There are long-running TV shows, and then there’s Grey’s Anatomy. We’re currently in the midst of the medical drama’s whopping 19th season on ABC, with millions of fans tuning in every single week for nearly two decades. While some folks have dropped off across the years, Grey’s Season 19 is actually exciting me as a long-time fan.
Given how long Grey’s Anatomy has been on the air, there’s been a ton of peaks and valleys. Some have complained about the quality dip when compared to the first handful of seasons, but that’s exactly why I’m enjoying the first episodes of Season 19 so far. Namely because it feels like classic Grey’s.
Grey’s Anatomy was at its best in the beginning, as we watched as a scrappy group of surgical interns learn and compete, all while their personal lives played out before our eyes. But over the last few years the show has mostly focused on the doctor’s interpersonal drama, to my disappointment. But Season 19 is once again focusing on the medicine, and is buoyed by the new class of interns that made their debut in the premiere episode “Everything Has Changed.”
Obviously this isn’t the first time that a new group of interns was introduced in Grey’s Anatomy. We’ve seen this happen a number of times over the years, most recently with Levi Schmitt and Taryn Helm’s class back in Season 14. But this new group is more akin to the original interns we met back in Season 1, and the show’s writers and directors are seemingly leaning into this nostalgic factor. I mean, just look at where this new group hangs out when they get the chance!
Hardcore Grey’s fans will recognize this hallway as the same place where Meredith used to hang out with fellow interns like Cristina, Izzie, Karev, and George in the middle of their long intern shifts. The group’s competitiveness with each other also feels reminiscent of those early seasons, where the bumbling surgeons fought for time in the OR every episode. This sense of urgency has been missing with the show’s principal cast for years, as they’re all at the top of their game and leading various departments at Grey Sloan Memorial. Once again I have to repeat: the more medicine on Grey's, the better.
Another way that Grey’s Anatomy has been delivering for hardcore fans like me during Season 19 is the way it’s brought back and connected with various characters from its many years on the air. The medical drama has gotten some flack for its constantly changing cast, and the various unexpected departures that have happened over the years. But this year we’ve already seen the return of Addison Montgomery, and the introduction of McDreamy’s nephew. I have to assume one of the Shepherd sisters will eventually show up once we know who his mother is. Additionally characters like Jesse Williams’ Jackson Avery and Greg Germann’s Tom Koracick are slated for their returns to the show.
Grey’s Anatomy airs new episodes Thursdays on ABC. In the meantime, check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
