‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Alums Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew to Return for Season 18 Finale

Two fan-favorite characters from previous seasons are scrubbing up once more on Grey’s Anatomy. Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew, who played surgeons Jackson Avery and April Kepner on the medical drama from 2009 to 2021, are both set to return for the show’s May 26 Season 18 finale episode on ABC, per Deadline.

Jackson and April became known as one of the series’ most popular couples during its run. Dubbed “Japril,” the onscreen couple got married in Season 10, before divorcing during Season 12. While married, Jackson and April had two children together, though the first child, Samuel, died in Season 11, shortly after birth.

After rekindling an old relationship with paramedic Matthew Taylor (Justin Bruening), April got married a second time in Season 14. By Season 17, it was revealed that April and Matthew had separated, and that she’d decided to move to Boston with Jackson and their daughter, Harriet, when he resigned from the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital to take over the Harper Avery Foundation.

Although the two left together as a family, their reunion as a romantic couple was never confirmed by the time they had exited the show at the end of Season 17. As for whether or not there is hope for a Japril happy ending, Williams seems to think it’s possible.

In a May 2021 interview with Deadline the actor shared, “Yeah, I think it’s pretty possible that he rekindles a romantic connection to his ex-wife, they’re damn good together, but most importantly what he needs from that is friendship and kindness, and patience, and understanding, and I think that he will get that with her and be able to share and give and reciprocate it as well.”

Grey’s fans will certainly be hoping that’s the case, especially since this could be the last we see of Jackson and April, given how busy their real-life counterparts are as of late.

Williams is set to star in upcoming superhero film Secret Headquarters alongside Owen Wilson and Michael Peña, as well as romantic-comedy film Your Place or Mine, which will also feature Reese Witherspoon, Ashton Kutcher, Tig Notaro, Steve Zahn, and Zoë Chao.

Drew, meanwhile, headlines upcoming Apple TV+ comedy series Amber Brown alongside Carsyn Rose and Darin Brooks. She is also attached to star in historical-drama film Say it in German, which is currently in pre-production.

The Grey’s Anatomy Season 18 finale will air on ABC on Thursday, May 26 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET.