Grey's Anatomy may have dealt with the pandemic more directly than any other show in 2020. Season 17 of the show, which premiered in November, follows the mental and emotional toll that the coronavirus is taking on the doctors at Gray Sloan Memorial (and the hospital as a whole), with Meredith Gray herself even contracting the virus and dying at the hospital. Spent most of the season in a coma. Even so, Ellen Pompeo's eponymous character still gets a lot of airtime, as Meredith remains on a dreamy beach where she's visited by several ghosts from Grey's past.
On September 19, Pompeo said in an interview with "Entertainment Tonight": "Obviously, we have to work around the new coronavirus, so we have to be creative and find ways to keep the show going while staying safe." "Coma is One of those, and then the beach and the dream sequence is another thing, and of course it brings back people who have passed away, and I think it just resonates with people, right? A conversation.”
There's plenty of classic Grey's Anatomy drama and romance, and the June 3 finale ended on a positive note, including a wedding, an adoption, two proposals, and Meredith's triumphant return Return to the operating room. Here's everything to remember before Grey's Anatomy Season 18 premieres on September 30.
Meredith had long battle with coronavirus
After the mysterious illness that caused Meredith to collapse in the Gray Sloan parking lot was revealed to be COVID-19, the famed surgeon's fate has been up in the air all season, with many fans beginning to believe she was going to die. After a false recovery and relapse, Meredith was put on a ventilator in the winter finale, but was unsuccessfully removed and put back on before Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) ) eventually removed the device permanently. However, even after she appears to be out of trouble, Meredith remains unconscious, much to the confusion of her colleagues.
In the end, it was her daughter Zora's voice that helped Meredith wake up. She continued to battle the long-term effects of the coronavirus, but by the end of the season, she returned to Gray Sloan as the intern program director and later underwent a successful double lung transplant.
Derek returns
After Meredith passed out in the Season 17 premiere, Patrick Dempsey's Dr. Derek Shepherd was the first of several major surprises to hit the imaginary beaches deep within Meredith's subconscious Role. Derek appeared three more times throughout the season. In one episode, he revealed that he had been taking care of his wife and children, which gave Meredith a sense of closure while also providing necessary nostalgia for longtime viewers. In Derek's final scene of Season 17, he and Meredith even finally had a beach wedding.
Elsewhere, Derek also seemed to give Meredith his blessing to continue her romance, perhaps with Cormac Hayes (Richard Flood). Meredith's possible new love interest, "Widow Mac" (who Cristina sent to her), also appears on the beach, pleading with her to fight for her life. Hayes revealed that he has been assisting Ellis, Bailey and Zora in video chatting with their moms. The pediatrician even repeated a comment Derek made earlier about Ellis looking like Meredith.
...so did George, Lexi, and Mark
Derek's return will be followed by the return of TR Knight's George O'Malley, who was killed in a bus accident in season six. After reminiscing about their internship days, George revealed that he would also check in on Meredith's kids. In the episode's poignant final scene, Richard Webb (James Pickens Jr.) and Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) - the only two remaining original cast members Centaur - Seen on the beach with Meredith and George.
Months later, Mark Sloane (Eric Dane) and Lexi Gray (Chyler Leigh) returned to the show and revealed they were in the afterlife after they died in a plane crash in season eight Still together. In hindsight, Lexie and Mark advise Meredith that fighting change and resisting pain is "a waste of life." After Meredith said she missed them both "so much," Lexi told her they "never left" her.
Deluca's tragic ending
Although technically still alive at the time, Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) also visited Meredith's beach, though he soon became involved in the hunt for child trafficker Opal. Died from the stab wounds he received. "If I go back and you don't, I'm going to miss you," Meredith told her most recent ex. After assuring her that she would be fine, DeLuca set out for the beach to reunite with his late mother. Police arrested Opal and the unidentified man who stabbed DeLuca, but the tragedy still hangs heavy on Gray Sloan's staff.
Japril reunites (sort of) and leaves Seattle
After witnessing racial injustice in medicine during the pandemic, a conflicted Jackson travels to Montana to visit his estranged father, Robert Avery (Eric Roberts), for some soul-searching. Upon returning to Seattle, Jackson announced his decision to move to Boston, where he could use his position at the family foundation to help fight systemic racism. (Tom Koracik, played by Gregg Gelman, who asked Jackson to give him a job in Boston, also exited the show.) But first, Jackson had to convince his ex, April Kepner (Sarah Drew, another Grey’s alum returning for Season 17) Cross-country move. He also brought their daughter Harriet with him. After some debate, April agreed. There's no word yet on whether the two will get back together, but they're both "praying for new horizons."
Maggie and Winston have a whirlwind romance
After former co-workers Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary) and Winston Ndugu (Anthony Hill) reconnected at the end of last season, their romance quickly progressed from virtual long-distance dating to... Got engaged in just a few months. Winston moved from Boston to Seattle (having a horrific encounter with the police along the way), and the two got married in the Season 17 finale.
Amelia rejects Link's proposal (again)
Although the episode makes it clear that Link and Amelia Shepard (Katrina Scorsone) don't see eye-to-eye on marriage and having more children, Link continues to work hard with Zola, Bailey, and With the help of Ellis, Winston proposes on the beach after their wedding. With one heartbreaking look, Amelia rejects the offer, and a heartbroken Link then arrives at Joe's doorstep looking for a place to stay.
Joe begins a new chapter
This season, Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) switches surgical specialties to join Gray Sloan's obstetrics and gynecology team, while also starting a casual romance with Jackson. After her application to adopt baby Luna was denied, she sold her shares in Gray Sloan to Koracik so she could hire an ace adoption attorney. Joe was eventually allowed to adopt Luna, and the two later moved into the luxury apartment Jackson had recently vacated.
Teddy and Owen reconcile
Owen Hunter (Kevin McKidd) and Teddy have been estranged for most of the season because she cheated on Tom and he called off their wedding. Despite some progress, Teddy revealed that Allison (after whom their daughter was named) was actually her girlfriend who was killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks. After DeLuca's death, Teddy also experienced a mental health crisis caused by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and she eventually reconciled with Owen after he helped her recover. In the Christmas scene of the Grey's Anatomy Season 17 finale, he proposed to Teddy again in a backyard filled with artificial snow.
