For over 20 years, Grey’s Anatomy has been welcoming a star-studded cast of doctors, only to brush them off a few seasons later. While many complain that this ruins a character’s arc, avid Grey’s Anatomy fans know that even when a character meets their maker, they never really leave the show. Thus, alongside getting rid of lots of characters, the show has also welcomed back an abundance of old friends.
However, a lot of these returns are meticulously planned, and fans never expect to see their favorite character again. While fans are still waiting for icons like Cristina Yang and Alex Karev to stroll back through the doors of Grey Sloan, the show has introduced some controversial figures. As such, fans still don’t know if or when their beloved doctor will return to their old stomping ground.
1. A Faithful Patient Stands at Meredith’s Defense
Season 16, Episode 8, “My Shot”
Audiences who have been watching Grey’s Anatomy from the very beginning will know that Katie Bryce was the first patient Meredith ever treated. Not only did Meredith correctly diagnose Bryce with a life-threatening aneurysm, but she also helped the patient when she returned to the hospital ten years later. Katie Bryce also appeared in “My Shot” and defended Meredith’s reputation as she stood on trial for insurance fraud.
This is such a full-circle moment, because not only does Katie remember Meredith after all these years, but she also credits the surgeon for saving her life. At the hearing, Bryce also mentioned that she had a little girl, suggesting that Grey’s quick thinking enabled her patient to enjoy a normal life. Overall, this brief cameo highlights that although Meredith’s history isn’t exactly squeaky clean, she’s still very good at her job.
2. Cristina Has a Surprise Encounter With a Toxic Ex
Season 10, Episode 22, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
After leaving Cristina Yang at the altar at the end of Season 3, the vast majority of viewers were happy to finally get rid of Preston Burke. However, he returns in “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” during a conference in Switzerland. As Yang prepares to answer some questions from the audience, a brooding figure lurks in the background. It’s only until he comes into the light that fans realize that it’s the infamous Burke.
Although neither Yang nor the audience were prepared to see him after all these years, his presence offered a poignant moment for Cristina. While he left her heartbroken and confused, it’s easy to see that she has moved on from the past and is ready to start a new life elsewhere. Thus, Burke’s return almost acts like a catalyst for Yang’s next adventure.
3. A Reckless Nurse Returns to Grey Sloan
Season 14, Episode 21, “Bad Reputation”
After spreading a case of syphilis around the interns and almost exposing an abandoned baby to influenza, Olivia Jankovic was bumped off because of the Seattle Grace Mercy West merger. As such, fans were extremely shocked to see her return in Season 14. Yet, even after seven years away, it seems she hasn’t changed a bit because she arrived with her son, who had swallowed a chew toy.
Admittedly, Jankovic was merely used as a source of comic relief during her original run. Fortunately, her humor and awkwardness were still present in “Bad Reputation,” which allowed fans to revel in a wave of nostalgia. If anything, this episode proves that almost any character can return to Grey’s Anatomy at any point.
4. An Elusive Character Is Raised From the Dead
Season 18, Episode 1, “Here Comes the Sun”
To say that Megan Hunt’s backstory is complicated would be the understatement of the century. Yet, no matter how many times she returns, fans are still surprised. At first, Megan was presumed missing in Iraq for 10 years. However, when she was found to be alive in Season 13, she was sent to Seattle to receive further treatment.
Hunt then moved to LA in Season 14 to live a happier life with Nathan Riggs and their son, Farouk. However, her biggest return was in “Here Comes the Sun” when she arrived at Teddy and Owen’s wedding. Not only had she split up with Riggs, but she admitted that the pandemic tore them apart. This was such an upsetting reveal because a lot of fans were convinced that Riggs and Hunt were meant to be.
5. A Defiant Widow Is Reunited With Her Friends at the Hospital
Season 14, Episode 1, “Break Down the House”
After losing her partner, Henry Burton, Teddy Altman left Seattle Grace in Season 8 to pursue a new career at MEDCOM. However, when Megan Hunt first appeared in “Break Down the House”, she rushed back to Seattle to support Owen. Since then, she has been a key part of the show ever since.
Teddy Altman has a really rich arc and fans are fascinated at how she can still get up in the morning after everything she has been through. Yet, the fact that she came back just to see Owen was so heartfelt and proved that the relationships she made at the hospital still mattered to her. As such, for a lot of fans, this episode kick-started her rollercoaster relationship with Hunt.
6. A World-Class Surgeon Returns to Her Roots
Season 18, Episode 3, “Hotter Than Hell”
When Addison Montgomery first joined Grey’s Anatomy at the end of Season 1, she was seen as a stubborn obstacle to Meredith and Derek’s romance. However, when she moved over to the spin-off, Private Practice, she blossomed into one of the best OB/GYNs the world had ever seen. When she arrived at the hospital in Season 18, she was preparing to carry out a life-changing surgery and requested that Meredith be by her side.
Fans were ecstatic to see Addison again because she had become a symbol of everything that was so great about the earlier seasons of the show. Plus, it was so charming to see Meredith and Addison working together, suggesting that they had let go of their difficulties and learned to appreciate each other. More than ever, Addison’s strong bond with Meredith in this episode proves that even though Derek is gone, the women will always be family.
7. An Optimistic Intern Returns as a Residency Director
Season 21, Episode 1, “If Walls Could Talk”
Back in the early days of Grey’s Anatomy, Sydney Heron was seen as the bane of everyone’s life. Her constant optimism and positive attitude really irritated the other interns, who felt that they were too cool and brooding to slap a smile on their faces. After nearly 20 years, Heron arrived at Grey Sloan as a Residency Director and aimed to teach the new round of recruits how to heal with love.
While a lot of fans weren’t jumping for joy when Sydney arrived on the floor in “If Walls Could Talk”, it was good to see she hadn’t changed a bit. Plus, Heron’s presence adds a bit of light to a very depressing episode. So, while Meredith is still struggling with her research, it’s funny to think that one of her enemies is having the time of her life.
8. Meredith Reconnects With a Ghost From Her Past
Season 15, Episode 6, “Flowers Grow Out of My Grave”
Lexie Grey’s passing in “Flight” was one of the most distressing moments in Grey’s Anatomy history, and fans still can’t believe how quickly she was killed off. However, audiences forget their past grievances with the show when she makes a brief cameo in “Flowers Grow Out of My Grave”. As the hospital celebrates the Day of the Dead, Meredith is forced to confront that her own father is drawing closer to the end of his life.
In the final scene of this episode, Meredith is reunited with a few ghosts of the people she has loved and lost over the years, one of whom is Lexie. Although Lexie does not speak, it’s clear that Meredith finds comfort and peace in her presence. Not to mention, the fact that Lexie is perfectly healthy in the spirit world suggests that she’s no longer suffering from the injuries she sustained during the plane crash.
9. Old Friends Are Reunited on the Beach
Season 17, Episode 4, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”
Meredith Grey spent most of Season 17 in a coma due to complications associated with COVID-19. During this time, she slipped in and out of reality and tended to imagine herself on a pure white beach with some of the people she had lost along the way. As such, many fans see this moment as Meredith’s journey in and out of the afterlife.
In “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, she is reunited with George O’Malley, who has grown out of his baby-faced physique but still has that perfect smile. The pair talk about grief and how George’s death impacted the rest of the hospital. Although this episode took place in one of the worst times in history, seeing George O’Malley for even a few minutes was enough to put a smile on fans’ faces.
10. Meredith Is Transported to Her Happy Place
Season 17, Episode 2, “The Center Won’t Hold”
At the end of “The Center Won’t Hold,” Cormac finds Meredith passed out in the parking lot, so the team works as hard as they can to get her stable. Yet, Meredith is unaware that all of this is going on because she believes that she’s standing on a glorious beach. In the last scene, Meredith hears someone calling her name, and when she turns around, she sees Derek Shepherd.
As expected, fans didn’t react to losing Derek in Season 11, so they were very happy that the pair were reunited during this difficult time. Audiences also appreciated how Derek hadn’t changed a day, aside from transforming into a bit of a silver fox. He still adored Meredith, and, in the alternate world, Meredith was happy for the first time in years.
