Grey’s Anatomy Review: Here Comes the Sun (Season 18 Episode 1)

Grey’s Anatomy sets the tone for the season with a disclaimer that explains to the audience that while the current health crisis is still very much present in the world, the episodes that follow will take place in a “fictional, post-pandemic world that represents our hopes for the future.”

And while Grey’s Anatomy Season 18 Episode 1, “Here Comes the Sun,” isn’t all sunshine and roses, it does strike a lighter, more positive tone that feels a little more like the Grey’s Anatomy we used to know.

That’s quite a feat considering the number of cast changes that have taken place. 

We’ve got newlyweds with injuries that suggest an, ahem, eventful honeymoon. There’s an underwear bike race that in all of its absurdity, including crashing an intimate wedding between Teddy and Owen, ends in tragedy.

There’s even a search for a new doctor that provides some comic relief thanks to a series of unsuccessful interviews. It’s all fun to watch, with the right mix of humor, drama, and suspense. 

The biggest surprise, of course, involves Meredith. There has been a bit of a time jump here, and she’s currently in Minnesota because their hospital is honoring her mother. What she doesn’t know until she gets there, is that she’s being offered her own lab to do research for Parkinson’s Disease.

The kicker? It’s personal. The doctor who’s set all of this up (Peter Gallagher), who knew Meredith’s mother, would be taking part in the trial himself. 

Meanwhile, everyone back at Grey-Sloan is begging Meredith not to leave before anyone even knows she has a reason to, and I can’t help but wonder if this is a way to set up the end of the series altogether. 

It’s certainly a new challenge for Meredith, and what’s interesting is that her character is facing a new crisis of sorts after having so narrowly survived COVID. It puts pressure on her to do something more with the miracle she’s been afforded. And naturally, her mother is saying that much in her dreams.

Okay, but that’s not the only surprise. She also runs into her former patient — one she had a very clear romantic connection with in Season 14.

The timing wasn’t right then at all, but it sure seems like it could be now. And Scott Speedman’s Nick even has a few characteristics that remind one of Derek Shepherd.

I love seeing Meredith in this situation — a new place, so well-respected in her field, and open to possibilities. After last season, I’m definitely interested in seeing her pursue a love interest as well.

It’s too bad, though, that we only get a hint of the fact that she did pursue something, briefly, with Hayes. We didn’t get see that on screen, and that feels like a loss. 

Speaking of romantic possibilities for Meredith, I can’t help but think about Nathan Riggs. 

It’s a treat to see Megan Hunt again on this episode. She’s there for Teddy and Owen’s wedding, and also winds up helping out in the OR, where she announces that she and Riggs have broken up. Riggs and Meredith understood each other so well, and it would be so interesting to see him return at some point now too.

Teddy and Owen do finally get their wedding by the end of the episode as well, and I’m just over here breathing a big sigh of relief over it. They’ve been through too much at this point. Finishing the vows at Joe’s and having a celebration there is perfectly fitting and joyous. 

Link and Amelia, on the other hand, aren’t doing well at all. Amelia resents Link’s elaborate proposal, noting that it even felt a bit manipulative. They so clearly love each other, but Amelia isn’t interested in marriage. I’m not sure I buy that Link would leave it all or nothing when it comes to that issue, to be honest.

That doesn’t feel like the Link we knew before. That said, he does refer to their time together when everything was shut down, and it makes sense that could change his perspective. But would it really change it so much that not getting married would be the end of their relationship? I’m skeptical.

As for the status of the hospital itself right now, Bailey, Maggie, and Hayes are desperately searching for someone to replace Jackson Avery. I mentioned the comedy of those interviews, and it is a lot of fun to watch those cycle through. It’s a good way to reflect back on the health crisis as well — and the impact it’s had on the medical field.

After several candidates who either aren’t a good fit or who run for the door, one stands out. She doesn’t have the exact experience they were looking for, but because of an emergency surgery, she shows she’s the perfect person for the job.

I like Dr. Lin already. And she’s going to force Richard to get the residents to step up their game, which will only make it feel like the early days of Grey’s Anatomy even more. I can’t wait. 

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Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

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