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This article was originally published on October 11, 2018.
It has been updated with additional story lines, including the events ofseason 20.
So you want to watchGreys Anatomyas it launches into its 21st season, but you arent exactly caught up?
Maybe you only just recovered from a certain dreamy person making a permanent exit.
Maybe you swore off the medical drama when Izzie started sleeping with a ghost.
Were having a great, often traumatic, time over in fictional Seattle, so why shouldnt you?
As a service to the public, weve created this handyGreys Anatomyguide just for you.
Theres nothing like watching the entire series, but this should come close!
Now, what are you waiting for?
You have much to learn and so much to look forward to!
Youll meet all the major players for the first few seasons.
There is another intern-attending romance afoot at Seattle Grace.
I know, drama!
Thats right, you guys:Derek is married.
.Start here if: You stopped watching once Addison showed up.
Its very hard and they fail!
Only one of them can live.
Youve heard that people cry duringGreys?
Its very riveting television!
My person (n.):The only human you want by your side no matter the occasion.
The one person who truly gets you.
It was coined when Cristina listed Meredith as her emergency contact for her abortion appointment.
They are forever and always each others person.
Thatcher Grey (Jeff Perry):Merediths estranged father who has a new family.
Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez):An orthopedic surgeon who falls for George.
While waiting for a heart transplant, he and Izzie fall hard for each other.Richard and Ellis:Surprise!
Richard and Ellis had a torrid affair back in the day.
Finn is both dreamy and sad.George and Callie:She is more into this pairing than he is.
Denny tragically dies an hour after proposing to her.
Also, Meredith and Derek have dirty hot sex and she must choose between him and Finn.
.Start here if: You stopped watching when Denny died.
Denny was very charming!
It was a tough loss.
But Seattle Grace moves on (mostly), and so should you.
Derek pulls her out of the water and tries to save her.
Its very dark and very exciting!
Didnt We Almost Have It All?
(Season 3, Episode 25):Burke walks out on Cristina at their wedding.
No one walks out on Cristina Yang!
New Wrinkles
Mommy Issues:An ailing Ellis returns to Seattle Grace.
In a few hours of lucidity, she finds time to tell Meredith that shes ordinary.
Ellis dies shortly after.
Meredith carries scars from her mother FOREVER.
Daddy Issues:Georges dad dies after a stint at Seattle Grace and George spirals.
He elopes with Callie in Las Vegas and then proceeds to cheat on his wife by sleeping with Izzie.
Bon Voyage:Addison has enough of McDreamy and McSteamy and heads for sunnier skies in California.
Her spinoff,Private Practice, takes off during season three ofGreys.
She is greatly missed.
Meredith wants nothing to do with her for a long time.
Dont worry, she gets over it!
Major Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd):Military trauma surgeon extraordinaire.
He helps Cristina when shes impaled with an icicle (it is a thing that happens on this show!
), and they start up averysteamy relationship almost immediately.
They get back together, of course.
Sorry, nice nurse Rose!Alex and Rebecca:Cripes, these two.
But she ends up being extremely unstable and things go south fast.
Still, the relationship is a huge step forward in Alexs character development.
Callie develops feelings for cardio surgeon Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith).
Callie is very hesitant and eventually Erica gets fed up and leaves Seattle.
Callie and Mark embark on a hot-friends-with-hot-benefits relationship as they both avoid feelings for other people.
Izzie starts to see the ghost of Denny Duquette.
And by see I mean have sex with.
.Start here if: You stopped watching when Ghost Sex became a thing.
You are not alone.
Thankfully, the show recovers!
It gets good again!
Not great for her, but good for everyone else questioning what happened to this show.
Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw):Pediatric surgeon and wearer of rolly sneakers.
She has a lot of pep, which is a departure forGreys Anatomy.
Owens PTSD almost ends his relationship with Cristina!
The original interns grapple with Izzies diagnosis!
DEREK PROPOSES TO MEREDITH IN AN ELEVATOR.
and Izzie (lives!).
Not everything about it is debilitatingly gut-wrenchingMeredith and Derek get married on a post-it note!
A Post-It Note wedding!
Dare I say, she seems much more into this guy than she ever was with Burke?
These two get married!
Feel free to sob whenever you want.
.Start here if: You stopped watching after George died.
The body bags are really starting to pile up on this show.
), andApril Kepner(Sarah Drew), eager to yo and exasperating.
Elsewhere, Webber starts drinking again and has to step down as chief Derek takes the job.
Bailey starts dating cute anesthesiologist Ben Warren (Jason George).
Bon Voyage:Izzie gets fired after a patient mishap, and leaves Seattle.
She pops back in, but her marriage is not salvageable.
Again, Alex has matured through this relationship.
This also marks Alexs move from plastic surgery to pediatrics.
Dr. Teddy Altman (Kim Raver):Shes a cardiothoracic surgeon who served with Owen in Iraq.
Theres a whole mess of history and feelings wrapped up in their relationship.
Dr. Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone):Another Shepherd neurosurgeon!
She pops in fromPrivate Practiceduring season seven, but will return in full force later.
Shes constantly trying to outdo her brother.
Though incredibly hard to watch, the incident changes a lot of our characters going forward.
Meredith watches Derek get shot by the angry husband of a patient he lost.
He almost dies and she has a miscarriage.
Alex almost dies of a gunshot wound.
April and Jackson bond after losing their two best friends.
Webber finally steps up and acts like the chief we all know him to be.
Hey, no one ever said watchingGreys Anatomywas fun all the time.
Meredith and Derek:They keep trying for a baby, but decide adoption is their best option.
They meet a little girl named Zola and fall in love.
Callie wants em, AZ does not.
Again, Lexie feels pressured into moving too fast she didnt sign up for a kid.
and she starts dating a very hot nurse named Eli (Daniel Sunjata).
Twist: They fall in love!
The Musical Episode
Yes, the rumors are true:Greys Anatomyhas a musical episode!
Song Beneath the Song (Season 7, episode 17) is, um, not great.
.Start here if: You stopped watching after seeing your doctors sing in the OR.
A lot of people did not enjoy that.
She leaves by the end of the season.
But in happier news: Meredith and Derek officially adopt Zola.
Theyre really Mom and Dad now, not justourMom and Dad!
), and complicates Zolas adoption.
Cristina gets pregnant, but wants an abortion; Owen reluctantly agrees but never gets over it.
Dr. Catherine Avery (Debbie Allen):A hardcore urologist and Jacksons mother.
She and Richard sleep together when the residents take their board exams and embark on a relationship.
The Crash
As if things couldnt get worse: Season eight ends with a terrible plane crash!
They are there for days.
Lexie dies while she and Mark pledge their undying love to one another.
Arizona loses her leg.
Mark suffers injuries that kill him weeks later.
Derek gravely injures his hand.
Its not a great time.
Seriously, it was awful.
Meredith and Derek move into the dream house he built for her.
Richard has already moved on with Catherine, but it is still heartbreaking.
Shes very tense the entire time, especially after she tests positive for several genetic markers of Alzheimers.
They call things off and she starts dating Matthew (Justin Bruening), a Christian paramedic.
Amelia Shepherd moves to Seattle!
She gets a job offer from Preston Burke (!)
Newcomer Alert!Dr.
Fun fact: Shes also the secret love child of Ellis Grey and Richard Webber!!!
Shane, sleep-deprived and guilt-ridden over Heathers death, performs emergency surgery on Alexs dad by himself.
Shane has a mental breakdown in the OR and Alexs dad eventually dies.
#Japril (n):Jackson and Aprils ship name.
They run away from Aprils wedding together and get married!
And then they get pregnant!
That always fixes stuff.
See also: Calzona.
.Start here if: You stopped watching once Cristina left.
We get it, she was our favorite too.
Drama Rundown:Maggie has to fight to win over Meredith.
Bailey takes Cristinas place on the board.
He finally decides his family in Seattle is the most important thing in the world to him.
They induce labor and their son, Samuel, dies minutes later.
.Start here if: You stopped watching after McDreamy met his demise.
Sometimes we still cant believe it really happened, but heres a secret: post-DerekGreysis excellent.
The Sound of Silence (Season 12, Episode 9):Directed by none other than Denzel Washington.
Meredith gets brutally attacked by a patient and spends most of the episode unable to talk.
She is giving birth to her and Dereks third child, Ellis.
She moves back into her mothers house, where Maggie and Amelia eventually join her.
Catherine and Richard get married!
They end up divorced but April reveals shes pregnant again.
Yes, Girl, Yes:Bailey is FINALLY named chief of surgery.
It just feels right, doesnt it?
Over what, you say?
Nathan was engaged to Owens sister Megan, who went MIA in a helicopter accident.
Owen blames Nathan for Megan getting on the helicopter, both feel tremendously guilty for moving on.
Nathan and Meredith have instant chemistry!
Welcome toGreys Anatomy, Harriet Avery!
.Start here if: You stopped watching after the kitchen-table C-section.
Admittedly, it was a lot.
Drama Rundown:Alex gets charged with felony assault but eventually DeLuca gets the charges dropped.
Jo cant marry Alex because shes already married and her name isnt Jo Wilson!
Shes been on the run from her abusive husband, Dr. Paul Stadler (Matthew Morrison).
Maggies mother shows up with breast cancer.
Her death guts Maggie, but also brings her and Jackson, her mothers surgeon, closer.
He and April sleep together one last time, but their romantic relationship is over.
Amelia reveals that she got pregnant while still an addict and the baby was born with no brain.
She doesnt want to have more kids, and Amelia and Owen separate.
Its the most dramatic of character cop-outs (also she has it removed and is fine).
Stephanie leaves after a harrowing incident involving a rapist loose in the hospital who causes an explosion.
Meredith and Riggs do it in the backseat of an SUV.
I mean, they do it lots of places, but that place is the hottest place.
Youll be crying as an entire OR gives Mer a standing O including, Meredith envisions, her mother.
Megan Hunt (Abigail Spencer):Yes, you guys SHES ALIVE.
She was held captive for ten years, but is finally found and brought to Grey Sloan.
Tom Koracick (Greg Germann):Amelias neurosurgeon mentor (suck on that, Derek!
), who arrives to operate on her tumor.
He also most definitely hooked up with Catherine Avery at some point.
Dear lord, everyone onGreysis dark and twisty inside.
Intern Roll-Call:MeetLevi Schmitta.k.a.
Sadly, Sam must flee the country when they discover ICE is looking to deport the Dreamer.
Now Jo is free!
They get over it and under each other!Owen and Teddy:Yes, Teddy!
Owen fosters a baby named Leo.
The four live as some sort of makeshift family.
They dismantle the Harper Avery Foundation.
Jackson uses his considerable fortune to pay reparation to the victims.
Catherine reverts to her maiden name, and The Catherine Fox Foundation is born.
Meredith is disgusted and returns her and her mothers Harper Avery awards.
Mommy Issues:Alex finally makes amends with his mother.
Now shes back on her meds and doing well.
They have a long way to go, but its a start!
Cold As Ice (Season 14, Episode 23):Surprise!
All the doctors work to get her back.
He begins to question a lot of things.
And Some Good Things!
Its April Kepners big send-off from the show.
Well miss them, but at least neither got hit by a semi truck!
Elsewhere, Amelia and Owen are making googly eyes at each other and DeLuca drunkenly kisses Meredith.
Hey, Dont I Know You?
:Teddy Altman is back and shes pregnant with Owens baby!
So, that should be fun.
.Start here if: You stopped watching when forced to say good-bye to Arizona and April.
Very uncool,Greys.
Dr. Atticus Lincoln (Chris Carmack):Hes described as an Ortho God and gets a slo-mo entrance.
None of this is wrong.
He also knew Jo before she was Jo he and Brooke used to work together.
Link survived bone cancer as a child, which inspired him to be both a surgeon and an optimist.
He does things like cuts his gorgeous hair to make children feel better.
Oh, he earns it all right.
Meredith is scared to fully love another man again, but she cannot help herself.
It sticks longer than anticipated, but those two are in it for the long haul.
They are hotter than ever!
Amelia and Owen:Ugh, these two.
They have a go at make it workagain.
They realize they are terrible togetheragain.
Owen will always love Teddy!
Teddy and Tom:Oh, Tom.
But honestly, has Teddy ever laughed so much?
Has anyone on this show?
Teddy and Owen:They are inevitable, it seems especially with a daughter on the way.
Will these two ever make it, or will they just destroy one another?
Honestly, its a 50/50 shot.
Also Link sits through a dinner with all the Shepherd women, which is a true feat of strength.
Schmitt and Nico:Schmitt finally comes out and he and Nico get hot-and-heavy.
Like, hooking up in an ambulance during a windstorm, hot-and-heavy.
Jackson and Maggie:Things seem to be going fairly well for these lovebirds until Maggie calls Jackson Mr. That is, um,yeesh.
It is as gutting and intense as it sounds.
Eventually, she decides to take a leave of absence and get some real help.
Meredith has a heartfelt one-on-one with Thatcher, just before he dies.
Its very sad and moving and cathartic!
Catherine Fox learns she has a gigantic tumor on her spine.
Tom and Amelia get most of it out, but not all of it.
The core four at odds!
If I have to know that a baby in a bag is a real thing, so do you.
He hires Richard, and together they have a go at whip the hospital into shape.
Richard and Catherine split up because Richards angry that Catherine stood by and let Bailey fire him.
Later, when Richard almost dies from cobalt poisoning, he still wants nothing to do with Catherine.
Its bad, people!
Expect lots of meaningful callbacks for longtime fans and a surprising connection to Dereks death.
Leave a Light On (Season 16, Episode 16):Oh, Alex Karev.
to follow his heart and live on a farm with the love of his life.
All Im saying is that this is an important chapter in the overallGreyslore.
Meanwhile, hunky Irish head of peds Cormac Hayes, a widower and a dad, arrives.
He might just be the dark and twisty kind of guy Meredith needs.
Jackson and Maggie:Wow, these two break up so fast in season 16.
Jackson moves on withStation 19firefighter Vic Hughes, but they end things by the end of the season.
Schmitt and Nico:Sorry, people.
This couple is splitsville.
They are the best of us.
That dude is going to be a mess for a while.
His hair remains perfect.
Thats right, against all odds, #Japril isendgame.
#Japril shippers should feast their eyes upon Look Up Child (Season 17, Episode 14).
But for why,Greys?
.Start here if: You stopped watching whenGreysput its lead in a coma for an entire season.
It gave the whole thing a real stall-for-time punch in of energy, you know?
Meredith and Nick Marsh:Yep!
Its the transplant doctor Meredith saved back in season 14!
They bump into each other while Meredith is in Minnesota trying to cure Parkinsons in season 18.
They have it bad for each other!
But I swear, she really does love him!
They almost end things because Kai doesnt want kids, but dang they just cant quit each other.
Nico leaves both the relationship and Grey Sloan for good.
A rough thing to recover from, if I do say so myself!
Jackson and April:Surprise!
If youre a #Japril shipper, this is excellent news.
If youre a #Japril hater, mind your business!!
More people should be fleeing this death trap.
She returns only when she feels called to fight the good fight for reproductive-health-care rights alongside Addison Montgomery.
The once-defunct Denny Duquette Memorial Clinic is now the Elena Bailey Memorial Clinic for Reproductive Health.
Can you even believe?
They return in season 19 once criminal charges are dropped.
Its a strain on their marriage, but honestly, what isnt?
Is it sad to see Meredith Grey leave Seattle and Grey Sloan Memorial behind midway through season 19?
Also, they do burn her house downfor one last trauma-inducing parting gift.
Youre Having … Baby Surgeons!
Out with the old, in with the very, very new!
Thats right, folks, its time for another intern roll call!
Lucas Adams:Oh, Im sorry, I should give you this broody romantics full name: LucasShepherdAdams.
Yep, hes a Shepherd Dereks favorite nephew.
Hes the black sheep of the family, always seeming to get in his own way.
Simone Griffith:Simone seems like the next Meredith Grey.
She feels the chemistry with Lucas but still has a lot of baggage from her recently broken-off engagement.
Oh, you know that ex-fiance is going to show up and cause trouble.
She comes from hippie-dippie drug-dealing parents and is constantly underestimated.
She starts a fling with fellow intern Benson Kwan.
Its honestly a miracle the woman made it out of that city alive.
Sometimes its as if she never left!
It feels so, so right.
Like other cardio gods before her, Maggies greatest love was always surgery anyway.
Wedding Bell Blues and Happily Ever After?
and theres no better showcase for that than its double-episode finale.
Come on a finale that ends with big romantic swings and an OR floor drenched in blood?
ThatsGreys Anatomyin full force right there.
The will-they, wont-they is officially over!
Simone and Lucas:The angst!
Uncle Derek would be proud, to be honest.
Its a runaway-bride situation!
While they do immediately have sex in an on-call room (bless!
So really, who knows what will happen with this budding love triangle.
Monica also has a very flirty, vibe-based thing going with Winstons former sort of sister-in-law, Amelia.
We love this for Mer!
One Very Large Wrinkle
Meredith has a terrible track record with Alzheimers research, doesnt she?
Suffice it to say, Grey Sloan Memorial could look very different in season 21.
You just completed your crash course inGreys Anatomy!
