 as Dr. Jackson Avery, was the final cast member to leave the show.
There is only one remaining member of Meredith’s resident class, and he left Seattle for Boston, where he will lead his family’s multibillion dollar foundation in an attempt at more equal medical treatment for the underserved.
Former main character Dr. April Kepner (Sarah Drew), who was written out of the series at the end of Season 14, will join Jackson on his new mission. By revealing that she and her spouse were no longer together in Jackson’s penultimate episode of the series, April freed herself up so she could accompany Jackson on his trip to Boston.
Dr. Tom Koracick (Greg Germann) dropped the bombshell at the end of Jackson’s farewell episode that he wanted to go with him, which is yet another Season-17 surprise exit.
For Tom, who had recently recovered from a bout with COVID-19, Jackson’s quest sounded like something he could get behind. In spite of the fact that Jo Wilson sold all of her interests in the hospital to Koracick in the Season 17 finale, he is still expected to appear on the show as a guest star occasionally.
Season 18 of Grey’s Anatomy will feature some familiar faces. Deadline claims that “a specific narrative for her journey in Season 18 was not divulged,” but the source did confirm that “she’s set to appear in numerous episodes” when Walsh’s return was announced on Sept. 2.
“That’s one of my favourite things about the show right now, having original cast members come back,” Pompeo told ET at the 2021 Primetime Emmys of Walsh’s “wonderful” return.
“It’s been a blast seeing everyone again. It’s sentimental and enjoyable all at the same time. We have this great camaraderie that’s hard to explain.
For Season 18, Kate Burton will reprise her role as Meredith Grey’s late mother, Ellis Grey, according to ET. In terms of returning actors, we can rule out everyone from Season 17 except for the Kates (and Koracick, who we assume to show up at some time).
Because Meredith was unconscious for so long because of COVID-19, numerous deceased characters were allowed to appear in her dreams, including Meredith’s husband Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), Lexi (Chyler Leigh), Derek’s best friend Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), and Meredith’s friend, George (James Snyder) (T.R. Knight).
Although we can always hope, we don’t expect this trend to continue now that Meredith is awake and Season 18 is presumably less COVID-centric.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 18: Who Will Join Us?
There is at least one person we know of! “His character may hold the key to how Kate Burton’s Ellis Grey will be reintroduced on the show,”
Deadline wrote in August 2021 about Peter Gallagher being “tapped for a huge storyline on the upcoming eighteenth season.” The season opener will see Gallagher meet Meredith for the first time, and his character’s name is Dr. Alan Hamilton.
Are there any mentions of COVID-19 in Season 18 of Grey’s Anatomy
When writing the 17th season of the long-running medical drama, the COVID-19 epidemic was incorporated into every scene, making it easier for performers and crew to wear PPE on set, as well as a “medical story of our lifetimes.”
Season 17 also saw Meredith, the show’s protagonist, spend a significant amount of time unconscious due to COVID. A number of the show’s protagonists had either left permanently or had big life changes at the season’s end, leaving us curious as to what Meredith and her colleagues will be up to next.
The COVID-19 pandemic is still raging, especially for healthcare personnel, despite the fact that Season 17 has come to an end. The epidemic won’t have as much of a presence in Season 18 because of this, but we expect Grey’s to acknowledge it in some fashion.
The plots for Season 18 haven’t been announced yet, so we’re not ruling out any surprises.
Is Season 17 of Grey’s Anatomy Over Yet?
Despite the fact that Season 17 of Grey’s Anatomy is likely to be known as the COVID-19 season, several characters ended the season in completely different positions from where they started.
Her ability to perform her duties as a surgeon was in jeopardy because of the COVID-19 aftereffects of weariness and weakness that she was currently experiencing. Meredith’s long-haul COVID may have permanently harmed her professional capacities.
But she didn’t want to lose her extensive skill set, so Miranda Bailey came up with the brilliant idea of making her the new residency director, in charge of training and shaping the surgeons of the future.
Meredith also eventually got to get a drink with Cormac Hayes—albeit in the attendings lounge—hinting at a possible future romance.
How Did Grey’s Anatomy Jo Wilson End Up in Season 17?
After being dumped through letter and issued divorce papers over the mail, Jo spends much of Season 17 trying to reclaim joy in her life, and learns surgery isn’t where she’s going to find it.
During her time in the NICU, she falls in love with an orphaned baby named Luna, and decides to specialise in obstetrics. Jo’s attempts to adopt Luna encountered various roadblocks over the second half of the season.
But in the conclusion, she was finally granted complete custody of the infant. To help pay for the adoption, Jo sold her shares in the hospital to Koracick, and used some of the excess funds to purchase Jackson’s former apartment for herself and Luna.
How Did Grey’s Anatomy Amelia Shepherd and Atticus Lincoln Do in Season 17?
As for Amelia and Link, they spent most of the season caring for both their newborn boy and Meredith’s children while she was in the hospital.
While they seemed to have adjusted comfortably into their new family dynamic, after Meredith returned home and the pair could focus on one other and their son, it became rapidly evident that they may be on different pages.
Link proposed to Amelia near the end of the season, but Amelia was unclear of what she wanted from the relationship. After Amelia refused to accept Link’s proposal in last night’s finale, he appears to have moved out and is currently staying at Jo’s new apartment.
In Grey’s Anatomy Season 17, What Happened to Teddy Altman and Owen Hunt?
For Owen Hunt, the outcome of his idea was quite different from Link’s: it was successful. In the second half of Season 17, Teddy and Owen started to warm up to each other after spending the first half of the season feuding over.
Teddy’s cheating on him with Koracick and lying to him for decades about the nature of her relationship with her deceased “best friend,” whom Teddy and Owen named their daughter.
Owen re-proposed to Teddy at the season finale, and she said yes. This opens the door for a Grey’s Anatomy wedding in Season 18.Grey’s Anatomy’s Season 17 ended with no word on what happened to Maggie Pierce or Winston Ndugu.
Winston, who had started the season living apart from Maggie because of their long-distance relationship, eventually made the decision to move to Seattle to be closer to her during the pandemic, working at Grey Sloan in the meantime.
When Winston proposed and accepted a permanent post as an attending at the hospital, that temporary arrangement became permanent. Instead of a lengthy engagement.
Maggie and Winston’s parents advised them to postpone the wedding until they could have a full celebration with all of their family and friends in attendance. The season came to a close with their gorgeous seaside nuptials.
During The 18th Season of Grey’s Anatomy, Which Couples Remained Together?
Grey’s Anatomy spouses had a lot to deal with in Season 17. After Teddy’s wedding-day cheating left Owen and Teddy barely speaking, they ended the season engaged again and will likely be planning their nuptials when we see them again in Season 18.
Levi and Nico are also back together after a season of on-and-off romance after Nico recognised he was ready to be vulnerable with Levi.
Both Miranda Bailey and Ben, who spent a good portion of Season 17 quarantining themselves separately in order to protect their children, are still together and going strong.
Maggie and Winston, who recently tied the knot in the Season 17 finale, are clearly still together, as are Richard Webber and Catherine Fox, who tied the knot in Season 17 as well.
Carina DeLuca (Danielle Savre) married fire captain Maya Bishop (Carina DeLuca) in order to avoid deportation to Italy, which allowed her to remain in Seattle in a crossover with Station 19.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Saw The Breakup of Which Couples?
Season 17’s departure of three of the show’s most prominent cast members also ended a number of ambiguously defined relationships.
After Andrew DeLuca died, Meredith and Cormac Hayes no longer had a love triangle, leaving Hayes the only one who may compete for her affections. In spite of Jackson’s departure, the two stayed close and were still friends after his departure.
With Jackson moving to Boston, Tom Koracick was no longer a problem for Teddy and Owen. However, Amelia and Link were the only prominent Grey’s Anatomy couple to appear to end their relationship at the end of Season 17.
In any case, given they still share a child, we won’t rule out a possible reconciliation in the future.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 18: What’s in Store For Us?
The events of Season 17 paved the way for Season 18’s storylines. As healthcare professionals around the country struggle with the latest delta variation.
It is obvious that COVID-19 will remain an important consideration. Meredith’s long-term implications of COVID-19 are expected to be considered both as a medical problem for doctors and as an emotional challenge for Meredith.
As Meredith becomes more comfortable in her role as residency programme director in Season 18, we should expect her to depart dramatically from Richard Webber’s methods, which could lead to conflict with her mentors.
Even as other characters’ relationships change, we’ll watch Jo Wilson adjust to her new role as a single mother to baby Luna. Depending on the state of Link and Amelia’s relationship, we may see him living with Jo, returning to Amelia, or acquiring a place of his own in the near future.
After his reconciliation with Nico, Levi is likely to no longer be renting space from Jo and may be adjusting to his first experience with a live-in love relationship.
As a result, Maggie and Winston will be newlyweds, while Teddy and Owen will likely be back in the thick of wedding plans, barring the possibility that they would elope instead.
As Jackson administers the Catherine Fox Foundation in Boston, we may also hear updates on his efforts to change medicine from there, especially since Catherine herself will still be in Seattle.
Similarly, even though Tom Koracick isn’t a regular character on the programme anymore, we expect his new status as a stakeholder in the hospital to produce some tension. We don’t expect either of these storylines to take centre stage now that Jesse Williams and Greg Germann have left the main cast.
There was a lot of attention paid to the Black Lives Matter movement in Season 17 of Grey’s Anatomy, and we believe that Season 18 will continue to incorporate real-world issues as they happen.
Is This Grey’s Anatomy Final Season?
In the end, an eleventh-hour deal was struck, paving the way for Season 18 of Grey’s Anatomy to be made a reality. After Season 18, Grey’s fans learned in January 2022 that the show had been renewed for a 19th season, which is expected to air in the years 2022-2023.
Both Pompeo and Vernoff had stated that they were open to ending the programme if either the narrative or the network requested it after Season 18, thus the news of Season 19’s renewal was a bit of a surprise.
“I mean, I’ve been trying to get away for years,” Pompeo said at the 2021 Primetime Emmys in September, adding that fans who believe the series ending will occur after Season 18 are “not far off.”
The effort I’ve put forth has not been in vain. It’s not because I haven’t been trying hard enough. For me, the network has been a great source of support, and they have encouraged me to stay.”
The 51-year-old Pompeo stated that she’s eager to remain with the programme “as long as there’s anything to do,” saying that “we constantly coming up with ways to have a cause to stay.”
As for ABC, which has been Grey’s Anatomy’s home since 2005, they appear to be on board with as many episodes as possible for the foreseeable future.
The President of ABC Entertainment and Hulu Originals, Craig Erwich, said in May 2021, “Grey’s Anatomy continues to be a ratings juggernaut.” “Grey’s Anatomy will be with us as long as we can.”
The 18th season of Grey’s Anatomy is on Netflix. Grey’s Anatomy will air at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Thursdays on ABC. Episodes can be seen live on Hulu + Live TV or YouTube TV or the next day on Hulu for those without cable. Eight days after they first air, new episodes will be made accessible on the ABC app.
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Where Can I Watch Grey’s Anatomy’s Previous Seasons?
Hulu is currently streaming all 17 episodes of Season 17. In addition, you can currently watch the complete series on Netflix, including Season 17.
Next, are you looking forward to the return of your favourite shows in the fall? Make sure you don’t miss anything in 2021 by checking out our watching schedule.