Grey's Anatomy: Complete Twelfth Season

Grey's Anatomy's 12th season marks the first one without Patrick Dempsey, but the world of Grey-Sloane Memorial goes on. It begins with Bailey (original cast member Chandra Wilson) becoming the first female chief of surgery, a step forward for her career, but one backward for her marriage after her husband, Warren (Jason George), goes rogue one time too often. Still reeling from the loss of Derek (Dempsey), Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) tries to concentrate on work, but new arrival Penny (Samantha Sloyan), a physician who failed to save Derek, forces her hand. Penny makes her introduction as Callie's (Sara Ramirez) new girlfriend before joining the staff, where everyone treats her with hostility, and a custody battle erupts between Callie and former partner Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) over their daughter. A similar trajectory plays out when April (Sarah Drew) returns from Jordan: initially, husband Jackson (Jesse Williams) coldly refuses to have anything to do with her, but the pair reestablish cordial relations, only for him to ask for a divorce and her to reveal that she's pregnant. The other new arrival to shake things up—Martin Henderson's Riggs—has history with April and a family connection with Owen (Kevin McKidd). Riggs ends up striking sparks with both Meredith and her half-sister, Maggie (Kelly McCreary). And Denzel Washington directs an episode in which a patient attacks Meredith. Overall, this season marks a step forward for a long-running drama that seemed to be running out of steam. Presenting all 24 episodes from the 2015-16 12th season, extras include deleted scenes and outtakes. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)