Here’s How ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Decides to Bring Certain Characters Back

Attention Grey’s Anatomy fans: Arizona Robbins is officially back at Grey Sloan Memorial.

The chief of pediatric surgery, played by Jessica Capshaw, is making her return for the show’s Thursday, April 4, episode. Arizona hasn’t been seen since Grey’s Anatomy’s season 14 finale, when she left Seattle for New York City to potentially reconcile with ex-wife Callie. Now, she’s back in town to help out with a complex surgery on a baby’s brain.

"That's the amazing thing about the writers' room and having so many characters that have been on and off the show, everybody is always pitching different stories to bring back different people," Grey’s showrunner Meg Marinis told Entertainment Weekly in a recent interview.

She added, "It was a nice balance of, 'This medical story is amazing,' and we'd been looking for a way to bring Arizona back. So it just seemed right, and it felt like it was time to hear that laugh again in the hospital."

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Capshaw, 47, teased her return to Grey Sloan with an Instagram post in February, which featured a close-up shot of the actress wearing her hospital mask and scrubs. “04.04.24,” she captioned the snapshot.

Fans, understandably, freaked out in the comments section. “God we’ve missed that scrub cap…,” one person wrote. Another added, “Paging Dr. Arizona Robbins STAT.????????????.”

Capshaw shared a moving X post ahead of her departure in 2018, calling it a “rare privilege” to play her character for 10 years. “Arizona Robbins is kind, intelligent, funny, insightful, bold, playful, fierce and really good at her job,” she tweeted. “She was one of the first members of the LGBTQ community to be represented in a series regular role on network television. Her impact on the world is permanent and forever. Forever.”

Shonda Rhimes, the show’s creator, offered her own parting words to Capshaw and Sarah Drew (April Kepner), who exited Grey’s at the same time.

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??“It’s always hard for me to say goodbye to any of my characters,” Rhimes said in a statement. “Both Arizona Robbins and April Kepner are not only beloved but iconic — both the LBGTQ and devout Christian communities are underrepresented on TV. I will be forever grateful to both Jessica and Sarah for bringing these characters to life with such vibrant performance and for inspiring women around the globe.”

Grey’s Anatomy is in the midst of its 20th season this year, remaining the longest-running primetime medical drama in television history. Marinis took over showrunner duties from Krista Vernoff at the end of season 19, working her way up from writer’s production assistant to executive producer.

While speaking to Shondaland in March, the showrunner hinted that her upcoming season would feature nods from years past.

“Something that is huge for me, because a 20th season is historic, is honoring the show that Shonda built,” she explained. “I want to be taking pieces of the show that still celebrate the original characters, even if those characters aren’t on the show anymore, and they’ll be some nostalgic elements from the beginning of the season.”