They’re back! Our favorite Grey Sloan Memorial surgeons returned to the small screen Thursday night for the Season 12 premiere of ABC's “Grey’s Anatomy.” And just like Shonda Rhimes, creator of the medical drama, promised, audiences could definitely sense a lighter tone during episode 1, ironically titled “Sledgehammer.”

The premiere, which reminded us of the good ol’ “Grey’s Anatomy” days, kicks off with one of Meredith’s (Ellen Pompeo) iconic monologues where she spoke of change:

“So you might be thinking, I’ve been here before. This is familiar. This is old hat. Maybe you’re wondering why we are here. But I promise, you are about to find out that everything has changed,” she assures fans. And, man, she wasn’t kidding.

One of the first scenes fans witness is Jackson (Jesse Williams) unveiling that he’s not as excited to welcome April (Sarah Drew) home (from her stint overseas) as his co-workers expected. After getting repeatedly asked about his wife’s welcome home party, Jackson finally snaps, telling Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) that his personal life if none of anyone’s business. Guess it’s safe to say Japril is officially over.

But Arizona has bigger things to worry about than Jackson’s love life -- or lack there of. She and Callie (Sara Ramirez) have recently sold their home and now she needs to find a roommate, and fast, so that she can afford rent. Arizona whips up a flyer and posts it on the hospital bulletin board -- where it sits for several hours without one person snagging her phone number, which was written at the bottom of the fringed paper.

Arizona questions Stephanie (Jerrika Hinton) about why no one wants to live with her. The resident remains tight-lipped … that is, until Arizona threatens her with a string of grueling night shifts.

“You’re kind of a legend,” Stephanie begins before revealing the many reasons no one wants to step foot into Arizona’s home. The reasons range from her intimate relations with interns, getting several of them fired, and “lying” about her fake leg. Yep, apparently people think Arizona has two, fully functional legs and that she’s pretending one is amputated.

Arizona is about to give up hope on the roommate search until she spots a handsome intern snagging her number from the flyer. The skeptical doctor asks Andrew (Giacomo Gianniotti) why he just doesn’t live with one of his intern-friends. And, according to the intern (who previously pretended to be an attending during Season 11), he doesn’t have any friends. Apparently people have also spread rumors about him that have deterred the scruffy hunk from creating bonds with his peers. This peeks Arizona’s interest -- and ours, too!

Like Arizona, Meredith also experiences roommate issues in the Season 12 premiere of “Grey’s Anatomy.” Mer awakens, during episode 1, to the sound of a bang -- and then another one. She rushes downstairs to find out that Amelia is going through with the plan they concocted over shots of tequila, which involved tearing down a wall in Meredith’s house. This sparks a feud between the sisters; leaving Maggie (Kelly McCreary) stuck in the middle.

However, after a chaotic day at the hospital, which involved saving the lives of two young girls who got hit by a train due to getting bullied by their parents and peers over their sexuality, the duo manage to put their differences aside. After all, like Mer says, she might not like Amelia all the time but Amelia is her family … and she loves her. Instead of celebrating with a dance, the three honor their love for one another by knocking down a wall -- let’s just hope it wasn’t a low-bearing one like Owen (Kevin McKidd) previously questioned. Oh, and speaking of Owen, the redheaded doc ends up making a move on Amelia during episode 1. We’re just curious if this kiss could lead to a possible relationship.

The Season 12 premiere also reveals who earned the coveted position of chief of surgery -- a gig that was originally offered to Bailey (Chandra Wilson) by Richard (James Pickens Jr.) However, Catherine (Debbie Allen) had urged her husband in Season 11 to let Bailey fight for the position, which she did … and she won.

The talented surgeon made her case, against a seemingly perfect candidate, revealing that while her competitor may have saw the position as a challenge or a stepping stone, she saw it as a way to improve the hospital that she loves so dearly.

The episode ends with Jackson getting woken up from a long day of work by none other than April. She reveals that she was going to sleep at the hospital so she wouldn’t wake him. But it looks like Jackson has his own reasons for sleeping in his scrubs, too. Before heading home, April asks Jesse if they can discuss their relationship in the morning. But her husband makes it clear that he has no interest in discussing their future.

What did you think of the “Grey’s Anatomy” premiere? Sound off in the comments section below and don’t forget to tune in to Season 12 of the hit ABC series at 8 p.m. EDT Thursdays.

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