Would it really be a return to Grey Sloan Memorial without a massive tragedy to revisit from the last season finale? Over the years we’ve had shootings, a plane crash, an electrocution, collapses, illegal actions, and plenty of other high-stakes situations to bite our nails over. So it’s no surprise that Season 21 of Grey’s Anatomy ended with a hostage situation that turned into a massive explosion right in Grey Sloan. Naturally, several characters’ lives were left hanging in the balance and we have plenty of questions heading into Season 22.
So, who survived, what happens next, and what else is in store for these doctors with messy personal lives? Keep scrolling to find out everything we know about Grey’s Anatomy Season 22.
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Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 release date
Grey’s Anatomy returns Thursday, Oct. 9 at 10/9c. You can also stream the show on Hulu the next day after each episode airs. The premiere was initially going to be a week later, but ABC moved the release date up in the summer, along with the season premieres of 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Nashville.
How many episodes is Grey’s Anatomy Season 22?
This season began filming in August 2025 and consists of 18 total episodes — just like last season — including a pretty big milestone. The second episode back, “We Built This City,” also happens to be the show’s 450th. We know there was a big celebration on set with cake and a banner, but what happens within the episode itself is still a mystery. Fans are buzzing about the possibility of Sandra Oh making a special return as Cristina Yang, although Oh has repeatedly shut that down in the nicest way possible during interviews.
Will Meredith Grey return to Grey’s Anatomy this season?
Good news for Ellen Pompeo fans: The actor will reprise her role as Dr. Meredith Grey for an estimated seven episodes in Season 22. The character is splitting her time between Boston and Seattle this year, which means we’ll see more of her. In addition to the guest-appearances, Pompeo continues to be the voice of the show and is an executive producer. With Mer’s return is the part-time return of her beau, Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman).
Who else is returning to Grey’s Anatomy Season 22?
Disney/Anne Marie Fox
The only two characters who are safe following that ghastly ER explosion are Meredith Grey and Ben Warren (Jason George), considering they were outside of the hospital when the explosion occurred. Heading into the new season, returning showrunner Meg Marinis said anyone could be at risk, but ABC released a series of Season 22 photos which gave us an idea of who is safe from the ER explosion. Obviously Meredith is among them, and so are Winston, Teddy, Amelia, Ben, Jo, and Catherine.
Grey’s Anatomy main cast:
- Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey
- Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey
- James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber
- Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt
- Kim Raver as Teddy Altman
- Jason George as Ben Warren
- Camilla Luddington as Jo Wilson
- Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd
- Chris Carmack as Atticus Lincoln
- Debbie Allen as Catherine Avery
- Alexis Floyd as Simone Griffith
- Harry Shum Jr. as Benson Kwan
- Adelaide Kane as Jules Millin
- Niko Terho as Lucas Adams
- Anthony Hill as Winston Ndugu
Meanwhile, Trevor Jackson (grown-ish) is expected to return as Simone’s hookup-turned-new-intern, and we can’t wait to learn his name.
Levi (Jake Borelli) and Mika (Midori Francis), who departed in Season 21, are not among the listed cast, although we wouldn’t rule out appearances. After all, Levi officiated Link and Jo’s wedding, and Marinis has promised more Mika in our future.
Will Link return to Grey’s Anatomy?
The running theory is that Link didn’t survive the explosion, which is pretty tragic considering he just learned that he and Jo were having twin daughters. (Why can’t Jo ever just be happy?!) Things don’t look good for the character, considering his surgical tools ignited the initial spark. In an interview with Women’s World, Carmack didn’t make us feel great about the odds, either.
“I don’t know what I can share because I don’t know anything yet,” he said. “Wait — now that I think about it, I haven’t gotten the call yet saying, ‘See ya in July.'”
In an interview with Parade, Marinis made Link’s future seem even more dire:
“There are other doctors on that floor. We saw that Bailey, Monica, and Jules are by the board. But with Link, we’re Grey’s Anatomy, and we always like to twist our happiness,” she said. “We just told this beautiful wedding story in Episode 17. Link and Jo are married. They have this blissful, oblivious, beautiful storyline in the supply closet. They find out they’re having girls. Then, of course, you can’t just be this happy.”
What happens in the first episode back?
Here’s the official logline for Season 22, Episode 1, “Only the Strong Survive:”
After the catastrophic hospital explosion, Grey Sloan’s staff scrambles to save not only their patients’ lives but also their own. Confronted with impossible surgical decisions and emotional turmoil, they fight to preserve life amid devastation.
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What other storylines can we expected from Grey’s Anatomy Season 22?
Considering Simone’s one-night stand showed up at the hospital, we’re betting things will continue to be rocky between her and Lucas in Season 22. Same goes for Jules and Winston, after Winston broke things off because of their professional relationship. Those two seem to be end game, but with this show, we never know. Take Teddy and Owen for example. They’re once again on the outs after Teddy declared she was finally done changing her life for Owen. (Is she, though? We’ll have to watch to find out.)
As for Ben, he officially lost his residency spot at the end of Season 21. Now that he is no longer secure at work, he’ll have an even tougher time emerging from Bailey’s shadow. As if their history isn’t already complicated enough!
In non-romantic storylines, the hospital obviously took a beating at the end of last season. Rebuilding it, along with the mental health of the doctors within, will be a top priority in Season 22.
What’s the bottom line?
Luddington has teased that this season will be intense and nonstop, so buckle up. Grey’s Anatomy continues to be one of the top shows on ABC, with plenty of new generations still discovering it via TikTok and other social media platforms. This is a show that has proved it knows how to reinvent itself season after season, with new interns, love triangles and yes, explosions. Clearly, we can’t wait to tune back in.
Where to watch Grey’s Anatomy?
Grey’s Anatomy Seasons 1-20 are now available on Hulu and Netflix.
