The Season 19 ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Sneak Peek Gives Hints About All of the Cast Cliffhangers

We finally have our first glimpses of what season 19 of Grey’s Anatomy holds. While the first clip released by ABC focuses primarily on a new batch of residents, the snippets of filming do provide some hints about what we can expect in the wake of the upheaval from the Season 18 finale. 

In the final moments of last season, Chief of Surgery Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) quits, leaving Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) at the helm. Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman) walks away from Grey as they disagree about her future in Seattle. And Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) and Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) are on the run for supplying unsanctioned drugs to veterans suffering from debilitating illnesses.

Another major focus? The surgical residency program getting shut down. This leaves major question marks about the futures of Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) and the residents he guided. The preview still leaves a lot of questions unanswered about the web of plot lines. But it does give a few clues about what we can expect as Season 19 unfolds. 

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 19 begins with Nick and Meredith still together — probably 

The video preview doesn’t include any confirmation of continued romance between Meredith and Nick. But she is seen confiding in him about how she sees potential in the newest crop of residents. Nick’s location is unclear, however. In multiple shots he’s wearing green scrubs — often the color he wears while at the hospital in Minnesota. However, halfway through the video, he’s scrubbing into a surgery in Grey Sloan’s customary blue hue instead. 

Meredith is talking with Nick in one shot while he’s wearing green, suggesting that she may be back to splitting her time between Minnesota and Seattle. It would certainly explain the reason Pompeo won’t appear in as many episodes this season. And while some Grey‘s fans might not be won over by Nick’s charms, he’s featured more frequently than several other regular cast members in the promo. For now, it appears that he’s in Meredith’s life for the long haul. 

There are likely job changes for Webber, Bailey, and Schmitt

Many of the job shake-ups are Grey Sloan are foregone conclusions based on the series finale. Bailey quit, and Webber’s future is unclear since he was the head of the residency program that was shut down. Both actors are confirmed to return to the cast full-time this season, which means that they’ll still be around. But their characters could be in different roles.

The video gives mixed messages about what that could look like. In one brief glimpse of Bailey, she’s dressed in street clothes, a change from her ordinary work attire. Later in the clip, though, we see her posing with Webber and Meredith on the steps inside the hospital, back in her usual garb. For what it’s worth, we see very little of Webber in the promo. Since the clips focus most on the new interns, it seems likely that whatever he’s doing at the hospital, it doesn’t have as much to do with the residency program. 

Changes could be in store for resident Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli), too. Schmitt left Grey Sloan after he killed a patient during an unsupervised surgery, leading to the end of the residency program. But in the preview for Season 19, we see Schmitt dressed in pink scrubs. These are typically reserved for residents in obstetrics or pediatrics at Grey Sloan. (The doctors made a note of that when Jo Wilson switched specialties earlier in Season 18.) It’s hearsay for now, but the brief moment could mean Schmitt stays at Grey Sloan with a new focus.

Owen Hunt and Teddy Altman are still around, plus hints of the rest of the cast plotlines

The last we saw of Hunt and Altman, they were on a plane with their kids. The couple is trying to avoid being arrested for supplying drugs to soldiers to help them end their lives with dignity. Almost nothing is known about where their storyline will take them. But we do see the couple sitting together on a couch for a split second. The location is unclear. But given that both actors have contracts with the show for another season, they might make their way back to Grey Sloan quickly. 

The promo video does a rapid-fire update on other major characters, too. We see Link (Chris Carmack) bump into a new resident in the hallway, who he apparently has a romantic history with. During a voiceover about second chances, we also see Jo (Camilla Luddington) and Link in conversation, suggesting there might be more to their story this season. In addition, Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary) and Winston Ndugu (Anthony Hill) appear to be reconciled after a tense Season 18. 

Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 will premiere on ABC Thursday, October 6 at 9 p.m. EST.