Big changes are in store for Grey's Anatomy when it returns for Season 14 this fall. The explosive Season 13 finale that saw portions of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital go up in flames resulted in a number of characters adjusting plans for the future. As it turns out, the explosive ending to Season 13 is what will help to launch the upcoming Grey's Anatomy spinoff, and we now know of one Grey's character who will leave the mothership for a regular role on the new firehouse series. In the wake of his firefighter-esque heroics in the finale, Dr. Ben Warren is moving on from Grey Sloan.
Actor Jason George has officially signed on as a series regular for the Grey's Anatomy spinoff. Ben Warren will be a key member of the ensemble of the new show, which has yet to receive an official title. The spinoff is slated to chronicle the lives of a group of brave souls in a Seattle firehouse. We've known for a while that characters will range from a new recruit to a season captain, although it had not been announced that a doctor would be part of the team as well.
Grey's Anatomy fans don't have to worry that Ben will be gone right out of the gate this fall. THR reports that Jason George will remain a regular on Grey's Anatomy in Season 14 until production on the spinoff kicks off. After that, he'll shift gears to the new show. Hopefully his remaining time on Grey's Anatomy will enable the series to write him out in a way that both makes sense and would allow him to return to the doctor drama in case the spinoff is a flop. Ben has been a part of the show since way back in Season 6, and he's been a regular since Season 12. His departure could be a pretty big deal, considering his relationship with Bailey.
Of course, his marriage to Bailey wasn't going too well in Season 13. Ben was pretty annoyed with her by the end of the season, and what we know so far about Bailey in early Season 14 indicates that she's still giving some folks a hard time. Jason George's move to the spinoff could spell the end of Ben's relationship with Bailey.
Then again, the spinoff is set to take place in a Seattle firehouse. Ben won't exactly need to relocate for the sake of this spinoff the way Addison did for Private Practice back in 2007. Who knows? If catastrophes continue to strike Grey Sloan Memorial the way they have over the years of Grey's Anatomy, Ben may have reason to return as a guest star on a semi-regular basis. I wouldn't be surprised if minor crossovers between the two shows were frequent in the beginning. Grey's Anatomy is a juggernaut of a series; if the spinoff can secure part of the Grey's audience, it could be ABC's next big hit.
That said, ABC already seems to have a great deal of faith in the project, even if it still has yet to give the project an official title. ABC gave the spinoff a straight-to-series order back in May. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest news on the spinoff. Hopefully we'll learn more about the cast sooner rather than later. At this point, we can only confirm Jaina Lee Ortiz of Rosewood as the leading lady and Jason George as another star.
Grey's Anatomy returns for its Season 14 premiere on Thursday, September 28 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Check out our fall TV guide for all your other premiere dates, and take a gander at what's to come next in Grey's Anatomy in the brand new first look.
