The season's main storylines include the recently fired Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo)'s impending trial to fight for her medical license and her on-off again love-life with surgical resident, Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti), who begins to spiral into bipolar mania.

Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) and Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) also begin working at Pac-North after being fired by Chief Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson).

Other storylines include Teddy Altman (Kim Raver)'s affair with Tom Koracick (Greg Germann) in the wake of her engagement to Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd); Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone)'s surprise pregnancy, with the baby's paternity brought into question; Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) and Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary)'s break up; Miranda Bailey's miscarriage; and Jo Karev (Camilla Luddington)'s emergence from the psychiatric ward after treatment.

While Amelia wrestles with telling Link about her baby news and Teddy vents about Owen still not proposing, the two look for Parker, who has gone missing due to PTSD triggered by the crash.

Jackson and Owen perform surgery on Simms while being closely monitored by Koracick, while Jo bonds with Hayes over her Safe Haven baby.

[1] In October 2019, it was announced that Richard Flood had been cast as the new head of Pediatric Surgery at Grey Sloan, replacing Karev, who was fired in the previous season.