Yeehaw!
Jake Borelli Needs To Be In The Grey’s Anatomy Texas Spinoff
The show has already hinted at a compelling storyline for his fan-favorite character.
More than two decades in, Grey’s Anatomy keeps on going — and growing. Weeks after the medical drama was renewed for a 23rd season, ABC announced a Grey’s spinoff set in an entirely new location: a medical center in rural western Texas, “the last chance for care before miles of nowhere,” per Deadline.
Shonda Rhimes and current Grey’s showrunner Meg Marinis serve as co-creators on the “edgy” new series, which is set to premiere in early 2027. As Marinis told Deadline: “This opportunity will bring new characters and stories to life that will embody the same heart, emotion and connection audiences have loved from Grey’s for more than two decades.”
Indeed, bringing the show’s high-drama ethos to a new place with new doctors could be creatively reinvigorating — a sort of fresh start for those who loved Grey’s once upon a time. Granted, the complete change of scenery is a head-scratcher. Unless... could this new Grey’s series be setting up a reunion with a beloved doc who now calls the Lone Star State home?
In Season 21, Jake Borelli made a surprising departure as Dr. Levi Schmitt. The delightful, fan-favorite resident moved to Texas with his boyfriend, James, to work in research before pursuing a fellowship in pediatrics. He did return for Jo’s wedding, where he gave an update about his life there, including the fact that he and James had adopted a labradoodle they named Ann Richards, after the former Texas governor. “Because she is Ann Richards — outspoken, wry, feminist.”
As he elaborated later: “She appointed more openly gay people to office than any other governor before her. She wasn’t perfect, but Texas hasn’t been the easiest transition for me and my boyfriend — so it’s always nice to be reminded of the allies.”
At the time, Levi’s return (and proud dog-fatherhood) was but a small, sweet moment in a very chaotic episode. But watching it back in hindsight, the focus on Texas lore and the acknowledgment that making a home in the red state has been a challenge feels significantly placed — as if the show was curious about exploring that thread further. And it should!
Borelli, for his part, has been open about his desire to continue Levi’s journey. As he told Bustle in 2024, “From the moment we knew Levi was going into peds, it was incredible to show that there can be a wonderful working relationship between gay men and younger patients. To see that through Levi, someone that we know and trust, would have been wonderful. I’m still hopeful for that storyline.”
Plus, Borelli has already returned in a behind-the-scenes capacity, recently making his directorial debut in Season 22. It’s easy to imagine someone who’s still very much part of the Grey’s family appearing in the new spinoff, even if he’s not necessarily anchoring the move à la Dr. Addison Montgomery in Private Practice.
