Its not this sense of loss, executive producer Shonda Rhimes tells EW.
In our world, Callie still exists.
For Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), this season delves into the struggle of how to move forward.
Credit: ABC/Mitch Haaseth; Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images (inset)
How do you grow up from there?
What are the next steps when youre ready to step out on your own?
My goal is always that every season feels like its own special animal, Rhimes says.
How is that resonating in the stories in season 13?
Does season 13 therefore feel in the spirit of those early seasons?
But I think it does feel really good.
Was it therefore then really easy for you to get everyone to come back for season 13?
You know what was hilarious to me about all this reporting about everybody was coming back?
How do I say this without getting in trouble?
The news stories that always get reported dont really have much to do with the timing of reality.
So the flurry of reports about who was coming back was really late for us.
It didnt really have anything to do with our lives.
So it was not a concern of mine.
I was way past being concerned about that stuff because it didnt really have any effect on us.
Theyre actually reporting that?
They think thats a story at this point?
We have these conversations.
because I know her and I know where her head is at.
I never thought of it as being a love triangle.
Its not really a love triangle.
A. I dont know that shes in love.
B. I think shes taking care of her sister and thats part of it.
Shes now got an actual family that shes surrounded herself with, and now she feels responsible for them.
What does Meredith feel for Riggs right now?
I think shes got an attraction.
With Maggie admitting her feelings for Riggs, does that force Meredith to face her feelings head-on?
I dont know that thats necessarily what happens.
In a weird way, it gives her an ability tonothave to face that decision head on.
How does this affect her dynamic with Maggie?
Maggie has admitted she has feelings for Riggs totally unaware that her sister has slept with him.
How do you think Maggie would feel knowing that this was kept from her?
If last season was about bringing these three sisters together, is this year about pulling them apart?
I dont think this season is about pulling them apart.
We allowed Meredith to have a family in a way that she hasnt had before.
Now shes in a place where shes in that step ofWhats next?
How do you grow up from there?And I think theyre all struggling with that.
What are the next steps that come from when youre ready to step out on your own?
Amelia has gotten married, what does that mean?
I love the fact that the last episode was Oh my God, what the heck am I doing?
because she did do something awfully fast with not that much thought put into it.
So shes married somebody.
So for them its really about whats next.
Speaking of whats next, in the finale, Alex beat DeLuca within an inch of his life.
Can you talk about the consequences of his actions both legally and professionally?
There are going to be some really big consequences.
What happens when you really screw up?
We are going to watch what happens for him now and how that challenges him and changes him.
Justin has intimated that were seeing an Alex that is more like the jerk of the earlier seasons.
I think people who are hurt revert to their less mature selves a lot of the time.
He is hurt and he doesnt quite know how to cope with that.
How will what Alex did divide the hospital?
Im not as keen on the concept that its going to divide the hospital.
It definitely poses some problems for the people in charge.
How is what Alex did going to affect his relationship with Jo?
I think that is going to be the key.
Theres no way to have that occur and to expect that there arent going to be any consequences.
Where did this idea come from and what more are we actually going to learn about her this season?
Is this the right time?
Weve been trying to figure out when to deploy that.
I love her as being somebody who has reinvented herself.
The fact that Alex is a guy who his response is to beat somebody up is a little problematic.
Youre introducing a story ofdomestic violencethis year with Jos past.
How big will that feature and why was it important to showcase that this year?
So those stories were very interesting to me.
Meredith suffered a violent attack last year and very much overcame it.
How does Callies absence at the hospital resonate with all the other doctors?
We felt really good about it because of the way we got to let her go, surprisingly.
So were not playing that theres been a devastating loss.
Theres not as much of a big hole left, which is great.
In our world, Callie still exists.
Is there room for her to return?
And will you be introducing a new ortho doctor?
Theres always room for Callie Torres, and Sara knows that.
Weve talked about that a lot.
And two, I dont know that Ive thought about a new ortho doctor.
I dont think of the doctors in terms of their specialties.
It really is about Oh, is this going to be an interesting character?
Is that going to be an interesting character?
So I dont know if were going to introduce a new ortho doc or not.
You previously mentioned Arizona would get alove interestlast season.
Are we finally seeing that this year?
Were absolutely going to see it.
I think thats going to be fun and interesting to do.
And to do it organically, you know?
You dont want to just stick two people together.
I want to do it organically and I want the audience to be rooting for it.
So I think were going to have fun with it.
Do you know who that love interest is yet?
Is there anything you would like to share about this love interest?
Jackson and April, can you talk about how theyre coparenting this season?
Like, how you do it with a new baby.
Those feelings are still there.
Just because they couldnt make it work doesnt mean that they dont still really care about each other.
Theres some flirting that happens.
We think we can have a little fun with it versus being sort of dark and grim.
Can you talk a little bit about what were seeing for Bailey and Ben?
That feels rare on television.
How about for Webber as a doctor this year?
Also, are we going to be seeing more of Webber and Maggies relationship?
We are going to be seeing more of Webber and Maggies relationship.
Whats next for Stephanie?
I thought we had some really good camaraderie between Amelia and Stephanie.
Were going to really give a shot to explore that some more.
So itll be really fun to do some more of that.
For Owen, what does his relationship with Riggs look like this year?
And also, is his sister actually dead?
The first question, his relationship with Riggs is really a very large question of the season.
How does that relationship reconcile, what does it look like?
So watching him deal with this will be very interesting.
That youre not going to answer.
Greys Anatomyreturns Thursday at 8 p.m.
