Grey's Anatomy S19: Cristina's Note To Addison Was The Perfect Nostalgic Tie-In

When any TV series has been on the air for 19 seasons, it takes on lore all its own. Many fans have stuck with it from the beginning, and it's nice when writers throw in Easter eggs and callbacks to make all that time invested seem worth it. "Grey's Anatomy" fans were treated to one such surprise in Season 19, Episode 16, "Gunpowder and Lead." 

At one point in the episode, Addison (Kate Walsh) loaded boxes into a new mobile clinic, to which she found a note written by none other than Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh). She may have left the series in Season 10, but her presence was still felt when she gave Addison some words to live by: "This should keep you in business for a while. Keep fighting, Yang."

It may have been nearly a decade since she left, but fans were appreciative of the callback, with Redditor u/Macintoshk writing, "Guys. How good it was to get a Yang mention that also involves ADDISON. Literally never thought that would ever happen again." It was enough to make a grown adult cry.

It's nice to see some sort of continuity within long-running shows, especially in live-action dramas where actors come and go far more frequently. Many fans probably hadn't thought of Dr. Cristina Yang in years, but the moment served as a nice reminder that she's still around. And she's willing to lend a helping hand even when she isn't there physically.

For many, it was an emotional callback, and people couldn't help but let some tears start flowing. That was the case with u/LatteMadonna, who wrote, "Straight up started crying when I saw the note." Redditor u/cullymama felt the same way, "Just finished the episode and that legit made me cry." But going beyond the tears, the moment was a good example of how previous "Grey's Anatomy" characters can return to the show and pay respect to what's come before. Redditor u/_beachy_head hopes it isn't the last time, "This is how they should mention past characters. I'm always bummed when they don't acknowledge characters once they leave the show. A random mention here and there like this would be so good for continuity and to anchor the show in real life."

Unfortunately, for fans hoping the note means a Dr. Cristina Yang return is in the future, don't get your hopes up. Sandra Oh has commented that she's left the series behind, saying in "The Los Angeles Times' Asian Enough" podcast, "In some ways, you do your work as a bubble and you let it go. I left that show, my God, seven years ago almost. So in my mind, it's gone." While Dr. Yang may not be back, her influence lives on all these years later.