When is Grey's Anatomy returning with new episodes?

Although it seems like Grey’s Anatomy season 19 just started, the fall finale aired on November 10. As such is the case, viewers are going to be left holding a mixed bag of emotions about the future direction of the show until the show returns after the winter holidays. But when exactly is Grey's Anatomy returning?

Shows usually go on midseason breaks as the US heads into the holiday season, as Christmas and other holiday or special programming takes over the TV schedule. On ABC, that is going to come in the form of shows like The Great Christmas Light Fight and the Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.

When all that is said and done though, when is Grey's returning? We've got the answer.

When is Grey's Anatomy returning with new episodes?

It's going to be a while before fans can catch a new episode of Grey's Anatomy, as the show doesn't return until Thursday, February 23. In fact, all of ABC's Thursday programming, which also includes Station 19 and Alaska Daily, are not returning until February 23. 

This is a bit longer than a lot of other fall shows returning after a winter hiatus. Most shows on CBS, NBC, Fox and other ABC programs that aired this fall and are returning with new episodes coming back sometime in January.

All told, Grey's will be off TV for three full months before it returns with new episodes.

What happened in the Grey's Anatomy season 19 fall finale?

It appears that Grey’s fans will be holding that previously mentioned mixed bag of emotions for a while after the dramatic fall finale. 

What kind of emotions do you ask? 

For starters, many longtime are almost overwhelmed with sadness over the pending departure of Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). As teased in the promo for the series' winter premiere, "Meredith leaves Seattle." 

While Pompeo taking a hiatus from the show isn’t exactly a new revelation as it was reported over the summer, her forthcoming exit from the canvas is a monumental occasion. She is the last original intern left. Her peers have all moved on in their careers (with the exception of T.R. Knight’s George). It almost feels like the end of an era. 

Then there’s the fact that Meredith’s house caught on fire. A lot of show memories were created in that home. In fact, one could argue that there were just as many made there as there were in the actual hospital. Her house burning almost feels like a nail put in a theoretical coffin. 

However, before Meredith admirers go through a full meltdown, we have some good news. First, Pompeo is slated to physically appear in eight episodes this season. When the series returns with its new episode at the top of 2023, that will only be her seventh. As seen in the clip below, Pompeo herself states she will be back for the season 19 finale. Additionally, she promises to still be doing the voiceovers throughout the new episodes.

Now as far as her future on the series beyond season 19, we can't say for sure. On November 17, Pompeo took to Instagram to thank fans for being there with Meredith for 19 seasons. She closed her post by saying "... you know the show must go on and I’ll definitely be back to visit." 

We'll leave you to make your own deductions about that statement. 

Now Meredith going to Boston will cause quite the shakeup at Grey Sloan Memorial, and is already stirring up curiosity among the show's audience. The most pressing question fans have is who will become the new chief of surgery? With Bailey (Chandra Wilson) seemingly not ready to return to the role, you have to ask, "then who?"

Oh, and how can we forget about Nick (Scott Speedman). He only moved to Seattle because Meredith asked him to. Now with her moving to Boston, will he leave the residency program to follow her? 

Viewers will have to stay tuned to find out what happens when Grey’s Anatomy return. In the meantime, check out the teaser for the new episode to whet your appetite. 

Since you'll have some "Greyless" Thursdays on the horizon, it's a good time to catch up on some of your favorite Meredith moments from season 19 over on Hulu. If you want to do a deeper dive into the character, seasons 1-18 are over on Netflix.