Grey’s Anatomy fans think they’ve worked out which other characters will return

Major spoilers feature on medical drama’s IMDb page

After discovering the new season’s big secret, Grey's Anatomy fans have worked out that the surprises are not stopping there.

Showrunner Krista Venoff and lead star Ellen Pompeo were among just a small handful of people to know about the twist coming in the show’s 17th season premiere.

Naturally, the moment – which you can read about below – has sent fan excitement into overdrive.

*Spoilers follow – you have been warned*

For those who don’t yet know, the premiere of season 17 brought back Patrick Dempsey’s beloved character, Derek Shephard, for a dream sequence.

The scene occurred after Meredith Grey (Pompeo) collapsed outside the hospital in which she works.

Inspired by the “intense” dreams people have been experiencing in lockdown, Vernoff said the decision to bring back some “dead characters” was generated in the hope it would bring viewers “joy” after what has been a tough year.

Asked if Meredith’s mother, Ellis (Kate Burton), could return, Vernoff told Deadline: “You have to tune in and see who comes to the beach.”

Fans seem to have worked out which characters will return in this season’s next episode, which will be broadcast Thursday (19 November).

On IMDb, numerous former cast members now have their time on the show updated so that it reads (2005-2020).

These include Sandra Oh (Cristina Yang), TR Knight (George O’Malley), Sara Ramirez (Callie Torres), Jessica Capshaw (Arizona Robbins) and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who famously guest starred as Denny Duquette.

Katherine Heigl, who left the show in 2010 following behind-the-scenes drama, is also said to be returning.