Spoilers ahead for the first six episodes of Grey’s Anatomy Season 22, which can be streamed with a Hulu subscription.
We’ve still got a few weeks ahead of us before Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 returns on the 2026 TV schedule, with the fall finale ending on yet another cliffhanger. As we fret over the fate of Jo and her babies, however, some exciting news has been announced — Kate Walsh will reprise her role as Addison Montgomery, and I know exactly what I want to see from this visit to Seattle.
It’s been too long since we’ve seen McDreamy’s ex-wife walk the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial, so I can’t wait to see Addison when Season 22 resumes. Variety reports that Kate Walsh will guest star in the January 29 episode, “Strip That Down,” so that will be four episodes into the back half of Grey’s Anatomy’s 22nd season.
No other details were given, including the plot, but it appears we’re only getting Addison for one episode. If that is the case, I really hope the reason for her return involves her ex-sister-in-law, Amelia Shepherd.
The last time we saw Amelia, she was struggling with Monica Beltran’s death and announced she was going on sabbatical. This set up an extended hiatus for Caterina Scorsone, as budget cuts have forced reduced episode counts for Grey’s Anatomy’s stars.
While Caterina Scorsone has been on Grey’s Anatomy since Season 7, her character originated on Private Practice, the six-season spinoff that starred Kate Walsh. Amelia did not have her addiction under control at that point, so nobody has been through more with her than Addison.
Fans have come to cherish the rare Private Practice reunions between Derek Shepherd’s sister and ex-wife. So, with Amelia feeling guilty over her role in the explosion that killed Monica, now seems like the perfect time to bring in red-headed reinforcements.
This will be the first time Kate Walsh has returned to Grey’s Anatomy since Season 19, where she appeared in a storyline about women’s reproductive rights and even got run down by an anti-abortion protester. The actress is an “elder statesman” on the longtime medical series, making her introduction at the end of Season 1, when we learned for the first time — at the same time as Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey — that Derek Shepherd was married.
ICONIC! Kate Walsh was a series regular for Seasons 2 and 3, before taking her character’s talents to Los Angeles for her spinoff. She continued to appear at least once a season through 2012 before disappearing for nearly a decade. Addison came back in Season 18 for the first time since Derek Shepherd’s death, giving us an all-time great elevator scene with Meredith, as being flooded with so many memories of her ex-husband overwhelmed her with grief.
If one Season 22 episode is all we can have of Addison Montgomery, I will take it, especially if it means a reunion with Amelia.
Grey’s Anatomy already brought back several former characters in the season’s first episodes, including Kate Burton returning as Meredith’s mother in a haunting carousel nightmare. We also saw Kelly McCreary’s Maggie Pierce announce her pregnancy to Meredith and Amelia, and Jesse Williams’ Jackson Avery made the trip from Boston for a big medical case.
Grey’s Anatomy resumes at 10 p.m. ET Thursday, January 8, on ABC and streaming the next day on Hulu.