Ellen Pompeo's Grey's Anatomy Season 20 Involvement Explained: Will Meredith Return?

Fans of "Grey's Anatomy" might have been at least slightly surprised to see Ellen Pompeo feature so prominently in the Season 20 premiere. According to showrunner Meg Marinis — who took over from Krista Vernoff after the previous season — she and Pompeo are trying to figure out ways to include the actress in Season 20, so we haven't seen the last of Dr. Meredith Grey just yet.

Sources revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that Pompeo is set to appear in at least four out of the season's episodes (which was abbreviated by the joint WGA and SAG-AFTRA writer's strike; the exact number of episodes hasn't been revealed just yet). Meanwhile, Marinis spoke to TheWrap and said that after all these years, it's tough for her to not include Meredith in the show's narrative.

"Ellen and I have a great relationship, we've known each other for years," Marinis said. "Her voice is in my head all the time. When I'm writing a story that Meredith is not in I still think, 'What would Meredith think about this? How would her class view this differently from this class?' Meredith will always be one of my favorite characters. We work well together and we're trying to work with her schedule. Ellen cares very deeply for the show."

Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Grey got a huge send-off during the show's 19th season. Despite this, she still seems to be bumming around Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital for now. So how did the show explain Meredith's exit, and why is she still hanging out in Seattle during the Season 20 premiere?

Meredith decided to move to Boston during Season 19 — but she's in Seattle for the Season 20 premiere after causing a huge ruckus at the Catherine Fox Awards. Apparently, Meredith had a huge breakthrough in her research on Alzheimer's disease. However, that breakthrough was that everyone has been wrong about Alzheimer's for years, and Catherine Fox herself (Debbie Allen) is not happy that Meredith revealed this discovery to everyone at said awards. While she's in Seattle, Meredith catches up with her on-again, off-again flame, Dr. Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman), who's preparing to move to Boston along with her. She and her mentor, Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), then team up to help some interns through a sticky situation involving a trapped ambulance, a patient in peril, and a self-driving car.

Speaking of Bailey, though — it definitely feels like the show is cushioning the blow of losing Meredith by repositioning Bailey as the ultimate teacher. Not only does Bailey take over teaching the interns as Nick announces his departure, but she brings back one of the show's most iconic lines.

As Nick Marsh heads out, Miranda Bailey arrives to deal with the ragtag group of interns and brings back her very first line from the show's pilot: "I have five rules." As Meg Marinis said in that same interview with TheWrap, Bailey might be the only person who can bring these interns back from the brink of disaster. After all, she mentored outstanding "Grey's Anatomy" surgeons like Meredith Grey. "Bailey doesn't always get the credit that she deserves," Marinis said. "She has helped raise world-renowned surgeons, so if anyone can do this, it's her."

Beyond that, the showrunner discussed just how powerful it was to hear Chandra Wilson deliver such a classic line. "In every take [of that scene] everyone just erupted into applause," Marinis revealed. "We have a lot of crew that have been here for 20 years so just hearing that, and how amazing Chandra is." Plus, Marinis said that it may have brought everything full circle: "I'd have to double-check with her, but I think she told me that the original 'I have five rules' scene might have been one of the first scenes they shot for the pilot."

Thanks to Bailey's new direction, it feels like "Grey's Anatomy" Season 20 could provide a much-needed reset. Plus, Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Grey will apparently be present for at least part of the season. 

"Grey's Anatomy" airs new episodes every Thursday at 9 P.M. EST on ABC.