Much to the chagrin of the Grey’s Anatomy fandom, season 17 proved that Cristina Yang’s time on the show really is finished, answering the question “Is Yang coming back to Grey’s Anatomy?” once and for all. Played by actor Sandra Oh, the Grey’s Anatomy Cristina Yang character has remained popular within the pantheon of the show’s expansive cast, and her departure in the season 10 finale was both memorable and emotional. Her time on the series intersected heavily with many of Grey’s Anatomy’s other major players, primarily the show’s central character: Cristina’s “person,” Meredith Grey.
Of course, the Grey’s Anatomy Christina Yang character is far from the only regular to depart from the show. Plenty of other characters have left Grey’s Anatomy, with some returning in the flesh and some as ghosts during Meredith’s near-death experiences. Because Christina is actually still alive in the Grey’s Anatomy canon and currently serves as Chief Medical Officer and Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the prestigious Klausman Institute for Medical Research in Switzerland, audiences are wondering, is Yang coming back to Grey’s Anatomy? However, details from the Grey’s Anatomy season 17 finale, and actress Sandra Oh’s own personal life, indicate that Christina Yang won’t return, in all likelihood.
How The Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Finale Confirms Christina Won’t Return
Cristina Yang won’t come back to Grey’s Anatomy because at every chance of a reappearance, she’s been absent. After the events of Grey’s Anatomy season 17, many fans have begun to realize that her sporadic texts may be the most audiences ever see of Cristina Yang before the series’ end. Over the course of Grey’s Anatomy season 17, there were a few moments that made viewers question “does Cristina Yang come back?”, but she’s been purposefully absent. Primarily, when things took a dramatic turn for Meredith, who nearly died after her dangerous bout with COVID-19, Cristina was nowhere to be found.
She didn’t even appear to the comatose Meredith on her limbo-like beach, where many loved ones (Derek, George, Lexi, Miranda, and Richard) appeared to her, seemingly answering the question “Is Yang coming back to Grey’s Anatomy?” once and for all. The Grey’s Anatomy season 17 finale could have incorporated another text message exchange between best friends Christina and Meredith discussing the same near-impossible procedure. However, the fact that even this perfect setup didn’t lead to an appearance from Cristina doesn’t bode well for those expecting an eventual Sandra Oh return.
Sandra Oh Has Moved On From Grey’s Anatomy
Of course, a crucial factor for the Grey’s Anatomy Christina Yang character to return is the willingness of actress Sandra Oh herself – and that seems pretty absent. For those wondering “Does Cristina Yang come back?”, prepare to be sorely disappointed. For years, Oh has expressed polite disinterest in returning to Grey’s Anatomy to pick up the role of Christina Yang that garnered her five Emmy Award nominations. In an interview with LA Times’ Asian Enough podcast, Oh’s answer about her exit was pretty definitive.
“I left that show, my God, seven years ago almost,” the actor mused. “So in my mind, it’s gone. But for a lot of people, it’s still very much alive. And while I understand and I love it, I have moved on.” Indeed, Grey’s Anatomy’s Sandra Oh has had a busy run recently, playing the groundbreaking title role in Killing Eve and voicing characters in Amazon’s Invincible series, Disney’s film Raya and the Last Dragon, and Pixar’s Turning Red. Therefore, Cristina Yang isn’t coming back to Grey’s Anatomy any time soon.
While it is unclear whether Grey’s Anatomy’s creative team has ever directly asked about a possible return, Sandra Oh’s decision to steer clear of the hit medical drama is an understandable one. She put in astounding work during her decade-long portrayal of Cristina Yang, a critical player in Grey’s Anatomy’s exploration of nuanced female friendships and unapologetic female strength. Grey’s Anatomy’s writers, led by showrunner Krista Vernoff, have done their best to honor Cristina’s legacy in the seven years since she left the series. However, it is undeniable that Cristina Yang’s continued absence comes with some almost insurmountable narrative hurdles and has led to some inevitably clunky plotting.
What The Grey’s Anatomy Cast Have Said About Sandra Oh’s Cristina Return
Many of the Grey’s Anatomy cast were saddened to see Cristina go, and have also wondered “Is Yang coming back to Grey’s Anatomy?”. The Grey’s Anatomy Cristina narrative hugely impacted the series, and she stuck around for a long time. Ellen Pompeo has discussed how both Oh and Patrick Dempsey’s exits affected her differently. Pompeo stated that, when she first heard of Sandra’s departure from the show, she wondered if she could even do it anymore. On an episode of Dax Shepherd’s podcast “Armchair Expert,” Pompeo lamented about Oh’s exit, saying, “Ugh! How do I go on without Sandra? Is there a show without Sandra?”
Co-star Kevin McKidd (Owen) had some things to say about Cristina leaving the show in an interview with PEOPLE and even addressed the “Does Cristina Yang come back?” question by discussing the possibility of the actress returning. McKidd had this to say: “I would love – and I always say it – I would love Sandra Oh to come back. […] I don’t think she will. She keeps saying she won’t. Every time I see her, I’m always needling her, going: ‘Come on, come on. Just one.’ Maybe one day she’ll say yes. I’m always working on her.”
Grey’s Anatomy season 17 may have put the final kibosh on any expectations that Cristina Yang will come back to Grey’s Anatomy in the future. Yet, as with most long-running television shows, cast turnover can (and maybe should) happen to help keep the larger story of Grey’s Anatomy chugging forward. Thanks to Netflix, which currently streams the earlier seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, all of the moments that had fans falling in love with hard-edged cardio prodigy Christina Yang are only a rewatch away.
What Has Sanda Oh Done Since Leaving Grey’s Anatomy?
Though audiences are still questioning “Is Yang coming back to Grey’s Anatomy?”, Sandra Oh has done more than well enough on her own. After her breakout performance as Dr. Cristina Yang, she did some work on the stage and the screen. She quickly joined the cast of the comedy film Tammy as Susanne before appearing in a handful of small roles and having a part as Abby Tanaka in American Crime season 3. She voiced Castaspella in She-Ra and the Princess of Power and continued her successes in voiceover work playing Virana in Raya and the Last Dragon and Ming in Turning Red.
However, her biggest success was landing the lead role of Eve Polastri on the hit action drama series Killing Eve. She’s won a Golden Globe, a SAG award, and several other accolades for her spell-binding performance as Eve, and outside of her role on Grey’s Anatomy, it’s her most critically acclaimed performance to date. Her role in Killing Eve has opened the door for a litany of other productions, as she currently has a whopping six upcoming projects in various stages of development. In the meantime, Oh has continued her voiceover work, lending her talents to shows like Invincible, The Sandman, and Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.