5 Most Exciting Things To Expect From Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 When It Returns In 2025

Warning! SPOILERS about Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 8 ahead.

Among the many developments of Grey's Anatomy season 21, a few will indubitably affect its second half in 2025, with some likely to cause quite a stir in the greater order of things at Grey Sloan Memorial. When it premiered, Grey’s Anatomy season 21 focused greatly on how Meredith’s choices affected multiple other doctors, some of whom wouldn’t work at Grey Sloan due to Meredith publishing her Alzheimer’s research. However, Catherine’s health crisis momentarily made that less important, especially given how the Fox Foundation employed all the previously fired surgeons back.

The events in Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s first half shifted the priorities of multiple doctors. With the illness of Mika’s sister Chloe turning into something lethal after their car accident and Levi’s happy but destabilizing news, Grey’s Anatomy season 21 focused on two major characters’ exit. Still, while other characters weren’t at the center of the season’s first half, hints were dropped about what the near future may hold for them, including exciting storylines that might put the focus on them at last in Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s second half.

5 Meredith's Alzheimer's Research & Ongoing Fight With Catherine

Catherine's Secretive Illness Paused Catherine & Meredith's Fight

Catherine’s deteriorating health inevitably halted her and Meredith’s fight about her Alzheimer’s research, instead putting her treatments at the center. Meredith keeping Catherine’s secret already introduced the variable of Richard’s anger towards Meredith after realizing what they had kept from him, but Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s second half will also have to update viewers about the state of Meredith’s research, as almost nothing was revealed in the medical drama’s season 21’s premiere.

Meredith keeping Catherine’s secret earned her the temporary cessation of hostilities, but Meredith only told Amelia and Jackson how she would have continued her Alzheimer’s research somewhere else in Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s premiere. The focus on Catherine’s health made it possible for Meredith to skirt the questions about where and how, but Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s second half has to reveal where Meredith is continuing her Alzheimer’s research and why was Amelia left out of the deal.

4 Ben Warren's Journey As A Surgeon At The Forefront Of His Story

Ben Struggled To Leave His First Responder Past Behind Despite Choosing Medicine

Ben Warren’s return to medicine in Grey’s Anatomy season 21 was portrayed in multiple scenes that saw him in the ER or back in the OR as a surgeon, but his storyline has yet to reveal major changes from who he was as a firefighter in Station 19’s final season. This was even highlighted by Teddy putting Ben in charge of managing the patients’ flow in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 8, essentially using his first responder skills instead of his surgical ones.

Ben’s return to Grey Sloan from firefighting was hinted at by showrunner Meg Marinis as something not without its hurdles, but Grey’s Anatomy season 21 has yet to show that. Given how impactful Ben’s career change was when he first chose firefighting, Ben’s return in Grey’s Anatomy season 21 should have just as many growing pains, as the person returning isn’t the same one who had left Grey Sloan Memorial seven years prior, making it necessary to showcase Ben’s journey.

3 Amelia & Monica Exploring Their Romantic Connection At Last

Amelia & Monica Got Closer, While Monica & Winston's Relationship Fizzled Out

Ever since Monica Beltran was introduced in Grey’s Anatomy season 20, her chemistry with Amelia Shepherd was undeniable. However, Monica’s complicated divorce and her connection with Winston quickly put a stop to any romantic development between Monica and Amelia, even after Amelia revealed her feelings by asking Monica whether they wanted to meet outside of work given their connection.

However, Amelia and Monica’s deepening bond in Grey’s Anatomy season 21 evidently set up their romantic connection. From Amelia’s support for Monica when they feared the worst after Levi’s helicopter didn’t check in to Winston’s lack of interest in pursuing anything romantic with Monica, it all points to Grey’s Anatomy season 21 finally bringing forth Amelia and Monica’s romance. This forces the two to connect after nothing had happened between them in that sense despite their evident interest in one another.

2 Lucas's Shepherd Connection Beyond Amelia Being Delved Into

Lucas's Life Being In Danger Can Bring His Family To Seattle

Grey’s Anatomy season 19 first introduced Lucas Adams without shying away from his Shepherd connection, revealing straight away how he was the son of one of the Shepherd sisters. However, Lucas’s Shepherd connection was quickly abandoned in season 20, with the medical drama showing Lucas and Amelia living together and helping one another face problems, without Grey’s Anatomy ever having to reveal which of Amelia and Derek’s sisters was Lucas’s mother.

Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s second half can be forced into finally revealing Lucas’s Shepherd connection due to his life being in danger by Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s midseason finale. Between the shots being fired right after Lucas and the robber’s physical altercation and Lucas’s mentions of his family history via stories about his father and uncle, it’s clear the focus will be pulled once again on Lucas and how he precisely is connected to the Shepherds, revealing the long-kept secret at last.

1 Owen & Teddy Breaking Up & Pursuing Their New Romantic Interests

Teddy & Owen Long Had Problems, While Cass & Nora Bring Out A Different Side Of Them

Owen already complained about the state of his relationship with Teddy in Grey’s Anatomy season 20, expressing a fear of losing her because they only talked about their children’s schedules or work. However, Owen and Teddy’s fight after Teddy told him Cass Beckman kissed her seems much more final, especially in the way Owen shut Teddy out after seeing Cass and Teddy’s instant connection.

Cass not going anywhere and Owen choosing to spend time with Nora in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 8 set them up as the new love interests of Teddy and Owen respectively. Given how Teddy and Owen’s relationship problems in Grey’s Anatomy season 21 only worsened and couples rarely stay together long in the medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s second half will likely break Owen and Teddy up, rejuvenating their storylines and making them interesting again.