George & Cristina Are Returning For 'Grey's Anatomy's 300th Episode... Sort Of

Not many shows can make it to the 300-episode mark, but when you’re a continued fan favorite like Grey’s Anatomy, it’s kind of a sure thing. On Nov. 9, Grey’s Anatomy will join the ranks of series like The Simpsons, CSI, NCIS, and Law & Order: SVU into the upper echelons of television fame. And, true to form, the episode has both drama and plenty of Easter eggs for the fans — including what appears to be Cristina and George in Grey's Anatomy's 300th episode... well, kind of.

Now, before you say, “I can’t believe Grey’s Anatomy is still on,” I’m going to stop you right there. Grey’s Anatomy, now in its 14th season, is still the number-one rated drama on television. After 14 seasons! Believe it! And Shonda Rhimes and Ellen Pompeo are down to continue the show as long as people love it. As Pompeo told Variety, she's “really open to whatever the universe presents.”

“I don’t know how long the show will go on. I know the network and the studio like to say they see no end in sight, but I think the audience will tell us when the show is no-longer a fan favorite,” she said. “Right now, we’re very lucky to have the fans still hanging on, and I think the fans will let us know when it’s time to stop the show.”

For now, Grey’s continues, and the preview for the 300th episode had two patients who looked mysteriously like George and Cristina in the episode. Meredith spots it first saying, "Are you seeing what I'm seeing? George and Cristina." They were even screaming, which is particularly in character for Cristina Yang. Take a look at the clip below to see for yourself — and, yes, that is the ultimate Grey's song "Chasing Cars" playing in the background of the clip. Brb, eternally sobbing.

Missed it? Here they are again:

Of course, these people aren't actually the real George and Cristina. After all, George was killed off after an accident in Season 6, and Cristina Yang left the show after Season 10 in order to run some crazy-innovative cardio center in Switzerland. And, the head writer for the ep already confirmed to TVLine that Sandra Oh, who played Cristina, would not be in the 300th ep herself. Still, both of the characters’ departures were bitter and sweet, signifying a new direction for the show and making fans miss these people whom they’ve watched for years and years. So, by having these two patients look like the former characters, Grey's is honoring the doctors of days past.

The 300th episode is called "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story," which is a Hamilton reference. And, while fans would probably love for that to mean that it's a musical episode, let's be real — the first one wasn't that great and they probably wouldn't do it again. But, that doesn't mean the episode won't be exciting. Clearly something has happened to these George and Cristina clones so that they are in the hospital, and someone must have said something to them because they are very touchy that everyone is staring at them. The Cristina lookalike snaps, "Stop looking at us. We're not your friends!"

But another reason why Grey's Anatomy could be going back to its roots, so to speak — besides nostalgia for fans and the core characters — is because the Nov. 2 episode of Grey's Anatomy introduced a whole new crop of interns, newbies just starting out the way that George was when he remembered Meredith wearing her strappy black dress at the mixer or Cristina when she screamed, "Somebody sedate me!" in an early episode. We look back so that we can also look forward, even though these new interns probably won't live up to the originals.

Grey's Anatomy has come full circle a few times, but 300 episodes is the perfect time to look back and think about what the show has accomplished. Fourteen seasons of medical drama ain't easy, but somehow, Grey's Anatomy has made it look effortless. Even through weird seasons and awkward endings, it's held up, and the 300th episode of Grey's Anatomy is a special event, a chance to thank the true fans (present company included, thank you) for sticking by all these years. Congratulations, Grey's! Here's to 300 more.