Grey’s Anatomy brings back Jesse Williams as Dr. Jackson Avery for Season 22, Episode 4, “Goodbye Horses,” airing Thursday, October 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. The ABC series Grey’s Anatomy returns with Jesse Williams walking the Grey Sloan halls again—and the promo shows a very warm, very public reception from the hospital staff. The episode streams on Hulu the next day.
Jackson’s latest visit arrives three seasons after he exited as a series regular at the end of Season 17. Timelines in coverage mark the departure across the 2020–2021 window: one report places his exit as a series regular in 2020 after Season 17, while another notes he left in 2021 during Season 17. Either way, he has appeared again as a guest multiple times since; the Oct. 30 installment is his fourth post–Series Regular return.
What the Oct. 30 episode confirms
ABC’s official synopsis for “Goodbye Horses” reads: “The interns juggle a bizarre trauma, while a complex breast reconstruction forces Meredith into a tense partnership.” Those lines set the medical stakes and the Meredith Grey storyline, while Jackson’s exact role remains intentionally unteased in the logline. The promo itself reveals Jackson walking alongside Ben Warren and getting greeted, in a playful bit, by what looks like the whole Grey Sloan crew.
- Title: “Goodbye Horses”
- Season / Episode: Season 22, Episode 4
- Air date and time: Thursday, October 30, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC
- Streaming: Available on Hulu the next day
- Promo beats: Jackson Avery walks in with Ben Warren; staffers welcome him back
- Logline highlights: interns face a “bizarre trauma”; Meredith undertakes a “complex breast reconstruction” that sparks a “tense partnership”
Cast & characters anchored to Jackson’s return
Jackson Avery’s walk-and-welcome ties together current and returning faces across Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital and beyond:
- Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams): Former series regular returning for his fourth guest appearance since leaving after Season 17.
- Ben Warren (Jason George): Walks beside Jackson in the promo as the staff greets Avery.
- Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo): Central to the episode’s logline via a challenging reconstruction and a “tense partnership.”
- Catherine Fox (Debbie Allen): Jackson previously confronted Meredith about Catherine and the Fox Foundation over unauthorized Alzheimer’s research.
- Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone): On break after a sabbatical following events tied to an explosion.
- Dylan (Sophia Kopera): A patient whose storyline intersected with Amelia’s sabbatical decision.
- Dr. Monica Beltran (Natalie Morales): The doctor whose death followed the explosion referenced in recent episodes.
- Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman): Welcomed back this season in ongoing promos and coverage.
- Dr. Cass Beckman (Sophia Bush): A trauma surgeon featured in recent returns coverage.
- Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) & Atticus “Link” Lincoln (Chris Carmack): “Twins” arrival teased in current season promos alongside the Williams spotlight.
Why Jackson’s presence matters to Grey Sloan now
Jackson’s last visit in the Season 21 premiere carried extra heat. He had stern words for Meredith about Catherine and the Fox Foundation, and about the use of funds for unapproved Alzheimer’s work. That confrontation re-centered Jackson as a moral and administrative force—someone who can ask hard questions about research, ethics, and the hospital’s responsibilities. A fourth return in Season 22 suggests those threads still matter as Meredith tackles complex cases and the next generation of interns faces “bizarre” trauma work.
There’s also the meta layer. Williams has been part of the show since 2009. He spent 12 seasons as a series regular, stepped away after Season 17 (again, marked across the 2020–2021 window in reporting), and then kept the door open with meaningful guest arcs. When he compares Jackson’s growth to another character he plays elsewhere, he draws a clear line between a mature surgeon and a man still figuring himself out. As he put it, Jackson has “certainly been to much more therapy.” He added that Jackson “seems much more emotionally calm and present and self-aware,” while his other character is “kind of crawling before he can walk.” Those remarks underline what fans recognize in Jackson’s leadership style when he resurfaces at Grey Sloan.
Where to watch
The ABC series Grey’s Anatomy returns with Jesse Williams on Thursday, October 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The episode streams on Hulu the next day. Viewers wanting the cameo in real time should plan for the ABC broadcast; those catching up will find the installment on Hulu on Friday.
Recent context and ongoing threads
Season 22 has layered in personal and institutional changes. Amelia Shepherd’s sabbatical pulled a key neurosurgical voice off the board after revelations linked to an explosion that cost Dr. Monica Beltran her life. Meredith, meanwhile, continues to chase a high-stakes reconstruction case under the pressure of a “tense partnership.” And Jo Wilson and Link have been at the center of family-size changes, with “twins” talk popping in the season’s promotions.
Promos and reporting also point to returns by Nick Marsh and Cass Beckman, indicating that Grey Sloan remains a revolving door for alumni and recent additions. Jackson slipping back into that ecosystem brings history, authority, and an audience jolt. Even when the logline doesn’t tease his plot, a visible walk through the lobby with Ben Warren and a staff-wide welcome suggest he will influence the hour’s tone—and maybe its decisions.
A look back at Jackson’s arc
Jackson’s arc has included surgical triumphs, Foundation leadership, and tough calls about research oversight. His mother, Catherine Fox, looms large in that story, as do his relationships with colleagues like Meredith. When he left the show after Season 17—dated as 2020 in one outlet and 2021 in another—he did so after nearly 300 hours of television with this ensemble. He reflected at the time that he would be “forever grateful” for the experience and called its scale a “gift.” In keeping with that gratitude, this fourth guest return keeps the legacy alive while allowing the series to use Jackson as a pressure-test for hospital priorities.
What Jackson’s Oct. 30 return could mean
Editor’s note: The logline keeps Jackson’s duties under wraps, which often signals a late-act pivot or a board-level decision. If Meredith’s reconstruction case strains partnerships, Jackson’s Foundation perspective could intersect with approvals, funding, or a backstop plan for complex care. The interns’ “bizarre trauma” might require cross-department coordination, which is another space where a returning leader can step in to triage resources or ethics. The promo’s big welcome also implies short, memorable beats—expect a hallway scene, a nod from veterans, and a setup that leaves the door open for another appearance later in the season.
Conclusion
Grey’s Anatomy returns to a proven spark on October 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT when Jesse Williams steps back in as Dr. Jackson Avery. The ABC series Grey’s Anatomy returns with Jesse Williams at just the right moment, as interns face “bizarre” trauma and Meredith navigates a delicate reconstruction under pressure. The welcome looks enthusiastic; the story purposefully remains a secret. Fans get answers Thursday night on ABC, with Hulu streaming on Friday.
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