Heartbreaking news hit the entertainment industry on Thursday, when Eric Dane’s family confirmed that the 53-year-old actor had passed away less than a year after he revealed that he’d been diagnosed with ALS. Dane was known for series like Euphoria and his appearance on Brilliant Minds, where his portrayal of a character with ALS earned him a standing ovation from the cast and crew. For many, though, Dane was best known as Mark Sloan, aka “McSteamy” from Grey’s Anatomy, and many former co-stars from the medical drama paid tribute following the sad news.

With James Pickens Jr. being one of only two Grey’s Anatomy stars serving as series regulars on all 22 seasons, he was there for all of Eric Dane’s 145 episodes. Pickens posted a photo to Instagram Stories in remembrance of the actor:

Eric Dane joined Grey’s Anatomy in Season 2 and was a series regular through Season 8, with Mark Sloan getting killed off at the beginning of Season 9. McSteamy made a posthumous return in Season 17 alongside other killed-off characters like Lexie Grey, George O’Malley and Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd.

McDreamy and McSteamy were best friends on Grey’s Anatomy (when one wasn’t sleeping with the other’s wife, at least), and according to Patrick Dempsey, that friendship existed off-camera as well. Speaking on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on February 20, the actor laughed as he described Eric Dane as “the funniest man” and “such a joy to work with,” but admitted:

Eric Dane said in June 2025 that it made him “angry” that ALS was going to take him away from his two teenage daughters, and it’s devastating to think of what his family is going through and what they've already been through.

Patrick Dempsey said he hopes to just remember his friend's spirit and how “he brought so much fun to” the Grey’s Anatomy set. He continued:

Kim Raver, who plays Teddy Altman on Grey’s Anatomy, also took to social media to honor Eric Dane’s memory, writing:

April Kepner portrayer Sarah Drew shared a photo of the late actor with her own “Rest in peace” message and crying emojis:

Kevin McKidd, meanwhile, released a statement to Page Six, also acknowledging Eric Dane’s humor and saying that no matter how long it’s been since he appeared on the show, his portrayal of Mark “McSteamy” Sloan will always be an important part of Grey’s Anatomy’s history. The Owen Hunt actor said:

ABC and 20th Television also released a statement via Instagram, sending condolences in the wake of Eric Dane’s death. They wrote:

Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes posted several images to Instagram of herself with the late actor, penning an emotional caption that read:

After announcing his diagnosis in April 2025, Eric Dane continued to act (and will reportedly appear on the long-awaited Euphoria Season 3) and advocate for other families affected by ALS. The above tributes and those from other former colleagues who championed his “fight not flight” attitude show how much Dane will be missed.

Our condolences go out to Eric Dane’s family, friends and anyone else affected by his passing.

Jesse Williams may not be a series regular on Grey’s Anatomy anymore, having exited the show in Season 17 after 12 years, but he never strays too far. The first three episodes of Season 22 have already reunited fans with several blasts from the past, and in the next episode to hit the 2025 TV schedule, it looks like we’re getting Jackson Avery. His return is always welcome, but after seeing the preview for “Goodbye Horses,” I’m left with a couple of questions.

The logline for the upcoming episode teases a bizarre trauma for the interns, while “a complex breast reconstruction forces Meredith into a tense partnership.” Who could they possibly be talking about in regards to Ellen Pompeo’s character? After seeing the preview for Season 22, Episode 4, I’m afraid it might be Jackson. Check it out below:

Jackson is certainly acting pretty frosty toward his friend and esteemed colleague, which leads me to my first question:

What’s With The Attitude Toward Meredith?

Personally, I’ve enjoyed having Meredith Grey back in Seattle doing more surgeries, but that’s apparently posing a problem for Jackson over in Boston. It sounds like he’s upset that her lab has gone unused and she’s not publishing any new findings. Maybe I’m confused, but didn’t she just publish all of her research, which upset him and the Catherine Fox Foundation and nearly got her fired?

Either way, I’m getting big petty energy from Jackson, and I don’t love that he’s OK publishing what sounds like incomplete research. I’m intrigued to find out what’s going on in his life. Speaking of his life …

Where The Heck Is April Kepner?

Yes, it did Grey’s Anatomy fans’ hearts good when they confirmed that Jackson and April Kepner were back together when Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew guest starred in the Season 18 finale. However, next week’s episode will be the third time Jackson returns to the show sans April. You can’t have Japril without April!

I know, Sarah Drew has a whole career of her own, and I honestly love all of those Lifetime and Hallmark movies so I’m not asking for a full Japril spinoff, but couldn’t she just go with Jackson to Seattle again at some point?

It’s possible I’m getting spoiled by all of the Season 22 character returns. Three episodes in, we’ve already seen Kelly McCreary’s Maggie Pierce return with big news; Kate Burton’s Ellis Grey back to haunt her daughter as always; and Sophia Bush’s Cass Beckman heating things up again with Teddy Altman (Kim Raver).

I really can’t wait to see Owen Hunt’s reaction to that reunion!

At least we don’t have long to wait before we learn what Jackson Avery’s doing back in Seattle and why he’s so upset with Meredith. Hey, even if Sarah Drew doesn’t show up, there’s always the chance that we’ll at least get an update to confirm that everything’s good on the Japril front.

Grey’s Anatomy airs at 10 p.m. ET Thursdays on ABC and can be streamed the next day with a Hulu subscription.

With Grey’s Anatomy’s 21st season currently airing on the 2024 TV schedule, it’s been six years since Sarah Drew’s character was written off of the show. She’s spoken out before about how “confusing” it was to be let go from that job, since April Kepner had become a favorite of the fandom, and in a conversation with two other Grey’s actresses, she recently opened up about the “mean and unjust” way she was fired.

Sarah Drew was a guest on the Call It What It Is podcast, hosted by her former Grey’s Anatomy co-stars Camilla Luddington and Jessica Capshaw, and she discussed how she felt when she learned she’d be leaving the show at the end of Season 14, following nine years of playing April Kepner. She clarified her comment from around that time when she said it was like “attending your own funeral,” saying:

It’s clear that she’s still got some negative feelings about how her time on Grey’s Anatomy ended, but that hasn’t stopped her from making a couple of guest appearances. She returned in Season 17 amid Jesse Williams’ own exit as her on-off love interest Jackson Avery, and both Sarah Drew and Williams returned in the Season 18 finale, confirming to fans that Japril had reunited.

Guest-starring has been a completely different experience for Sarah Drew, as she continued:

She also spoke on the podcast about how the show — and April’s romance with Jackson Avery — changed the roles she was able to get hired for. Sarah Drew said:

Romantic leads are the only jobs keeping Sarah Drew busy since leaving Grey’s Anatomy, as she's also gotten into writing and executive producing. She even reunited with Justin Bruening, her ex-husband from the medical drama, for a Lifetime Christmas movie.

The actress was part of some of Grey’s Anatomy’s best episodes after making her premiere in Season 6 (the “Mercy West Era” is one of the great places to start rewatching Grey’s Anatomy). The way in which she was let go is pretty unfortunate, but it sounds like a return could always be in the cards — especially with her on-screen beau Jackson Avery already making an appearance in Season 21.

Tune in to find out if we’ll ever see April Kepner again, as new episodes of Grey’s Anatomy air at 10 p.m. Thursdays on ABC and can be streamed the next day with a Hulu subscription.

The 2023 Christmas movie schedule is about to get some spice added to it, because Lifetime will be incorporating its first-ever sex scene into a holiday film. As we get closer to A Cowboy Christmas Romance's release, the movie's star Jana Kramer is showing some love for her project and sex positivity by giving away free sex toys. 

After it was announced that Jana Kramer would be starring in A Cowboy Christmas Romance, and Lifetime’s first sex scene, the actress took to Instagram to share her latest brand deal. Noting that she wants her fans to “enjoy the self love club,” the actress posted:

The caption doesn't mention her Lifetime movie, however, there’s no denying the convenient timing of this brand deal. As Kramer noted, she’s partnered with Bellesa to give away “free toys.” Over the years, the actress has talked about being present in the social media age and not using it all the time, now she’s utilizing her platform in a fun way to promote her latest brand deal as well as A Cowboy Christmas Romance. 

Along with this promotion, the actress has also been open about the upcoming scene, and even Lifetime has explained why they’re so excited about it. Tia Maggini, the SVP of scripted content at Lifetime, opened up about this scene, and why now was the best time to incorporate a sex scene into their programming. She told Variety:

Speaking about the spicy scene on her podcast Whine Down, the former One Tree Hill star said:

Kramer also said that "they didn't cut anything," and mentioned that she's "happy that they really left it all in there." Along with that comment, the guest on the episode was the film's writer Sarah Drew, and the former Grey’s Anatomy cast member emphasized how important it was to her that the more intimate moments of the project weren't taken out:

Sarah Drew is no stranger to Lifetime Christmas movies and the world of  TV movies in general. Last year, she starred with another Grey’s Anatomy vet for a Reindeer Games Homecoming, and earlier this year she called her work on Hallmark’s Guiding Emily “moving.” On the podcast, she talked to Kramer about wanting to make a different kind of holiday movie with A Cowboy Christmas Romance, and both actresses gushed about how much they loved this project. 

A Cowboy Christmas Romance follows Jana Kramer’s character Lexie as she returns to her hometown in Arizona to get back land that currently belongs to a rancher, who is played by Adam Senn. As most holiday movies go, tropes and all, they fall for each other. However, the story is also about Lexie reconnecting with her family. As both Drew and Kramer noted, they love holiday movies, but they wanted this one to be different.

Clearly, Jana Kramer is super excited about A Cowboy Christmas Romance, and she’s using her platform to also promote “self-love” and pleasure through her brand deal with Bellesa. 

A Cowboy Christmas Romance will drop on the 2023 TV schedule on Lifetime December 9. 

With Grey’s Anatomy going into its 20th season in 2024, fans have seen their share of character exits. Many of our beloved Seattle doctors have left the show under dramatic circumstances — Patrick Dempsey’s “terrorizing” behavior leading to McDreamy’s death, for instance, or Katherine Heigl’s tumultuous relationship with creator Shonda Rhimes — while other departures were done seemingly in service of the show’s narrative. That may have been the case for Sarah Drew, who played April Kepner for nine seasons. She recently recalled being shocked and confused over being written off, but explained why it was actually a blessing in disguise.

Sarah Drew joined Grey’s Anatomy in Season 6, and fans particularly became enamored with the relationship between April and Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) before Drew bid fans farewell at the end of Season 14. She recalled the pain of that time on the Whine Down podcast, telling host Jana Kramer: 

But Sarah Drew is a big proponent of holding pain and joy in the same space, so she also recalled the overwhelming support she and Jessica Capshaw — who played Arizona Robbins and was written off at the same time — got from Grey’s Anatomy fans, as well as Shonda Rhimes’ touching tribute.

While she said she’d been told that April got written off because Grey’s Anatomy had too many characters and needed to downsize, Sarah Drew seemed dissatisfied with that line of reasoning. She’s since chalked it up to a bigger plan that got the ball rolling on a number of different opportunities that she likely wouldn’t have pursued on her own. She continued: 

Last year Sarah Drew reunited with Grey’s Anatomy co-star Justin Bruening (who played her sometimes love interest Matthew) for Reindeer Games Homecoming, a Lifetime movie that she wrote, produced and starred in, and she’s adding another writer/producer credit to her resume this year with the upcoming Christmas movie A Cowboy Christmas Romance, which premieres at 8 p.m. ET December 9 on Lifetime.

However, you can still relive her time as April Kepner, and the Japril Era is one great starting point for a Grey’s Anatomy rewatch. All 19 seasons of the ABC medical drama can be streamed with a Netflix subscription. 

Sarah Drew is continuing to make her mark on Hallmark, as the Grey’s Anatomy vet will be returning to the network this September, for the film Guiding Emily. The movie follows Drew’s titular character who is left permanently blind after a rock-climbing accident. As the movie goes on we'll see her adjust to her life along with her potential guide dog, Garth, who is voiced by Will & Grace’s Eric McCormack. Considering the film’s premise, Drew got candid about how the moving Hallmark movie received help from the blind community, and she recalled just how "transformative" the experience was. 

Not long after Sarah Drew starred in a Lifetime film alongside her former TV husband, she made the jump back to Hallmark, but it's not a Christmas tale. With a film like Guiding Emily, there is a lot that has to be done in order to make sure everything is accurate and the story is being told authentically. Luckily, Drew had some help behind-the-scenes, as she explained while speaking with TVLine:

Whenever there are people on set that have the lived experience to relate to the story being told, it definitely helps make the project more authentic. The fact that Sarah Drew was even able to hear stories from two actresses from the community who were also in the movie will likely make the film even better. However, that is not all that was included in Guiding Emily, as the actress was also able to have an eye-opening experience while visiting the Guide Dogs of America:

It sounds like a lot of research went into making Guiding Emily, and they worked closely with the blind community to make a compassionate film. From start to finish, and even before the movie began filming, it seems like this experience was moving, and I think we'll be able to say the same thing about the film. Hallmark has been expanding its repertoire, and while this project may not be a full-blown romance, it still includes a lot of heart.

Coincidentally, Sarah Drew is not the only Grey’s star making a positive impact at Hallmark. Jaicy Elliot starred in the network's new body positivity movie Romance in Style. Meanwhile, Hallmark star Sam Page went the other way by making the jump to Season 19 of Grey’s Anatomy. 

Guiding Emily is set to premiere on Friday, September 8 at 9 p.m. ET on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, which is fitting because that's National Service Dog Month. Already this film sounds like a tearjerker, so fans may want to prepare some tissues just in case. In the meantime, since it is still a couple of months away, there are plenty of upcoming films on Hallmark to look forward to, so make sure to check out what is coming to the network in the coming weeks.

Grey’s Anatomy has been beloved by TV fans for the better part of two decades, and when you think back to the MAGIC days of Meredith, Alex, George, Izzie and Cristina, it’s hard to believe how many traumas, romances, medical miracles and natural disasters we’ve witnessed. It’s tempting to want to go back and rewatch all of Grey’s Anatomy’s heart-pumping drama — especially with all 19 seasons readily available to stream with a Netflix subscription — but with 420 episodes so far, that’s a pretty massive undertaking. We’re here to help by giving you the best starting points from all of the best eras of the Shonda Rhimes drama.

Now, if those early days of Meredith and McDreamy, 007, and Cristina’s bad-assery are what you’re craving, by all means, hit play on Season 1’s “A Hard Day’s Night” and ride that wave through nearly two decades of episodes. However, if you’re more interested in a specific period of time — or a specific character — allow me to suggest these other episodes as good places to jump in. (I tried to keep the SPOILERS to a minimum, but reader beware if you’re new to the series.) 

The Denny Duquette Era (Season 2, Episode 13)  

We’re 19 seasons into this medical drama, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s appearance in Season 2 quite possibly still stands as the best guest-starring role the show has ever seen. Morgan played Denny Duquette, a heart patient with charisma to spare, who had an immediate and undeniable mutual attraction with Katherine Heigl’s Izzie Stevens. If you want to relive the rollercoaster of their complicated relationship, start with “Begin the Begin” in the second season. 

Meredith And Derek Get Together For Good (Season 5, Episode 19)  

Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey and Patrick Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd kicked off the series with a bang — literally — engaging in a one-night stand just hours before he was revealed to be an attending surgeon at her new job. However, it was quite a while before this on-off couple was finally fully "on." The way Derek treated Meredith in some of those earlier episodes was far from McDreamy, so if you want to skip the "Oh yeah, I'm still married," of it all and get straight to prime MerDer territory, fire the series up at Season 5’s “Elevator Love Letter.” 

The Mercy West Era (Season 6, Episode 5) 

The first time Grey’s Anatomy added a new batch of doctors came in Season 6, when Seattle Grace merged with Mercy West Medical Center amid a tough economic climate. Season 6’s “Invasion” introduced fans to Jackson Avery, April Kepner, Reed Adamson, Charles Percy, and while I won’t spoil the fates of Nora Zehetner and Robert Baker’s characters (IYKYK), fans of a certain would-be couple undoubtedly would want to start watching here, or skip a couple of seasons forward to … 

Japril: The Beginning (Season 8, Episode 21)  

When they were introduced in Season 6, nobody knew that Jackson (Jesse Williams) and April (Sarah Drew) would go on to become one of the most adored couples in Grey’s Anatomy history. The ups and downs of their relationship — from the most romantic wedding interruption ever to the devastating death of their baby (which actually sent Drew into early labor) — have fans so invested, we’re still begging for more. Relive the show's best love story by starting with the night of Jackson and April’s first hot hookup — Season 8’s “Moment of Truth.” 

Welcome New Interns: Meet Jo Wilson And Her Rookie Class (Season 9, Episode 1) 

Every few seasons the drama rains down a new class of characters, with a few often sticking around for the long term. Season 9 saw the hospital’s veterans still reeling from the fallout of the plane crash, but amidst the chaos, the premiere introduced new doctors Jo Wilson, Stephanie Edwards, Shane Ross, Leah Murphy and Heather Brooks. If you want to relive the origin story of Camilla Luddington’s character, or refresh yourself on what exactly came to be of the rest of these interns, start with “Going, Going, Gone” in the ninth season. 

Maggie And Amelia Replace Cristina (And Lexie) As Meredith’s Twisted Sisters (Season 10, Episode 23) 

Meredith finding support in her sisters — biological or otherwise — was huge for the character, so I don’t think it was any coincidence that Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary) made her entrance as the love child of Meredith’s mother and Richard Webber, just one episode before Sandra Oh’s final appearance as Meredith’s “person,” Cristina Yang. Meredith also lost her sister, Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh), in Season 8, but with Caterina Scorsone becoming a series regular as Amelia Shepherd in Season 11, Meredith was back to having two sisters. Jump in at Season 10’s “Everything I Try to Do, Nothing Seems to Turn Out Right” to watch the new twisted sisters’ relationship start to grow. 

The B-Team Era: Meet Levi ‘Glasses’ Schmitt And Friends (Season 14, Episode 4)  

Another group of interns was introduced in Season 14, including Jake Borelli’s Levi Schmitt (known back then as “Glasses”) and Jaicy Elliot’s Taryn Helm. The six new characters also starred in a six-episode web spinoff called Grey’s Anatomy: B-Team, which featured cameos from the drama’s main cast. Relive this era starting with Season 14’s “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head.” 

If you’re a big Jake Borelli fan, though, go ahead and start watching at the Season 14 premiere. “Glasses” was initially supposed to be a small guest role, but they chose to keep him around as part of the incoming class. Good decision, since he remains a fan favorite today! 

The Crossover Era: Station 19 Premieres (Season 14, Episode 13)  

Later in Season 14, the Seattle universe expanded when Ben Warren (Jason George) changed careers, thus introducing fans to the firefighters of Station 19. Season 14’s “You Really Got a Hold on Me” served as a backdoor pilot for the spinoff, introducing Jaina Lee Ortiz as Andy Herrera. To this day, the cast members often show up on each other’s shows, particularly when there’s romance (or tragedy, of course) involved.  

The Reboot Era: Meredith Prepares To Leave As We Meet McDreamy’s Nephew (Season 19, Episode 1) 

As we’ve seen, it’s not uncommon for Grey’s to drop a handful of interns into the hospital every so often, but Season 19 was the first time since the MAGIC days that five new characters became the focus. Ellen Pompeo’s impending exit as a series regular necessitated a reboot of sorts, and we quickly found ourselves getting swept up in the will they/won’t they of McDreamy’s nephew, Lucas Adams (Niko Terho), and Simone Griffith (Alexis Floyd), as well as the stories of Mika Yasuda (Midori Francis), Benson “Blue” Kwan (Harry Shum Jr.) and Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane). 

If you need a refresher on this newest era of our beloved show, pop on Season 19’s “Everything Has Changed.”

Nobody knows how many more eras Grey’s Anatomy will have before it closes the book, but the show has definitely proven capable of adapting its stories and characters to keep fans invested. Hopefully this list sets you on the right path for your rewatching adventure. Be sure to keep your eye on the 2023 TV schedule to see when this and all of your other favorite shows will premiere. 

Jackson Avery and April Kepner are not even surgeons who currently work at Grey’s Anatomy’s Grey Sloan Memorial, and yet the on-again couple remain one of the most beloved by the fandom. There’s something about the combination of the characters' on-screen chemistry and the mutual admiration actors Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew have for each other that makes them simply magnetic. The pair have had nothing but complimentary things to say about each other over the years, and Williams continued that trend when recalling a couple of intimate Grey’s Anatomy scenes that left him awestruck.

Jesse Williams reflected on one of the couple’s most iconic (and hottest) scenes, which occurred in Season 8’s "Let the Bad Times Roll," and saw the two hooking up after being overwhelmed by the stress of their medical boards. He told Insider that was such a big scene for Sarah Drew, because that part of her character hadn’t been explored, and he was in awe of her performance. In his words: 

Knowing that Jesse Williams recognized that moment of sexual awakening for April — to the point where he didn’t even recognize his scene partner — makes me love the relationship these actors share even more. That kind of respect between him and Sarah Drew is part of what’s had fans clamoring for a Japril spinoff for years. (And with Ellen Pompeo leaving Grey’s Anatomy, now would be the perfect time for that spinoff to come to fruition.) 

Longtime fans know that Jackson and April’s relationship wasn’t without struggles accompanying the snuggles, though, and Jesse Williams also talked about Sarah Drew’s performance in Season 11’s “All I Could Do Was Cry.” That episode showed the birth of Jackson and April’s son Samuel, who had been diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta and lived only a few hours. Williams said he “didn’t know the difference” between real childbirth and what Drew was portraying, and even forgot he was acting. He said: 

As emotional a day as that was for Jesse Williams, the effect it had on Sarah Drew also can't be denied. Ten hours after filming that heartbreaking scene, she went into premature labor with her own baby, who was born a month early and spent two weeks in the NICU.

They may not be on Grey’s Anatomy anymore, but showrunner Krista Vernoff is aware of how beloved Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew are. The couple already made a guest appearance in the Season 18 finale, and Williams returned to direct and appear in a Season 19 episode that set up Meredith Grey’s big move, so hopefully they’ll keep feeding us these little Japril updates. 

For now, though, fans can rewatch all of Jackson Avery and April Kepner’s biggest moments, as the first 18 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy are available to stream with a Netflix subscription. 

Grey’s Anatomy fans have been clamoring for more Jackson Avery and April Kepner, practically from the moment that actress Sarah Drew’s character was written off of the medical drama after Season 14. Jesse Williams has since left the show as well, and still the demand from loyal fans has only gotten louder. With Ellen Pompeo making her exit from Grey’s Anatomy by moving her character to Boston — where a reunited Japril currently live — the powers that be at ABC have a very interesting opportunity to expand this universe, and now is the time to do it. 

Below are 5 reasons why a Grey’s Anatomy spinoff in Boston, featuring the fan-favorite couple Jackson and April as the main characters, needs to happen, and needs to happen now. 

A Boston Spinoff Would Be A Win-Win For Ellen Pompeo And Fans Of Meredith Grey 

Ellen Pompeo has long voiced her opinion about being on Grey’s Anatomy too long, and it’s easy to assume she’s ready to pursue new opportunities, like her upcoming drama on Hulu. So at first glance, it would be naive to assume that she’d be willing to leave Grey’s Anatomy just to reprise the same character on a different show. However, if Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew were to lead the series, Pompeo could pop in and out at will, and still keep Meredith’s fans apprised of what’s happening with the beloved character.

Also, if the Japril spinoff were a 10-episode drama for streaming — an idea floated by Sarah Drew herself — the filming schedule might be far less demanding than what Ellen Pompeo is accustomed to on Grey’s Anatomy, making the occasional cameo all the more attractive.

A Cast Of Potential Series Regulars Has Already Been Established 

When Jackson offered Meredith the opportunity to use funding from the Catherine Fox Foundation for her Alzheimer’s research, he pointed out that the work she’d done on Parkinson’s translated naturally to the brain. That means that all of those Minnesota doctors who were introduced in Season 18 would make sense as part of Meredith’s new research team (and could carry the weight when Ellen Pompeo’s not around). Basically what I’m saying is — and I couldn’t feel more strongly about this — make E.R. Fightmaster a series regular on this spinoff right now. 

Boston Has Already Crossed Over With Seattle On Grey’s Anatomy Numerous Times 

Jesse Williams hadn’t even been gone from Grey’s Anatomy for a whole season before Jackson Avery was back in Seattle, bringing April Kepner with him. The same goes for Greg Germann’s Tom Koracick. That’s three former series regulars who clearly have no problem continuing to jump into the Grey’s dynamic. Catherine Fox (Debbie Allen) seems to regularly go back and forth between the two cities because of the foundation. 

That’s not to mention, Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary) lived in Boston until she went searching for her biological family in Seattle. Now Meredith and possibly Scott Speedman's Nick Marsh — we all think he and Meredith are going to end up together, right? — are calling Massachusetts home. That’s a lot of smoke to not go ahead and stoke that fire.

Grey’s Anatomy Introduced The Perfect First Storyline For Boston 

Clearly, there’s already enough of a universe established in Boston to see how a spinoff could make sense. However, is it possible that Grey’s Anatomy already introduced its first major Boston storyline? In the November 3 episode, “When I Get to the Border,” Koracick informs Catherine that her tumor is growing and she needs to restart treatment. Determined to not spend her final days in an oncology ward, she refuses treatment and makes it clear she will be keeping that secret from son Jackson and husband Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.).

It only makes sense for this story to play out in Boston. Sure, Webber is still on Grey’s Anatomy, but Jackson is going to be the one hit hardest by this big secret, and Koracick’s role in it is not a small one. I don’t understand how they can introduce that plotline during an episode in Boston and then just send us back to Seattle to our regularly scheduled Grey Sloan Memorial programming.  

Jesse Williams And Sarah Drew Want This To Happen 

Without Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew, obviously, a Japril spinoff would be a nonstarter. That is not the case here. Both actors have expressed multiple times how much they love their characters and working with each other. Drew said as recently as September that she and Williams had spoken about a spinoff and would love to see it happen. They even pitched a spinoff years ago that became the Season 12 episode “Unbreak My Heart,” known affectionately as “Japril The Movie” and less affectionately known as one of Grey’s Anatomy’s most heartbreaking moments.

In March 2021, ABC Signature president Jonnie Davis got fans really excited when he said Grey’s showrunner Krista Vernoff and creator Shonda Rhimes were working “right now” on the “next phase of Grey’s Anatomy.” Many assumed this meant a third spinoff was coming to follow on the successes of Private Practice and Station 19. However, just hours later, Davis walked that statement back, telling fans, “There are no conversations about a spinoff of Grey’s Anatomy at this time.”

But now, all the pieces seem to be there for the universe to expand again. Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew have been on board with a spinoff for years, and fans have been consistently vocal about wanting one. Pulling the trigger on it now would allow them to capitalize on Ellen Pompeo’s exit, Catherine’s cancer storyline, and the fresh-on-our-minds Minnesota doctors who were introduced in Season 18 and would make so much sense in Meredith’s new world.

We’ll just have to continue to wait to see if we’ll ever get a continued story for Jackson and April that’s more than just the occasional guest spot on Grey’s Anatomy. In the meantime, the first 18 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy are available for streaming with a Netflix subscription, and Season 19 can be streamed with a Hulu subscription. Season 19 will return to ABC at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 23. See what else is ahead for the new year with our 2023 TV schedule. 

Across 19 seasons now, Grey’s Anatomy has given viewers lots to love. From fan-favorite romances, to beloved characters and emotionally-charged dramatic storylines, those who tune in on a regular basis have never lacked things to keep talking about after each hour of the drama is done. Though there have been lighter moments on the series over the years, the medical show is not known for its ability to induce laughter, and now former cast member Sarah Drew is talking about going less dramatic with a past TV husband for an upcoming Lifetime Christmas movie.

What Did Sarah Drew Say About Reuniting With Her Former Grey’s Anatomy Husband For A Lifetime Christmas Movie?

Look, we all know that there are millions of Japril fans out there, who were beyond delighted when Drew and Jesse Williams brought April Kepner and Jackson Avery back to Grey’s during the Season 18 finale at the end of May. Unfortunately, what was good news for some fans was not so great news for any others who were more on board with the romance between April and her second husband, Matthew Taylor (Sweet Magnolias cast member Justin Bruening). 

Now, though, April’s portrayer has reunited with her former TV husband for a 2022 Christmas movie on Lifetime, Reindeer Games Homecoming, and she spoke to Entertainment Weekly about working on something far less dramatic with the Netflix star, saying:

In the upcoming holiday movie, the actress (who also wrote and executive produced the film) plays high school biology teacher MacKenzie, who’s been honoring her late dad every Christmas season by participating in their town’s Reindeer Games fundraiser. But, when her childhood crush/current day action movie star, Chase, comes home to give a helping hand to his pregnant sister, he gets pulled into competing against her. The whole thing results in a recipe for joyful rom-com fun, free of the kind of major dramatic moments that the one-time TV couple played so frequently on the long-running ABC hit.

As Drew noted, not only does the new movie give her co-star a usually unseen opportunity to swing for the light-hearted romantic comedy fences, but it also gives both of them, in their third time working as an on-screen romantic pairing, the chance to have a lot more fun in their filmic interactions, and it sounds this will be just as amusing to watch as it was for them to make. You can see the result for yourself when Reindeer Games Homecoming airs on Lifetime on Saturday, November 12 at 8 p.m. EST.

Even though Grey’s Anatomy’s namesake, Meredith Grey will be playing a smaller role in Season 19, it’s been revealed that viewers can expect a lot of fun surprises and old faces throughout the new season of the ABC classic. It’s already been confirmed that Jesse Williams will return as Jackson Avery at some point this season, but it’s exciting that we can also expect even more fun surprises. 

While we’ve gotten quite a bit of Meredith in the first few episodes, she will not be nearly as present in the later part of the season. Ellen Pompeo got candid about taking a step back, saying while she will always be part of the show, to do her best work she needs to “tell less of Meredith’s story.” Clearly, the show won’t be the same without the presence of Pompeo, but, showrunner Krista Vernoff told TV Line while it’s a challenge not to have her around all the time, she’s excited about what’s to come. 

While these surprises could be anything, personally I hope it's more returning characters from earlier seasons. I think this is entirely possible with Grey's history of bringing characters back for a bit, and the multiple people who are already confirmed to return.

In the Season 18 finale, we saw the return of Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew as April Kepner. While we know we’ll get Jackson back, hopefully, we’ll get April too, especially after finding out they were back together. 

In Episode 3 of this season, we saw the promised return of Kate Walsh as Addison Montgomery. She returned for an episode called “Let’s Talk About Sex,” and at the end mentioned she’d be in Seattle for a few more days, so hopefully that means we’ll be seeing a bit more of Dr. Montgomery in the coming episodes. With how the episode ended, it seems like Bailey and Addison are both determined to work toward ensuring women’s reproductive rights, so I could see Walsh sticking around for a bit longer as this story continues. 

Along with Williams and Walsh, Greg Germann, who played Tom Koracick is confirmed to come back for the Nov. 3 episode, according to TV Line. The neurosurgeon who left Grey-Sloan to work for Jackson will return in the same episode as his boss. 

I’m curious to see if other characters return to Seattle in the coming season. Will it be one of the old interns from the last few seasons? Maybe an attending from earlier seasons? No matter what, it’s always fun to see a familiar face return to Grey’s after some time away from the show.  Plus it'll be entertaining to see how returning characters interact with the new bunch of interns. 

To see these fan-favorites return and to check out the fun surprises Grey’s Anatomy has planned for Season 19, stay tuned to the fall TV schedule, and catch new episodes every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. You can also stream new episodes the day after they air with a Hulu subscription.  

When it was revealed that conversations were being had about whether or not Grey’s Anatomy could outlive Meredith Grey, former star Jesse Williams seemed to think that scenario was “unlikely.” However, now that Ellen Pompeo has officially announced she’ll only appear in a limited role in the upcoming 19th season, the Tony Award nominee had only complimentary things to say about the hard work Pompeo has put in. As well, he shared his excitement-worthy thoughts on whether fans will see more appearances from beloved couple Jackson Avery and April Kepner (Sarah Drew) on the ABC medical drama.

It may have been hard for Jesse Williams to comprehend what Grey’s Anatomy would look like without “the heart of the show” Ellen Pompeo, but he was quick to celebrate  all the hard work she’s put in as the leading actress since 2005 and producer since Season 14. He told Extra:

No argument there! Ellen Pompeo has certainly paid her dues for 18 seasons and deserves to make whatever moves best serve her future. Though I doubt she would use the words "time off" to describe starring in and executive producing the untitled Hulu drama that she'll be working on during her Grey's absence. 

As for whether or not Ellen Pompeo's decreased presence creates more space for Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew to return again — as they did to confirm a Japril romance in the Season 18 finale — Jesse Williams claimed to have had “no idea,” but he said: 

Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew have always kept the door open to return to their Grey’s Anatomy characters in some capacity. A Jackson Avery/April Kepner spinoff has been in demand for years, and Drew actually had some fun ideas for how a Japril spinoff would work. Even though the actor couldn’t speak for what (if anything) is in store for Season 19, we can be satisfied that the opportunity remains.

It was previously announced that Ellen Pompeo would appear in only eight episodes of Grey’s Anatomy this season, as she has signed on to star in and executive produce an upcoming limited series for Hulu inspired by a bizarre 2019 news story. The case that inspired the story involved Kristine Barnett, whom Ellen Pompeo will protray, and her ex-husband Michael Barnett being charged with neglectful parenting after allegedly abandoning their adopted daughter Natalia in an apartment and then moving to Canada. In a twist that sounds like it came straight from the cult horror Orphan, the Barnetts claimed Natalia was actually a mentally disturbed adult with a rare form of dwarfism who was conning them. I’m certainly intrigued.

Jesse Williams wasn’t the only Grey’s Anatomy co-star to voice support for Ellen Pompeo amid her exciting new venture. Kevin McKidd said the fact that she’s still making time for Grey’s Anatomy, rather than just focusing on her new gig, proves how much the show still means to her. McKidd told E!’s Daily Pop: 

It will be fun to see how it all goes down in Season 19, and which familiar faces might return to grace our screens. We’re still some weeks away, though, as Grey’s Anatomy returns to ABC at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, October 6. Be sure to keep up with all of the upcoming premieres with our 2022 TV Schedule.

Sarah Drew and Jesse Williams returned to Grey’s Anatomy for its Season 18 finale, thrilling fans with the reveal that their characters — Jackson Avery and April Kepner — had reunited. The fandom has been screaming for a Japril spinoff pretty much since Drew left the medical drama at the end of Season 14 (if not before that), and the yearning to see the couple’s life together in Boston is stronger than ever following their on-screen in-elevator kiss. The actors seem down for a spinoff, as well, as they’ve consistently voiced their love for the characters, but Drew has an interesting idea about how she’d want to differentiate their series from Grey’s Anatomy.

The idea of a spinoff featuring Jackson and April was actually one the actors pitched when they were both still on the show. Rather than giving them their own series, the writers turned their pitch into what is now known as “Japril The Movie,” a heartbreaking Season 12 episode. Sarah Drew returned for the Season 17 episode that announced Jesse Williams’ exit from Grey’s Anatomy, with April agreeing to accompany Jackson to Boston to continue co-parenting their daughter Harriet. Drew spoke with Tommy DiDario on Instagram about how she sees that story being continued:

The Japril dynamic has been fun to watch, to say the least, but if they were the sole focus of the story, without the necessity of sharing screen time with a bevy of other Seattle surgeons, Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew would definitely have to dive deeper into Jackson and April’s complexities — much like they did for “Japril The Movie.” In that episode (officially “Unbreak My Heart”), Jackson served April with divorce papers, prompting a look at the highs and lows of their time together, with the episode ending with the reveal that April was pregnant again.

The history certainly exists for Sarah Drew and Jesse Williams to go darker and grittier with the characters. As far as sexier, let’s just say it’s a good thing Jackson and April are doctors, because I feel some heart palpitations coming on. 

The reason for their move to Boston — for Jackson to take over his family’s Catherine Fox Foundation to help provide better medical care to underserved communities — would also lend itself to some interesting and important content. Drew said that would be fun to tackle:

After his exit from the show in 2021, Jesse Williams said he and Sarah Drew “would kill it” if given the chance to do a spinoff, and Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo also said she gets why fans want to see more, and she’d watch them lead their own show. This seems to be an idea that fans (and the actors!) aren’t letting go of, so will somebody order this spinoff already? 

In the meantime, you can relive all the Japril drama on streaming, with Seasons 1-17 of Grey’s Anatomy available to Netflix subscribers, while Season 18 is available in full with a Hulu subscription. 

Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew returned to Grey’s Anatomy for the Season 18 finale, and fans were relieved and thrilled to get confirmation that love between the couple was alive and well. Before Jackson and April’s on-screen reunion, however, the actress made it out to New York to support her friend in Take Me Out, where he’s been taking it all off eight times a week as pro baseball player Darren Lemming. Drew shared her honest reaction to seeing her TV love — and his anatomy — on the Broadway stage.

A lot of fuss has been made over Jesse Williams’ nudity in his Tony-nominated debut on the Great White Way — especially since NSFW footage of the naked actor on stage leaked to social media. But April Kepner would probably be all, “Tell me something I don’t know,” and Sarah Drew had her own nonchalant response when speaking to E! News about seeing her co-star in all of his glory:

She may be playing it cool when it comes to seeing Jesse Williams naked, but Sarah Drew admitted she "bought a ticket in the balcony, because I didn't need to be super close,” so it sounds like maybe she did, in fact, feel some of the same awkwardness that another Grey’s Anatomy co-star, Ellen Pompeo, felt. 

In the end, it’s not like Jesse Williams was the only nude performer out there, as Sarah Drew pointed out, so even given her close relationship with the actor, there was no need for weirdness. That seems to fall in line with what he previously said about the audience’s reaction to his nudity. Because of the intensity of the story and the dense language, Williams said while he expected some kind of reaction to his baring it all, the theatergoers are usually so silent you can hear a pin drop. 

The nudity may not draw a raucous response, but the production certainly has. Take Me Out opened to rave reviews, and its run was extended through June 11. Along with Jesse Williams, Michael Oberholtzer and Jesse Tyler Ferguson received Tony Award nominations for Best Featured Actor in a Play, and the production as a whole was nominated for Best Play Revival. Sarah Drew agreed they were worthy of the praise, lauding the performance on social media as “moving and hilarious and heart wrenching.”

The former Grey’s Anatomy actors reunited on the screen for the Season 18 finale, confirming that their characters — known affectionately to their fans as Japril — did, in fact, rekindle their romance. Sarah Drew — who left the show after Season 14 — made a guest appearance in the Season 17 episode that announced Jesse Williams’ exit. Jackson asked April to move to Boston with him to continue co-parenting daughter Harriet, and given April’s recent split from Matthew, she agreed. 

The couple’s chemistry on- and off-screen has had fans clamoring for a Japril spinoff for years, and it’s a possibility neither actor has shut the door on. We will continue to hold out hope! In the meantime, check out our 2022 TV schedule to see what new and returning shows are premiering soon.

Spoiler alert! We're about to get into details about the Grey's Anatomy Season 18 finale. 

Grey’s Anatomy delivered a packed Season 18 ending that saw multiple changes in relationship status, the return of Jackson Avery and April Kepner (much to fans’ delight), Owen’s decisions coming back to haunt him, and does anybody even still work at Grey Sloan anymore? Some questions got answered — like, what’s going to happen to the residency program? — but a lot more questions were introduced, and the stage was set for a really interesting Season 19 when the medical drama returns to ABC this fall. Let’s unpack the makeups, breakups and why the hospital lost so many doctors in the season finale.

Owen And Teddy Forced To Flee After ‘Death With Dignity’ Scandal Exposed

Owen and Teddy had their worst fears realized in the Grey’s Anatomy season finale, when the husband of a veteran showed up asking for Owen to help his wife die with dignity. Teddy put her foot down and said they weren’t breaking any more laws, prompting the husband to inform Bailey that Owen had stolen drugs from the hospital to help other terminally ill veterans end their lives.

Bailey was understandably livid, and while Owen stood by his decision, the chief told him she had to report them to the police — it was a legal issue, not a moral one. However, she accepted their resignations and said she’d give them a few hours before she contacted the authorities. The couple collected their kids from a very worried Amelia and boarded a plane to an unknown destination. 

Is that the last we’ll see of Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver? It’s unlikely, as ahead of Season 17, the actors (along with Camilla Luddington) reportedly signed three-year contracts that should keep them on the show through Season 19, but we’ll just have to wait and see. 

Catherine’s Cancer Treatment Was Successful, So She And Richard Went On Sabbatical

Catherine Fox had reason to celebrate, and it wasn’t just the fact that she got to see her granddaughter Harriet. Amelia delivered the good news that the treatment was working, and she was again merely living with cancer, not dying from it. She and Richard decided to celebrate the news by taking a sabbatical to see the Great Pyramids — interesting timing, as the hospital faced its biggest challenge yet with the shutdown of its residency program.

Bailey Quit With No Notice After The Residency Program Was Shut Down

Jamarah Blake told Bailey the working relationship between her, Richard and Meredith had become dysfunctional, after Meredith went against Richard’s orders to not perform a risky operation and Richard, in turn, refused to respect Bailey’s authority as chief. Blake tasked the chief with starting from scratch to rebuild the residency program, revoking the hospital's accreditation in the meantime. Yes, that means Levi Schmitt, Taryn Helm, Mabel Tsang, Zander Perez and the rest of the residents no longer work at Grey Sloan.

Bailey — who nearly suffered another heart attack from the events of this season and whose priorities shifted with her and Ben’s adoption of Pru Miller (RIP Dean) — said enough is enough and decided to put her own well-being first. She quit the hospital with no notice, handing Meredith the keys to her office on the way out and telling her, “You broke it, you bought it.” But wait, wasn’t Meredith moving to Minnesota?

Meredith Ascends To Chief Of Surgery: Her Birthright, Or Is She Stuck In Seattle?

With Richard and Bailey gone — and pressure from Jackson not to go to Minnesota — Meredith was left as Chief of Surgery. It practically seems like her birthright, with her family’s history there, but she really wanted to leave. Her visions of her mother’s abusive words and trying to save Derek the day he got shot indicated that her trauma will always keep her bound to Grey Sloan Memorial. 

As she sat in Bailey’s office — correction, her office — telling Nick to leave because his life was in Minnesota and her life was in Seattle, Meredith seemed to give in to the futility of it all. But in the final moments of the episode, she might have changed her mind, trying to yell for Nick to come back. Did the risk of losing him force her to push past her demons?

Relationship Roundup: Finale Makeups And Breakups

• Meredith and Nick’s status is unclear, after she tried to send him back to Minnesota following a fight over her rogue surgery. Nick suggested she may have made the wrong decisions based on her complicated feelings about leaving Seattle, and Meredith did not take kindly to that. 
• Things were looking so good for Jo and Todd, but everything changed after they slept together and he told her he loved her. Apparently she found it hard to overlook his singing after sex (it’s Skylar Astin, what do you expect?), which can’t be worse than him bringing a giant teddy bear (“It’s a sex bear.”) to her at the hospital the next day. So that’s over, but at least things are getting back to normal with Link. Will they go back to BFFs, or is there something more there?
• Amelia was reeling the whole episode over her breakup with Kai, and it turns out Kai was reeling as well. They showed up at the hospital, telling Amelia they couldn’t sleep, and the two shared a kiss. I’m interested to see where Season 19 takes this couple, because they are my favorite, but I don’t want Kai to sacrifice the life they’ve chosen.
• Last but not least, Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew did return for the Season 18 finale, and fans had to wait until the very end to see Jackson and April walk away hand-in-hand, kissing once they got in the elevator. Breathe easy, Japril fans, they are back on in Boston!

That was a whole lot of change to absorb. In the span of two hours, Grey Sloan went from being understaffed to straight-up hemorrhaging doctors, losing Owen, Teddy, Richard and Bailey, as well as all the residents. Will Meredith be forced to stay, sacrificing love? Could she even bring herself to leave if that were an option? 

We don’t know how many more seasons of Grey’s Anatomy we’ll get — or if the show will eventually continue without Meredith — but we do know that the drama will continue this fall for Season 19 on ABC! Check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what premieres are coming up in the meantime.

This story contains spoilers for the Season 18 finale of Grey’s Anatomy. Proceed with caution if you haven’t watched!

The second hour of Grey’s Anatomy’s two-part Season 18 finale opened with Jackson Avery giving a eulogy for his mother Catherine. Don’t worry, guys – it was just a fake-out. Catherine (Debbie Allen) was enjoying hearing her son say nice things about her while she was still alive, receiving chemotherapy with April Kepner and granddaughter Harriet by her side. So while that was disconcerting and macabre, fans did not have to wait long for the promised return of Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew. They did, however, have to wait to find out if the couple had reunited romantically.

In fact, it wasn’t until the end of the episode, which was jam-packed with emotion and drama and hospital shakeups, that Jackson and April met up to leave the hospital, walking away hand in hand, and sharing a kiss when the elevator doors closed. Japril fans rejoice! Many fans on social media were impatient to get a status update on the state of Japril, but by the end, it seemed like every minute was worth the wait, according to this Twitter user:

The last time we saw Jackson and April together, he had made the decision to move to Boston to run the Catherine Fox Foundation. He asked April and Harriet to come with him, and given that she and Matthew had split up, April agreed. The couple didn’t, however, give much of an indication of if they would try to rekindle their romance — even though fans definitely always thought they were endgame:

Many fans commented on the chemistry between the characters (whose actors seem to have a real-life friendship), which is one of the reasons fans have so passionately been hoping for Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew to co-star in a spinoff. It’s an idea the actors actually pitched before, leading to a fan favorite episode. It doesn’t seem like the years apart have done anything to put out the flame, as fans noted:

In the finale, Amelia cried to April about her breakup with Kai, and April had fans excited when she said that “Sometimes love comes back around.” After fans got confirmation with the elevator kiss, there might be a new Japril slogan to replace “Fingers crossed for new horizons”:

Sarah Drew was thankful for the fans’ response to her and Jesse Williams’ return, and she showed her gratitude by sharing a few behind-the-scenes shots of their happy Grey’s Anatomy family.

Despite all the happenings of the eventful Season 18 finale, Grey’s Anatomy fans can rest easy in the knowledge that all is well and good with Jackson and April in Boston. That will have to hold us over until the ABC medical drama returns for its 19th season this fall. In the meantime, check out our 2022 TV schedule to see what shows are premiering soon.

We’re only a week away from being able to see fan favorite surgeons Jackson Avery and April Kepner back in the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial on Grey’s Anatomy, but it turns out Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew occupied the same space recently, and it had nothing to do with the Seattle medical drama. The actress had the opportunity to see her co-star in the Broadway production Take Me Out, and after she raved about the performance, Drew’s on-screen love had an adorable response.

Jesse Williams made his Broadway debut in April as Darren Lemming in the Richard Greenberg production. The play opened to rave reviews, earning an extended run and garnering Tony Award nominations for the production and three of its actors, including Williams. Sarah Drew apparently thought the acclaim was well-deserved, as she posted an Instagram photo next to a Take Me Out poster, calling Williams’ performance “stunning” and admitted she was brought to tears:

Sarah Drew implored fans to go see the show if they hadn’t yet, saying she laughed and she cried, and said it was moving, hilarious and heart-wrenching. Jesse Williams’ response to the outpouring of love was swoon-worthy, as he thanked her for not causing a scene:

The actress’ appearance at the show was apparently a long time coming, as a few weeks ago Sarah Drew shared a short video of her and Jesse Williams, in which he appeared to playfully chide her for not yet having made the trip to New York:

Seriously, they’re just too adorable. The chemistry that Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew have both on- and off-screen has only fueled fans’ desire for them to reunite for a Grey’s Anatomy spinoff. Both actors have always kept the door open to the possibility of reprising the characters, and they will continue to do that for at least one more episode. In the May 12 installement “I’ll Cover You,” Catherine (Debbie Allen) revealed that her cancer had spread, which could be the reason for Jackson and April to return to Seattle in the two-hour Season 18 finale.

Sarah Drew isn’t the only Grey’s Anatomy alum to make the trip to the Great White Way in support of Jesse Williams. Ellen Pompeo revealed she wanted to support her former co-star (despite having reservations about seeing him naked on stage), and Debbie Allen also gave a glowing review, as she posted a backstage selfie with her TV son.

The actor was at the center of attention recently, after nude photos were leaked of him during a performance of Take Me Out. The theater reportedly has since heightened security, and his fellow actors denounced the fan who violated the cell phone policy. Jesse Williams didn’t let it affect his ability to do his job, but he did speak to the importance of consent.

Take Me Out runs through June 11, and you can catch Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew in their return to Grey’s Anatomy at 8 p.m. ET Thursday, May 26, on ABC. In the meantime, check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what new and returning shows are premiering soon.

Spoiler alert! This story contains spoilers for the Season 18 episode of Grey’s Anatomy, “I’ll Cover You.” Consider yourself warned.

Back in Season 14 of Grey’s Anatomy, a number of the surgeons at Grey Sloan Memorial accidentally ingested weed cookies given to them by a patient. Hilarity ensued as Jackson Avery rambled about perfect vaginas, including his mother Catherine’s, and April Kepner couldn’t stop giggling. As Season 18 winds to an end, the latest episode “I’ll Cover You” made a nod to that episode, with Richard being the one this time around to accidentally ingest a cannabis smoothie. Hilarity again ensued, but this time, a tragic reveal in the episode’s final minutes might have just clued the audience in to what brings Jackson and April back to Seattle.

Meredith took on the task of babysitting Richard after he drank one of the smoothies that Catherine had in their refrigerator, and after everything Richard has been through with the “Webber method” and the residency program, it was kind of fun to watch him ponder whether something was “a really big fish or a really small bear.” However, when Richard confronted his wife about the smoothie, asking how she could put his 10 years of sobriety at risk by having drugs in the house, Catherine dropped a bomb:

Since the news broke that Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew were reprising their fan-favorite roles on ABC’s hit medical show, fans have wondered what occasion would bring them back to Seattle, as they moved to Boston so Jackson could head the Catherine Fox Foundation. With just one episode remaining before their return, it seems unlikely that the timing of Catherine’s admission to Richard is a coincidence. 

This is a huge blow for fans, who were really looking forward to celebrating the return of Japril (and getting an update on their relationship). If Jackson is coming back because his mother is sick, that really puts a damper on the party. 

In Season 15, Catherine underwent surgery for a very aggressive cancer, and while they were able to get enough of it out that her life wasn’t in imminent danger, they weren’t able to get all of it, and Catherine made peace with the fact that she would likely live with cancer for the rest of her life. 

Amelia and Tom were the surgeons who saved Catherine’s life the first time, and even though Greg Germann left the show in Season 17, he has already made a guest appearance as Tom Koracick in Season 18. Will they be able to save Catherine again?

Only one episode remains before Grey’s Anatomy’s big Season 18 finale, which also coincides with the series’ 400th episode. It all starts at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 19, following the season finale of Station 19 on ABC. As many series are in the midst of their spring finales, be sure to check out our 2022 TV schedule to see what shows are premiering soon!

This is the news Japril fans have been waiting for! Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew are returning to Grey’s Anatomy to reprise their fan favorite characters — at least for one episode. And we won't have to wait very long for it. 

Deadline reports that Jackson and April will return for the two-hour Season 18 finale of Grey’s Anatomy. The episode, set to close out ABC’s spring 2021-2022 season, will air on May 26. 

Jesse Williams played Jackson Avery for 12 seasons of ABC’s hit medical drama before leaving in Season 17. Sarah Drew played April Kepner before exiting the series in Season 14. She made a brief return in the episode "Look Up Child," in which Jackson decided to "change his environment" and leave Seattle to run his family's Catherine Fox Foundation in Boston. 

Jackson and April — Japril to the well-indoctrinated — are a fan favorite couple, and viewers have long been asking to see them either return to the show or reunite in a spinoff series. When we last saw them, there seemed to be hope that they could rekindle their romance. They had been co-parenting a daughter, Harriet, and April admitted that her marriage to Matthew was over. She agreed to move to Boston with Jackson to figure it out.

Sarah Drew has talked about that final scene that Jackson and April shared, saying that the actors added a hand grab and hug when there wasn't supposed to be any physical contact between them. A kiss, however, would have gone too far, she said, given the huge transition he was asking her to make in the wake of her failed marriage:

Always leaving us wanting more! The actors have only stoked the flames of fans’ desires by never shutting the door on a possible return. Just a month prior to this news, Jesse Williams said he'd "consider it" if he was asked to reprise the role. He'd previously said if he and Sarah Drew did star in a spinoff, they would "kill it," and Grey's Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo admitted she'd watch that show. 

There’s no indication if their characters will appear for more than this one episode, but it’s still very exciting news. If we're only getting them for this two-hour block of television, we'll undoubtedly get an update on their relationship status. Will Japril have rekindled their romance in Boston? There's also the question of what brings them back to Seattle, though I guess any appearance could be explained away by visiting Jackson's mom Catherine (Debbie Allen).

We'll find out on Thursday, May 26! But before we get that exciting guest appearance, fans will get the return of Kate Walsh as Addison Montgomery. Addison will be back in the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial when Grey's Anatomy returns from hiatus at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, May 5. In the meantime, check our 2022 TV Schedule to see what new and returning shows are premiering soon.

When it comes to Grey’s Anatomy spinoffs, it seems like a question of “when,” not “if,” that universe will be expanded again. It’s already produced a couple of successful sister stories with Private Practice starring Kate Walsh running for six seasons and Station 19 recently being renewed for its own Season 6. Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew seem to be the fan favorites to lead such an endeavor, and that must be an idea that’s floated around the actors’ minds for a while as well, as they revealed recently that they pitched a series starring Jackson Avery and April Kepner back when both characters were still on the show. 

The idea of a spinoff featuring Jackson and April — “Japril” to their fans — has been floating around the fandom at least since Jesse Williams exited the show in Season 17. Even Ellen Pompeo, who plays the eponymous Meredith Grey, said she would watch a series starring the two of them. But it seems Sarah Drew and Jesse Williams themselves might have been the first ones to voice the idea. 

The Season 10 episode “Get Up, Stand Up,” featured a classic (and hilarious) scene in which Jackson declared his love for April in front of all of their family and friends — in the middle of April’s wedding to Matthew. April and Jackson ran away from the ceremony, gleefully hand-in-hand, but when the couple returned to Seattle as husband and wife, they were forced to face the consequences of their impulsive decisions. Fights between the two sullied what should have been their honeymoon phase. Sarah Drew told Insider that she and Jesse Williams worked on an idea to fill in the gaps of their relationship, including what happened after they drove away from April's wedding: 

While we didn’t get a spinoff series showing what happened in the aftermath of one of the most romantic wedding scenes in Grey’s Anatomy history — even if it did prompt Jesse Williams to call April “the real bad guy” of the story — Williams confirmed that their pitch was turned into the classic Grey’s episode “Unbreak My Heart,” or as it’s come to be known by fans, “Japril the Movie.” 

The Season 12 episode “Unbreak My Heart” told Japril’s love story, from their meeting at Mercy West hospital all the way to their eventual divorce, after which they found out April was pregnant again. Although fans remained hopeful that Jackson and April would reconcile someday, Sarah Drew left the show in Season 14, married to Matthew.

Hope was renewed, however, when Sarah Drew returned for the Season 17 episode, “Look Up Child,” in which Jackson showed up at April’s house and asked her to move to Boston with him, so that he could take over his family’s Catherine Fox Foundation and work to improve medical care for underserved communities. She agreed! And even though they didn’t get back together right then and there, the door was left open — both for their relationship and for the continuation of their story. 

It’s pretty amazing that as popular as the idea is for fan-favorite couple Japril to have their own spinoff, it was the actors themselves who came up with the idea first. Now we’ll just have to wait impatiently to see if we’ll get to see their story continue in Boston.

Grey’s Anatomy airs at 9 p.m. ET Thursdays on ABC. Check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what shows are premiering soon.

Grey’s Anatomy is known as much for its romantic entanglements as it is for anything pertaining to medicine. There have been a lot — a lot — of relationships (and even some weddings) over the course of 18 seasons, and not every doctor can be McDreamy when it comes to romance (even he wasn’t perfect — see below). I took a look back at the staff of Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital (formerly Seattle Grace) and picked out the nine doctors who were definitely better in the medical field than the love department. 

First, a couple of notes, because I know as Grey’s fans, we’re very protective of our favorite characters. Being bad at relationships or going after the wrong person does not make these characters bad people. There are some fan favorites here, so consider yourself warned. Also, I chose only from hospital staff, so you won’t find Jo’s abusive husband Paul on this list, even though we can all agree he was the worst, right? With that out of the way, let’s get to the list of worst love interests on Grey’s Anatomy. 

Derek Shepherd

I’m going to kick this off with a hot take. Derek Shepard (Patrick Dempsey) was one half of the series’ flagship couple, so it’s kind of hard to believe he has a place on this list. But MerDer’s relationship wasn’t always Post-It notes and beach reunions. Some of the couple’s earlier interactions were really cringe, particularly Derek slut-shaming Meredith in Season 2 (you know, after he got back together with the wife he had forgotten to mention). Let’s not forget in Season 11 he kissed another woman while working in D.C. Sorry, McDreamy, but as Meredith Grey’s husband, I’m holding you to a higher standard.

Eliza Minnick

When Eliza Minnick (Marika Domińczyk) showed up in Season 13 to revamp the residency program, she made exactly one friend — Arizona Robbins. In fact, it seemed Minnick was always either pissing somebody off or flirting with Arizona. When Minnick was (rightfully) fired after the fire incident in the hospital, she ghosted the only person who cared, ignoring Arizona’s calls and moving out of her apartment.

George O'Malley

I love George O’Malley. I mean, forget Sean Connery or Daniel Craig, George O’Malley is my favorite 007. But his role as a significant other was seriously lacking. George (T.R. Knight) was involved in the hospital's syphilis outbreak in Season 1 (not completely his fault but still). He cheated on Callie, which was an ill-advised marriage in the first place, and his relationship with Izzie was so bad even the actors themselves hated it. Let’s not even talk about when he slept with Meredith. Poor George just needed to set up camp in the friend zone.

Nico Kim

Nico Kim (Alex Landi) hasn’t had a whole lot of character development since his arrival in Season 15, and unfortunately seems to be used mostly as a device for on-off boyfriend Levi Schmitt’s journey of self-discovery. This hasn’t allowed viewers to see Nico do much more than treat Schmitt badly so that Schmitt can overcome the situation and thrive. How are they even still together?

Leah Murphy

We all know a Leah, right? A person who maybe gets a little too attached, a little too quickly? I felt bad for Leah Murphy (Tessa Ferrer) that she never seemed to be on the same page as her romantic partners, but not bad enough not to groan every time she was on-screen in a non-medical capacity.

Owen Hunt

Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) made this list not for his PTSD-triggered attack on Cristina, but for a number of other offenses, like cheating on her, and yelling, “You killed our baby!” in front of all of their colleagues at a child’s birthday party. Things didn’t get better with Amelia, where he continued to be controlling and manipulative. And then there's Teddy, his current wife, but I’m not sure why that's even a thing, considering the terrible way he treated her when he found out about her romantic past with her best friend Allison. A proficient trauma surgeon to be sure, but great partner, not so much. 

April Kepner

There’s a lot to love about April Kepner (Sarah Drew), including the bond she shared with Jackson Avery. But man they didn’t have an easy road. April experienced a whole rollercoaster of feelings after losing her virginity, and she picked a very fragile time in their relationship to join the Army and go overseas for three months. We also really have to talk about poor Matthew. April straight-up abandoned Matthew at the altar to elope with Jackson. She and Matthew gave it another go in Season 14, and that didn't last either. I mean, look, she even admitted she's the worst.

Preston Burke

Like Derek and Meredith, Cristina and Burke were one of Grey’s Anatomy’s main couples in Season 1. But it is so hard to rewatch their relationship play out, as Burke (Isaiah Washington) constantly punished Cristina for things happening in their personal lives by withholding professional opportunities from her. Did Seattle Grace even have an HR department? Then Burke pressured her into a big wedding after she said that’s not what she wanted, and when she finally agreed to do it his way, he left her (with no eyebrows, at that) because then and only then, he decided he didn’t want to change her.

Jason Myers

Jason Myers (Charles Michael Davis) is the worst love interest in Grey’s Anatomy’s 18 seasons so far, and I don’t even think it’s close. From the start Jason was disrespectful and didn’t trust Jo, but the relationship really took a dangerous turn during a physical altercation. Jason grabbed Jo’s arm, she hit him, he hit her back, and when Jo fought him off, he fell, hitting his head and requiring surgery. When he woke up, he had the audacity to talk about pressing charges, but Alex talked him out of it. That was the last time viewers saw Jason, and we were not sorry to see him go.

Grey’s Anatomy will continue to see love interests come and go from the hospital, especially with all of the new characters the show has been introducing (did someone say Minnesota spinoff?), and it just wouldn’t be as fun if every character were the perfect romantic partner. So I say keep bringing the messy! You can catch Grey’s Anatomy at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. And see what’s coming up in the new year with our 2022 TV schedule.

The fate of Grey’s Anatomy is up in the air in the midst of its 18th season, as series star Ellen Pompeo has been increasingly vocal about being ready to end the ABC show. While the medical drama that bears Meredith Grey’s name may indeed conclude when the actress who plays her leaves the hospital for the last time, the world that Shonda Rhimes created for world-class Seattle surgeons is definitely strong enough to live on under a new lead (or two). There’s one iconic couple who fans would love to see heading up a new spinoff in the Shonda-verse, and Pompeo herself has thrown her support behind the idea of a Japril follow-up.

Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) and April Kepner (Sarah Drew) were considered the ultimate endgame in the minds of the Grey’s Anatomy loyal. The iconic wedding scene where Jackson proclaimed his love for April in the middle of her wedding to Matthew lives on as one of the ABC drama’s most romantic moments. Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo said she'd be on board to see a new series about the couple, telling Insider there’s a good reason fans love Japril. 

Ellen Pompeo may think she’s been doing Grey’s Anatomy for too long, but there’s no doubt she still cares about these characters and the stories the show is telling. She understands why fans would love to see what happened between Jackson and April, as their situation was left open-ended regarding their last appearance on Grey’s Anatomy. 

Sarah Drew left the show at the end of Season 14, but made an appearance in Season 17 when Jesse Williams announced he would also be leaving. Jackson Avery made the decision to move to Boston to take over his family’s Catherine Fox Foundation and find a way to change the health system to better help marginalized communities. April — whose second attempt at her relationship with Matthew failed — agreed to move with Jackson so they could continue to coparent their daughter Harriet. 

They didn’t get back together or even kiss during the episode, but there was enough hope there to leave fans wondering. Just look at how great Jackson and April are together. Who wouldn’t want to see more of this?

Jesse Williams himself has said a spinoff with Sarah Drew that would follow the work they’re doing in Boston is an interesting premise, and it’s clear to fans how much the actors enjoy working together. Williams addressed fans’ wishes to see them reunite in a new series, saying:

Another Grey’s Anatomy spinoff is something that has always seemed like a possibility, after the years-ago success of the Kate Walsh-led Private Practice and firefighting companion show Station 19. Earlier this year, Jonnie Davis of ABC Signature sparked fan excitement when he talked about “the next phase of Grey’s Anatomy” but quickly walked back his statement, saying there were no spinoff conversations happening.

Still, the Japril idea does sound promising: strong story, fan support, Ellen Pompeo’s blessing. And with the way Grey’s Anatomy has been building up characters in Minnesota for Meredith and Amelia’s super secret Parkinson’s trial, it’s hard to imagine spinoff talks aren’t happening on some level. Which direction they would go with it — or them, since multiple spinoffs is hardly out of the question — is something we’ll have to wait and see. 

Grey’s Anatomy is on hiatus after a cliffhanger-heavy winter finale. The show will return to ABC for a crossover with Station 19 starting at 8 p.m. ET on February 24, 2022, when we’ll see if the firefighters can save Owen Hunt’s life. In the meantime, check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what’s coming up in the new year.

It’s arguably Grey’s Anatomy’s most dramatic wedding scene — and there are a lot to choose from — but the moment when Jackson Avery declared his love for April Kepner in the middle of her wedding to Matthew solidified “Japril” as one of fans’ favorite couples. Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew recently had fun looking back at the classic moment and the audacity Jackson and April had. This prompted Williams to drop an F-bomb and proclaim April as “the real bad guy” of the situation.

In Season 10’s “Get Up, Stand Up,” April was set for her big day with Matthew Taylor, with Jackson attending the affair with Stephanie Edwards. But fresh in Jackson’s mind were the words of the late Mark Sloan, who had given him the “If you love someone, you tell them” speech before tragically dying from his plane crash injuries. He took that advice — at just about the most inappropriate time imaginable — mid-ceremony. 

Looking back, Jesse Williams admitted Jackson’s actions weren’t great, but he stood by them, as he and Sarah Drew relived the moment in an interview with Insider. During the chat, Williams said the alternative would have been worse for all involved:

It’s true that it would have been a disservice to everyone if Jackson had continued a relationship with Stephanie while he knew his real feelings were for April. But in the grand scheme of things, the actor said, what his character did to Stephanie was nothing compared to April actually running out of her wedding with another man. The star broke down precisely why Jackson shouldn’t be the one to shoulder all the blame:

Sarah Drew didn’t even make Jesse Williams say it. She knew the truth — that April leaving Matthew at the altar like that was far more humiliating than Jackson abandoning Stephanie, who he wasn’t super serious with anyway. Drew finished her colleague's thought for him:

That love triangle continued to be a roller coaster for all involved as, after Jackson and April got divorced, April did end up marrying Matthew in a spur-of-the-moment decision in Season 14. That relationship didn’t last either, and the last we saw of our beloved Japril, April and their daughter, Harriet, were moving to Boston to be close to Jackson in his new position with the Catherine Fox Foundation. 

While the couple’s story was left open-ended, I’ve got to believe those two worked it out. Grey’s Anatomy, now in its 18th season, airs at 9 p.m. ET on Thursdays on ABC. Check out when your favorite shows’ fall finales are, as well as what’s set to premiere in 2022.

After Sarah Drew returned to Grey’s Anatomy in Season 17 to round out Jackson’s story, fans were hopeful that it could turn into a spinoff following Japril moving across the country to start their new lives together with Harriet. Even though that spinoff is not in the works, as of now, fans will still be able to see Drew on their TVs. She’s officially returning to the Lifetime Christmas movie family, but not just as an actress.

Via Deadline, Sarah Drew has made a two-picture deal with Lifetime after starring in two of the network’s highest-rated holiday movies. The contract will have Drew star in, write and executive produce films for Lifetime’s annual It’s a Wonderful Lifetime movie slate. The Cruel Summer star was seen in Twinkle All the Way and Christmas Pen Pals for Lifetime and 2020’s Christmas in Vienna for Hallmark.

One film in development is Reindeer Games, which Sarah Drew actually wrote. The film follows a Hollywood star who returns to his hometown following a breakup. He is dragged into “Reindeer Games,” the town’s holiday fundraising tradition. But of course, he falls for a former classmate whom he ignored in high school and who he is competing against. While she is determined to win, he is determined to win her heart.

On top of Reindeer Games, Sarah Drew is also set to star in Stolen Hearts: The Lizbeth Meredith Story, based on a true story, which was just recently greenlit. She will portray the titular character who has to get her daughters back after her ex kidnaps them and takes them to Greece. Drew is definitely keeping busy, since she also has Season 2 of Freeform’s surprise summer mystery hit Cruel Summer on the way. The series was renewed on the day of the first season finale, and with the way the season went, it wasn’t a surprise, especially after that cliffhanger.

Meanwhile, Reindeer Games will mark the second film that will have Sarah Drew attached as an executive producer. She starred in and executive produced the 2018 Christian drama movie Indivisible, which also starred former on-screen Grey’s Anatomy hubby Justin Bruening and Tia Mowry. Drew getting more into executive producing should definitely be a good thing for her moving forward, as she’s able to branch out and do even more projects.

Although this deal with Lifetime is only for two movies, it’s possible the network could extend the contract and collaborate on even more films. Lifetime and Hallmark are the two biggest channels for Christmas movies and both of them have mainstay stars that return year after year. Sarah Drew returning to the Lifetime Christmas family is jolly news, and Grey's Anatomy fans can look forward to seeing her playing another kind of character. 

Grey's Anatomy fans spent much of Season 17 with the suspicion that Ellen Pompeo's Meredith could get killed off, thus bringing the show to an end without a Season 18 renewal. Things didn't pan out in quite that way, however, as Meredith survived her COVID coma and will be back for more when the new season hits in the fall. What many viewers didn't see coming, though, was the swan song for Jesse Williams' Jackson Avery, who vacated the series with Episode 15, which also featured the final appearance (so far) from Greg Germann's Tom Koracick. The question now is whether or not fans should hold out hope for a Jackson-centric spinoff drama.

Considering Jackson's final episodes brought back Sarah Drew's April, and that the narrative saw them both heading off to Boston to take over the Catherine Fox Foundation, the breadcrumbs are there for a separate spinoff tale to exist, should everyone involved be interested in taking things in that direction. And shockingly enough, Jesse Williams seems to be theoretically on board with the concept. Here's how he put it when asked by Insider about his reaction to fans clamoring for more:

Power to Jesse Williams for giving fans almost exactly what they wanted to hear, as opposed to offering a more cagey reply, which is what the majority of other actors do in similar situations. Instead of saying he'd been playing Jackson for so many years and just needed to find something new to dive into, Williams implied he totally understands why fans would be so eager to continue watching his character in a new setting, and I'm betting that interest would be three-fold if Sarah Drew's April was indeed part of the fun.

Granted, Jesse Williams can also say he'd be interested in taking on a Grey's Anatomy spinoff in which Jackson Avery is now a giant mecha-kaiju solving mysteries for a magical warlord from space, and it wouldn't mean that project is actually happening. In fact, there's room to believe that Williams could be so candidly interested in the idea of a Japril spinoff precisely because he knows how slim the chances are that such spinoff plans will ever come to fruition. It would make a lot of sense for the actor to be more open to talking about his character's potential future only if he was certain such a plan would never come together. Or at least not in the near-future.

Still, audiences probably won't hear The Blacklist's exiting star Megan Boone talking about a Liz-fronted spinoff at any point soon, so the fact that Jesse Williams is entertaining the idea at all is intriguing. He's clearly aware of how popular Grey's Anatomy is and probably knows just how much ABC would love to keep that franchise going for as long as possible. In his words:

One has to look no further than Criminal Minds to understand just how strong the hunger is for spinoff and revivals. While that show ended its 15-year run on CBS in 2020, the drama's studio relatively quickly began setting up a follow-up season for Paramount+ with returning cast members, based in part on Criminal Minds' streaming success on Netflix. So by all means, fans could very well be watching a new Japril-focused spinoff on ABC by next summer, should the creative and financial elements fall into place. But nobody get their hopes up until the rumor mill is actually up and running on this one.

Jesse Williams is certainly building up his career outside of Grey's Anatomy, also. Having appeared for a silly cameo in HBO's excellent A Black Lady Sketch Show, the actor recently signed on for a new film role opposite MCU stars Owen Wilson and Michael Peña, and he'll also be taking on a big Broadway role in 2022 in the Take Me Out revival. For now, though, fans can stream repeats of Grey's Anatomy on Netflix (Seasons 1-16) or Hulu (Season 17) while waiting for more awesome shows populating the 2021 Summer TV season.

Spoilers ahead for Grey’s Anatomy Season 17, Episode 14 “Look Up Child.”

The May 6 episode of Grey’s Anatomy, “Look Up Child,” included the reunion that fans had been waiting a while for. When it was announced that Sarah Drew would be returning for a Season 17 episode, many fans were wondering how her reunion with Jackson would be portrayed on screen. And the final result was, for the most part, satisfying -- despite Japril not sharing a long-awaited kiss. Sarah Drew has now shared why she’s glad they didn’t and why she believes it was for the best.

Off screen Jackson and April see each other weekly to co-parent Harriet and do drop-offs but, on screen, Jackson paying April a surprise visit was not what she had planned -- and she was even more shocked by what he had to say. April also admitted that she and Matthew divorced, leaving her completely available. While it would have been the perfect opportunity for the two of them to kiss once they figured everything out, all they did was hug, but Sarah Drew tells The Hollywood Reporter that the former couple wasn’t even supposed to have any physical contact:

Because of COVID-19, TV and movie productions have had to take extra precautions to make sure the actors and crew members are staying safe. And that includes having less contact with each other for a scene. Though in this case, it might have worked out eve better. With everything that Jackson has asked April to do for him, them not kissing means that they’re going to take this slow. They always did things so quickly in their lives, and it never ended well.

This time, they can take it slow, really work on their relationship and be there for Harriett while making real changes in the foundation, together -- just like Jackson wants. April deciding to move proves that she cares for Jackson and supports him. Whether or not they do get back together may not ever be known, but this is closure for not only them but for the fans as well.

Jackson’s official farewell is in this Thursday’s episode and telling his colleagues he’s moving to Boston is not going to be easy. With Alex's departure last season and the loss of Deluca this season, Jackson marks the latest casualty, real or not, that Grey Sloan is going to have to live through. But at least this one is happier and makes you wonder what will happen in the upcoming 18th season.

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on ABC!

Grey's Anatomy is just days away from saying goodbye to another longtime cast member, but Jesse Williams' Jackson Avery is poised to get a much happier sendoff than Giacomo Gianniotti's DeLuca earlier in Season 17. The latest episode saw the return of Sarah Drew as April Kepner for the first time since Drew was written out in Season 14, delivering a Japril reunion that set up Williams' departure as Jackson as something positive. His big farewell episode is on the way, and I find myself wondering: could Sarah Drew make a surprise reappearance before the final credits roll?

Now, Sarah Drew was announced as returning for just the one episode, meaning that Jackson didn't have much time to convince April to come to Boston with him and their daughter so that he could run the Harper Avery Foundation, sweetening the deal with promises of resources to fund her projects. April ultimately agreed, and she even sweetened the deal further (for Japril fans, anyway) with the reveal that she and Matthew are no longer together.

The description for the next episode reveals that Jackson will share "the big news" of his departure with his colleagues at Grey Sloan, and the promo for the episode shows Jackson handing in his resignation and hypes it as "a farewell to Jackson." With his farewell episode airing right after Sarah Drew's return for a Japril reunion that will see the two characters head off to Boston together, isn't it conceivable that she filmed an extra scene for a cameo to send Jackson off to the next stage of his career and life?

Honestly, it would certainly beat Grey's Anatomy sending Alex off for a happily-ever-after with Izzie and breaking Jo's heart without having either Justin Chambers or Katherine Heigl on hand for any new scenes. Still, the Alex situation (such as it was) set a recent precedent for Grey's sending a major character off by reuniting him with his most famous love interest for the next chapter of their love story, and that makes me think the show could do it again, but better, with Japril. Surely Grey's would have brought back Justin Chambers and Katherine Heigl if possible, right? And Grey's just had Sarah Drew!

Plus, Grey's Anatomy brought back all those other characters this season to deliver some closure, even in death, and most of those were shockers. Throw in the fact that there was no guarantee that Grey's Anatomy would be renewed for another season when the episode featuring Sarah Drew's return was filmed, and I could 100% see Jackson and April heading off into the sunset in his farewell episode with both on screen. Sarah Drew was back to film the latest episode that aired, and I know I'd love to see her in the next.

Now, I can admit that I'm partly basing my hope for a quick Sarah Drew appearance in Jesse Williams' final episode on the events of another long-running medical show: ER. The show famously (and at the time, secretly) brought George Clooney's Doug back for a quick scene in Julianna Margulies' final episode as Carol as a series regular, just long enough to give them a happy ending together on screen.

Less famously but still relevant to the idea of Sarah Drew appearing one last time on Grey's Anatomy was the final ER episode of Maura Tierney's Abby Lockhart as a series regular, when Goran Visnjic returned for a cameo to show that Abby would get a happy ending with his character and their child... in Boston, of all places.

Even as somebody who wasn't watching ER live in the era of George Clooney and Juliana Margulies, and as somebody who preferred Abby with Carter, and as somebody who spent most of the Grey's Anatomy farewell to Alex watching in disbelief, I honestly think that a final Japril scene would be a wonderfully hopeful way to curb any sadness about the departure of Jackson. And it feels very possible, given Sarah Drew's recent return.

But I can also admit that possible doesn't exactly mean likely. Grey's Anatomy's third big Japril episode ended on a sweet and hopeful note for both Jackson and April, with both of them finally on the same page and ready to head to Boston with their fingers crossed for new horizons, and their adorable daughter in tow. If that was Sarah Drew's final scene on Grey's Anatomy, and the final Jackson/April scene, then I have nothing to be upset about.

Jackson leaving Seattle to use the Harper Avery Foundation's resources to fight for racial equity in medicine, April getting more resources for her own goals, and the little family unit more or less sticking together, is about the best way I can imagine Jesse Williams being written out without rushing anything. Assuming Grey's Anatomy doesn't deliver just about the worst twist imaginable by killing him off in his farewell episode, Jackson will have gotten one last big episode with April and one episode to say his goodbyes to Grey Sloan, which is pretty great with or without a surprise appearance from Sarah Drew.

In fact, I'd say that Sarah Drew's guest appearance after a few seasons away gave her a better sendoff than she got when she was written off as a series regular. Besides, Drew dropped some comments about a potential spinoff that at the very least make it fun to imagine what could come next for Jackson and April. ET reports that after Drew confirmed that she is "deciding" that Japril is endgame, she had this to say about potentially continuing their story in a new show:

Now, a spinoff is no more guaranteed than Sarah Drew turning up in Jesse Williams' final episode for an ER-esque sendoff a la Doug and Carol, but it's fun to consider in light of what has been kind of a bummer of a season of Grey's Anatomy. Even Meredith's reunions with her long-lost loved ones happened because she was potentially dying and they were dead, and Grey's Anatomy not time-jumping out of COVID like some other medical shows meant that the characters are still dealing with elements of the pandemic that the real world has recovered from.

For all of this speculation, the one thing that is confirmed is that Jesse Williams is leaving Grey's Anatomy after twelve years, getting an on-screen farewell that almost certainly isn't going to earn him a slot on any lists of Grey's Anatomy deaths. This could be more of farewell like what Cristina got than anything else, but we'll have to wait and see. His final episode airs on Thursday, May 20 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, with the Season 17 finale soon to follow.

This current season of ABC’s long-running medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy, has been nothing short of reunions. Between the returns of McDreamy and McSteamy, as well as George and Lexie, the next return will be one that fans have been waiting what seems like forever for. With Sarah Drew returning to the drama as Dr. April Kepner in this week’s episode, fans will be getting the Japril reunion they've waited a while for, and the actress was more than delighted to get back into it.

Sarah Drew exited Grey’s Anatomy at the end of the Season 14 finale. April decided to leave Grey Sloan Memorial for something more religiously fulfilling, and she ended up marrying paramedic Matthew Taylor. In the upcoming episode, Jackson (Jesse Williams) pays April a surprise visit, and Drew couldn’t help but gush to TVInsider about her experience on set and getting to jump back into the dynamic between Jackson and April, who have a long history with each other:

While Jackson’s visit is surely a surprise, Drew confirmed that April is still in Seattle and that the pair see each other most likely twice a week, as they are still co-parenting their daughter, Harriett. Even though nothing much has changed between the two, that doesn’t mean the reunion between the two exes still won’t be emotional, especially for the fans who haven’t seen them together since April left.

In March, Sarah Drew shared pictures from set that showed he reuniting with Jesse Williams, and it sent Japril fans into a frenzy. And it looked as if that dynamic between Jackson and April, as well as Drew and Williams, hasn’t changed one bit, despite Drew leaving the series three years ago. Even though fans shouldn’t expect too much out of the Japril reunion, since it won’t be much of a reunion for the characters, it will still be nice to see them together once again after a few seasons.

Whatever happens between Japril, and whether or not lingering feelings will be revealed or kept secret, fans will find out soon enough! Don’t miss Sarah Drew’s return to Grey’s Anatomy on Thursday, May 6 at 9 p.m. EST on ABC!

Sarah Drew ended her nine-season run on Grey's Anatomy as Dr. April Kepner at the end of Season 14, but fans have been hoping beyond hope that Drew would some day return. Well, that time is almost upon us, as Drew will be coming back for a guest spot during the May 6 episode. OG viewers have really ramped up their excitement for the appearance, with many of them wanting, so very badly, for April's visit with her ex-husband, Jackson, to lead to a rekindled romance between the former twosome. But, all those fans might need to temper their high hopes for April and Jackson's reunion.

A lot of long-time viewers of Grey's Anatomy were quite pleased when April and Jackson finally went from being friends to lovers during Season 8, and even more thrilled when they married. The couple definitely had their ups and downs, but were able to part as friends by the time April married Matthew and said goodbye to Grey Sloan Memorial. Now that we'll be seeing her on screen again, though, Sarah Drew doesn't think that fans should set their expectations too high for a potential Japril romance, and noted to Entertainment Tonight:

See, guys, here's the thing. Sarah Drew is right. Even though April and Jackson had plenty of fights and missteps while they were a couple, once they had their daughter, Harriet, they made a decision to raise her together as friends after breaking up. And, they've been able to do that. Also, because of Harriet, the former couple has continued to see each other on a regular basis. To Drew's point, even though April hasn't been seen on Grey's Anatomy for almost three full seasons, she and Jackson were still interacting all the time because of their daughter.

April didn't realize she was pregnant until after Jackson had already started divorce proceedings. Once they worked through the tension caused by her not informing him when she found out (Arizona took it upon herself to do that), they realized that finding a way to become friends again so that they could co-parent their child with as little strife as possible was the best way to do things. When April fell in love with her ex-fiancé, Matthew, again and eventually married him, she didn't wander off to parts unknown. She stayed in Seattle so that she and Jackson could continue to give Harriet as stable of a life as they could.

Seeing as how April and Jackson have be in each other's lives all of this time, there's really no reason to think that his visit to her will suddenly inspire renewed romantic feelings. And, if you're wondering whether or not their conversation will at least lead to some additional closure, Sarah Drew had this to say:

Come on, guys. Don't act so surprised! What did you expect? Luckily, we don't have long to wait until none of us will need Sarah Drew to answer our questions about the big Japril reunion scenes, as her episode of Grey's Anatomy will air on ABC, Thursday, May 6, at 8 p.m. EST.

Cruel Summer is the latest Freeform series which is bound to become your TV obsession. The series follows Jeanette Turner (Chiara Aurelia) and Kate Wallis (Olivia Holt) as an abduction rocks their small town. Kate disappears and Jeanette becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance. Set in Skylin, Texas, Cruel Summer takes place over three years, 1993, 1994, and 1995, and showcases three days of events, all starting on June 21. Cruel Summer has intrigue, drama, and a mystery which should keep you hooked all spring long. It’s one of the 2021 TV shows that we’re most excited to see. Cruel Summer seems like a good fit for Freeform because it fills that missing mystery, suspense gap left by series Pretty Little Liars and Dead of Summer. The show’s plot and the Cruel Summer cast make this a must-watch show.

The Cruel Summer cast, led by Olivia Holt and Chiara Aurelia, are rising stars who could have a star-making moment in this highly anticipated Freeform drama. The series’ cast consists mainly of young actors who have just begun to make their names in Hollywood, but the Cruel Summer cast also includes some Hollywood veterans and very familiar faces. Let’s explore the Cruel Summer cast's other projects prior to the series.

Olivia Holt (Kate Wallis)

Olivia Holt plays Kate Wallis, the girl who goes missing and sends the town into a panic. From the outside, Kate’s life seems perfect, but nothing is ever perfect. Holt began her acting career by being a Disney Channel regular from 2010 to 2017. She appeared in various Disney Channel Original movies and TV shows. Her first main Disney Channel role was in Kickin’ It. Olivia Holt appeared in that series from 2011 to 2015, playing the main role as Kim until Season 4.

She then appeared in the Disney movie Girl vs. Monster and the TV shows Shake It Up, I Didn’t Do It, Dog with a Blog, and The Evermoor Chronicles. Many will also recognize Holt from her main role as Tandy Bowen, a.k.a. Dagger, in the Freeform and Marvel series Cloak & Dagger. She is also a singer and sang a version of “You’ve Got A Friend in Me” from Toy Story with Jordan Fisher.

Chiara Aurelia (Jeanette Turner)

Chiara Aurelia plays Jeanette Turner. Jeanette is an outcast who dreams of one day having everything that Kate has, which leads to things getting beyond Jeanette’s control and turning her town against her. She’s insecure about her appearance but her life doesn’t turn dark until Kate disappears. Many may recognize Aurelia from her role on the Amazon Prime series Tell Me Your Secrets, where she played Rose Lord.

She has also appeared in episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Pretty Little Liars, Agent Carter, Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, Recovery Road, and The Brave. Aurelia also had roles in the films Back Roads, Gerald’s Game, and Big Sky. She will also soon be appearing in Netflix’s Fear Street.

Froy Gutierrez (Jamie Henson)

Froy Gutierrez plays Kate’s boyfriend who starts dating Jeanette when she disappears. He's well-liked by his peers and is Jeanette's crush long before Kate's abduction. Gutierrez played Charlie in Bella and the Bulldogs. He also had a recurring role on The Goldbergs as Handsome Ben, and he had recurring roles on One Day at a Time, Teen Wolf, and Light as a Feather.

Gutierrez has appeared in the films A Cowgirl’s Story, The Vampyre, and Initiation. He is also a singer and has released singles such as "Fix Me," "When It’s Midnight” and “Crash.”

Harley Quinn Smith (Mallory Higgins)

Harley Quinn Smith plays Mallory Higgins, one of Jeanette’s best friends. Jeanette distances herself from Mallory and Vince (Allius Barnes) once she starts to become popular, which hurts and confuses Mallory. Harley Quinn Smith is the daughter of filmmaker Kevin Smith and she has appeared in a few of his movies, including Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, Tusk, Clerks II, and Yoga Hosers. Harley Quinn Smith has also appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. She's had roles in the film Madness in the Method and the series Supergirl.

Allius Barnes (Vince Fuller)

Allius Barnes plays Vince Fuller, the third part of the trio of best friends that includes Jeanette and Mallory. Barnes has had recurring roles on S.H.R.I.E.K, PEN15, and the critically acclaimed Netflix mini-series Unbelievable. He also appeared in episodes of Snowfall, Chicago P.D., Rosewood, Bones, Melissa & Joey, and Sam & Cat. Allius Barnes has also been in the movies Thumper and American Skin.

Blake Lee (Martin Harris)

Blake Lee plays Martin Harris, a popular teacher at the high school all of the main characters attend. According to the official Cruel Summer page, Harris may care “a little too much” about his students. Smells like a scandal to me. Blake Lee is best known for starring opposite his husband, Ben Lewis, in the first Lifetime LGBTQ+ romantic movie, The Christmas Setup. Lee has also appeared in the shows Friends with Benefits, Mixology, Angie Tribeca, Fam, and he played Derek on Parks and Recreation.

Michael Landes (Greg Turner)

Michael Landes plays Jeanette's father, Greg Turner, in Cruel Summer. Michael Landes has had a long career in Hollywood. He had a recurring role in The Wonder Years as Kirk McCray, and also had a recurring role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Landes had a recurring role in the criminally underrated family series The Torkelsons, which was alternately known as Almost Home. He played Jimmy Olsen in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and recurred in the BBC series Silent Witness.

Michael Landes also appeared in episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Crazy Ones, Don’t Trust the B----in Apartment 23, Miranda, Boston Legal, Peep Show, and Ghost Whisperer. The actor has also worked on the movies Final Destination 2, Hart's War, Lakeview Terrace, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, Burlesque, and Angel Has Fallen.

Brooklyn Sudano (Angela Prescott)

Brooklyn Sudano plays Angela Prescott, a bartender at the local dive bar. She’s there to listen when customers need to rant, and she can also kick butt when patrons get too rowdy. Sudano had a lead role in NBC’s adaptation of Taken, and played Christy Epping, Jake Epping’s (James Franco) ex-wife in 11.22.63, the Hulu adaptation of Stephen King’s best-selling book.

Brooklyn Sudano has been in episodes of 90210, Without a Trace, Friends with Benefits, and Ballers. She also played Vanessa Scott on My Wife and Kids, was seen in the movie Rain, and in the MTV movie Turn the Beat Around.

Nathaniel Ashton (Ben)

Nathaniel Ashton plays the recurring character Ben, who is one of Jamie’s friends. It seems like Ben wants Jamie to be happy but also worries about his mental state when Kate disappears and he just moves on with Jeanette. Ashton has appeared in a couple of episodes of The Price of Fame. He's also in episodes of Mr. Mercedes and Ashes. Cruel Summer will be one of Ashton’s first major projects.

Sarah Drew (Cindy Turner)

Sarah Drew plays Cindy Turner, Jeanette’s mother. Cindy used to be very popular around town but now struggles to stay out of the spotlight as the town gossip about her and her family escalates because of Kate’s abduction. Most Grey’s Anatomy fans will recognize Sarah Drew from her role as Dr. April Kepner on the medical drama. She played the character from 2009 to 2018, and made an appearance as a guest star in 2021. Prior to Grey’s Anatomy, Drew had main roles in Daria, where she voiced Stacy Rowe, and Everwood, where she played Hannah Rogers.

Sarah Drew has also appeared in the shows Supernatural, In Plain Sight, Numb3rs, Private Practice, and Mad Men. She can also be seen in the films Mom’s Night Out, American Pastime, and Tug.

Barrett Carnahan (Derek Turner)

Barrett Carnahan plays Derek Turner, the older brother of Jeanette. He remains a constant source of support for Jeanette, even when he’s away at college. He’ll be a recurring character, so will only be visibly offering Jeanette support sometimes. Carnahan played Link Evilman in the Nickelodeon series The Thundermans. He also played Young Kreese in Cobra Kai.

Barrett Carnahan played Aiden in Alexa & Katie’s final season. He has also appeared in episodes of Grown-ish, Best Friends Whenever, Good Girls Revolt, Bones, Colony, Grey’s Anatomy, Sleepy Hollow, and Drop Dead Diva.

Andrea Anders (Joy Wallis)

Andrea Anders plays Joy Wallis. She is Kate’s mother. She’s known for being a bit scary, especially towards those who may stand in her way. Andrea Anders had a lead role in the Friends spin-off Joey, where she played Alex, Joey’s main love interest throughout the show’s two seasons. Anders has had recurring roles on About a Boy, Modern Family, Young Sheldon, The Good Fight, Necessary Roughness, and Ted Lasso. She also had a series regular role on Mr. Mom, Better Off Ted, and Mr. Sunshine.

Anders appeared in the films Sex Drive, Instant Family, Daddy’s Home 2, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, and The Stepford Wives.

You can catch Olivia Holt, Chiara Aurelia, Froy Gutierrez, and the rest of the Cruel Summer cast Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST on Freeform, and on Hulu the next day.

As rumors continue to swirl surrounding ABC possibly canceling Grey's Anatomy instead of renewing it for Season 18, the producers are continuing to populate Season 17 with familiar faces from the hit drama's past. (Even while sometimes killing other longtime characters off.) The next big return will be from Sarah Drew, whose April Kepner will be back in a limited capacity for an episode airing later this season. Thankfully, fans didn't have to wait until her episode's premiere in order to get a hint of April's reunion with Jesse Williams' Jackson Avery.

Looks like Sarah Drew has no problem getting everyone pumped to see April and Jackson together again, even if it's not a permanent fix. Check out her picture-perfect Instagram post below, which fans were absolutely ecstatic to see.

Grey's Anatomy fans first said farewell to Sarah Drew's April at the end of Season 14, which capped off a nine-season run for the character. Almost immediately after the character left, fans started calling for Japril reunions, despite the fact that April and Jackson are divorced now. A lot of people want that situation to be rectified, though I'm not sure Drew's guest spot will be enough to justify that kind of major relationship reversal. But maybe! Do I hear spinoff bells? Do spinoffs have bells? Maybe Japril can make that happen.

To be sure, Jesse Williams wasn't letting Sarah Drew have all the fun in getting fans' hopes up. He actually posted a quick, yet amusing, Instagram video of their big reunion. You can check it out below!

No big details have been revealed surrounding Sarah Drew's return to Grey's Anatomy, but showrunner Krista Vernoff is hopefully setting things up to give fans a surprise or two in that episode. One such surprise would be if April isn't the only big former star that will show up, as we know the rest of this season will also feature more long-gone characters popping up on Meredith's beach. We'll also see Patrick Dempsey's McDreamy returning once more before it's all said and done, but the other arrivals are a mystery for the moment.

Since exiting Grey's Anatomy, Sarah Drew has kept busy with other projects. She's starred in TV movies for both Lifetime and Hallmark, and yes, they were both Christmas-themed films. Her next big TV role will be on Freeform's Cruel Summer, where she'll recur as the mother of the most popular girl at school, and their family life will definitely be a troubled one that inspires much town gossip. Freeform shares a parent company with ABC, so here's hoping that synergy allows for Drew to maintain her Grey's Anatomy connections for more reunions in the future.

After killing off a major character in its midseason premiere, Grey's Anatomy is back for more crossovers with Station 19 every Thursday night on ABC at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Grey's Anatomy returned to ABC with a deadly spring premiere that is bound to have consequences for the rest of Season 17, but that doesn't mean that the rest of Season 17 is going to be dark and depressing and focused on death. Another familiar face is on the way back, and there is no reason to be afraid that she'll be the next person to join Meredith on her beach! Sarah Drew is reprising her role as April Kepner, who is presumably alive and not coming back just to chill with Meredith while she's on her vent.

Sarah Drew is returning to Grey's Anatomy in Season 17, according to Deadline, for a guest appearance. Drew's April Kepner was written out of the long-running medical drama at the end of Season 14 after nine seasons when the show was attempting to downsize its sizable cast of regulars, and April did seemingly get a happy ending. It wasn't exactly the happy ending that fans of the April/Jackson pairing were hoping for, but at least she didn't join the long list of major Grey's characters to die heartbreaking deaths! So, does the return of April mean that there's hope for a Jackson/April reunion? Is there still life left in Japril after all?

There are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to the possibility of April and Jackson giving their relationship another shot. For one thing, April got married to somebody else in the Season 14 finale, and Grey's hasn't indicated that there have been any problems with April and Matthew. Plus, Sarah Drew is only slated to return for one episode as a guest star at this point, which isn't exactly a likely way for the love story to get a fresh start. That said, fans also shouldn't rule out a Japril romantic reunion.

From a practical standpoint, April and Jackson are always going to be part of each others' lives due to their adorable young daughter, and it's worth noting that there is no guarantee that Grey's Anatomy will even return after Season 17, to the point that showrunner Krista Vernoff is planning a season finale that could also serve as a series finale. Could part of that plan be setting Jackson up for a happy ending with April?

I could also see Jackson and April getting back together if Jesse Williams is leaving the show, and I for one would find him running off to build a life with April a lot better than Alex running off (off-screen) to build a life with Izzie, even if Jackson has a connection to Jo in Season 17. It's worth noting that both Sarah Drew and Jesse Williams were fans of the Japril relationship, with Drew telling TVLine back in 2018 that she was "devastated" that Jackson and April weren't endgame and thought they "were meant to get back together and they were going to get married again."

As for Jesse Williams, he weighed in on the possibility of Sara Drew returning and a Japril reunion more recently, telling ET back in February:

While none of this is to say that April and Jackson are going to fall into each other's arms and ride off into the sunset, there are reasons to hope, and definitely reasons to at least be confident that their paths will cross in Sarah Drew's return, unless she is returning like Patrick Dempsey and T.R. Knight – just to appear on Meredith's beach. Considering most of the people on Meredith's beach have either been dead or dying, however, I'm hoping that April doesn't interact with Meredith unless it's when Meredith is conscious again!

There are no details just yet about when exactly Sarah Drew will make her return as April Kepner, but she's officially on the way back before the end of Season 17 (and possibly the series). New episodes of Grey's Anatomy continue to air on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, following Station 19. The Grey's Anatomy/Station 19 crossover that brought the shows back in 2021 was a doozy of a two-parter, and the fallout could last for a while.

Grey’s Anatomy alum Sarah Drew hasn’t had the best of luck with new TV gigs. In the last two years alone, Drew has landed major roles in two TV pilots — Cagney and Lacey and The Republic of Sarah — that have been passed over by CBS execs in favor of other shows. However, Drew is finally returning to TV in a drama series that has already been picked up by Freeform.

Sarah Drew spent nine seasons playing Dr. April Kepner on Grey’s Anatomy, but she was written out of the series at the end of Season 14 following a reported decision to downsize the amount of characters on the show. After two cancellations and heartbreak, Drew is set to play a recurring role in the upcoming Cruel Summer, the new Freeform series produced by Limetown’s Jessica Biel.

The drama is a mystery-thriller that follows the lives of two young women — Kate, the seemingly perfect teen who disappears, and Jeannette, who falls from the height of popularity to the depths of disdain over the course of three summers set between 1993-1995. Per Deadline, Sarah Drew will play Cindy Turner, Jeannette’s mom and the once-popular girl who is trying to hold her family together amidst the small Texas town’s gossiping citizens.

Cruel Summer (which was previously titled Last Summer) sounds pretty intense. The series will rotate between the perspectives of Kate and Jeannette. At first sight, the pair are seemingly unconnected, but my guess is they most likely are. Sarah Drew’s character arc will unfold over the course of the first season, and it sounds like the audience will be thrown for a loop because nothing is as it seems.

Freeform ordered the series in January and originally cast Mika Abdalla in the pilot as Kate. However, Cloak & Dagger alum Olivia Holt replaced Abdalla in the role in May. In addition to Holt and Sarah Drew, Cruel Summer will star Tell Me Your Secrets vet Chiara Aurelia, Michael Landes, Teen Wolf’s Froy Gutierrez, Harley Quinn Smith, Allius Barnes, Blake Lee, Nathaniel Ashton, and Brooklyn Sudano.

I think Sarah Drew’s casting in Cruel Summer is fantastic. The best part about the whole thing is that the show was already picked up, and so I’m sure Drew will probably not have to face the disappointment of another premature cancellation. That said, it's currently unclear as to how many Season 1 episodes she'll appear in as Cindy. Either way, Drew is back in the TV action, and I couldn’t be happier for her.

Cruel Summer does not yet have an official premiere date, but I’d wager that it will debut at some point in 2021. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates and be sure to check out our 2020 fall TV premiere guide for more on what to watch in the meantime.

ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy has now been on for an astounding 15 seasons and was recently renewed for Seasons 16 and 17, with 16 starting in the fall. As you would imagine, there has been quite a lot of turnover in the cast over the years, as is usually the case with shows that endure for as long as Grey’s Anatomy has.

Incredibly, it is worth noting that the show of the nine original main cast members, four are still with the show and have appeared in every season, including the star, Ellen Pompeo, who of course plays Meredith Grey. Alex Karev, played by Justin Chambers, started as a moody intern, and is now a senior member of the surgical team. Miranda Bailey, played by Chandra Wilson has worked her up the ladder as well, starting as a resident and now acting as Chief of Surgery and finally Dr. Richard Webber, played by James Pickens Jr., remains from the inaugural season as well.

It’s impressive that so many actors have remained in their original roles, but the list of cast members who have departed is much longer, and is highlighted by the well-publicized departure of Dr. McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey, who granted was on the show for quite some time.

Patrick Dempsey (Derek Shepherd)

Patrick Dempsey joined the cast in the very beginning of Grey's Anatomy, with his first appearance as Derek Shepherd, Meredith Grey’s husband in the pilot episode. Dempsey also came to the show with a solid resume, starring in films like Can’t Buy Me Love, Loverboy, and Outbreak.

Since dramatically leaving the show when his character tragically died, Patrick Dempsey has been a very busy person, but mostly off-screen. He's done other things, notably, racing cars. After he left Grey’s in 2015, Dempsey has spent most of his time on his other passion, driving race cars and owning racing teams. He’s competed in dozens of races, including premiere events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He’s acted a little bit, but seems to spend most of his time in the racing world and with his three children.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Denny Duquette)

It's hard to forget that Jeffrey Dean Morgan spent parts of Seasons 2, 3, and 4 playing Denny Duquette, a patient and boyfriend of Katherine Heigl’s character, Dr. Izzie Stevens.

This is because Grey’s Anatomy is the gig that introduced the great Jeffery Dean Morgan to most of America. Along with his reoccurring role on Grey’s, the actor had worked steadily, notably on Supernatural and Weeds, but it was Grey’s that gave him a mainstream breakout. Of course today, his role as Negan on The Walking Dead has become legendary as one of the most brutal villains in TV history.

Jessica Capshaw (Arizona Robbins)

Jessica Capshaw, the daughter of actress Kate Capshaw and the stepdaughter of Steven Spielberg, first became a full cast member of Grey’s Anatomy in Season 6 after a run as a reoccurring role as pediatric surgeon Arizona Robbins in Season 5. She left the show during Season 14 after a dispute with the producers. Since leaving the show last year she has laid low, with only one credit on IMDB, a comedy called Hollidate.

Isaiah Washington (Preston Burke)

Isaiah Washington’s departure from the show after Season 3 is still probably the most controversial. Washington, who played Dr. Preston Burke, was fired from the show after reports that he had used a homophobic slur more than once on the set and elsewhere.

After such a high-profile dismissal from Grey’s Anatomy, it took some time for Washington’s career to get back on its feet. He starred in a handful of indie and foreign films and did some guest spots here and there on TV before landing a role the CW’s The 100, where he starred for five seasons before leaving the show last year.

Katherine Heigl (Izzie Stevens)

Starting young in her adult life, Katherine Heigl  had a decent resume already when she joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy in the very beginning. She had starred in a handful of movies, like everyone’s favorite Steven Seagal flick, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, but it was Grey’s for which she won an Emmy as Dr. Izzie Stevens, really launching her career into the stratosphere.

Since leaving the show, she’s been nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in 2007’s Knocked Up, and starred in a bunch of rom-coms like Killers, One For The Money, and Life As We Know It. Her TV lead roles include Doubt and State of Affairs. She currently stars as a Samantha Wheeler on Suits on USA.

Kyle Chandler (Dylan Young)

Kyle Chandler had a remarkable year in 2006. Not only did he land the lead as Coach Taylor on Friday Night Lights, but he also did a 2-episode story arc on Grey’s Anatomy that earned him an Emmy nomination.

Since then, Friday Night Lights enjoyed a long, critically-acclaimed and popular run and he’s starred in quite a few movies, including 2018’s First Man as legendary astronaut Deke Slaton and in the recent release Godzilla: King of the Monsters. He also notably starred in Netflix's Bloodline and can now be seen in Hulu's Catch-22.

Chyler Leigh (Lexie Grey)

Chyler Leigh joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy as Meredith’s younger sister in Season 3 and by Season 4 she was a part of the main cast. Lexie died in a plane crash in the Season 8 finale, tragically for fans of her character.

Since leaving Grey’s, Chyler Leigh has starred on Supergirl as the titular character’s sister and has appeared in both Arrow, The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow which all exist in the same superhero universe as Supergirl.

T.R. Knight (George O’Malley)

T.R. Knight was also one of the original cast members on the show, starring as Dr. George O’Malley in Season 1 and beyond. It was T.R. Knight who was in the middle of Isaiah Washington’s controversial exit in Season 3 and it was in part the reason he left after Season 6, with his character being killed off in a bus accident.

In the years since leaving show, he married his longtime boyfriend Patrick Leahy and has had a handful of roles in movies, like legendary baseball scribe Harold Parrott in 42. In addition, he's also taken a few reoccurring roles in projects like The Good Wife and the Hulu streaming miniseries, 11.22.63.

Sarah Drew (April Kepner)

Sarah Drew joined Grey’s Anatomy in Season 6 mostly as an antagonist to the other doctors and became a main cast member in Season 7, where she stayed until the end of Season 14, when, like Jessica Capshaw, she left over creative differences. In the time since, she has started in two pilots, a reboot of Carney & Lacey and The Republic Of Sarah, but neither show made it into production.

Sara Ramirez (Callie Torres)

Legend has it that after Sara Ramirez was offered a job on any show on ABC after winning a Tony Award for her performance in Spamalot on Broadway, she chose Grey’s Anatomy because she was a fan. She quickly became part of the main cast in Season 3 and she then spent the next 10 years on the show as Dr. Callie Torres.

After leaving the show after Season 12, she joined the cast of Madame Secretary in Season 4 as an advisor to Secretary of State Bess McCord, played by Tea Leoni.

Sandra Oh (Cristina Yang)

Sandra Oh's departure from Grey's Anatomy is one the fans are still feeling. For 10 seasons, Oh starred as Dr. Cristina Yang, a surgeon who rises through the ranks over the before departing to work in Zurich (where we still bet she doesn't do her laundry). She has never returned to the show, despite being one of the most popular characters in the show’s history.

Since leaving Grey’s, Sandra Oh has been extremely busy, starring in movies and TV shows and most recently serving as the host of the Golden Globe Awards in 2019. She's appeared in Shitty Boyfriends and American Crime. Then, there's her main job right now: starring in the critically acclaimed British spy thriller TV show, Killing Eve.

Eric Dane (Mark Sloan)

Eric Dane was already a pretty big TV star when he joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy in Season 3, having a resume that stretched back to the 1980s. As Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on Grey’s, he was Derek Shepard’s best friend and the boyfriend of Lexie Grey. He also perished in the same plane crash that took her life.

Dane left Grey’s Anatomy a little reluctantly because he was offered the lead in The Last Ship as Captain Tom Chandler--a lead role instead of just a big one. Now, all of him can be seen on the new HBO Series Euphoria.

Jerrika Hinton (Stephanie Edwards)

Jerrika Hinton spent four seasons as Dr. Stephanie Edwards. Hinton became a full cast member in Season 10 and remained through Season 13 when she left to become part of the cast of HBO’s short-lived Here And Now. She is currently filming The Hunt for Amazon Video, co-starring Al Pacino, Lena Olin, and Logan Lerman.

It’s not surprising that Grey’s Anatomy has had such a big turnover in its cast over the years, but that is great testimony to their ability to cast with excellent new actors and interesting new characters--and we didn't even get into people like Kate Walsh, who successfully transitioned from Grey's to Private Practice. So, truly we could go on and on. The show isn’t going anywhere for a at least a couple more seasons, so we’ll probably see some more turnover in the future too, but fans of the show need not worry, they obviously know what they are doing.

Sheesh, Sarah Drew can't catch a break with these TV shows. First, Grey's Anatomy dropped her, writing out April Kepner at the end of Season 14. Then, she quickly picked up the co-lead role in the Cagney & Lacey reboot at CBS, but the network passed on that pilot in May 2018. Now here we are one year later and it's déjà vu.

CBS just passed on The Republic of Sarah pilot, starring Sarah Drew in the lead role. I really thought that pilot idea sounded like a winner for the network, and not just because it was compared to Northern Exposure. Apparently CBS didn't feel the same. Sarah Drew shared a heartfelt post expressing the full gamut of emotions on the disappointing news:

The Republic of Sarah was meant to follow a small town in New Hampshire that suddenly ends up on the world stage when a valuable resource is discovered in its borders. Residents feel compelled to declare themselves an independent nation, forcing the young mayor Sarah Cooper (Sarah Drew) and her cabinet of inexperienced locals on the path of running a new country.

Sarah Drew had posted that she was "over the freaking moon" about the drama pilot. It's disappointing to hear that CBS passed -- and particularly sad that this is now Drew's second CBS pass in a row. Maybe don't trust them again for a pickup next year?

Sarah Drew does mention "hope" in her Instagram post, and it sounds like she doesn't have any regrets about this experience, even with this outcome. I'm sorry to not get to see her on the small screen as soon as I'd hoped, since this seemed like a decent bet for the 2019-2020 TV season.

Instead, it's not clear what's next for Sarah Drew. She had the TV movie Christmas Pen Pals in 2018 and the 2018 movie Indivisible, which featured her as a lead actress and executive producer.

Sarah Drew isn't the only one feeling TV disappointment today. Several other pilots weren't picked up, and many shows that made it to air ended up being cancelled before the showrunners were finished telling their stories. But other lucky shows were renewed (even if not all the stars were happy about the renewals).

It has been a full year since Grey's Anatomy said goodbye to characters April Kepner and Arizona Robbins. Season 15 is now ready for its finale, which airs this Thursday, May 16 at 9 p.m. on ABC. Grey's also got some good news for the next two years, and it just promoted three recurring characters to series regular status. Keep up with all of the 2019 season finale dates with our handy guide. And cross your fingers for Sarah Drew that she finally gets a TV show on screen for us in 2020. Stop giving her hope only to take it away again!

This past week has shown Jessica Capshaw's Dr. Arizona Robbins should return to Grey's Anatomy. Between Capshaw's loving tribute to the show's recent TV milestone to last night's "baby in a bag" episode, I'm really feeling the loss of her character.

Jessica Capshaw's Arizona and Sarah Drew's April were written off Grey's Anatomy at the end of Season 14. It was shocking for the stars as well as the fans. But it's clear Capshaw has no hard feelings, only love for the show. Last week's Season 15 episode marked the show's official takeover as the longest running primetime medical show. Capshaw honored the milestone by literally getting back into character as Arizona and posting this sweet tribute before the episode aired:

Beautiful! You could understand if Jessica Capshaw was still hurt and even bitter after being written off the show, but she showed nothing but grace and love for the character and TV series in her Instagram tribute.

Both Arizona and April are still alive, with the Season 14 finale showing Arizona's decision to move to New York with her daughter Sofia. It sounds like Callie and Arizona may reconnect romantically as they co-parent Sofia. That's the hope anyway. It would be great to see both Sara Ramirez's Callie and Jessica Capshaw's Arizona return to Grey's Anatomy, although there's been no discussion of that.

Last night (March 7), Grey's Anatomy showed a perfect opportunity for Arizona to weigh in, and it was frustrating that she wasn't there. Season 15, Episode 16, "Blood and Water," had Dr. Vincenzo DeLuca (father of Andrew and Carina) pitching Acting Chief Alex Karev on his idea for a "baby in a bag." As former Head of Fetal Surgery, Arizona would've surely been curious about the proposed procedure, and kept a close eye on it. Arizona would've fit perfectly into that storyline, and it sounds like I'm not the only one who noticed:

Seriously. Supposedly writing out April and Arizona after Season 14 was a creative decision to downsize the large cast of series regulars. Season 15 has given us romantic and family drama in spades -- from Meredith Grey finding new love with Andrew DeLuca, to the love pentagon between Amelia/Owen/Teddy/Koracick and -- apparently starting next week with Amelia -- Link. Jo and Alex Karev are also now talking about possibly starting a family, once she figures out more about her past through gene testing. Grey's is also following the romance between Jackson Avery and Maggie Pierce, the fledgling love story of Levi Schmitt and Nico Kim, Catherine's cancer treatment, and Bailey's stress and marriage. It doesn't really feel like the cast has downsized much at all.

Meanwhile, Sarah Drew just announced an exciting new lead TV role, in a CBS pilot that sounds like it could be a lot of fun. We'll have to see what happens with that. It would still be great to see her April eventually come back to Grey's, even for brief appearances, since she is the mother of Harriet Kepner-Avery. It would also be great to see Jessica Capshaw back on TV screens again, but for now I'm hoping Grey's Anatomy has a change of heart and decides to bring her back (and Callie?) in Season 16. ABC has yet to renew the show for Season 16, but it seems to be a given.

Grey's Anatomy Season 15 continues Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC as one of the many TV shows now airing in midseason 2019.

Grey's Anatomy may have infamously dumped (but at least not killed) Dr. April Kepner, but it sounds like actress Sarah Drew is about to take over the country.

According to Deadline, Sarah Drew was cast as the title character in a new CBS drama pilot called The Republic of Sarah. It was described as having a Northern Exposure feel, which is already a good sign. The story follows a small town in New Hampshire that suddenly ends up on the world stage when a valuable resource is discovered in its borders. Residents feel compelled to declare themselves an independent nation, forcing the young mayor Sarah Cooper (Sarah Drew) and her cabinet of inexperienced locals on the path of running a new country.

Mayor Sarah Cooper is described as "the titular beating heart" of the potential show, and a "quintessential New Englander," which apparently means she's "sharply intelligent, fiercely loyal, and always willing to lend a hand." She's said to be hesitant to step into the spotlight at first, but her quiet strength and innate leadership begin to flourish after external forces threaten her community and her way of life.

Two other co-stars have been announced for the pilot -- Carlos Leal (Casino Royale) and Jonathan Slavin (Speechless) -- with the episode written by Jeffrey Paul King (Elementary) and directed by Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer).

Sarah Drew is clearly excited about this new TV project, as she showed on Twitter:

It could be great! As a born and bred New Englander who lived for many years in small New Hampshire towns (and currently lives in a Maine one on the NH border), I'm excited for this show -- but also nervous they may lean in to the small town rube stereotypes. But I loved Northern Exposure (at least until the end), and you could argue they did the same thing, so it wouldn't necessarily be a deal-breaker.

Before anyone gets their hopes up too high, though, we have to remember this is just a pilot casting and it has yet to be picked up. Last year, Sarah Drew also nabbed a starring role in CBS' Cagney and Lacey pilot, but the network ultimately passed on it.

Sarah Drew's April Kepner and Jessica Capshaw's Arizona Robbins were written out of Grey's Anatomy at the end of Season 14 last year. Thankfully, both characters are still alive, and April is regularly referenced by Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams), who is the father of their daughter Harriet.

It's pretty clear Sarah Drew was hurt to be cut from Grey's Anatomy, and was hesitant about the idea of returning. But time heals all wounds, so hopefully we do see April again at least once by the time the series ends, whenever that might be.

In the meantime, Sarah Drew kept busy after her Grey's Anatomy departure by starring in and executive producing the film Indivisible, and appearing in the TV film Christmas Pen Pals. And now she has the starring role in this pilot.

Meanwhile, Grey's Anatomy Season 15 is continuing without her Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC as one of the many shows now airing in midseason 2019.

Grey's Anatomy didn't kill off April Kepner, in the silver lining to writing her off the show in the Season 14 finale. It was a shock to fans when it was announced that both Sarah Drew's April and Jessica Capshaw's Arizona would be leaving at the end of last season. The characters are both still alive, though, and April is now married to Matthew. April doesn't work at Grey Sloan anymore, but she's still in the Seattle area (unlike Arizona). So, as Jesse Williams noted, it would make perfect sense to see April again as she and Jackson Avery co-parent their daughter Harriet:

Jesse Williams is right. And the show did leave that door open by keeping April in the area. Right now, Grey's Anatomy Season 15 is doing the awkward love triangle baby mama thing with Teddy, Owen, and Amelia, but this storyline with Jackson and April has the potential to be more mature and realistic. Grey's doesn't often do realistic, let's be honest, but it would be a refreshing break from the rest of the drama.

Right now, Grey's Anatomy Season 15 has given Jackson a couple of complications -- his mother Catherine is potentially dying of cancer, and he's having trouble in his fledgling relationship with (stepsister) Maggie. April could actually be a safe haven for him, with her faith and her friendship.

The snag there is that Sarah Drew did seem pretty hurt on her way out of Grey Sloan. She said it would be "hard" to return after being written off the show, supposedly for creative reasons to "downsize" characters. Meaning they couldn't come up with a good storyline for April even though Jesse Williams just shared a perfectly fine storyline during a chat with TVLine. Plus, they keep adding characters, so how are they downsizing? Anyway...

Here's what Sarah Drew told Entertainment Tonight in October 2018, when asked if she'd ever consider returning to Grey's Anatomy:

Time may heal that wound, but it's too soon to expect that in Season 15. At this point, we know there will at least be a Grey's Anatomy Season 16, since Ellen Pompeo's contract as Meredith Grey extends through that season. After that? It's not clear. Pompeo said she'll leave when the ratings go down, and so far the ratings seem pretty strong.

Grey's Anatomy Season 15 has some extra episodes to burn through this year, and there's a lot to look forward to ... and dread, like more devastating patient deaths and watching Meredith choose the wrong guy. Grey's airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, as one of the many shows competing for your attention in midseason 2019.

Grey's Anatomy fans received a saddening surprise when it was announced that Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw had been let go from the show ahead of Season 15. The news of their dismissal sent shockwaves through the Grey's Anatomy fandom, as everyone grasped for an explanation as to why the mega-popular actresses had been let go from the show. Speculation arose that Ellen Pompeo's salary increase had been a factor. When asked what the reason she was given was, Sarah Drew said:

Sarah Drew's response to THR confirms that her understanding is that the decision to let go of her and subsequently, April, was creative in nature. Grey's Anatomy does have a large ensemble, so it makes sense that there needed to be some sheering down of the cast. And the decision to cut these particular characters was undoubtedly painstakingly made.

Sarah Drew joined the show in Season 6 and became a series regular in Season 7. In her time on the show, she developed a strong fan following, which was left heartbroken by the medical drama's decision to let go of the character. April and Jessica Capshaw's Arizona were written off the show in the Season 14 finale. Both received happy endings, managing to survive their exit story. That tends to be a rarity for Grey's Anatomy's departing cast members.

While both characters walked away happy, Sarah Drew had some thoughts on how that ending unfolded. In the interview, Sarah Drew admits it was not the romantic endgame she had in mind for the character. She shared that she was "devastated" that Jackson and April did not turn out to be endgame, revealing she felt the pair was meant to be.

Sarah Drew did say that she saw the beauty in the redemptive arc with April marrying Matthew, who she abandoned at their wedding earlier in her Grey's Anatomy run. And while Drew would have liked to have played more of the story beats that led to that ending, she ultimately referred to April and Matthew's story as "lovely." As for returning to Grey's Anatomy, Drew says she has heard nothing about it and would be "maybe" be open to doing it if the opportunity arose.

Along with dealing with the devastation of being let go from Grey's Anatomy, Sarah Drew was dealt another blow when the Cagney & Lacey reboot did not end up getting picked up by CBS. It was Drew's first primetime television role since departing Grey's Anatomy.

Despite all the blows she has taken, Sarah Drew seems to have taken it all in stride and is focusing on the future. With another season of Grey's Anatomy on the horizon, fans are faced with future episodes that do not include April and Arizona. It's destined to be rough. Fans will have to find out how Grey's Anatomy fares without the two uber-popular characters and what the actresses brought to the show when Season 15 bows.

Grey's Anatomy will return for Season 15 with a 2-hour season premiere that will air Thursday, September 27 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. For new television to watch while you wait for the return of Grey's Anatomy check out CinemaBlend's summer premiere guide. For other new television shows set to arrive alongside the long-running drama, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's fall premieres.

Sarah Drew is a class act. In a series of posts on her Instagram account, the now-former Grey's Anatomy actress thanked her fans and colleagues as her final episode on the medical drama aired on Thursday night. With nearly a decade of memories, the actress began by thanking a fan who had created a thoughtful collage of April Kepner's critical moments on the show. Drew then paid tribute to the character she has dedicated the past nine years to. Read her moving message for yourself below:

It is touches like these that make actors favorites among fans. When Sarah Drew's exit was announced, it shocked and worried fans. Grey's Anatomy has been known to kill off its fair share of characters when actors exit. So April's fans had to watch with bated breath as she endured a touch-and-go episode that put her fate in question. Thankfully, the good doctor survived her ordeal, leaving the door open for her to someday return if the powers-that-be decide to make it so.

In her exit story, April ended up leaving the series on a profound personal and professional note. She left her position at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital to work with the homeless. While on a personal front, she ended up marrying her ex-fiancé, Matthew.

As for the actress, other shows must go on. After Grey's Anatomy plotted the character and Sarah Drew's exit, the actress didn't stay show-less for long. She quickly signed on to star in the pilot of the Cagney & Lacey reboot. Unfortunately, CBS eventually passed on the project.

The good news is you can still catch Sarah Drew in another project, and this one is a movie. She will star opposite her Grey's Anatomy co-star and on-screen husband Justin Bruening in the faith-based drama Indivisible, which hits theaters October 26.

As many actors are likely to tell you, there is a whole team of people that go into making a character come to life. In her second social media post addressing her Grey's Anatomy departure, Sarah Drew thanked those behind-the-scenes who played pivotal roles in her on-screen journey as Dr. April Kepner. Check it out below:

It is never easy for fans to have to bid farewell to a character. But touching messages like Sarah Drew's help make it a little more bearable. In her final goodbye-related post, Sarah Drew thanked fans of the show for their support. You can see this one below too:

Grey's Anatomy will return for Season 15, this fall on ABC. For what you can watch awaiting the medical drama's return, check out our summer premiere schedule. Want to know what other shows were renewed for 2018-19 broadcast season besides Grey's Anatomy? Then check out our 2018 network TV rundown. And remember, you can relive April's journey on Grey's Anatomy by streaming the series on Netflix.

If there's one show on TV that is showing no signs of slowing down, it's ABC's Grey's Anatomy. The medical drama is currently in its whopping 14th season on the network, and will be returning for Season 15. With only two episodes left in the season, the heat is on to deliver a satisfying conclusion. There is also added pressure to writing off both Arizona Robbins and April Kepner, as the show loses two of its series regulars. The latter is played by Sarah Drew, and the trailer for the penultimate episode is certainly cause for alarm. It looks like Grey's might kill poor April off, which could be a major misstep for the beloved series.

The next episode "Cold as Ice" looks like a Grey's Anatomy classic trope: one of the doctors could die and needs emergency surgery. The trailer vaguely shows something happened to April outside of the hospital, with Owen eventually happening upon her. Whatever it is, it's serious. The clip also shows Meredith breaking down, as well as Jackson crying over April's body. But are they really killing her off?

Grey's Anatomy has always been at its best when packing an emotionally devastating punch. The medical drama has been making their cast (and fans) ugly cry for well over a decade, and now it looks like the Grim Reaper has possibly come for April. There's no logical reason for April to suddenly leave her job and family in Seattle, so the writers are going to need to whip out some sort of macguffin to make it happen. And Grey's is a show that just loves to kill their main characters off.

If April does end up being killed off, I think it'll be a misstep for Grey's Anatomy. This season has gone back to basics in many ways, with characters like Nurse Olivia, Teddy Altman, Matthew the EMT, and Geena Davis' Nicole Herman all return after long absences. Suddenly killing April off would be pretty cheap, especially since her role was all but non existent in the most recent episode. Sarah Drew should at least get the chance to shine one last time.

Plus, the groundwork might be laid for April to possibly leave Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Matthew's return caused her to reflect on her decisions, and perhaps the hospital just has too many negative memories attached to its. She was nearly shot, lost a baby, fell in love, and broke up all within those walls. Characters like Teddy and Stephanie Edwards have left for similar reasons, and it would be a little more tasteful. Then again, who doesn't love a Grey's Anatomy cry fest? Arizona seems happy about potentially moving to New York, so there's gotta be drama somewhere (besides Alex and Jo's wedding.)

Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays on ABC. In the meantime, check out our midseason premiere list to plan your next binge watch. Plus our superhero premiere list and Amazon premiere list to ensure you don't miss a single episode.

There's long running TV shows, and then there's ABC's Grey's Anatomy. The medical drama is currently in the midst of its whopping 14th season on the network, and is showing no signs of slowing anytime soon. There's been a ton of press surrounding Grey's in the past few months, as Ellen Pomeo signed a groundbreaking deal to become the highest paid female actress on TV. News recently broke that long running stars Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew would be departing after this season, with rumors swirling around that Pompeo's salary was somehow a factor in the decision. Everyone from the show has denied this, and now Ellen Pompeo has provided a reason why the duo of actresses are going to be written off.

It looks like it may just be a matter of writing difficulties that factored into why Grey's Anatomy fans are going to watch a show next season void of Arizona Robbins and April Kepner. Considering that they've been on the cast between 9-10 years, we've see the surgeons go through a variety of major life changes.

Ellen Pomeo's comments come from her recent appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show. Degeneres asked Pompeo about the scandal revolving around Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew's departure, and Pompeo tried once again to set the record straight. Although in confirming the decision made by production, she might have also given a sliver of new information: that the actresses might not have necessarily wanted to leave the Grey's Anatomy at all.

Grey's Anatomy has seen a ton of actors come and go, as the surgeons as Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital have rotated. While stars like Sandra Oh and Patrick Dempsey left on their own volition, there have been some less than ideal departures as well. Isaiah Washington was infamously fired after making homophobic remarks on set, while Katherine Heigl essentially stopped showing up back in Season 6.

Overall, Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw's departures seem to be agreeable enough. Neither actresses has had a disparaging word for the show, and Ellen Pompeo and showrunner Krista Vernoff have maintained the same story since the departures were announced. While the writers may have had trouble planning the future of April and Arizona, they'll hopefully have a satisfying conclusion at Season 14's finale.

Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays on ABC. In the meantime, check out our midseason premiere list to plan your next binge watch. Plus our Amazon premiere list and superhero premiere list to ensure you don't miss a single episode.

Sarah Drew was a familiar face on primetime for nearly a decade as Dr. April Kepner on Grey's Anatomy. April went through a lot of highs and lows over the years, with love and loss and heartbreak. Unfortunately for fans of the character, April and another doctor will soon leave the hospital, as Sarah Drew was let go from the series. The good news is that Drew has already landed a new TV gig, and it's a co-leading role this time around. She'll play Cagney in the upcoming CBS pilot for the Cagney and Lacey reboot.

The Cagney and Lacey reboot pilot was given the official order from CBS back in January, along with a Magnum P.I. reboot and a few other projects. The reboot will be a fresh take on the dramatic format introduced back in the original 1980s run of the series. Cagney and Lacey will follow two female police detectives and friends who work together to fight crime and protect the innocent in Los Angeles.

As Cagney, Sarah Drew will be the more easygoing of the two women. She's nimble where her partner is athletic, and she sees Lacey as a mentor, which can only be a good thing. Lacey is an experienced detective whose high school track and field success turned her into a cop who can undoubtedly chase down the bad guys of L.A. Polished and straightforward, Lacey sounds like she should be a fun foil for Cagney. Of course, Cagney and Lacey will be a drama and police procedural, so we may not want to expect too much fun.

Lacey will be played by none other than Michelle Hurd, who will be a familiar face to many TV fans. In the last few years alone, Hurd has held recurring roles on Lethal Weapon, Hawaii Five-0, and Blindspot. She and Sarah Drew are both experienced TV actresses, although they'll bring very different TV experiences to the table. It should be intriguing to see how the two bounce off of each other. Cagney and Lacey will almost certainly flop if there's no chemistry between the leading ladies and partners.

Interestingly, Deadline reports that Sarah Drew is only able to participate in the pilot because the Grey's Anatomy team was willing to adjust her shooting schedule so that she would have time to film the CBS pilot. Perhaps fans who are upset that Drew got the boot from Grey's will feel a bit better knowing that the folks behind the scenes were willing to help her in the next stage of her career.

You can still find Sarah Drew on ABC in the current fourteenth season of Grey's Anatomy. New episodes air on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET. For more primetime options, be sure to take a peek at our 2018 midseason TV premiere guide. If streaming is more your style, we have a handy 2018 Netflix premiere schedule and a 2018 Amazon Prime rundown that can help you out. Be sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news.