There are already 3 episodes out on streaming for Grey’s Anatomy’s 21st season so I’m going to jump right into my review of the premiere episode. Warning Spoilers!

Last Season Of Grey’s Anatomy

When we last left Grey-Sloan Memorial, the interns, and Bailey’s jobs were hanging in the balance while taking a stand against Catherine and defending Adams against being let go for a patient’s death.

Catherine has threatened to take away Meredith and Amelia’s research for using Fox Foundation funds without her consent. And in retaliation, Meredith has published an abstract of their research effectively making it available to the community at large.

Owen and Altman find out they’re fired when they try to use the employee elevator to go home. Catherine is on a tear and seemingly fires hunt because he stood up to her for letting Altman perform surgery to save a firefighter.

And if all that wasn’t enough Jo collapses at work and finds out she’s pregnant and Mika and Jules share an almost intimate moment together before being interrupted.

Last season was short but certainly not uneventful we were happy, sad, and absolutely craving more at the end of its 10-episode run last year. Happily, though, the new season has started and though we are 3 episodes up as the writing of this, let’s take a look at the season premiere.

The Need-to-Knows

Ok so right away we open where we left off. Bailey is facing off against Catherine with the interns to save Adams’ job. This time we are treated to a total tirade by both Catherine and Bailey at each other which ends in Bailey slapping Catherine.

Unfortunately at this moment, she wakes up and we learn this is a recurring dream of hers, though the slap is new. It’s also revealed that Catherine fired Bailey and kept the interns.

So at this point, Catherine has fired Amelia, Meredith, Owen, Teddy, and Bailey. Leaving basically just Richard, Ndugu, Link, and Jo for surgeons and the interns.

Oh, and Jo still hasn’t told Link she’s pregnant with his child yet. Much to Schmitt’s dismay and frustration.

The Details

Because of the format of the show, I’m going to break this down by main characters and their storylines. Rather than a back-and-forth scene-by-scene style article. Since we just got caught up on the universe through Bailey let’s jump over to Meredith first.

Meredith, Catherine and The Research

Meredith has gone rogue my friends. She’s done it before but this time she may be in over her head. Or at least not realize the stakes and certainly underestimate the players involved.

Meredith and Amelia are currently unemployed and hopping from one institution to another in search of funding. However, everywhere they go they are met with cease and desist orders and injunctions from the Fox Foundation in an attempt by Catherine to take control of the research.

Meredith has been largely ignoring them which causes Jackson to show up to smooth things over between Meredith and Catherine.

Meredith does agree to apologize to Catherine but arrives just in time to watch Catherine collapse. Meredith discovers Catherine has a tumor on her spine that Catherine has been aware of.

In typical Catherine fashion, however, she has not told Jackson or Richard. She swears Meredith to secrecy and to not push for surgery by blackmailing her. Everyone can have their jobs back if Meredith remains silent.

Meredith agrees at the end of the episode but it appears as if she is still not employed at Grey-Sloan and makes an ominous statement about the research going in a different direction.

Bailey, Heron, and the Interns

Bailey is focusing on her clinic and looking forward to moving on with her life. However, the interns meet their Resident Director, Dr. Heron, and are not thrilled with her overly bubbly personality and happy-go-lucky attitude.

Turns out Bailey and Heron were residents together and Bailey doesn’t like her. Griffin attempts to convince Bailey to fight for her job. A patient, Wanda, who is afraid of being arrested for protesting escapes into the ceiling of the hospital. She is found by Bailey and Griffin when they discover her trapped between the walls

Because this is Grey’s Anatomy it’s not as simple as getting her out. She is having a hard time breathing and collapses behind the wall. Bailey breaks down the wall and helps the interns to stabilize her for the OR.

Heron arrives en route to the OR and pushes Bailey out thanking her for the assist but not letting her into the OR. Bailey tells Ben she is going to fight for her job because she is not going to lose it to Heron. This is Bailey’s hospital after all.

Schmitt’s Woes

As I said Jo still hasn’t told Link she’s pregnant with his child. Schmitt is growing frustrated with this secret while also wrestling with potentially not continuing his pediatrics fellowship.

Jo is basically coming up with every excuse under the sun to not tell Link she’s pregnant. Leaving Schmitt unable to talk about his crisis around not staying with pediatrics.

Schmitt jumps on a case with Richard, Ndugu, and Link and confesses his desire to potentially change specialties. Richard gets frustrated with him fearing no one will take Schmitt seriously if he keeps changing.

Link eventually advises Schmitt to not stress about whether he wants to change. Initially, he uses a sports metaphor that Schmitt misses but does get through to him with a Harry Potter analogy.

The Interns, The Kisses, and the Fiancee

And of course, the interns have their drama. Adams wrestling with leaving for Chicago and therefore leaving Griffin, Jules, and Yasuda, and Kwan has a fiancee.

First Kiss

Adams keeps going back and forth on Chicago leaving Griffin to believe for most of the episode that he’s leaving. However, we end with Adams showing up at Griffin’s, sweeping her into his arms and telling her he’s staying.

Second Kiss

Mika attempts to talk to Jules about their almost kiss. She explains they were caught up in emotions and the moment and they should just remain friends. Jules agrees but then SURPRISE swoops Yasuda into her arms and kisses her. The crowd goes wild, ok there was no crowd I went wild, because YES!

The Fiancee

So, Kwan did have a fiancee from a while ago. And even though he tried to keep this secret to himself, he confessed to Adams what happened.

Molly was there for Kwan when his mother was sick. However, one day she was in a car accident after a fight with Kwan. The resulting crash caused her to lose her memory and she had no idea who Kwan was. Kwan was unable to stay around after this.

Molly does confront Kwan at the end of the episode with a picture of her and him on her phone.

Wrap-Up

We left last season and started this one with nearly half of Grey-Sloan fired, Adams on his way out, Schmitt uncertain in his career, and Meredith and Amelia living like refugees as they run from the far-reaching shadow of Catherine Fox.

However, by the end of the episode, we have a shift in tone and mood. More hopeful, Bailey’s going to fight for her job back, Adams is going to stay at Grey-Sloan, and Griffin and Meredith’s friends have their jobs back.

New drama involving Catherine’s health, Meredith’s future employment anywhere, and Kwan being reunited with his fiancee Molly. Who Schmitt doesn’t appear to be aware of yet but will probably react in true Schmitt fashion.

I’m excited for the rest of the season, as I’m sure you are. And I can’t wait to see the next 17 episodes! Grey’s airs every Thursday at 10 p.m. and is available for streaming on Hulu the next day.