The eighteenth season of the American television medical drama ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...

'' was ordered on May 10, 2021, by the

American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American Commercial broadcasting, commercial broadcast Television broadcaster, television and radio Radio network, network that serves as the flagship property of the Disney Entertainment division ...

(ABC). It premiered on September 30, 2021, for the 2021–22 broadcast season. The season is produced by

ABC Signature ABC Signature was a production arm of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), which is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a sub-division of the Disney Entertainment business segment and division of The Walt Disney Company. The studio ...

, in association with

Shondaland Shondaland (stylized as ShondaLand from 2005 to 2016 and shondaland thereafter) is an American television production company founded by television writer and producer Shonda Rhimes. She founded it to be one of the production companies of her fir ...

Production Company and

Entertainment One Television Lionsgate Canada is a Canadian entertainment company and a subsidiary of Lionsgate Studios. Based in Toronto, the company is primarily involved in the acquisition and production of films and television series. The company began on June 1, 1973 ...

; the

showrunner A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series. The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over th ...

being

Krista Vernoff Krista Vernoff (born October 24, 1971) is an American television screenwriter, executive producer and director. She is best known for being the showrunner for ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2007–11, 2017–2023) and its spin-off, ''Station 19'' (2019–202 ...

. This is the first season not to feature Jesse Williams, Giacomo Gianniotti, and

Greg Germann Gregory Andrew Germann ( ; born February 26, 1958) is an American actor who is known for playing Richard Fish on the television series ''Ally McBeal'', which earned him a Screen Actors Guild award. He also is known for his roles as Eric "Rico" M ...

as series regulars since the seventh, twelfth, and sixteenth seasons, respectively. The season marked the return of Kate Walsh as

Addison Montgomery Addison Adrianne Forbes Montgomery, Doctor of Medicine, M.D., Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, F.A.C.S., American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, F.A.C.O.G., previously known as Shepherd, is a fictional character who first ap ...

for three episodes, after her last appearance on the

season 8 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and polar ...

episode "

If/Then ''If/Then'' is a musical with a libretto by Brian Yorkey and a theatrical score by Tom Kitt, directed by Michael Greif. It tells the story of a 38-year-old woman named Elizabeth who moves back to New York City for a fresh start. ''If/Then ...

". On January 10, 2022, ABC renewed the series for a nineteenth season. The website

Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...

ranked the season #18 on their 2023 ranking of the 19 ''

'' seasons.

Episodes

The number in the "No. overall" column refers to the episode's number within the overall series, whereas the number in the "No. in season" column refers to the episode's number within this particular season. "U.S. viewers in millions" refers to the number of Americans in millions who watched the episodes live.

Cast and characters

Main

Ellen Pompeo Ellen Kathleen Pompeo (; born November 10, 1969) is an American actress. One of the world's highest-paid actors since 2017, she has made multiple appearances on ''Forbes'' year-end lists. Her accolades include a Screen Actors Guild Award and a ...

as Dr.

Meredith Grey Meredith Grey M.D., F.A.C.S., (born 1977 or 1978) is a fictional and titular character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character was c ...

Chandra Wilson Chandra Danette Wilson (born August 27, 1969) is an American actress and director best known for her role as Dr. Miranda Bailey in ''Grey's Anatomy'' since 2005, for which she has been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Su ...

as Dr.

Miranda Bailey Miranda Bailey, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the long-running medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', created by Shonda Rhimes and portrayed by Chandra Wilson since the series' debut in 2005. Bailey has appeared in 387 episodes across ...

* James Pickens Jr. as Dr.

Richard Webber Richard Webber, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S., is a fictional character from the ABC medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy''. The character was created by Shonda Rhimes and is portrayed by actor James Pickens Jr. since the series' incepti ...

Kevin McKidd Kevin McKidd (born 9 August 1973) is a Scottish actor and television director best known as Dr. Owen Hunt in ''Grey's Anatomy'' and Tommy Mackenzie in Danny Boyle's '' Trainspotting'' (1996). McKidd played Colin in the 2008 film Made of Hono ...

as Dr.

Owen Hunt Major (Ret.) Owen Hunt, Doctor of Medicine, M.D., Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, F.A.C.S., is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) i ...

Caterina Scorsone Caterina Scorsone is a Canadian actress. She is known for her role as neurosurgeon Dr. Amelia Shepherd on the ABC medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2010–present) and its spin-offs '' Private Practice'' (2010–2013) and ''Station 19'' (2020– ...

as Dr.

Amelia Shepherd Amelia Frances Shepherd, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the ABC American television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy ''and the series '' Private Practice'', portrayed by Caterina Scorsone. Amelia was introduced in Season 3 of ''Privat ...

Camilla Luddington Camilla Anne Luddington (born 15 December 1983) is an English actress, best known for her role as Dr. Jo Wilson in the ABC medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy''. She is also known for voicing Lara Croft in the ''Tomb Raider'' video games and ...

as Dr. Jo Wilson *

Kelly McCreary Kelly J. McCreary (born September 29, 1981) is an American actress, best known for her role on the ABC drama series ''Grey's Anatomy'' as Dr. Maggie Pierce, the half-sister of series protagonist Meredith Grey. She joined the series as a guest at ...

as Dr.

Maggie Pierce Margaret "Maggie" Pierce, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a fictional character from the medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), portrayed by Kelly McCreary. Created by series producer Shonda Rhimes, Maggie fi ...

Kim Raver Kimberly Jayne Raver (born March 15, 1969) is an American actress. She is known for television roles such as Dr. Teddy Altman on American Broadcasting Company, ABC's medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', Kim Zambrano on ''Third Watch'', and Audrey R ...

as Dr.

Teddy Altman Theodora Grace "Teddy" Altman, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the ABC medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy''. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes, and is portrayed by Kim Raver. She was introduced as a recurring cha ...

Jake Borelli Jake Borelli (born May 13, 1991) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Wolfgang on the Nickelodeon comedy series ''The Thundermans'' (2015–2018) and Dr. Levi Schmitt on the ABC medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2017–2024). Earl ...

as Dr.

Levi Schmitt Levi Schmitt, M.D., is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The character is portrayed by Jake Borelli. Levi is introduced a ...

Chris Carmack Chris Carmack (born December 22, 1980) is an American actor, singer, and former fashion model. He is known for his roles in three popular television shows—the teen drama series '' The O.C.'' (2003–2004) as Luke Ward, the country music drama ...

as Dr. Atticus "Link" Lincoln *

Richard Flood Richard Flood (born 28 July 1982) is an Irish actor best known for the character Tommy McConnel in the series ''Crossing Lines,'' James McKay in the series '' Red Rock,'' Ford in the series '' Shameless'', and starred as Dr. Cormac Hayes on ''Gr ...

as Dr. Cormac Hayes * Anthony Hill as Dr. Winston Ndugu *

Scott Speedman Robert Scott Speedman (born September 1, 1975) is a Canadian actor and model. He is known for portraying Ben Covington in the coming-of-age drama television series '' Felicity'', Lycan–Vampire hybrid Michael Corvin in the gothic horror–act ...

as Dr. Nick Marsh

Recurring

* Kate Walsh as Dr.

Jason George Jason Winston George (born February 9, 1972) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Michael Bourne on the NBC daytime soap opera ''Sunset Beach'', as Jeremiah Thurgood "J.T." Hunter on the UPN television sitcom ''Eve'', as Dr. ...

as Dr. Ben Warren *

Abigail Spencer Abigail Leigh Spencer (born August 4, 1981) is an American actress. She began her career playing Rebecca Tyree on the ABC daytime television soap opera ''All My Children'' (1999–2001) before going on to star in the Lifetime crime drama serie ...

as Dr. Megan Hunt *

Lynn Chen Lynn Chen () is a Taiwanese-American actress and singer. She is best known for playing Vivian Shing in the film '' Saving Face'', a role for which she won the "Outstanding Newcomer Award" at the 2006 Asian Excellence Awards. She writes the popu ...

as Dr. Michelle Lin *

Alex Landi Alex Landi (born September 28, 1992) is an American actor and model of Korean-Italian descent, best known for his role as Dr. Nico Kim on ABC's ''Grey's Anatomy'' and '' Station 19''. Early life and education Landi was born in New York City. His ...

as Dr. Nico Kim * Melissa DuPrey as Dr. Sara Ortiz * Greg Tarzan Davis as Dr. Jordan Wright *

Peter Gallagher Peter Killian Gallagher (born August 19, 1955) is an American actor. Since 1980, he has played roles in numerous Hollywood films. He is best known for starring as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series '' The O.C.'' from 2003 to 2007, and ...

as Dr. David Hamilton * Jaicy Elliot as Dr. Taryn Helm * E.R. Fightmaster as Dr. Kai Bartley * Zaiver Sinnett as Dr. Zander Perez * Sylvia Kwan as Dr. Mabel Tseng * Robert I. Mesa as Dr. James Chee *

Stefania Spampinato Stefania Spampinato (born 17 July 1982) is an Italian actress. She is best known for starring in the series ABC's ''Grey's Anatomy'' and the ''Grey's Anatomy'' spinoff ''Station 19'' as Dr. Carina DeLuca, an Italian OB-GYN. Life and career ...

as Dr. Carina DeLuca * Aniela Gumbs as Zola Grey Shepherd *

Debbie Allen Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an Emmy Award ...

as Dr. Catherine Fox *

Skylar Astin Skylar Astin Lipstein (born September 23, 1987) is an American actor. He became known for portraying Jesse Swanson in the musical films '' Pitch Perfect'' (2012) and '' Pitch Perfect 2'' (2015). He originated the role of Georg in the Broadway mu ...

as Todd Eames *

Rome Flynn Rome Trumain Ceno Flynn (born November 25, 1991) is an American actor, model and musician. He is best known for his portrayal of Zende Forrester Dominguez on the CBS daytime drama ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' for which he won the Daytime Emmy A ...

as Wendell Ndugu * Kate Burton as Dr. Ellis Grey *

Bianca A. Santos Bianca Alexa Santos (born July 26, 1990) is an American actress known for her roles as Lexi Rivera in the Freeform drama series '' The Fosters'' and as Lucy Velez in the MTV comedy series '' Happyland''. She also starred in the films ''Ouija'' ...

as Kristen Clark * Cedric Sanders as Simon Clark

Notable guests

Sarah Drew Sarah Drew (born October 1, 1980) is an American actress and director. She played Hannah Rogers in The WB family drama series ''Everwood'' (2004–2006) and April Kepner, Dr. April Kepner in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC medical drama se ...

as Dr.

April Kepner April Kepner, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the ABC's medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy''. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes and is portrayed by actress Sarah Drew. April was introduced in the episode " ...

* Jesse Williams as Dr.

Jackson Avery Jackson Avery, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a fictional character from the ABC medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy''. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes, and is portrayed by Jesse Williams. He was introduced in the season 6 episode "Invas ...

as Dr. Tom Koracick *

Debra Mooney Debra Mooney is an American character actress, best known for her role as Edna Harper on The WB drama series '' Everwood'' (2002–06). Mooney is also known for her recurring roles in ''Scandal'', ''Grey's Anatomy'' and '' The Originals''. Lif ...

as Evelyn Hunt *

Jaina Lee Ortiz Jaina Lee Ortiz (born Jessica Ortiz; November 20, 1986) is an American actress and dancer. She is known for her starring role as Detective Annalise Villa on the Fox police drama ''Rosewood'' from 2015 to 2017. From 2018 to 2024, she starred as ...

as Lt. Andy Herrera *

Grey Damon Grey Damon (born September 24, 1987) is an American actor, known for his roles in '' Friday Night Lights'', '' The Nine Lives of Chloe King'' and '' Station 19''. He resides in Los Angeles. Beginning with its premiere in May 2015, Damon co-starr ...

as Lt. Jack Gibson *

Barrett Doss Barrett Doss is an American actress and singer. She is known for her role as Victoria Hughes in the ABC action drama series ''Station 19''. Life and career Doss was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doss's parents divorced when she was a child, an ...

as Victoria "Vic" Hughes *

Jay Hayden Jonathan Hayden is an American actor. He is best known for his work in the ABC comedy-drama series '' The Catch'' (2016–17) and the ''Grey's Anatomy'' spinoff '' Station 19'', both produced by Shondaland. He also has a recurring role in '' Cr ...

as Travis Montgomery *

Okieriete Onaodowan Okieriete "Oak" Onaodowan ( ) is an American actor and singer known for his work in musical theatre and television. On stage, he is known for originating the dual roles of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in the 2015 Broadway musical ''Hamil ...

as Dean Miller * Carlos Miranda as Lt. Theo Ruiz *

LaTanya Richardson Jackson LaTanya Richardson Jackson is an American actress. She began her career appearing in off-Broadway productions, before playing supporting roles on television and film. Her performances are credited to her birth name, LaTanya Richardson, from 1989 ...

as Diane Pierce

Production

Development

On March 25, 2021,

, who serves as the

and

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...

of ''Grey's Anatomy'' and ''

Station 19 ''Station 19'' is an American action and procedural drama television series created by Stacy McKee that premiered on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on March 22, 2018. It is the second spin-off of ''Grey's Anatomy'' (after '' Private Pr ...

'' signed a two-year deal with ABC to remain on both series through a potential nineteenth season. The deal also keeps Trip the Light Productions, Vernoff's production company, attached to the series. Although no longer writing for the series, after her departure from

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

in 2017, series creator

Shonda Rhimes Shonda Lynn Rhimes (born January 13, 1970) is an American television producer and screenwriter, and founder of the production company Shondaland. Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame, Rhimes became known ...

remains credited as a showrunner and executive producer. When ABC revealed its schedule for the 2021–22 broadcast season it was announced that the series would hold its previous time slot of Thursdays at 9:00 PM ET, with ''Station 19'' serving as a lead-in. ABC announced its holiday programming schedule in October 2021, where it was revealed that the season would contain both a Thanksgiving and Christmas themed episode to air in November and December, respectively. The season finale was also the series' 400th episode.

Casting

, and

each signed a three-year contract in July 2020 keeping them attached to the series through a potential nineteenth season to portray Dr.

, Dr. Jo Wilson, and Dr.

, respectively. The series remaining three original actors

, and James Pickens, Jr., who portray Dr.

, Dr.

, and Dr.

, respectively, were all confirmed to be returning for the season. Pompeo signed a one-year contract for her return receiving over per episode and also making her the highest paid actress on broadcast television. Her contract also allows her to retain a producer credit on the series as well as co-executive producer credit on ''Station 19''. Wilson and Pickens reportedly received a significant pay increase from their previous contracts. Giacomo Gianniotti, Jesse Williams, and

did not return as series regulars to portray Dr.

Andrew DeLuca Andrea "Andrew" DeLuca, M.D., is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on ABC in the United States, and is portrayed by Giacomo Gianniotti. Gianniotti was cast in April 2015, and his charact ...

, Dr.

, and Dr. Tom Koracick, respectively, after departing in the previous season. Meanwhile,

was added to the main cast as Dr. Nick Marsh, a character he had previously portrayed in the fourteenth season as a guest star. Former series regular Kate Walsh, who also headlined her own

spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

series entitled '' Private Practice'' from 2007 until 2013, returned to the series in a recurring capacity. Walsh, who portrays the character Dr.

, returned in the third episode, " Hotter Than Hell", and had last guest starred in the eighth season episode "

" in 2012. She then appeared in "

With a Little Help From My Friends "With a Little Help from My Friends" is a song recorded by English rock band the Beatles for their 1967 album '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. It was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and is sung by drummer Ringo Starr (a ...

", the episode that immediately followed; and again in

Should I Stay or Should I Go "Should I Stay or Should I Go" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash from their fifth studio album ''Combat Rock'', written in 1981 and featuring Mick Jones on lead vocals. It was released in 1982 as a double A-sided single alongs ...

". Despite his departure in the seventeenth season, it was reported that Germann was expected to return in later seasons as a guest star which he later did, reprising his role in " Bottle Up and Explode!" and once more in "

Legacy Legacy or Legacies may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * " Batman: Legacy", a 1996 Batman storyline * '' DC Universe: Legacies'', a comic book series from DC Comics * ''Legacy'', a 1999 quarterly series from Antarctic Press * ''Legacy ...

departed as a series regular after the tenth episode of the season, "

Living in a House Divided "Living in a House Divided" is a song by American entertainer Cher, released as the lead single from her album ''Foxy Lady''. The song's lyrics discuss the separation of a couple, as a rather poignant descriptor of Cher's marriage to then-husband, ...

"; Flood was first introduced as a recurring character during the sixteenth season and was promoted to the main cast beginning with the seventeenth. Williams, who previously departed alongside Germann, stated in an interview that he would be open to returning during the season as well. In April 2022 it was confirmed that Williams would return to the series in the

season finale A season finale (British English: series finale; Australian English: season final) is the final episode of a season of a television program. This is often the final episode to be produced for a few months or longer, and, as such, will attempt to ...

alongside former co-star

. Drew portrayed Dr.

beginning in the sixth season and held the role for nine seasons, eight as a series regular, before departing in the fourteenth season, and briefly returning in the previous season for Williams' departure. The season also featured the return of recurring cast members Kate Burton as Dr. Ellis Grey and

as Dr. Megan Hunt, both of whom last appeared in the fifteenth season. New cast members to the series who were cast in recurring roles for the season include

as Dr. David Hamilton,

as Dr. Michelle Lin, and Greg Tarzan Davis as Dr. Jordan Wright. E.R. Fightmaster, who had guest starred in the season’s second and third episodes as Dr. Kai Bartley, was also promoted to a recurring cast member. Fightmaster and their character Bartley are both

non-binary Non-binary or genderqueer Gender identity, gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gende ...

, being the first non-binary actor and character on the series.

and

were cast in recurring roles for the second half of the season to portray Todd Eames, an environmental sciences expert, and Wendell Ndugu, the brother of Hill's character, respectively.

and Cedric Sanders were also cast in recurring roles to portray Kristen and Simon Clark, a "married couple in a dire medical situation," for three episodes of the season.

Reception

Awards and nominations

At the

2nd Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards The 2nd Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards, presented by the Hollywood Creative Alliance, Hollywood Critics Association, took place on August 13 and 14, 2022, at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, California, and streamed live on YouTube. T ...

the season received a nomination for Best Broadcast Network Series, Drama. This award was ultimately won by ''

This Is Us ''This Is Us'' is an American drama television series created by Dan Fogelman that aired on NBC from September 20, 2016, to May 24, 2022. The series follows the lives and families of two parents and their three children in several different ti ...

''. The season was also awarded

The ReFrame Stamp The ReFrame Stamp for Gender-Balanced Production certification is awarded by ReFrame to corporations and media that show progress toward gender equality and greater representation of women in key roles. History On June 8, 2018, the ReFrame Sta ...

, a certification given to scripted television productions that hire "women or individuals of other underrepresented gender identities/expressions ..in four out of eight key roles including writer, director, producer, lead, co-leads, and department heads."

Ratings

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grey's Anatomy Season 18 * Grey's Anatomy seasons 2021 American television seasons 2022 American television seasons