Grey's Anatomy season 21 part 1 recap: All to remember before part 2 arrives

Grey's Anatomy season 21 has never lacked intense drama, surprise departures, and emotional plot twists. The first part of the season brought surprise character exits, romance drama, and medical crises that had viewers gripping their seats in suspense. Now that the midseason break has ended, the audience is hungry to see several intriguing cliffhangers resolved.

With the latter half of Grey's Anatomy season 21 scheduled to go on uninterrupted, this is the right time to take a look at all the big happenings that transpired until now. From dramatic farewells to suspenseful showdowns and jaw-dropping surprises, below is a reminder of all the action that occurred at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

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Grey's Anatomy season 21: Big exits shake up Grey Sloan

Still from the series(Image via Youtube/ABC)

One of the most significant changes in the first half of the season was the departure of veteran character Levi Schmitt. Levi received a coveted residency position at Grey Sloan, but he went with a bigger chance in Texas. His goodbye was sweet, but it was silver-lined: his boyfriend James quit his job and followed him. A rare silver lining for a Grey Sloan doctor!

Another character departure arrived in the persona of Mika Yasuda. Having fallen asleep at the wheel while taking her ailing sister to visit their mother, Mika crashed her car seriously. She survived, but unfortunately, her sister did not.

Mika, consumed with grief, found it impossible to remain working within a hospital environment, and therefore, she left. Despite Jules Millin begging her to remain, Mika left, and it was a tragic conclusion to her journey.

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Tensions and relationships tested

Still from the series (Image via Youtube/ ABC)

As Station 19 concluded, Ben Warren returned full-time to Grey's Anatomy season 21. He moved from being a firefighter/paramedic to a full-time doctor once again, adding another element to the hospital, particularly as he now works with his wife, Miranda Bailey. Bailey, having lost her Chief of Surgery title temporarily, regained control and soon re-established order among the interns.

Meredith Grey and Catherine Fox clashed over the former's Alzheimer's research, which Catherine attempted to hijack. Things escalated when Meredith learned that Catherine's cancer had progressed, and there was a clandestine pact to hide it from Richard Webber. But Richard soon found out, and this created a lot of tension between him, Meredith, and Bailey.

Although Richard seems to have embraced Catherine's condition, his relationship with Meredith is still tense. Teddy Altman and Owen Hunt have had their share of issues, but season 21 brought a new twist. Teddy connected with new doctor Monica Beltran, who has an open marriage.

A harmless moment between them resulted in Monica kissing Teddy. Though Teddy waved it off, Owen was shaken by the incident. This new tension in their relationship may result in more drama during the second half of the season.

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A cliffhanger that puts lives in limbo

The most significant moment of the midseason finale was a chilling convenience store robbery. Jo Wilson and Lucas Adams, who are pregnant with twins, were in the store when a robber opened fire. During the commotion, Lucas took down the gunman, and there was a sound of a shot.

The promo for the second half of the season sees Jo being taken into the ER, but it is unclear if she got shot or was having pregnancy issues. At the same time, Lucas' destiny remains uncertain, heightening suspense.

As Grey's Anatomy season 21 picks up again, there will be some key storylines unfolding, including the aftereffects of the robbery, the status of Jo and Lucas' lives up in the air, and Jules dealing with the loss of Mika. More tension between Meredith and Richard and Winston Ndugu battling to save a newborn will also play out.

Lena Waithe appears in a guest starring role as one of the new doctors, and a possible love affair between Monica and Amelia Shepherd will also be shown in the second part. With all these advancements, Grey's Anatomy season 21 will bring yet another emotional rollercoaster.

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Watch the latest episodes of Grey's Anatomy season 21 on ABC.