There will be a familiar face walking the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial on the April 4 episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Four episodes into the series’ 20th season, Jessica Capshaw is finally making her return as fan favorite Arizona Robbins. So what brings the pediatric surgeon back to Seattle? Will we witness medical marvels? Reunions with her former colleagues? Hilarity and heartbreak? Yes, says showrunner Meg Marinis, to all of the above. And it turns out that’s not the only good news.
Jessica Capshaw’s Return Will Make Fans ‘Really Happy’
Jessica Capshaw hasn’t appeared on Grey’s Anatomy since 2017, when Arizona was written off after the 14th season. Longtime fans have been waiting to see the bubbly surgeon rollerskate her way back on the show for weeks now, and their patience will pay off in “Baby Can I Hold You.” Ahead of the episode, Meg Marinis spoke to EW about what we can expect, saying:
You're going to get a little bit of everything that we love about the character. We're going to see her with some familiar faces. Obviously, she's in the trailer with Bailey [Chandra Wilson] and they have a great relationship. We're going to see her come across a challenge. We're going to see her laugh. We're going to see her be medically awesome. We're going to see her teach. I think people will be really happy.
That sure sounds like a lot to pack into one episode, but it’s good to know they’re making the most of Jessica Capshaw’s comeback. Apparently the call was made when they found the perfect plotline for her character. Marinis continued:
That's the amazing thing about the writers' room and having so many characters that have been on and off the show, everybody is always pitching different stories to bring back different people. It was a nice balance of, 'This medical story is amazing,' and we'd been looking for a way to bring Arizona back. So it just seemed right, and it felt like it was time to hear that laugh again in the hospital.
Grey’s Anatomy certainly does like to call on former cast members for cameos, but one face we won’t be seeing this time around is Arizona’s one-time wife Callie Torres. The showrunner previously addressed the lack of a “Calzona” reunion, saying it can be hard to time things with people’s schedules, and that this story is more related to Arizona’s specialty.
Jessica Capshaw And Camilla Luddington To Start A Podcast
Jessica Capshaw may not be sticking around Season 20 for long, but it appears her dive back into the Grey’s Anatomy universe may not be over. On a preview for her April 4 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, it was announced that she’s starting a podcast with fellow Grey’s star Camilla Luddington. Capshaw explained, per People:
Well, Camilla Luddington, who's one of my besties on Grey's Anatomy — who plays Jo Wilson — and I had an idea and then we sort of worked it all together and then we sorted it all out and we went to IHeart Radio and they were like, yes.
There weren’t many other details of the upcoming podcast available, including the name of it or if it will be a rewatch podcast or feature other actors from the show, but Jessica Capshaw did say it’s coming soon, set to premiere in early summer.
This good news follows the announcement that Grey’s Anatomy has been renewed for Season 21 this fall — one of several TV series to be renewed recently. It’s a great time to be a Grey’s fan, and if you’re looking forward to seeing Jessica Capshaw, tune into ABC at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, April 4, with the episode available to stream the next day with a Hulu subscription.
