‘Grey’s Anatomy’ season 12: Jessica Capshaw inks new deal to return

Why didn’t most of the internet know that Jessica Capshaw’s contract on “Grey’s Anatomy” was up at the end of the season? The answer to that is pretty simple: There was never really much of a reason to worry that she was leaving. Typically, the contract disputes that you hear about are the tense ones. There may have been negotiations here, but they were good faith ones with the goal being clearly that we get to see more of Arizona on the ABC series at some point this fall.

Well, it looks like we could theoretically see much more of Arizona even beyond that. As first reported by TVLine, Capshaw has signed a lengthy new contract that will keep her on board the series until 2018 (the end of season 14) … provided that the show lasts that long. Ellen Pompeo’s contract expires next year, and with lower ratings and so many years in the books, it is certainly possible that the show ends before then.

With that said, we’re not nearly as bullish on season 12 being the final season as we once were. Our concern for a long time revolved around Patrick Dempsey potentially leaving then, and the show not wanting to go on without him. Well, that’s not an issue now, and with Meredith Grey now a widow, it is possible that the show may want to take a couple of years in order to build towards her having some sort of happy ending again.

For now, just rejoice that Arizona will likely be a part of the show until it reaches some sort of end … provided that nothing crazy happens. (After all, Derek did die with more than a year left on Dempsey’s contract.)

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