Note: This story contains spoilers from “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 22, Episode 11.
“Grey’s Anatomy” brought Dr. Amelia Shepherd back after a long absence, which star Caterina Scorsone knows left fans in a months-long tizzy. But the brain surgeon is now walking the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial hospital again, and going into an on-call room with a promising new love interest.
Fans of the long-running ABC medical drama were quick to share their outrage after news broke that Scorsone would take an extended hiatus from Season 22, amid reports series regulars across broadcast shows were getting trimmed episode commitments as cost-cutting measures.
“I love Amelia so much, and to see everybody really missing her and rallying and wanting to see her again … It made such an impact,” Scorsone told TheWrap. “I was really moved.”
The way the actress sees it, having played Amelia since 2010 on both “Grey’s” and spinoff series “Private Practice,” the break came at an appropriate time in her journey. After breaking off a romantic and professional relationship with Dr. Kai Bartley (E.R. Fightmaster), Amelia threw herself into her work — taking on impossible cases that pushed her surgical skills to new heights, but also took a toll on her mental health.
The storyline reached a life-threatening climax after the disgruntled mother of a young patient forced her to operate, while holding her hostage with an unstable oxygen tank during the Season 21 finale. Though the doctors were able to de-escalate the situation, the season ended with the explosive going off and at least one of the hospital’s doctors losing their life.
The harrowing experience prompted Amelia to take a leave of absence from the hospital in an October episode, the show’s 450th. She came back in January after seven episodes, following three months within the timeline of the show.
“What happened just before that sabbatical was such an extreme event,” Scorsone said. “Medicine is her love story and her attachment figure is surgery to a great degree, and always has been. There have been so many ups and downs and tragedies in her life, but the thing that’s always been there for her is her passion for medicine and surgery … I think the sabbatical, in part, was this true shattering of the most important attachment that she has in her life.”
“There have been so many events in her life that have been blindsiding for her, but she withdrew after this last round of unspeakable trauma. She is in a place now where she’s both understanding that you can never predict what’s going to come, but also that life is short and you never know when it’s going to be over. So embrace this moment as much as possible,” she added of Amelia’s mindset as she returns.
Amelia was lured back into the OR in January after a visit from Dr. Addison Montgomery. But this week’s Episode 11, titled “(If You Want It) Do It Yourself,” followed the beloved neurosurgeon’s official return to work. It also featured a heartfelt montage in honor of former cast member Eric Dane, who died Feb. 19 after being diagnosed with ALS.
The episode introduced a surprising figure from Amelia’s past in Dr. Toni Wright (“Yellowstone” alum Jen Landon), a plastic surgeon she went to med school with, who revealed she had harbored a crush on her study group partner all those years ago — setting the stage for a new romantic relationship right off the bat.
“Suddenly we meet this person who reminds her of the Amelia that existed before all of these massive traumas happened,” Scorsone. “There’s potential for a lot of fun there.”
After dubbing the new couple “Ameloni,” Scorsone said it’s a privilege to bring a new “sexy, horny” dynamic to the show, at a time when portraying queer joy on screen feels more important than ever.
And that’s quintessential “Grey’s Anatomy,” having previously aired one of the first lesbian weddings on broadcast television, as well as introducing its first non-binary doctor in Kai in a recurring role.
“‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and Shondaland allow a kind of storytelling that both affirms the people that are suddenly seeing themselves, and also expands the imagination of people who have not encountered those people in their lives or in their communities. I think that’s super important,” Scorsone added, noting how charting Amelia’s growth and complex sexuality through the seasons also feels like a radical statement when women and LGBTQ+ rights are under attack.
Fans will have to stay tuned in to see how Amelia’s story unfolds from here, though Scorsone teased that filming is “getting exciting” as the cast and crew prepare for the final episodes of Season 22. The show is expected to return for Season 23.
“We’re shooting 16 out of 18 now, so it’s getting fast-paced. We have a table read, I think [Thursday], for 17, and you can definitely feel the ramp-up of all the stories that are going to have to come together. It’s an exciting time,” she said.
“Grey’s Anatomy” airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.
