"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" is the fifth episode of the twelfth season of the American television

medical drama A medical drama is a Television film, television movie or film in which events center upon a hospital, clinic, doctor's office, a paramedic, or any other medical topic or environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic progra ...

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 ...

'', and the 250th episode overall. Written by

Mark Driscoll Mark A. Driscoll (born 1970) is an American evangelical pastor and author. He is the founder and primary contributor of RealFaith ministries. He is also the senior and founding pastor of Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, which was founded ...

and directed by executive producer

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 ...

, it aired on 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) in the United States on October 22, 2015. The episode centers around the dinner party hosted by

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 ...

(

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 ...

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 ...

(

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– ...

) and

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 ...

( Kelly McCreary). Tensions arise when

Callie Torres Calliope Iphigenia "Callie" Torres, M.D. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the ABC in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes and is portr ...

' (

Sara Ramirez Sara Elena Ramírez Vargas (; born August 31, 1975) is an American actor. Born in Mazatlán, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Ramírez moved from Mexico to the United States at eight years old, eventually graduating with a fine arts degree from the Juillia ...

) new girlfriend Penelope "Penny" Blake (

Samantha Sloyan Samantha Sloyan (born January 4, 1979) is an American actress. Sloyan is best known for her multiple collaborations with filmmaker Mike Flanagan in ''Hush'', ''The Haunting of Hill House'', ''Midnight Mass'', ''The Midnight Club'', and ''The Fall ...

), is introduced, and it is revealed that Blake was one of

Derek Shepherd Derek Christopher Shepherd, often referred to as "McDreamy" for his "attractiveness", is a fictional surgeon from the ABC medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'', portrayed by actor Patrick Dempsey. He made his first appearance in the series' pilot ep ...

's (

Patrick Dempsey Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and racing driver best known for playing neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd in ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–15; 2020–21). He is also known for his leading man romantic film roles, such ...

) doctors when he died. The episode also follows

Arizona Robbins Arizona Robbins, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which airs on the ABC in the United States, and is portrayed by Jessica Capshaw. She was introduced in the show's fifth sea ...

(

Jessica Capshaw Jessica Brooke Capshaw (born August 9, 1976) is an American actress known for her roles as Jamie Stringer on the ABC legal drama series ''The Practice'', and as Dr. Arizona Robbins on the ABC medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy''. Early life Caps ...

) as she attempts to adjust to Callie's new relationship, April Kepner (

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 she distracts herself from her ongoing issues with her estranged husband Jackson Avery ( Jesse Williams), and a heated argument between Jo Wilson (

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 ...

) and Stephanie Edwards ( Jerrika Hinton). On its initial airing, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" was watched by a total of 8.96 million viewers and scored a 2.4/8 in the key 18–49 demographic in the

Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

, ranking at #1 for the time slot. It received universal acclaim, with numerous critics calling it one of the best episodes of the series in recent years, and Pompeo and Scorsone's performances received widespread praise.

Plot

As guests begin to arrive for the dinner party,

(

) answers the door and is shocked to see

(

) and her new girlfriend, Penelope "Penny" Blake (

). Meredith immediately recognizes Penny as the doctor who informed her about

's (

) death. Trying to keep her emotions in check, Meredith avoids Penny but eventually tells her that they will not discuss their history. Instead, Penny is told to make

small talk Small talk is an informal type of discourse that does not cover any functional topics of conversation or any transactions that need to be addressed. In essence, it is polite and standard conversation about unimportant things. The phenomenon ...

with everyone else at the party. Meanwhile,

( Kelly McCreary) worries she might have contracted an STD from her relationship with

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 ...

( Giacomo Gianniotti) and rushes to the hospital for a test, leaving her dinner responsibilities behind. This prompts April Kepner (

) to take over cooking with help from other guests. As Callie introduces Penny to everyone, she gets called away for an emergency consult at the hospital. Despite Penny’s insistence on leaving with her, Callie asks Meredith to keep Penny company, making sure she feels welcome. During dinner, the tension rises when Penny introduces herself fully as "Penelope Blake", triggering recognition from

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 ...

(

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 ...

), who reveals that Penny is the new transfer resident at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The revelation pushes Meredith to her breaking point, and she reveals to everyone the connection between Derek's death and Penny. Meredith storms upstairs, and

Alex Karev Alexander Michael "Alex" Karev (né Evans), M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character on the ABC television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', portrayed by actor Justin Chambers. Introduced as a surgical intern at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, Ka ...

(

Justin Chambers Justin Willman Chambers (born July 11, 1970) is an American actor and former model best known for his role as Dr. Alex Karev in ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005-20). Born in Ohio, he went to Southeastern High School, South Charleston, and later studi ...

) follows to check in on her. Meanwhile,

(

), devastated to realize she had been friendly with one of the doctors responsible for Derek's death, demands that Penny recount every detail of the night he died. Her intense reaction leads to a

confrontation Confrontation is an element of conflict wherein parties confront one another, directly engaging one another in the course of a dispute between them. A confrontation can be at any scale, between any number of people, between entire nations or cu ...

that ends with Amelia kicking Penny out of the house just as Callie and

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 ...

(

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 ...

) return from the hospital. Amelia later joins Meredith upstairs, proposing to file an appeal to block Penny from working at the hospital. Meredith, now fed up with being the strong one, lashes out, reminding Amelia that she lost her husband and the father of her children, while Amelia only lost her brother. Meredith demands that Amelia leave her room, calling for Owen to get Amelia out before things escalate. Owen consoles Amelia in her room, revealing his own imperfect feelings. He admits that after the plane crash, he had moments of relief at the thought of

Cristina Yang Cristina Yang, Doctor of Medicine, M.D., Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series ''Grey's Anatomy'', which has aired for 20 seasons on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the ...

(

Sandra Oh Sandra Miju Oh (born July 20, 1971) is a Canadian and American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Rita Wu in ''Arliss (TV series), Arliss'' (1996–2002), Cristina Yang in ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–14), and Eve Polastri in ''Kill ...

) being gone because it would have frozen their relationship in time. He comforts Amelia by telling her it’s okay that they aren't perfect. Outside, Penny attempts to call a cab but is interrupted by Callie, who is hurt that Penny never told her about her involvement in Derek's death. Penny explains that she didn’t think Callie knew Derek, but Callie replies, "He was my friend". The situation leaves their relationship in doubt. Inside, Jo Wilson (

) and Stephanie Edwards ( Jerrika Hinton) try to repair their strained friendship. Jo apologizes for not believing Stephanie’s traumatic childhood story, but their conversation quickly turns into another argument when Stephanie accuses Jo of always trying to "level the playing field" instead of simply acknowledging that Stephanie is better at some things. At the hospital, Maggie is mortified when Andrew turns out to be the doctor assigned to perform her STD test. Although she initially asks for another doctor, she ends up resolving her issues with Andrew, and they continue working through their relationship awkwardly. As the night winds down, Meredith and Alex share a bottle of

tequila Tequila (; ) is a liquor, distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, Jalisco, Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands (''Los Altos (Jal ...

in her room, with Alex offering to stay as her new "person". Before heading back upstairs, Meredith encounters Penny, who apologizes once more, explaining that she thinks about that night and Meredith's words every day. Penny offers to transfer to another residency program, but Meredith responds, "I'll see you Monday. Don’t be late."

Production

The episode was written by

and directed by executive producer

. The

table read The read-through, table-read, or table work is a stage of film, television, radio, and theatre production when an organized reading of the screenplay or script is conducted around a table by the actors with speaking parts. In addition to the c ...

for the episode took place on September 3, 2015, with filming starting shortly after on September 8, 2015. To mark the show's milestone 250th episode, the cast of ''Grey's Anatomy'' celebrated with a special event, which several actors shared on

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

on September 15, 2015.

(

) mentioned that the episode featured her favorite scene of the season so far.

Release

"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" was originally broadcast on October 22, 2015, in the United States on the

(ABC). Upon its initial telecast, the episode was watched by a total of 8.96 million viewers and scored a 2.4/8 in the key 18–49 demographic in the

, marking an increase from the previous episode, "Old Time Rock and Roll", which was watched by 8.25 million viewers and received a 2.3/8 ratings/share. The episode ranked as the top TV show in the 8:00 p.m. time slot, outperforming

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

's ''

Bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...

'',

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

's '' Heroes Reborn'' and

The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...

The Vampire Diaries ''The Vampire Diaries'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural teen drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson (screenwriter), Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the The Vampire Diaries (novel series), book series ...

''.

Reception

"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" received universal acclaim, with numerous critics calling it one of the best episodes of the series in recent years, and

(

) and

(

) received widespread praise for their performances. Lauren Hoffman from ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Internationalism * World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship * Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community * Cosmopolitan ...

'' hailed the 250th episode as one of the show's all-time best, noting the show excels when it focuses on complicated emotions. She praised the episode for allowing the doctors to confront their grief over

(

) together, writing, "Watching all the doctors try to make sense of what Penny's (

) saying is fascinating... it's a weird, meta moment reminder of how long all these performers worked with Dempsey." Hoffman found the episode unconventional but highly effective, calling it "kind of the best episode ever". Ellen Pompeo LF

''TV Equals'' also praised the episode for its balance of cast interactions and intimate moments, highlighting Pompeo’s portrayal of Meredith. They noted, "Pompeo was great in this episode," appreciating how Meredith’s frustration and grief were portrayed with layers of complexity. The site enjoyed the dynamic between Meredith,

(

), Amelia, and

(

), appreciating their evolving relationships. ''Nad's Review'' rated the episode an 'A', agreeing that it was one of the best in recent years. They credited Pompeo's top-notch performance as the key to the episode’s success: "There are so many reasons the episode worked, but the main reason is undoubtedly Pompeo’s top-notch performance... absolutely nail-biting to watch." ''Entertainment Weekly's'' Ariana Bacle praised the episode for embodying the drama, emotion, and suspense of "Old ''Grey's''", highlighting the importance of Alex's role as Meredith’s "person" after

's (

) departure. Bacle added that the strong emotional connections among the characters were at the heart of the hour. However, not all reviews were universally glowing. ''TV Fanatic's'' Ashley Bissette Sumerel felt that the Penny Blake arc, which was central to the dinner party's tension, was forced. While Sumerel acknowledged the episode's emotional weight, she expressed disappointment with Jo Wilson (

) and Stephanie Edwards' ( Jerrika Hinton) storyline, calling it "plain insufferable" and hoping for better development in future episodes.

References

External links

* {{Grey's Anatomy episodes, 12 Grey's Anatomy season 12 episodes 2015 American television episodes