Sydney’s Return Role In Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Perfectly Continues A Forgotten Season 3 Story

Warning! SPOILERS about Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 1 ahead.

Sydney Heron’s return to Grey Sloan Memorial in Grey’s Anatomy season 21 disrupted the hospital’s balance, but it also perfectly continues a forgotten Grey’s Anatomy season 3 story, improving upon it. After disappearing without fanfare in Grey’s Anatomy season 4, nobody at Seattle Grace really wondered what had happened to Dr. Sydney Heron. While the resident forced a connection with Cristina and Izzie in Grey’s Anatomy seasons 2 and 3, earning the former’s respect for how she stood her ground with Burke and the latter’s confidence after her past convinced Izzie that she could understand, not many characters missed her.

Sydney Heron was after all introduced to take over Bailey’s interns for the time she was on maternity leave in Grey’s Anatomy season 2, and all interns missed Bailey after dealing with Heron’s approach to “heal with love.” The biggest draw of Sydney Heron’s return in Grey’s Anatomy season 21 was her 17-year absence from the medical drama, as nobody ever connected with her enough to enjoy her company. Just like MAGIC, the new interns were hesitant to follow Sydney as their “fearless leader” in Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s premiere, highlighting how a major season 3 story can carry on.

Sydney & Miranda’s Rivalry Was A Big Grey’s Anatomy Storyline In Season 3

They Fought Head-to-head For The Chief Resident Position

While first introduced only as Bailey’s sub in Grey’s Anatomy season 2, Sydney had a bigger role in season 3. This was made possible by her peer counselor role that eventually helped Izzie get used to how her relationship with her job at Seattle Grace changed after Denny’s death. However, Sydney’s biggest story in Grey’s Anatomy season 3 was arguably her bitter rivalry with Bailey. The two went head-to-head for the chief resident position, which Miranda eventually earned, but Sydney’s fake niceties always aggravated Bailey.

This was especially true when Sydney went after the Denny Duquette Clinic, implying that Bailey managing it was a convenient ploy to earn points ahead of the chief resident nomination, and even more so when Sydney accused Miranda of the same when she worked hard to save Meredith’s life after she drowned. Grey’s Anatomy season 3 solidly established Bailey and Heron as rivals, with the first direct and goodhearted, and the second willing to accuse her foes of the worst, albeit in a more seemingly polite approach that only felt fake to Miranda and Callie in Grey’s Anatomy season 3.

Sydney Heron’s Return Resurrects Her Rivalry With Miranda

Richard Knew What He Would Have Caused By Hiring Sydney Heron Back

The events of Grey’s Anatomy season 20’s finale guaranteed Miranda was also fired, but it was Richard becoming interim chief that eventually put in motion the continuation of Bailey and Heron’s rivalry in Grey’s Anatomy season 21. It’s unclear whether Richard agreed or not with Catherine’s move to fire his favorite students Miranda and Meredith, but he likely set up Sydney Heron as leader of the interns knowing Miranda would have hated it for Sydney to destroy how she had shaped the new interns into surgeons.

Indeed, Bailey and Heron’s rivalry was even more cutting in Grey’s Anatomy season 21. It was especially visible in Heron’s opposite approach with Bailey’s interns, along with her inattention when their names were concerned in Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s premiere, and Sydney’s biting comments about Bailey being happy away from the OR, which sounded nice and appreciative but were actually uncomplimentary, like many of Sydney’s remarks. Richard must have known about Sydney and Miranda’s longstanding rivalry, making his choice to employ Sydney as Miranda’s replacement necessarily have an ulterior motive.

How Sydney Heron’s Return Impacts Miranda’s Arc In Grey’s Anatomy Season 21

Miranda’s Dreams To Slap Catherine Already Showed She Wants To Fight Back

Grey’s Anatomy season 21 opened with Miranda’s violent dream of slapping Catherine after she fired her, which also had a deeper meaning, given how Bailey unapologetically stood up for herself in her recurring nightmare facing the Catherine who fired her. Despite what Bailey refused to admit to Ben when she proclaimed herself happy to work at the Elena Bailey Clinic because it meant she had more time for her family, Bailey missed Grey Sloan Memorial, the OR, and even more the new interns she taught in Grey’s Anatomy season 20.

While Bailey already implemented behaviors that showed how she wished to return to Grey Sloan, it was seeing Sydney Heron teaching her interns the wrong way that eventually convinced her to speak up for herself at the end of Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s premiere. Hearing Simone’s pleas and helping her free the patient reminded Miranda what was important and what was at stake besides her bruised ego when Catherine fired her – how she wanted her interns to learn. How Sydney’s first day at Grey Sloan already fired Bailey up thus proved her importance to Miranda’s Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s story.

Grey’s Anatomy season 21 releases new episodes every Thursday at 10 pm ET on ABC.