“Grey’s Anatomy” ended 2020 with a cliffhanger that left Meredith’s life in the balance. Unfortunately, Season 17 won’t resolve that arc as soon as fans expected.

When the ABC medical drama went on hiatus in the fall, March 4 was announced as the return date, but that has changed. The alphabet network announced this week that the midseason premiere of “Grey’s” won’t air until Thursday, March 11 at 8 p.m. EST.

The extra week gives the production a little necessary cushion. The pandemic makes schedules unpredictable, so hopefully, the one-week delay helps prevent another scheduling bump in the future. Spinoff “Station 19” has also pushed their return date to March 11 at 9 p.m. EST.

COVID is the big concern both off and onscreen. Fans are anxiously waiting to see what will happen to Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) who is battling COVID-19. The surgeon was put on a ventilator in the fall finale, and it’s going to be an uphill battle, according to “Grey’s Anatomy” writer Felicia Pride.

“She still has a long road ahead of her. We’re really trying to be accurate around people with COVID and the fact that, in the time period we’re in the show, there are still so many unknowns,” Pride said. “There are still so many things that doctors are figuring out. But Dr. Grey has definitely defied the odds in many ways, so I think it will be a mixture of those two.”

Fans should also expect the return of the sex trafficking and police brutality storylines. The former was an arc that was cut off last year when the season ended early while the latter was inspired by the civil unrest from last summer.

“Grey’s” and “Station 19” will be followed by a new series, “Rebel,” starting April 8. All three series share a showrunner, Krista Vernoff. The freshman drama, starring Katey Sagal, is inspired by the life of Erin Brockovich.

Greys Anatomy
Jo (Camilla Luddington) and Jackson (Jesse Williams) share a scene in "Grey's Anatomy" Season 17. ABC
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