Ben’s Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Return Highlights The Sad Truth About His Intern Class

Ben Warren returned to Grey Sloan Memorial in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 4, but catching up with past colleagues made one sad reality about his class of interns evident. After starting as an anesthesiologist, studying to become a surgeon enough to reach the fourth resident year, and switching careers to become a firefighter, Ben Warren became known to jump from one career to the next in Grey’s Anatomy. This initially made Ben less desirable as a resident to Sydney Heron, whose return to Grey Sloan after 17 years made Ben virtually unknown, but she eventually warmed up to Ben.

This led to Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 4 finally including Ben’s return as a resident to Grey Sloan under Miranda Bailey’s lead and watchful eye. Ben’s first day back proved chaotic enough to create some awkward moments with the other interns, but it also showed how he made the right choice by returning, as Ben was evidently back in his habitat despite the fumbles with the new systems. However, officially returning to Grey Sloan Memorial also meant Warren would have met some of the characters who were close to him again, revealing a sad truth about his intern class.

Ben Reconnecting With Jo In Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Shows How Their Intern Class’ Careers All Changed

All The Other Interns In Their Class Left, Died Or Were Fired

Ben’s issue with the new drug-administering system came after various little mistakes he made on his first day, leading Ben to find someone to help him who wasn’t his superior or an intern. This prompted Ben’s heartwarming reunion with Jo, who helped him before they could catch up about their lives. Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 4 indeed showed Jo and Ben working together again at Grey Sloan, many years after the first time Ben and Jo tackled the monster that was the surgical residency together. This highlighted the sad reality of their class of surgical interns as a result.

Meeting again in Grey’s Anatomy season 21 meant the last time Jo and Ben had been coworkers was as residents. Jo and Ben’s updates highlighted their non-straightforward career paths, with Jo choosing OB/GYN training over surgery and Ben returning to train as a surgeon only after years as a firefighter, but they also showed how Ben and Jo were the only ones of their class to still thrive at Grey Sloan. Indeed, while only Heather tragically died, Leah and Stephanie were fired or left their job and Shane followed Cristina to Switzerland, leaving only Jo and Ben at Grey Sloan.

Ben’s Return Inadvertently Highlights A Grey’s Anatomy Storytelling Problem

Audiences Never Get To See How The Interns Careers Really Progress

Jo and Ben’s reunion thus unintentionally underlined a major Grey’s Anatomy problem. Being a medical drama focusing on interns and residents, seeing them progress is imperative, and that was the case for MAGIC, Lexie’s class and even Jo and Ben’s. However, Grey’s Anatomy showed the surgeons’ brilliant paths ahead only for the MAGIC who survived, Bailey, Jackson and April.

Instead, all the other residents fell through the cracks. If Grey’s Anatomy showed Izzie and Leah getting fired or Stephanie having enough of the job to run away, most residents would eventually complete the residency. Not continuing to show their stories well past the end of their residency program only sees their importance as residents instead of characters more generally, making Ben and Jo’s reunion in Grey’s Anatomy season 21 more important because it went against that mindset.