Ellen Pompeo’s Involvement in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 21 Revealed

The “Grey” of Grey’s Anatomy is sticking around. Deadline reports that Ellen Pompeo will be making numerous appearances throughout the upcoming 21st season of the ABC medical drama after initially leaving in the middle of Season 19 as a series regular. While Pompeo is no longer a series regular, she has still popped back up several times and continues to serve as the show’s narrator.

Sources told the outlet that Pompeo will be in at least seven episodes of Season 21, which consists of 18 episodes, with the possibility for more. News of her sizable return comes not long after it was reported that the cast will be taking an episode reduction to save money and will not be appearing in at least a couple of episodes.

It hasn’t been as easy getting Pompeo back for appearances, as she’s been busy with the Hulu limited series Natalia, which is why she initially wanted to take a step back from Grey’s. Even with her no longer being a series regular, the show is still doing pretty well. However, she might have started a domino effect because Grey’s has continued to see more and more cast members leaving. Ahead of Season 21, Jake Borelli and Midori Francis were announced to be leaving but will be appearing at the beginning of the season to wrap up their characters’ stories. Jason George, meanwhile, is returning to as a series regular following the series finale of Station 19.

It’s not surprising that Ellen Pompeo will be appearing in several episodes in the upcoming season, as Meredith has been getting closer and closer to curing Alzheimer’s. Her research ended up costing her job as well as Amelia, Teddy, and Owen’s. The continuing storyline will be an interesting one, especially since it could go on for quite some time. Pompeo being in at least seven episodes could be either a good thing or a bad thing when it comes to that storyline.

As of now, a premiere date for Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 has not been announced, but it shouldn’t be long. NBC released its fall 2024 premiere dates, meaning that ABC shouldn’t be too far behind. Even though it is disappointing that Grey’s will be losing a couple of doctors, Meredith Grey is returning to Grey Sloan Memorial, and it’s going to be exciting to see what happens. It might also be nerve-wracking, depending on how the story goes.