The only Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 recap you need before the next chapter premieres this October 

After two decades of surgeries, crises, and relationships, Grey’s Anatomy pulls viewers in week after week. The show's staying power surprises even longtime fans. It's weathered cast shakeups, drama, and emergencies, yet it still stitches together stories that keep us coming back.

It showed the show still has life as it brings us more than 450 episodes. The new season starts Thursday, October 9th, at 10 PM Eastern on ABC.

Here's what you need to know before tuning in to Grey’s Anatomy again!

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Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 saw Meredith vs. Catherine

Grey Sloan Memorial wouldn’t be without some clash shaking its foundations. Tensions between Meredith and Catherine erupted like a code blue.

Catherine put Meredith’s Alzheimer’s research at risk and crossed ethical lines. But when Catherine’s cancer took a turn, Meredith struck a bargain. she would be silent about Catherine’s health in exchange for complete control of her research and reinstating Owen, Teddy, and Amelia.

Meanwhile, Miranda Bailey lost her job (and composure), delivering a dream-sequence slap that became instant lore. To prevent chaos at the hospital, she was rehired. Catherine survived another season, but her power is fragile.

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Real (and disastrous) love on Grey’s Anatomy

If heartbreak were a medical condition, the interns at Grey Sloan Memorial would be experts! Lucas and Simone's relationship survived rivalries and a convenience store robbery that nearly cost them their lives and almost ended Jo's pregnancy. But ambition finally tore them apart.

By Episode 17, Simone's practical nature clashed with Lucas's idealism, and they were over.

Meanwhile, Jo and Link turned friendship into marriage. Their wedding was pure chaos (an overbearing mother-in-law, a toddler stealing cake), but they made it work. That is, until the explosion left Link critically injured.

Then there's Teddy and Owen, who tried an open marriage. Predictably, it backfired. Teddy walked away to focus on herself, leaving Owen to pick up the pieces again. He might need more therapy, or stitches, or both.

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The residents' return in Grey’s Anatomy Season 21

Ben Warren returned from Station 19, though he seemed to be trading firefighting gear for scrubs. Jackson Avery popped back in, too, to mediate his mother's ongoing clash with Meredith, and partly to steal a quick, charged moment with April in an elevator.

For Japril fans, that was a (brief) win!

Levi Schmitt stumbled in his fellowship and packed up for Texas with his new partner. Helm stepped up as Mika lost her sister. Jules is finding her footing under Winston's guidance, with hints of something deeper between them.

In true Shondaland fashion, the finale cranked up the intensity. A hostage situation culminated in an explosion right in the operating room, leaving us wondering about several characters. Meredith returns in time to help save Dylan. But as the chaos settled, the hospital floor erupted beneath them!

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What’s next on Grey’s Anatomy Season 22?

According to TV Insider, new photos from the upcoming episode "We Built This City" show Miranda Bailey surviving the explosion.

In ABC's images, Bailey smiles next to Blue (played by Trevor Jackson) as both are alive! Director Kevin McKidd hints at a messy first day for surgical rotations. He suggests the blast weighs throughout Grey’s Anatomy Season 22.

The question now: who didn’t survive? Link, Jules, Teddy, Richard, and Monica Beltran were all in danger when the operating room blew up.

Grey’s Anatomy will hit its 450th episode on October 16, a milestone for any TV series. Rumor has it next season’s fallout could hit hard. So keep tissues handy. Grey Sloan isn’t closing its doors yet, but nothing lasts forever!

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Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 will also stream on Hulu.