Vernoff kept her interview spoiler-free, but she did confirm that the premiere, a two-hour crossover event with Station 19, will find the characters weeks into the pandemic. It will also include flashbacks to life before COVID-19. While she was originally hesitant to include coronavirus in the storyline, citing viewers’ “fatigue,” her colleagues in the writers’ room encouraged her to think differently.
She said that co-executive producer Lynne E. Litt told her, “I think it’s the biggest medical story of our lifetimes.” And Naser Alazari, a doctor on the writing staff, echoed her statement. According to Vernoff, he said, “This is the biggest medical story of our lifetime, and it is changing medicine permanently. And we have to tell this story.”
These days, it’s safe to say the doctor knows best.
Season 17 of Grey’s Anatomy premieres on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
