It’s almost time to go back into the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital as Grey’s Anatomy returns for Season 21 this fall. The series will return to the airwaves with some major changes to the long-lived ABC medical drama.
From shocking cast exits to schedule shakeups, there’s a lot fans need to know about the upcoming season of Grey’s Anatomy, so here’s a rundown of all of the details we know so far.
When will Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 premiere?
Grey’s Anatomy will return to the Thursday night lineup this fall, but it’ll have a new timeslot at 10/9c, following 9-1-1 Season 8 and the inaugural season of Ryan Murphy‘s Doctor Odyssey. All three shows will premiere on Thursday, September 26.
Who will star in Grey’s Anatomy Season 21?
The next season of Grey’s Anatomy will see some changes to the list of those scrubbing in. For starters, fans will get to see more of Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey than in Seasons 19 and 20. Ben Warren will also be back in his old stomping grounds a bit more, with Jason George returning to the regular cast after the conclusion of Station 19 this spring. He’d previously been a series regular for Seasons 12 through 14 before headlining the firefighter-centric spinoff. Additionally, Scott Speedman will return to his role as Nick Marsh, Meredith’s love interest, for at least five episodes, per Deadline.
TV Line reported that this season, Michael Thomas Grant will star as James, the hospital chaplain.
On the way out in Season 21, though, are Jake Borelli, who plays Dr. Levi Schmitt, and Midori Francis, who plays Dr. Mika Yasuda. Both will return for Season 21 to conclude their storylines.
What other changes are ahead in Grey’s Anatomy Season 21?
The season is expected to run for 18 episodes, but due to budget tightening, not every cast member will appear in each episode.
Where did Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 leave off?
In the last season’s finale, “Burn It Down,” Meredith left the hospital in a blaze of glory by publishing her promising Alzheimer’s research instead of handing it over to Catherine Fox (Debbie Allen) and Tom Koracick (Greg Germann). We don’t know what this means for Meredith’s professional future — or that of her co-conspirators Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) and Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), who Catherine fired — but we do know that she’s moving in with Nick (Scott Speedman) in Boston. Plus, Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) appears to possibly be on the naughty list after refusing Catherine’s orders, as his badge seems to be deactivated.
Meanwhile, Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) found out that she’s pregnant but has yet to reveal it to Link (Chris Carmack). Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) may or may not be truly ready to retire from surgery after an upsetting patient death. And apparently, the mysterious ex of Benson Kwan (Harry Shum Jr.) just so happens to be the wildfire patient who lost her memory. Plus, a new romance seems to be blooming between Winston Ndugu (Anthony Hill) and Monica Beltran (Natalie Morales).
Oh, and the entire class of interns, along with Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), have put themselves on the line to support Lucas Adams (Niko Terho) from having to repeat his intern year or take another job offer. We’ll have to wait and see how Catherine responds to that surprising bit of insubordination since she’s taken so many draconian measures with her senior surgeons already.
Grey’s Anatomy, Season 21 Premiere, Thursday, September 26, 10/9c, ABC