10 Burning Questions We Want Answered In 'Grey's Anatomy' Season 21

**Spoiler Alert**

This article features spoilers through Grey's Anatomy season 20

Grey's Anatomy returned after the Hollywood strikes for its 20th season and managed to deliver a shortened, 10-episode season to fans. Whether you're new to Grey's or have been watching it since the beginning, you are well aware that any season of the show comes with a lot of drama. It also always ends with a bunch of questions.

Season 21 comes after the teaching program had been suspended and reinstated, Meredith left Seattle and took a research position in Boston, Kai moved to London, and Dr. Bailey stepped in as the residency/intern director. It also comes after a lot of changes at Grey Sloan once again, and if you're like me, you have tons of questions you cannot wait to get answered. Let's get into it!

10. How exactly is Ben Warren returning to Grey Sloan?

With the conclusion of the firefighter spin-off series, Station 19, it has been announced that actor Jason George is set to return to Grey's Anatomy as a series regular. George's character, Ben Warren, is well known as he is a former anesthesiologist turned surgical resident who married Dr. Miranda Bailey. After realizing that he wanted more of an adrenaline rush, he left his surgical residency to become a firefighter. This led to ABC creating the spin-off series about his Seattle firehouse, Station 19. During its 7 seasons, there were plenty of crossovers with Grey's Anatomy and a lot of Grey's actors appeared in the spin-off just like Station 19 actors appeared in Grey's. This included pretty consistent appearances from Ben Warren as a fireman.

Like we said, Station 19 has now concluded so that begs the question... how exactly is Ben returning to Grey Sloan? With the departure of several doctors, there is a lot of room for new (or old) blood at Grey Sloan. However, Ben has been out of his surgical residency for so long that I doubt he'd even be hired on as a resident. Ben previously had returned to anesthesiology when he was suspended from the surgical program, so that is another pathway the show could take.

9. What is the deal with Dr. Benson Kwan?

Dr. Kwan has been a bit of a mystery so far. We have heard a bit of his backstory in terms of his mom's death and how he wound up a surgical resident, but we haven't heard much else. He has made a point to try and prevent anyone from finding out, too.

However, the season finale dropped a bomb when a woman who previously suffered from amnesia showed up in the Grey Sloan emergency room - a woman that Kwan stated used to be his fiancé. Earlier in the season, Kwan confided to Dr. Millin that he once went on vacation with a girlfriend and she got in a car accident and he broke his arm. I have a feeling there is a lot more to the story and I can't wait to find out what the story is. Not only that, why is he hiding from her?

8. What happens to Dr. Levi Schmitt?

We know going into season 21 that actor Jake Borelli is leaving Grey's Anatomy. His character, Dr. Levi Schmitt, came into the show as a surgical intern in season 14 and turned from a quirky, glasses-wearing insecure surgeon to an all-star chief resident. We never forgot when you dropped your glasses into a patient!

At the end of season 20, Levi had been working towards a fellowship in pediatric surgery and seemingly was on the path to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Alex Karev and Dr. Arizona Robbins. However, the season finale reveals that Levi didn't score high enough on his ABSITE exam to qualify for a pediatric fellowship. Seeing how Levi really only ever focused on general surgery, his fellowship options seem a bit limited. So what is going to happen to Levi? Will he score a pediatric fellowship at another hospital, or will he find a general surgery fellowship?

7. Will Dr. Richard Webber actually retire this time?

After making catastrophic mistake (yet again) that led to a patient's death, Dr. Webber seems to be contemplating retirement... again. He just can't seem to learn his lesson when it comes to allowing interns to perform tasks they aren't ready for.

Dr. Webber was toying with the idea of retirement back in the very early seasons of Grey's Anatomy and it has been a constant theme throughout the show up until this point. However, his career has managed to survive brain surgery, infidelity, metal poisoning, alcoholism, and being fired more than once - just to name a few. I doubt this mistake will cost Richard his job, but he is once again floating the idea of retirement. The question is, will he actually do it this time? Or will the Fox Foundation continue to allow him to perform surgeries and mentor impressionable interns?

6. What is going to happen to Owen and Teddy?

In typical fashion, Dr. Owen Hunt set up the entire deck of cards to fall when he asked Catherine Fox for money to fund his trauma training program. What Owen didn't know is that the current Chief of Surgery, Dr. Teddy Altman, had already used Grey Sloan discretionary funding to secretly fund Meredith and Amelia's unconventional Alzheimer's research. This funding was used behind the Fox Foundation's back and the only reason Catherine found out is because Owen asked for money.

As a result of this coming out, Catherine went on a bit of a power trip at the end of season 20 that led to not only Meredith and Amelia being fired from the Fox Foundation and Grey Sloan, but Owen and Teddy were also fired. This also came after Owen completely put Catherine in her place when she tried to kick Teddy out of the emergency room during a wildfire crisis that was causing Grey Sloan to be overrun with patients.

The couple have dealt with firings before and they even endured Owen's makeshift "doctor death" situation where they fled to California for months, but it's hard to tell exactly what will happen in this situation. I assume in typical Grey's fashion, someone will have a change of heart and one or both of them will return, but... nobody knows ;)

5. What happens to Dr. Mika Yasuda?

Dr. Yasuda is another intern that has been somewhat of a wildcard. She went from living in her van to crashing in Meredith's old house with her fellow interns - along with continuing to rise above the others in terms of skill and dedication. She even shuffled having a second job while completing her intern year and successfully advocated for an intern pay raise.

But similar to Jake Borelli, actress Midori Francis is also leaving Grey's Anatomy. All we know is that Francis will briefly return to wrap up her character's storyline, but then Dr. Yasuda will be off to the unknown. This is a bit disappointing seeing how Dr. Yasuda is one of the more likeable doctors and one of the most hardworking. However, there is a pending job offer looming over Dr. Adams' head in Chicago. With the question of whether Dr. Adams will have to repeat his intern year or not, what if she decides to apply for the position and moves to Chicago instead?

4. Is Dr. Lucas Adams staying in Seattle?

Speaking of Dr. Adams, his storyline is one of the biggest cliffhangers left at the end of season 20. Not only did Dr. Adams receive a residency offer from the cardiology center that Dr. Maggie Pierce works at in Chicago, he got himself into hot water after showing (once again) how impulsive he is.

Lucas went rogue in the operating room and attempted to perform a surgery that ultimately killed a patient. Because of this action, it was recommended to the Fox Foundation that Dr. Adams repeat his intern year. If this happens, he would become the second intern in Grey's Anatomy history to have to repeat his first year in Seattle - the first being Dr. George O'Malley who repeated after failing his intern exam. The season finale revealed that not only did he score the highest out of all interns and residents on the ABSITE exam, but it showed Adams' fellow interns and Dr. Miranda Bailey rallying behind him to advocate that he shouldn't have to repeat his internship.

So what will happen to Dr. Adams? Will he repeat his internship in Seattle? Or will be not have to repeat and move to Chicago? Better yet, will he successfully move onto residency in Seattle?

3. What is going to happen to Dr. Miranda Bailey?

Continuing on from the previous question, what will happen to Dr. Bailey? The decision to stand behind her intern who is faced with repeating his internship is one thing, but to basically tell Catherine Fox that if he goes she goes is... well, it's bold to say the least. Especially given the fact that Catherine fired four doctors in the season finale. Most people don't have the guts to tell Catherine about herself, but Miranda was one of many to do so in the finale.

At the very least, I expect Dr. Bailey to be removed from her position as resident/intern director but you never know. Dr. Webber has such a soft spot for Dr. Bailey, I think he will be able to talk Catherine down off her high horse - at least for a little bit.

2. When will Jo tell Link she is pregnant?

The season finale also revealed yet another major bomb with revealing that after a pregnancy scare, Dr. Jo Wilson is in fact pregnant with Dr. Atticus Lincoln's child. The couple only just recently made their relationship official and they also seemed to agree that now wasn't the best time to bring another child into the mix. But, as many things in life are, children are unexpected sometimes.

Seeing that Jo didn't tell him when she found out, the question remains - when will Jo tell Link that she's pregnant?

1. What happens to Meredith and Amelia's research?

There's no denying that the driving force of season 20 was Dr. Meredith Grey's research on Alzheimer's Disease. As Meredith continues to age and get closer and closer to when her mother, Ellis, was diagnosed with the disease, she has been tirelessly working to find a cure. Her work led to the discovery that previous research, including research done by her late husband, might not have been completely accurate. Meredith was basically banned by the Fox Foundation from continuing her research, but we all know that Meredith Grey doesn't listen to anyone.

Dr. Amelia Shepherd joined her sister-in-law to continue this research in secret with discretionary funding from Grey Sloan. After Owen unknowingly spilled the beans regarding Grey Sloan's budget allocations, Catherine Fox stepped in to basically steal Meredith and Amelia's research and give it to Dr. Tom Koracic. She insisted the research belonged to the Fox Foundation and set it up to be the only way Meredith, Amelia, and Teddy keep their jobs. But, yet again, since when does Meredith Grey listen to anyone?

Meredith published their research to the NIH website as an independent finding and promptly was fired from the Fox Foundation along with Amelia, Teddy, and Owen. The biggest question at this point is will this research sit dead in the water and ruin their careers entirely? Or will the NIH publishing get more interested investors who would fund the project elsewhere? Now that Catherine Fox is a true enemy, it will be hard to combat her influence (and wallet) to continue researching.

Meredith revealed at the end of the season that she intends to stay in Boston with Dr. Nick Marsh and buy a house. However, we don't know which direction any other characters are going.

What questions do you have going into 'Grey's Anatomy' season 21? Let us know in the comments! Season 21 premieres on ABC on September 26, 2024.