Grey’s Anatomy has paged Dr. Meredith Grey for its landmark season 20 premiere.
Ellen Pompeo, who has played Meredith since season 1 in 2005, appears in the first teaser footage of the new episodes.
“How long do I have to wait?” Meredith asks in the clip, which was released by ABC on Friday, December 29.
On Grey’s, Meredith had left her job at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital during season 19 to move to Boston. She relocated her three children to the East Coast in order for her eldest daughter, Zola, to attend a magnet school. In Friday’s clip, Meredith dressed in street clothes and presumably sat inside chief Teddy Altman’s (Kim Raver) office.
In a separate scene, Meredith reunited with former boss Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) in a hospital hallway. “Interns are in trouble,” Bailey quips as residents Mika Yasuda (Midori Francis), Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane) and Lucas Adams (Niko Terho) run through the foyer.
The trailer further reveals that the interns, including Blue Kwan (Harry Shum Jr.) and Simone Griffith (Alexis Floyd), are floundering in their jobs. “Which one of you am I firing?” Scott Speedman’s Nick Marsh, who is the residency director, quips from a lecture podium.
Shum Jr.’s Blue later tells Lucas that he was “truly stunned” that his coworker is “still” working at Grey Sloan. (Lucas is Meredith and Derek’s nephew, who has often struggled in medical procedures due to undiagnosed ADHD.)
Lucas also “needs to talk” about his season 19 finale hookup with Simone after she called off her wedding to another man.
The interns aren’t the only ones unpacking season 19 drama in the Grey’s Anatomy trailer. Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) is seen receiving a cocktail from a waitress despite many years of sobriety, plus Atticus “Link” Lincoln (Chris Carmack) and Jo Wilson’s (Camilla Luddington) budding romance is really heating up.
“I love you and I’m gonna love you,” Link proclaims to Jo in a separate scene before they embrace in a steamy kiss in the parking lot. “Forever.”
Additionally, Teddy is in “critical condition” after fainting in the O.R. in an emotional finale cliffhanger. Per the trailer, Winston Ndugu (Anthony Hill) was getting ready to treat Teddy. (Last season, she passed out after failing to get a tooth injury fixed due to her busy schedule, though it is not known what caused her fainting spell.)
The Grey’s Anatomy stars kicked off filming for season 20 in November following an extended hiatus due to the SAG-AFTRA labor strike. The acting union ended the strike last month after reaching a compromise with film studios over contract negotiations.
Pompeo, 54, announced in September 2022 that she is reducing her role on Grey’s Anatomy in order to film other projects. Pompeo has continued providing voiceover for episodes and serves as a producer on both Grey’s and its Station 19 spinoff.
“I’m going to always be a part of that show,” she told Deadline at the time. “I’m an executive producer. I spent two decades of my career on [Grey’s Anatomy] — it’s my heart and soul. I’ll never truly be gone as long as [it’s] on the air.”
Grey’s Anatomy season 20 returns to ABC on Thursday, March 14.
