Grey's Anatomy is officially back in action.
To mark her return to set for season 17 of the ABC hit, Ellen Pompeo took to Instagram to post a photo with co-star Richard Flood, who plays Cormac Hayes. They're both in scrubs and rocking their masks, and Pompeo is hoping to honor the people on the frontlines of COVID-19 as production resumes.
"First time back in my scrubs," she wrote. "Since we shut down filming 7000 healthcare workers have died from Covid. I dedicate my season 17 to all who have fallen and to everyone of you who by the grace of God is still standing...This season is for you with humility and a bit of humor to get us through and endless amounts of gratitude. I hope we do you proud."
Pompeo and showrunner Krista Vernoff have both confirmed that season 17 will include the coronavirus pandemic and will tell the stories that real-life doctors are currently dealing with.
Pompeo responded to a fan on Twitter and promised that the show would be addressing "the biggest medical crisis the world has ever seen" and "telling some stories."
Vernoff told THR that her writers had convinced her it would be "irresponsible" to not deal with the pandemic on screen, and that she had been hearing from doctors whose stories needed to be told.
"These doctors are traumatized," she said. "They are not trained or wired to hold the hands of dying people all day who are alone without their families."
Both Pompeo and Vernoff have also promised that the show won't be losing the humor or the romance that it's known for, and the actors are clearly excited to be back at work. Pompeo posted a video of herself pushing Jesse Williams, who plays Jackson Avery, off of a surfboard with the caption "New season same foolishness," and Kevin McKidd, who plays Owen Hunt, wrote that he was "excited to be back" for season 17.
McKidd also posted a picture with his "partner in crime" Kim Raver (Teddy Altman) in which they're both in scrubs and masks.
Over on Station 19, Barrett Doss, who plays Vic Hughes, posted a pic back in her firefighter uniform, meaning the whole Grey's Anatomy universe is officially back at work.
Neither Grey's nor Station 19 have official premiere dates yet. So far, ABC has only announced return dates for its unscripted shows, but prepare for an update as production continues to get underway.