Grey's Anatomy Just Brought Back A Fan Favorite Love Interest For Meredith

Grey’s Anatomy may be a medical show, but it’s also always had plenty of romance. From the very first episode, Meredith Grey’s (Ellen Pompeo) love life has been a major part of the series, and Season 18 kicked off with a big reminder of that. In the premiere, Grey’s Anatomy brought back Scott Speedman’s character Nick, a love interest of Meredith’s from a few seasons back. In case you need a refresher and are wondering who Nick is, here’s everything you need to know to understand why fans are excited about his return to Grey’s Anatomy.

ABC had been teasing that “someone from Meredith’s past” would return this season, and the season premiere delivered Nick to the love-starved fans. After Meredith spotted him on a date during her trip to Minnesota, Nick found her at her hotel and the two shared a flirtatious few drinks. Although they insisted that the night would go no further, the sparks between them definitely hinted at something more in the future. Pair that with the fact that Speedman is now a series regular on Grey’s Anatomy, and it seems like there will be more to this relationship as Season 18 progresses.

Speedman’s character, Dr. Nick Marsh, previously appeared in just one episode of Grey’s Anatomy a few years ago, but it was a very memorable moment. In a Season 14 episode, the transplant surgeon received a life-saving diagnosis from Meredith — and shared some undeniable chemistry with her during his stay at Grey Sloan Memorial. In fact, in that episode, Meredith said Nick made her feel things she hadn’t felt since Derek (Patrick Dempsey) died. Speedman was on the show just for that one guest role, but right after it aired, fans were convinced he’d join the show. Little did they know, they’d have to wait three years to see it happen.

“To be totally honest, the last time wasn’t the right time,” Speedman told Deadline. “But you always know, you put something in the back of your mind when you do have chemistry with somebody, and you do enjoy the work experience, because that’s rare, actually. So, when this opportunity came around, I was trying to think of why not to do it, and I couldn’t come up with any reasons. It was a great show, really fun people, and it just felt the right timing for me. I wanted to jump in, and then, when I heard what the storyline could be, that was exciting to me.”

Fans will have to tune in this season to see exactly what the Nick/Mer storyline entails, but it’s a safe bet that more sparks will fly between them.

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.