Meredith returns in 'Grey's Anatomy' S20—anticipated plot twists, cast changes
What's the story
Grey's Anatomy fans, assemble!
The highly-anticipated Season 20 of the beloved drama series is set to premiere on March 14, 2024.
A new trailer—released on Friday—teased Meredith Grey's (Ellen Pompeo) return to the show in action at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, continuing the story from S19's cliffhanger finale.
With anticipation reaching new heights, discover everything—from cast details to plot twists—that awaits fans in S20.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Pompeo portrayed the titular doctor and held a central role in the medical drama show for over 400 episodes.
However, during S19's seventh episode, I'll Follow the Sun, Pompeo bid farewell to the character.
Her departure was framed within a positive narrative, as her character chose to relocate to Boston, ensuring a better educational environment for her gifted daughter, Zola (Aniela Gumbs).
Cast
Cast changes: Will Pompeo remain series regular?
Pompeo will not be a series regular for the first time in Grey's Anatomy history.
Although she had a reduced role in S19, Pompeo will continue as an executive producer and provide opening and closing voiceovers for each episode.
In a Variety's Actors on Actors series installment, Pompeo stated, "It's not a complete goodbye. And I think we've got an interesting story to tell."
Returning members
Details: New showrunner, returning cast members
Behind the scenes, Krista Vernoff is stepping down as Grey's Anatomy's head showrunner, with Meg Marinis taking over the role.
Marinis has been part of the crew for years, working in producing, research, and editing capacities.
Meanwhile, S20 will see the return of long-time cast members—including Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey), James Pickens Jr. (Richard Webber), Camilla Luddington (Jo Wilson), and Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt).
Insights
Storylines to expect in upcoming season
The upcoming season's plot will likely center around the aftermath of the S19 finale, exploring new intern romances and addressing Teddy Altman's (Kim Raver) critical condition after collapsing during surgery.
The season may also examine the consequences faced by Lucas, Simone, or Kwan for performing unauthorized surgery or ignoring a patient's do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order.
However, specific plot details remain under wraps as of now.