Warning! SPOILERS for Grey’s Anatomy season 18 ahead.
Grey’s Anatomy season 18’s end came with a number of twists and turns and a cliffhanger concerning Meredith Grey’s personal life; here's everything it sets up for Grey's Anatomy season 19 and what we know. Grey’s Anatomy season 18’s main focus centered first on Meredith’s work/life split between Seattle and Rochester and then on Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital’s residency program being put on probation. Grey’s Anatomy season 18's finale ended up providing more clarity on Meredith’s conflicted reasoning behind her decision to leave and closure on the threat hovering over Grey Sloan, which loses its residency program.
Besides Grey Sloan Memorial’s central problems threatening the hospital’s reputation, Grey’s Anatomy season 18 also dealt with a physician shortage and doctors stealing from the hospital to help patients, risking their careers. It wasn’t all grim, though, as Grey’s Anatomy season 18 showed two new relationships blossoming and another one that could potentially be explored in Grey's Anatomy season 19. Despite not being as central as in the previous seasons, the Shondaland show didn’t forget Meredith, Amelia, and Maggie’s wholesome sisterhood, which was as supportive and ever-present as in the past.
Grey’s Anatomy season 18’s finale prompted entirely new circumstances for Meredith herself and Grey Sloan Memorial, hinting at a season 19 surely different from the previous ones and possibly more thrilling. While Grey’s Anatomy seasons 1 to 18 always had Miranda Bailey and Richard Webber in positions of authority, the Grey’s Anatomy season 18 finale changed things altogether. Here's everything we know about Grey's Anatomy season 19.
Grey's Anatomy Season 19 Renewal Status
Grey’s Anatomy season 19 was announced in January 2022, when the news of the medical drama’s renewal was made public. The news followed Ellen Pompeo signing a new one-year deal to continue portraying Meredith Grey for the upcoming season. Pompeo's role in Grey’s Anatomy’s production behind the camera will become more prominent next season, with Pompeo moving from co-executive producer to executive producer for Grey's Anatomy season 19.
Will Grey's Anatomy Season 19 Be The Last One?
Grey’s Anatomy season 19 wasn’t confirmed as the final season at the time of its renewal. Still, rumors about Grey’s Anatomy’s impending end have swirled considering Grey’s Anatomy season 18’s low ratings compared to previous seasons. In addition to that, Grey’s Anatomy season 18’s finale set up the biggest challenge yet for Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, as Meredith will need to save the hospital’s reputation following the residency program’s shutdown. This all points to the possibility of Grey’s Anatomy ending with season 19, as it would guarantee one last hurrah for both Meredith and Grey Sloan Memorial, providing a narratively fulfilling conclusion for audiences.
Grey's Anatomy Season 19 Story: What's Already Set Up?
While other smaller storylines will likely be explored by Grey’s Anatomy season 19, such as Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) and Kai’s (E R Fightmaster) relationship or Jo and Link’s friendship that could turn romantic, three major storylines set up by Grey’s Anatomy season 18’s finale will definitely need to be explored. Two of them are inextricably linked, as the fate of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital was believed to be attached to Meredith staying in Seattle to try and save its reputation. Grey’s Anatomy season 18 led Meredith to realize she needed to spread her wings and leave Grey Sloan, but the shutdown of Grey Sloan’s residency program all but forced her to stay. With Bailey resigning as Chief of Surgery, Meredith will likely have to put her plans to leave on hold, hopefully saving the hospital from entirely crumbling.
The third major storyline set up by Grey’s Anatomy season 18’s ending involved Owen (Kevin McKidd) and Teddy (Kim Raver) going on the run following a threat to expose Owen’s crimes. Indeed, throughout Grey’s Anatomy season 18, Owen had stolen drugs from Grey Sloan to provide end-of-life care to veterans whose lungs became irreparably damaged from the mismanagement of burn pits. Grey’s Anatomy season 19 will inevitably have to further explore the assisted suicide storyline and the fate of Owen and Teddy.
Grey's Anatomy Season 19 Cast: Who Can Return
Ellen Pompeo as Meredith, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, and James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber, the last three original cast members remaining from season 1, are confirmed to return to Grey's Anatomy season 19's cast. While Grey’s Anatomy season 18's finale saw huge changes for both Bailey and Webber, they will likely return as surgeons. While the rest of the main cast wasn’t officially confirmed to return yet, it’s highly likely they will, as no character was killed off by Grey’s Anatomy season 18. It's unclear whether Scott Speedman will return as Nick Marsh in Grey’s Anatomy season 19, as he only had a recurring role in season 18, and the show’s finale ended with Meredith telling him he should go back to Minnesota. Considering how stable Meredith and Nick seemed in Grey’s Anatomy season 18, though, it’s probable Speedman will return in Grey’s Anatomy season 19.
Grey's Anatomy Season 19 Predicted Release Date
A date for Grey’s Anatomy season 19 hasn’t been announced yet. Still, there's no reason to believe it will be any different than other years. So it will likely follow the show’s previous seasons’ schedule, with Grey's Anatomy season 19 starting in the fall of 2022 and ending in the spring of 2023.