'Grey's Anatomy' Fans React to First Look at Kate Walsh's Return

Kate Walsh has officially scrubbed in as Dr. Addison Montgomery. Following Thursday's all-new episode of the hit ABC series, Grey's Anatomy fans got their first look at Walsh's return to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in a sneak peek clip for an upcoming episode, and it immediately sent fans into overdrive.

In the short clip shared for the Thursday, Oct. 14 episode, titled "Hotter Than Hell," Dr. Richard Weber (James Pickens Jr.) introduces Addison to the new batch of residents, with Walsh's onscreen counterpart telling them, "I'm Dr. Addison Montgomery, and you must be the group that's been screwing up the program." Although the clip only spanned 45 seconds, it went on to show Addison is operating on a patient as the air conditioning goes out, something that doesn't faze the skilled OBGYN, who says, "I can handle a little heat." The official episode synopsis, per ABC, reads, "Seattle's favorite redhead returns and graces the Grey Sloan halls with her experience and expertise as she attempts to help Richard teach the newest crop of residents. Meanwhile, Meredith has a decision to make, and Link confides in Teddy."

The upcoming episode will mark Walsh's first Grey's appearance since Season 8. Walsh joined the series at the end of Season 1 as Derek Shepherd's wife and left her series regular role when Private Practice, a Grey's spinoff following her character, launched in 2007, though she continued to make guest appearances. ABC confirmed in September that following a multi-year absence, Walsh would reprise her role as the world-class neonatal surgeon in Season 18, and the first-look clip at the actress back in action elicited plenty of excitement from fans.