Sorry, Yang & Torres Fans: Here’s Why You Won’t See Your Fave ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Stars on Meredith’s Beach

*Warning: Spoilers ahead*

We’re offering a virtual hug to longtime Grey’s Anatomy fans, who took a walk down memory lane (yet again) during last night’s episode.

On season 17, episode four, George O’Malley (T. R. Knight) returned from the dead to greet Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) from a lifeguard tower. We weren’t all that surprised by the cameo, since Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff previously revealed that Derek Shepherd’s (Patrick Dempsey) return in the premiere would be the first of many.

While many fans believed that Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) were next, we’re not entirely convinced the two characters will travel to Meredith’s beach dreamland. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t return at all.

You see, there’s a pattern to the characters who’ve returned to Grey’s Anatomy (thus far): Both Dr. Shepherd and Dr. O’Malley died on the show. Although Dr. Yang and Dr. Torres aren’t on Grey’s Anatomy anymore, they weren’t killed off. Instead, they left willingly, which means the characters are still “alive” (in the GA universe, at least).

The pattern indicates that Meredith’s beach doubles as a heaven-like space, where she can communicate with deceased people she loved. So, unless Yang and Torres died in some Final Destination mix-up, we don’t see them joining Shepherd and O’Malley on the beach.  

Still, we’re extremely intrigued by IMDB, which recently updated the Grey’s Anatomy page to list “2020” as Ramirez and Oh’s most recent appearance. Because of this evidence, there’s still a good chance we’ll see Dr. Yang and Dr. Torres this season. Instead of appearing in Meredith’s beach, we think it’ll be a real-life reunion.

Perhaps Meredith schedules a FaceTime date with Cristina, who likely heard about her BFF’s battle against COVID-19? This is a total possibility, especially since the show has shown phone calls and text messages between Meredith and Cristina (even after the latter departed the show). Although Oh hasn’t been seen—only heard—since her departure, there’s no harm in blessing us with a virtual appearance.

As for Torres, maybe she returns from New York to be closer to family during the pandemic and ends up stopping by Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital? She’s always been overly ambitious, so we wouldn’t be surprised if she offers a helping hand in the COVID ward.

We know, we know. It’s a bit of a stretch. But the more we think about it, the more it makes sense. Meredith has touched countless lives throughout her career—doesn’t she deserve to see their faces during these times of uncertainty?

Your move, ABC.

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