Another Fan Favorite Is Returning To Grey's Anatomy In Season 18
Lately it seems like "Grey's Anatomy" is on a roll when it comes to bringing back fan-favorite characters. With the dawning of the 18th season imminent, fans have heard a number of exciting announcements about returning stars.
On September 2, Deadline reported that Kate Walsh, who was last seen in 2012's Season 8 after appearing in 59 episodes early on in the series' run, would be making a multiple-episode return as neonatal doc Addison Montgomery — and she's just the latest to once again walk the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Kate Burton, who plays Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo) mother, Ellis Gray, is also slated to recur in Season 18, even though the character died in Season 3.
A few seasons back, ABC pleased "Grey's Anatomy" fans by bringing back Kim Raver as Dr. Teddy Altman in Season 14. She had been a regular in Seasons 6-8 before returning in Season 14 briefly, and then re-joined the main cast in Season 15 (via Deadline). Then, this past spring, producers surprised fans with a recurring dream motif throughout Season 17, that allowed the returns of Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd and T.R. Knight as George O'Malley, along with Chyler Leigh as Lexi Grey and Erik Dane as Mark Sloan. Deadline also noted that executive producer Krista Vernoff introduced the theme to the show "to bring joy amid the grim realities of the pandemic as reflected on 'Grey's.'"
If this is a trend that's going to continue to "bring joy" to fans, we're here for it.
Abigail Spencer, playing Dr. Megan Hunt, will return as a recurring character
Now, Abigail Spencer, who played Dr. Megan Hunt in Seasons 14 and 15, is back as well. She will return for the series premiere and be a recurring character this season, TVLine reports.
Spencer didn't have quite the run that some of the previous returning characters did; she only appeared on six episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" as Megan, who served in the U.S. Army as a trauma surgeon alongside her brother Owen (Kevin McKidd) and fellow docs Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) and Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson). She's a mom with a son, Farouk, who was a Syrian refugee before she took him in; eventually, she moved to L.A. with Nathan and Farouk.
It's unclear what the circumstances of her return will be, although with Owen and Teddy finally possibly heading toward the altar, it could be a wedding that she's in town for. TVLine says that the character description for Megan does not include any mention of her living with Nathan — only Farouk, leading to speculation that her romance with him did not work out, and she might get a new love interest this season: perhaps Link (Chris Carmack)?
In any case, it's clear that "Grey's Anatomy" knows what the fans want — throwbacks featuring old, familiar faces. Whichever characters producers decide to bring back, viewers can see them starting September 30 at 9 p.m. Eastern when Season 18 begins.