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Although a lot of characters have moved on from Grey’s Anatomy, there’s always the hope that a character will come back.

Even when a character dies on the show, it doesn’t mean they’re gone forever. A lot of dead characters have come back for cameos and even entire episodes. Denny famously came back as a ghost- or hallucination of Izzie’s- and appeared in multiple episodes.

So when fans say they want to see Lexie one last time, it’s not totally out of the question, even though Lexie Grey died in a plane crash. But other fans think it’s not likely that she’ll make a reappearance.

Fans want to see Lexie on the beach 

Chyler Leigh as Lexie on Grey's Anatomy
Chyler Leigh as Lexie on Grey’s Anatomy | Scott Garfield/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

Although this isn’t necessarily the last season of Grey’s, there does seem to be a lot of nostalgia going on in season 17. In the beginning of the season, Meredith contracted COVID-19 and went into a coma. She saw her dead husband, Derek Shepherd, on a beach. The reunion was exactly what fans wanted. Other former characters have come back, but fans want to see one specific person on the beach. 

Lexie Grey, Meredith’s half sister, died in a plane crash back in season 8. The hospital was then renamed after her and Mark Sloan, the other victim of the crash. Grey Sloan Memorial literally owes its name to Lexie. Meredith and her sister were obviously close. Of course their relationship had its fair share of drama, like all Grey’s relationships do.

But their reunion would be second only to Meredith and Derek’s, which already happened. As one fan on Reddit wrote, “I’d love to see Lexie back! Even for a quick scene.” 

Chyler Leigh may not want to come back to ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ 

Although fans are dying to see Lexie on the beach with Meredith, some don’t think it’s realistic. Chyler Leigh, the actress who played Lexie, has moved on, and may not want to come back. As one fan put it, “Same!! Sadly I doubt Chyler will be coming back. That being said it’s not 100% out like Sandra Oh is, just pretty unlikely.” 

There’s no hard and fast evidence to suggest that Leigh is otherwise occupied and couldn’t come back. Other former Grey’s actors have come out and said they’ll never be on the show again, even for a reunion episode, but Leigh isn’t one of them. Still, the buzz around Lexie is that she’s not one of the upcoming beach cameos, even though fans want it. 

Other actors, like Sandra Oh, have flat-out said they will not be returning to ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ 

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Leigh may not return for a beach scene, but she hasn’t ruled out another appearance entirely. That means that Lexie could come back for a future reunion scene of some kind.

Again, dead characters seem to pop up all the time on Grey’s. Even though Lexie may not get a beach scene, her opportunity could arise down the line. Other actors have been clear that they’re not coming back. Although Sandra Oh, who played Cristina on the show, said in 2013 that she’d be open to a reunion episode, she later changed her mind. 

As of 2019 Oh says she is done with Grey’s, including any potential reunion episodes. Of course, she could always change her mind again. Katherine Heigl, who played Izzie Stevens on the show, isn’t counting a re-appearance out completely. She said she would consider coming back for a reunion under the right circumstances.

Unlike Lexie, Izzie and Cristina didn’t die on the show. That means their reunion could be more flexible, and not necessarily during a coma or hallucination.  

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