Grey's Anatomy Spoilers

Maybe it was the year's worth of rumors surrounding her leaving the show. Or a year's worth of ghost sex and battles with cancer, culminating in an afterlife scene.

But not everyone is convinced Katherine Heigl is really returning for Season Six of Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Izzie Stevens, who was left in limbo in the season finale.

On that topic, TV Guide says the following in its weekly spoiler Q&A:

Q: Color me shocked that Katherine Heigl isn't leaving Grey's Anatomy. Is it possible we're being duped in some way?

A: I must say that the lack of fanfare surrounding ABC's confirmation of Heigl's status - especially when juxtaposed with the flurry of official statements regarding T.R. Knight's departure - made me raise one of my overgrown eyebrows.

"Sure, she's staying... for just one more episode," I cynically hypothesized.

But one of my best Grey's Anatomy sources insists that this is not a case of clever semantics, and that Heigl's Izzie will have a significant presence in the fall.

The Season Six cast of Grey's Anatomy is becoming clearer by the day.

Following reports that original cast member T.R. Knight is leaving the series for good, a fact that has been long-rumored but finally confirmed this week, comes an inside source confirming to E! Online that Katherine Heigl "will be back" next season.

Heigl had been said to want off the show for an entire season.

Official comments from the show bosses or Katherine Heigl has not been issued, however, E! is one of the more reputable celebrity news sources around, so if we were forced to take a guess as to this story's legitimacy, we would believe it.

Season Five ended on a double-death cliffhanger, as T.R. Knight's character, Dr. George O'Malley, struggled to survive massive trauma inflicted by a bus accident, and Heigl's Dr. Izzie Stevens was enduring life-threatening complications of her cancer treatment.

One could say that the split decision - T.R. Knight goes and Katherine Heigl stays - was sort of telegraphed in the fifth season finale's episode-ending dream sequence.

In that scene, Izzie seemed drawn back to the voices of friends trying to save her life, while George seemed serenely ready to move into the new phase of existence.

What do you think? Are you happy Katherine is coming back? Do you not believe anything until you see her on screen in the Season Six premiere?

The sixth season premiere is still months away, but one of last season's bigger Grey's Anatomy cliffhangers has already been resolved. Sources have confirmed to Entertainment Weekly the following: T.R. Knight's wish to be released from his contract has been granted.

He will not return to the show.

The official decision, according to Michael Ausiello, came down in the past few days, just as many of his castmates began receiving their formal pickup letters from ABC.

The actor's exit closes yet another rocky chapter for the embattled show, one that opened with Isaiah Washington-gate and worsened when, amid rumors that Knight was clashing with series creator Shonda Rhimes, George O'Malley was back-burnered.

Finally, Knight grew so fed up with his character's lack of storyline that he asked if he could check out three years before his deal expired. After that, indications were that he would be let go, although Rhimes didn't make a final decision until recently.

Contractually speaking, she had until June 30 to make up her mind.

Last month, Rhimes said George's relatively light storyline this year was the result of the normal "ebbs and flows" of ensemble television. But Shonda did acknowledge that he was intentionally written lighter during the last half of the season.

That way, viewers wouldn't think it odd that he was absent from the season finale - something that was necessary to preserve the episode's biggest twist: that George O'Malley was actually the disfigured John Doe who had been hit by a bus (above).

"I really wanted you to not notice that he wasn't there for most of this episode," she said. "I don't think anybody noticed because of the way we laid it out this season."

TR Knight's departure would seem to indicate George's demise as a character, however, some fans have wondered if Rhimes is planning to pull an Elizabeth Reaser (Jane Doe/Rebecca from Season Three) and have him live, only to be replaced by another actor.

That's "hilarious, ridiculous," the boss has said.

However, rumor has it that Rhimes was indeed interested in having Knight appear in next season's first three episodes, but a short-term deal could not be brokered.

Reps for Knight and ABC declined to comment.

Now that the question of George O'Malley's future seems to have been answered, albeit sadly, another puzzler moves to the forefront: What's going to happen to Katherine Heigl and Izzie, whose life also hung in the balance in last May's capper?

Sound off on both topics below ...

The sixth (!) season of Grey's Anatomy gets underway Thursday, September 24 at 9 p.m.

Amazing that Grey's Anatomy has been on that long - and we don't know how we're expected to wait that long for the show we love to resume with new episodes again!

The official premiere date for Private Practice has not been announced, however one can safely assume it will follow Grey's Anatomy that same evening at its usual 10 p.m.

Preceding Grey's on that Thursday evening will be ABC's much-hyped sci-fi drama Flash Forward. By the way, it has now been reported that Dominic Monaghan will be starring on that series, and not our beloved Grey's Anatomy, which some had speculated.

Dominic Monaghan is appearing in ABC's new promo campaign, but according to EW, it has nothing whatsoever to do with Charlie Pace being resurrected on Lost.

But that's what the network wants folks to think.

Why? Because they're trying to keep under wraps the real reason he was playing table soccer with Patrick Dempsey, Courteney Cox, and Ed O'Neill in that clip.

Monaghan is featured in that spot because rather than coming back to Lost, where he starred for three seasons, he's actually joining the cast of another hour-long ABC drama series as a full-time regular. And ABC wants it to be a surprise.

A big surprise.

Our question: Why on earth wouldn't ABC want people to know which of its shows' casts would be augmented by Dominic Monaghan, a popular actor from Lost, and also the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the summer blockbuster X-Men Origins: Wolverine?

• Could it be because the show Monaghan is joining is none other than Grey's Anatomy, and making the announcement could spoil the show's summer cliffhanger?
• Could Monaghan be taking over the role of George O'Malley from T.R. Knight, or playing a new character altogether that ABC nonetheless wants to keep secret?

We have no evidence to suggest this is actually happening other than what you just read above. It's just a rumor, and we are just throwing that out there. Thoughts?

Ellen Pompeo makes an adorable pregnant person. But will Meredith Grey be expecting as well, come fall? Here's what TV Guide's Matt Webb Mitovich says there ...

Q: Any scoop to get us Mer-Der fans through the dog days of summer? Perhaps some "baby talk" about Grey's Anatomy writing in Ellen Pompeo's pregnancy?

A: Both Chyler Leigh (Lexie) and I are of the mind that Grey's Anatomy would be hard-pressed to accommodate Pompeo's pregnancy, if only because of the timing.

"As far as I know they are not [writing it in]," Leigh said, pointing out that by the time the ABC serial resumes production, "Ellen will be, like, seven months [along]."

The only way I see it happening - and at least one source allows, "It could go either way" - is if Season Six picks up five or six months after the recent finale.

Such a jump would also allow poor George time to heal and look like recast Eddie Cibrian. Just kidding. Though a rumor of a new actor playing George did surface.

Reports of George O'Malley's demise have circulated since the season finale of Grey's Anatomy May 14, and seemed all but official after a report that circulated last week. However, nothing is official just yet ... we think. This from E!'s spoiler Q&A today ...

Q: What will happen on Grey's Anatomy next season? Are George and Izzie goners?

A: E! Online's Marc Malkin has an inside source who says that T.R. Knight will not be returning to Grey's Anatomy due to issues with executive producer Shonda Rhimes. Sources tell TVGuide.com, "That story is utterly false. Nothing at all has changed in T.R.'s status."

Shonda Rhimes has also gone on record debunking new rumors that an entirely different actor would play George thanks to plastic surgery. However, we all know how Shonda toed the lines of truth last season and stops at nothing to keep the audience guessing.

Guess we'll have to keep on ... guessing.

Original cast member T.R. Knight has been a Grey's Anatomy fixture since George's early, longer-haired days. His future has been the subject of great speculation for months now.

Citing multiple sources, E! Online reports that T.R. Knight, whose future has been the subject of great debate, will not be returning to Grey's Anatomy next season.

Knight's departure shouldn't come as too much of a shock.

Not only was George flatlining at the end of the season finale earlier this month, but the 36-year-old actor has reportedly wanted off the hit ABC series for some time.

According to reports, tension between T.R. Knight and Grey's Anatomy creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes became unbearable for both in recent months.

Knight, an original member of the Grey's Anatomy cast, was said to have become increasingly frustrated by his character's lack of storyline and camera face time.

In December, he asked to be let out of his contract.

Grey's Anatomy insiders say Knight made no secret that he wanted off the show. No word on any future projects for Knight, but he will be free to pursue other things.

Reps for Knight and ABC declined to comment.

Knight's best friend, co-star Katherine Heigl, whose character was also in limbo as the season ended, is supposedly still waiting to learn her fate with Seattle Grace.

Rhimes suppposedly began contemplating an early death for Dr. Isobel "Izzie" Stevens in July after Heigl took herself out of the running for last year's Emmy Awards.

Her reasoning was that the writers failed to give her good enough material to work with, igniting a storm of criticism and speculation that she wanted off the show.

For what it's worth, Entertainment Weekly recently reported that Heigl will submit her name for Emmy consideration this year for her work as cancer-stricken Izzie.

The fate of George and Izzie remains very much up in the air. That much we all know, while no one knows how it will be resolved. Here's what Michael Ausiello of EW theorizes ...

Q: OMG. Grey's finale. George or Izzie? What's the deal?

A: My guess? One will live, another will die.

That's an interesting theory in and of itself. But even more intriguing is the theory the columnist posits next - we repeat, it is a theory, and nothing more than that. No one has indicated or suggested that this is going to actually happen, it is merely one fan's idea:

"T.R. Knight is leaving the show, but George is staying. What with being grossly disfigured in the finale, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to let George live and then, a few weeks later, Mark Sloan works his plastic surgery magic and, voila, a new George!"

Sounds a little like something you might see on Days of Our Lives, but not Grey's Anatomy. Then again, Shonda had Izzie making love to a ghost for much of this past season.

What do you think? Could they possibly ... they couldn't, right?

Did Izzie and George die, or will they be back next season?

Shonda Rhimes obviously isn't saying, as we could have predicted. But she did offer this new, vague quote on the subject in a recent talk with TV Guide:

“We will definitely answer those questions in the fall. As with anyone you come to love, you don’t want to see them die, but it’s all part of the circle of life.”

Hmmm ...

Still, she allows, “there are some top-notch doctors at Seattle Grace and although there may not be miracles, there could be some good medicine.”

How do you interpret that one?

Have we seen the last of Izzie Stevens at Seattle Grace?

While the potentially tragic demise of Izzie and George cast a pall over the Season 5 finale, things did end on a positive note for some Grey's Anatomy characters.

Christina and Hunt are on again, or at least heading that direction, Callie and Arizona are forging a deeper girlfriend-ship, and Der and Mer had a wedding - their way.

“I wanted you to feel happy for some people,” says the Grey's Anatomy creator and producer, noting that “Meredith, our dark and twisty girl, is whole and healed.”