See Jesse Williams’ Big Return to Grey’s Anatomy in First Look

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Jackson Avery and Meredith Grey have reunited at Grey Sloan Memorial.

TopMob News has a sneak peek at the October 30th episode of Grey’s Anatomy, revealing Jesse Williams will return to the show for a dramatic scene with Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey in season 22.

In a recent scene, Meredith challenges Jackson about a concerning study led by Tom Koracick (Greg Germann), a former colleague from Grey Sloan Memorial. The study contained inaccurate information about Alzheimer’s disease.

She points out that the initial research only used male mice. When she repeated the experiment with female mice and gave them antibiotics, she didn’t see the same positive results regarding Alzheimer’s. Now that the original researcher has shared his findings, she worries people will mistakenly believe his results apply to both male and female mice.

Jackson, who departed Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in season 17, doesn’t want to get involved, and firmly tells Meredith, “Don’t start with me.”

Jackson confronts her about constantly questioning him regarding the experiment, pointing out that her lab has been sitting empty and she hasn’t published any research since moving back to Seattle full-time to concentrate on her Alzheimer’s work following her relocation to Boston in season 19.

“Maybe instead of hiding out here all summer,” he adds, “you could be figuring this out.”

Although Ellen Pompeo stopped being a full-time cast member on Grey’s Anatomy in 2023, she’s still appeared in season 22 and continues to be involved with the ABC show in other ways.

Besides continuing as an executive producer, the 55-year-old also still provides the voiceovers for every episode of the series.

For Ellen, she chose to step down from her starring role so she could focus on new passions. 

She explained on The Drew Barrymore Show in 2022 that she needs variety in her life. She described her brain as feeling ‘scrambled’ and said she needs to try new things, comparing it to how you can’t do the same New York Times crossword puzzle every day.

Jesse, who has occasionally appeared on the show since leaving in 2021, has spoken about how much his time on Grey’s Anatomy meant to him.

Leaving his position, he said he’ll always value the lessons learned from making almost 300 hours of popular TV shows around the world. He expressed great pride in the work his team accomplished, the positive effect it had, and the strong relationships he built with colleagues and friends.

The fourth episode of Grey’s Anatomy’s 22nd season will air on ABC at 10 p.m. Eastern Time on October 30th. Before then, you can check in on what some of the doctors who have left Grey Sloan Memorial are doing now.

During the third season, Burke unexpectedly left Cristina at their wedding and moved away. He later achieved success, winning a Harper Avery award and eventually establishing a cutting-edge hospital in Zurich, Switzerland. He built a life there, getting married and having a family. Then, in season ten, he asked Cristina to take over his hospital as he prepared to retire.

Isaiah Washington was fired from the show after reports surfaced that he used a homophobic slur against his co-star, T.R. Knight, during an on-set argument with Patrick Dempsey. His attempts to defend himself only worsened the situation. However, he later reconciled with ABC and made a guest appearance in 2014.

Washington publicly apologized for the incident and acknowledged he needs to do some personal reflection. He stated he’s seeking help to understand his own shortcomings.

Since leaving Grey’s Anatomy, he’s appeared in several successful shows. He played Thelonious Jaha on The CW’s The 100 until his character was killed off in the fifth season, and then went on to star in the critically praised P-Valley on Starz.

Izzie Stevens faced a cancer diagnosis, married Alex Karev, and overcame the illness, but she unexpectedly left Seattle during season six. She briefly returned, explaining she no longer felt connected to the city. Alex later received divorce papers, and it was revealed that Izzie had secretly given birth to their twins. She now lives on a ranch in Kansas and works as a surgeon.

Katherine Heigl’s departure from the show started in 2008 when she asked to not be considered for an Emmy Award, believing the writing wasn’t strong enough. By 2010, her character was written off completely. While Heigl has expressed interest in revisiting the role, creator Shonda Rhimes has stated she’s moved past that storyline, telling TVLine in 2015, “I’m done with that story.”

Katherine Heigl was a rising star in romantic comedies before returning to television. She appeared in shows like State of Affairs and Doubt, and more recently had a role on Suits and starred in Firefly Lane, which concluded in 2023.

Norman joined the show in its fourth season and faced confusion because people often mistook him for a fully qualified doctor instead of an intern, likely due to his mature appearance. He made a serious error by mistakenly telling a patient she was terminally ill, and later suffered a stroke. After successful surgery to remove a blood clot, he decided to switch his medical focus to psychiatry.

Edward Herrmann was a well-known actor, best remembered for playing Richard Gilmore on Gilmore Girls. Throughout his career, he also made appearances in popular shows like The Good Wife, Harry’s Law, and American Dad before he passed away in 2014.

Sydney temporarily replaced Bailey while she was on maternity leave, and her overly enthusiastic personality often annoyed her coworkers. She briefly dated Derek, but her character was mostly gone by the beginning of season four. She made a quick return in season 21, which aired in 2024.

I’ve been a fan of Kali Rocha for a while now! I especially loved her work on Disney’s Liv and Maddie and Man with a Plan. And I just saw her in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm from this year – she’s consistently great!

One of the most heartbreaking moments in the series happens at the end of season five. George had just committed to joining the army as a trauma surgeon when he bravely saved a woman from being hit by a bus – but ended up being hit himself. His injuries were so severe that when he arrived at the hospital, no one initially recognized him. He managed to write his nickname, ‘007’, on Meredith’s hand before tragically passing away.

Following a period of internal conflict – including an incident where Isaiah Washington reportedly used a derogatory slur – actor Knight had issues with some of his character’s storylines and the limited screen time his character received at the start of season five. This led him to request a release from his contract.

Knight revisited Shondaland in 2017 for a role on The Catch, and has also been featured in shows like The Good Wife, 11.22.63, and Genius. Starting in 2019, he began voice work on The Bravest Knight, a role he held until 2024. Additionally, he appeared in the HBO Max series The Flight Attendant alongside Kaley Cuoco from 2020 to 2022.

He also returned to Grey’s for one episode to meet Meredith during her COVID-19 coma in season 17. 

Erica Hahn and Callie Torres were in a promising relationship, but it ended when Erica discovered Izzie Stevens had disconnected Denny Duquette’s life-support device, hoping to save him. The heart Denny received had originally been meant for one of Erica’s patients. When Callie wouldn’t report this incident, Erica broke up with her and resigned from her job at the beginning of season five.

Brooke Smith has appeared in several popular TV shows, including Bosch, Bates Motel, Supergirl, The Good Doctor, Chicago Med, and The Good Fight. She also had a role in the 2019 film Bombshell.

Most recently, she had arcs in Ryan Murphy‘s Grotesquerie, The Recruit and The Hunting Party. 

Ryan, who previously played the intern, left the show early in season six. Brandon Scott has recently appeared in several popular Netflix series, including Dead To Me, 13 Reasons Why, This Is Us, and The Good Doctor.

Megan, one of the interns on Grey’s Anatomy, was known for her complicated relationships. She was involved in a love triangle with Steve and Pierce – she was dating Pierce but had a brief affair with Steve, which led to a near-violent confrontation between the two men. Megan then became pregnant with Steve’s child and eventually married him. She hasn’t appeared on the show since season six, after Derek Shepherd brought her back on staff.

Since her time on Grey’s Anatomy, Molly Kidder has continued to act, with roles in the TV show Outsourced in 2010 and several independent films. More recently, in 2025, she made a brief appearance as an extra in Ghosts.

Pierce, who was part of a complicated love triangle with Megan and Steve, left the show in season six after being laid off. Since then, actor Joe Williamson has appeared in shows like Here and Now and the 2019 film Ford v Ferrari, alongside Christian Bale and Matt Damon.

Oh, Steve! He was such a sweetie, always caught in the middle of everything with Megan and… well, you know. It was so cute! And can you believe he actually made it to season eight? I was so thrilled for him! Then… just gone. They just… dropped him. It still makes me so sad! He deserved better, and I always wondered what happened to him and his little one with Megan. Seriously, where did he go?

Since leaving Grey’s Anatomy, Mark Saul has been on several other television shows, including Franklin & Bash, Mom, The Great Indoors, Grace & Frankie, Modern Family, and I Think You Should Leave.

Nurse Olivia lost her job when the hospital merged with Mercy West in season six, but she made a brief return in season fourteen. She needed medical help for her son, who swallowed a toy while she was visiting family in Seattle, and it turned out Alex, a former partner, treated him. This gave her a chance to catch up with Alex’s then-fiancée, Jo.

Since leaving Grey’s Anatomy in 2009, Sarah Utterback has appeared in several television shows, including Reception and Mysteries of Laura. Most recently, in 2024, she had a small part in 9-1-1.

Graciella, who was last seen as an intern during the hospital shooting in season six, has been consistently working. Actress Gloria Garayua recently had a role on How to Get Away with Murder and has also appeared in episodes of S.W.A.T., The Good Doctor, American Housewife, Animal Kingdom, Snowfall, Criminal Minds, NCIS: LA, Anger Management, Bones, and the 2019 miniseries Reckoning. Most recently, she played Rona in a 2024 episode of Tracker.

In season six, Nora was the first person killed by Gary Clark. He went to the hospital with a gun, intending to kill Derek, and Nora was fatally shot in the head.

Nora Zehetner has been in several popular TV shows. After her role on Grey’s Anatomy ended, she appeared in a few episodes of Mad Men. More recently, she starred in Designated Survivor and the 2019 series The Right Stuff. In 2025, she played Melissa in Grosse Point Garden Society.

Percy tragically died during the filming of season six. Unlike some other deaths, his was a prolonged and harrowing experience – he became trapped with a patient (played by Mandy Moore!) and Bailey, and was shot at point-blank range. Despite Bailey’s desperate attempts to save him, he couldn’t be rescued when the elevators failed during the evacuation.

Oh my gosh, Robert Baker is everywhere! I’ve been following his career since forever, and it’s amazing to see him popping up in all these shows. I mean, Riverdale, Modern Family, The Originals… he’s just so versatile! And then, of course, Otis Graves on Supergirl – iconic! But get this, he was even on St. Denis Medical just last year! Seriously, I can’t keep up, but I’m loving it. He’s just fantastic in everything he does!

Dr. Lucy, an OBGYN, unexpectedly took a fantastic job opportunity in Africa that Alex was also hoping for. This happened, in part, because Alex hadn’t mentioned his potential interest in moving to Africa to Lucy. She ended up moving and wasn’t seen on the show after season seven.

Rachael Taylor is widely recognized for her roles as Trish Walker, Jessica Jones’ friend, in the Netflix series Jessica Jones and The Defenders. More recently, she made an appearance in an episode of the 2024 show Hacks.

I’ve been a huge fan of Addison since the beginning! It’s been amazing to watch her journey from Derek’s ex-wife to a beloved character with her own show. I remember when she last appeared as a regular on Grey’s Anatomy – it was that memorable musical episode in season seven where she jumped in to help Callie after the car crash. She popped up again in 2012 for that really emotional episode where Meredith imagined her mom was still with us, and then she came back for a whole arc in 2023, which was just fantastic to see. It’s always a treat when she’s on screen!

She ended Private Practice married to Jake (Benjamin Bratt) with a son, Henry. 

Kate Walsh became well-known for her roles in several popular shows and films, including Fargo, her own short-lived series Bad Judge, and the emotional drama 13 Reasons Why. More recently, she played a role in bringing about the apocalypse in The Umbrella Academy and became a star in the 2020 hit Emily in Paris. She also made a guest appearance on an episode of Optics in 2025.

Losing Lexie was absolutely heartbreaking for me as a fan. Her death, in that terrible plane crash, was one of the most devastating moments the show has ever done. It was awful that she never made it back to the hospital alive, especially with Mark Sloan desperately trying to reach her. It still gets to me thinking about him holding her as she passed. Though it was bittersweet, seeing her and Mark visit Meredith during her COVID coma felt like a beautiful reassurance that they found each other again, somewhere beyond. It was a truly touching moment, and I’ll always remember it.

Chyler Leigh first appeared in the comedy series Taxi Brooklyn. She then became known for her strong and determined character, Alex Danvers, in Supergirl. More recently, since 2023, she’s been playing Kat Landry in the Hallmark series The Way Home.

Mark, known as ‘McSteamy,’ also died in the season eight plane crash, though not right away. He managed to get back to the hospital and survived for a few days, but his injuries were too critical. Now, the hospital is named after him and Lexie, thanks to the money the other plane crash survivors received from a lawsuit. In a touching moment, Mark appeared alongside Lexie while Meredith was in a coma, suggesting they were reunited in the afterlife.

Eric Dane departed from the show to lead the cast of TNT’s The Last Ship, which concluded after five seasons in November 2018. He now stars in the HBO series Euphoria alongside Zendaya and is scheduled to return for the highly anticipated third season.

In April 2025, the actor announced he had been diagnosed with ALS, a disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Do you remember Jo’s boyfriend from season nine, the OGYN resident? They had a big argument when he discovered she’d been keeping secrets, and it escalated into a physical fight. Jason ended up in the hospital with a head injury after falling during the altercation. Alex talked him out of pressing charges against Jo, and he moved away and wasn’t seen again.

Charles Michael Davis has appeared in several popular TV shows, including The Originals (The CW), Younger (TV Land), For the People (ABC), and Chicago P.D. (NBC). His most recent role was in a 2022 episode of Legacies.

In season 10, the intern Heather tragically died during a major storm. She was electrocuted while attempting to assist Dr. Richard Webber.

Tina Majorino most recently appeared on CBS’ Scorpion and an episode of The Good Doctor.

Dr. Herman was a tough mentor to Arizona during her fetal surgery training, but Arizona understood why when she found out about Dr. Herman’s own serious brain tumor. Amelia successfully removed the tumor, but Dr. Herman later lost her vision and departed the show in season 11. She returned in season 14 to support Arizona’s exit, providing funding for her to establish a women’s health center in New York.

Geena Davis appeared in the 2016 Fox series The Exorcist and later returned to Grey’s Anatomy. More recently, she’s had roles in the Netflix show GLOW and the She-Ra animated reboot. Currently, she primarily works behind the scenes as a producer, including executive producing Mission Unstoppable With Miranda Cosgrove.

As a lifestyle observer, I’ve always been fascinated by characters who redefine their paths, and Cristina Yang’s journey is a prime example. After surviving a devastating plane crash and a long recovery, she faced another blow when she realized her career aspirations at Seattle Grace were ultimately limited. It was a turning point. Then, a surprising invitation came from her former love, Preston Burke, offering her the chance to lead his state-of-the-art hospital in Zurich – a role that would allow him to step back and focus on his family. After a bittersweet farewell, including one last epic dance with Meredith, she took the leap in season 10 and embarked on a brand new chapter.

Sandra Oh is a hugely popular TV actress, best known for her role as Eve in the award-winning series Killing Eve, for which she received a Golden Globe. Similar to Geena Davis, she also appears in a recurring role on the Netflix show She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Additionally, she provides voice work for a character in Robert Kirkman’s animated series Invincible.

Shane started as an overconfident intern and became a resident, pushing himself to the point of exhaustion. He developed a close relationship with Cristina and eventually asked to join her when she moved to Zurich, and she agreed.

Gaius Charles, best known for playing Smash Williams on Friday Night Lights, has also appeared in Aquarius and Taken. He recently starred in The Walking Dead: Dead City.

Derek Shepherd went through a difficult period when he started working for President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. He wanted his wife, Meredith, and their family to join him, but she didn’t want to move. They lived separately for a time until Derek realized he needed to be closer to them and found a way to do his job remotely from home.

After finally finding happiness with Mer in season 11, he was driving back to resolve some unfinished business when he came across a serious car crash. He spent hours helping those involved, but tragically, he was then struck by a truck while returning to his own vehicle. The hospital he was taken to wasn’t equipped to handle severe trauma, and doctors failed to order a crucial head scan, which ultimately led to his death.

Patrick Dempsey explained he left Grey’s Anatomy because the show’s storylines were becoming difficult to maintain and he wanted to prioritize spending time with his family, so he requested to be released from his contract. Since then, he’s appeared in Bridget Jones’ Baby, the miniseries The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, the show Devils, and has even done commercials playfully referencing his former role as a TV doctor. Currently, he’s starring in Dexter: Original Sin.

He shockingly returned to Grey’s for a series of dream sequences in season 17.

Leah Murphy had a difficult journey on the show. She was let go as a surgeon in season 10 because she struggled with the demands of the job. Surprisingly, she reappeared in season 13, working alongside Maggie, but her return was short-lived and she quickly disappeared again.

In 2019, Tessa Ferrer appeared alongside George Clooney in the Hulu miniseries Catch-22, and more recently, she starred in Grotesquerie in 2024.

Callie moved to New York when her girlfriend, Penny, received a prestigious fellowship there. Initially, Callie planned to stay in Seattle after a difficult custody loss with Arizona, but Arizona ultimately allowed her to take their daughter, Sofia, with her at the end of season twelve.

Sara Ramirez departed to join the cast of CBS’s Madame Secretary. They later became known for playing the controversial character Che Diaz in the HBO series And Just Like That, a spin-off of Sex and the City. In 2024, Ramirez also provided the voice for Amber in Velma.

Honestly, Penelope’s time at Grey Sloan was just…difficult from the beginning. She came in with a lot of baggage – everyone remembered her connection to Derek’s death, and she immediately had to navigate working with a pretty closed-off Meredith. Then, just when she landed this amazing job in New York, things got even more complicated when Callie decided to move there with her, which sparked that awful custody battle with Arizona. As far as I know, they’ve since broken up – which is probably for the best, because it always felt like their relationship was heading for trouble, especially with everything else going on. It was a messy situation all around, and I’m not surprised it didn’t last.

Samantha Sloyan became known for her role as Leigh in The Haunting of Hill House, and has also appeared in shows like SEAL Team and The Rookie. Most recently, in 2025, she returned to medical dramas with a role in The Pitt.

During Season 13, Dr. Minnick replaced Richard Webber as the residents’ teacher, but she was widely disliked – Meredith was even suspended because of conflicts with her. Ultimately, she was fired after prioritizing hospital rules over a resident’s safety when she failed to inform the police that Stephanie was missing during a fire, nearly resulting in a tragedy.

Marika Dominczyk later appeared on ABC’s brief series Whiskey Cavalier, joining her husband, Scott Foley (who previously starred on Grey’s Anatomy).

After a really tough season – seriously, months of exhaustion and heartbreak after losing Kyle – I decided it was time for a change. I needed to step away and explore something new. It was right after a scary fire, and honestly, I felt like I needed to prioritize my own well-being and find a fresh start.

After leaving Grey’s Anatomy, Jerrika Hinton took on roles in several other television series. In 2018, she starred in the HBO drama Here and Now, and later joined the cast of Amazon’s Hunters as a character dedicated to tracking down Nazis. Most recently, in 2024, she appeared as Lycia in The Accused.

Early in season 14, Nathan left Grey Sloan after his longtime love, Megan Hunt, was finally rescued after being held captive for ten years. They moved to Los Angeles together with Megan’s adopted child, giving Nathan the happy family he’d always wanted. While it ended his growing romance with Meredith, it was a fulfilling conclusion to Nathan’s story.

Martin Henderson, known for being in Britney Spears’ “Toxic” music video, later starred in the series Virgin River until 2024.

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2025-10-30 18:52