Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Just Teased Cristina’s Return

Sandra Oh hasn’t appeared on Grey’s Anatomy since she departed the show in season 10, but a scene in season 19 hinted at a potential return.

The end of Grey’s Anatomy season 19, episode 16, revealed that Cristina sent supplies for Addison’s PRT, hinting at the beloved character’s return. It has been almost 10 years since Sandra Oh left Grey’s Anatomy in the season 10 finale, and she has yet to make an appearance since. After Cristina lost the Harper Avery Award due to a conflict of interest with the hospital, she left Seattle to work at the Klausman Institute for Medical Research in Switzerland, and the letter confirmed she is still working there but keeping tabs on her friends in Seattle. Grey’s Anatomy season 19 could finally be the season that Oh and Cristina return.

Cristina was one of Grey’s Anatomy’s original five interns and the third to leave the show after George was killed off at the start of season 6, and Izzie was fired and left Seattle shortly after. Her love for surgery and her ambition, along with her friendship with Meredith, made her a quick fan favorite, which made losing her character an even greater loss. However, Cristina surviving rather than being killed off like other characters opened up the possibility for her to eventually return to the series, and Grey’s Anatomy season 19 might be the time for said return.

Cristina’s Letter Confirmed She’s Still In Contact With Her Former Coworkers

Cristina’s letter to Addison and Bailey was not the first time she’s had contact with characters after leaving Grey’s Anatomy, but it was the first time Cristina had been mentioned on screen in years. The last mention was in season 17 when Cristina texted Owen for an update on Meredith when she had Covid. Before that, in season 16, she texted Meredith that she had sent Cormac Hayes as a gift. That same season, she also sent a letter of support for Meredith when she had her medical license hearing. The closest she has gotten to returning came in Grey’s Anatomy season 11 when a stand-in actress played Cristina at Derek’s funeral.

Until the letter she sent in Grey’s Anatomy season 19, all of her contact revolved around Meredith, her person. So it is no surprise that Meredith and Cristina remained in contact and that she would be mentioned regarding Meredith, but her sending a letter to Addison and Bailey confirmed that she’s kept up with her former coworkers and Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital as well. Cristina and Addison were never friends, but Addison’s work was important enough for Cristina to follow and feel a need to support.

Cristina Is The Perfect Person To Return For Grey’s Anatomy’s Reproductive Rights Storyline

Cristina’s letter was accompanied by supplies for Addison’s PRT and read, “This should keep you in business for a while. Keep fighting, Yang.” Perhaps the biggest medical storyline in Grey’s Anatomy season 19 has revolved around the fight for reproductive rights in healthcare following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. This has been shown through the OB/GYNs wearing black scrubs, Bailey opening the Elena Bailey Memorial Clinic for Reproductive Health, and Addison using the PRT to travel to deliver care to patients in states with abortion bans.

Abortion has been discussed in the past in the Grey’s Anatomy universe, with Cristina’s character being at the center of the debates during her time on the show. In Grey’s Anatomy season 2, Cristina scheduled an abortion but ended up having an ectopic pregnancy. In season 7, she had an abortion that Owen tried to shame her for, but she stood her ground, which was a powerful and rare decision for a television character at the time. Cristina’s return to Grey’s Anatomy would be even more special if it were to fight alongside Bailey and Addison for reproductive rights in season 19