'Grey's Anatomy' season 17: New couple in making amid Covid-19 pandemic

"Grey's Anatomy" season 17 returns this week with a two-hour premiere and it is going to bring some stories reflecting reality in the COVID-19 pandemic. However, fans are assured that it is not going to be all about illness and panic, but a lot more than that. There is a new romance on the horizon and everything that forms the series' core storytelling elements.

"Grey's Anatomy" season 17 will see actor Anthony Hill, who portrayed the role of Maggie's old colleague Dr. Winston Ndugu, promoted to a series regular. His storyline revolves around Maggie and brings forth an epic "Grey's Anatomy" style romance.

It appears it's time for Maggie to move on after getting over from a relationship with Jackson. Speaking about their romance in season 17, Hill reveals that the couple will be navigating through the challenges of a relationship as they quarantine separately. They will experience the struggles of a "long-distance relationship," something that many fans will relate to after being forced to stay away from their loved ones during the coronavirus lockdown.

"So they're going through what a lot of people are going through in the world, which is trying to get to know each other and grow a relationship virtually through [their] screens with FaceTime dates and Zoom," Hill told TV Line.

"And when they do interact on these devices," he added, "it is the best moment of their days, to be completely honest."

It has been established that the two had some chemistry but their professional relationship did not allow them to take it forward, until now. Meanwhile, the pandemic will remain the core theme of the seventeenth season of the series, but the show strives to maintain a balance.

"The balance [between levity and darkness] has been something that Grey's Anatomy has always done pretty well and actually kind of effortlessly," Hill adds. "So I think that this season is not any different... [COVID-19 is] how they're kind of keeping the real-world relevance and freshness to the script."

Hill reveals that "everything" that fans love about ABC's long-running medical drama "is still there even in midst of this chaotic navigation through COVID."

"Grey's Anatomy" Season 17 premieres Nov. 12 at 9:00 pm ET on ABC.