Throughout Grey’s Anatomy’s 21-season run, it has seen many actors come and go. The first half of Season 21 marked a serious cast change, as both Jake Borelli’s Levi Schmitt and Midori Francis’ Mika Yasuda left Grey Sloan Memorial. Schmitt accepted a job offer elsewhere, while Yasuda couldn’t work in the hospital where her sister died. Meanwhile, the show brought back Jason George’s Ben Warren following Station 19’s cancellation, and the actor shared how filming has been following the double departure.
At the beginning of Season 21, Ben came back to Grey Sloan to continue his surgical residency after deciding that he’d had enough of fighting fires. So he’s been spending a lot of time with his fellow interns, including Yasuda. Plus, he’s been able to get reacquainted with Schmitt now that he’s back. Now, he’s feeling the fallout of their departures as the show continues on the 2025 TV schedule, as George told TV Insider:
It changes the dynamic. Ben was just starting to get to know her and then there’s an exit. He’s just starting to get to know this whole class of interns and suddenly their group dynamic is changing. Ben’s just getting his legs back underneath him and then they shifted all up on him again.
It hasn’t been easy for Ben to continue his path to being a doctor, especially since he had to jump through hoops to do so. Not to mention the fact that being married to Bailey makes him stand out in his class, and not in a good way. Finally, starting to form something with his fellow interns has been good for him.
However, with Yasuda gone, it sounds like it’s going to be tough on him. Plus, Schmitt leaving also means there’s one less friendly face around for Ben.
It’s not unusual for Grey’s Anatomy to say goodbye to characters, of course, and sometimes they even return in both permanent and temporary capacities. While it’s likely Yasuda won’t be back any time soon, or even at all since it would be too hard for her, perhaps Schmitt will pay a visit in the future. At the very least, video calls are always possible, so you never know what could happen.
Even if Schmitt and Yasuda don’t return soon or at all, Ellen Pompeo’s titular Dr. Meredith Grey is still appearing every so often after exiting as a series regular in Season 19. She also still provides the voiceovers at the beginning and end of episodes, so while she’s not seen every week, she is definitely still heard, which is better than nothing.
The show has also been bringing back other favorites, such as Kate Walsh’s Dr. Addison Montgomery and Jessica Capshaw’s Dr. Arizona Robbins. So, it’s always possible that a Schmitt and/or Yasuda return could happen.
It should be interesting to see how things continue without Schmit and Yasuda, especially following the nerve-wracking midseason premiere. New episodes of Grey’s Anatomy air on Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC and are streaming the next day for those with a Hulu subscription.