As an original cast member of Grey's, Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) was a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, a fierce competitor, and Meredith Grey's (Ellen Pompeo) "person." The two best friends, affectionately nicknamed the "twisted sisters" by the other characters on the show, stuck together through 10 seasons, weathering more disasters and personal traumas together than most people would experience in multiple lifetimes. When Oh made the decision to leave the show at the end of season 10, Cristina got the esteemed exit she deserved, leaving to take over for her ex-fiancé Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington) as Chief Medical Officer of the Klausman Institute For Medical Research in Switzerland.
Although she hasn't appeared on the show in years, Cristina's presence is still felt occasionally, such as when she returned for Derek's (Patrick Dempsey) funeral, when she called Meredith after she was awarded the Harper Avery award, or when she offered intern Sam Bello (Jeanine Mason) a safe refuge when the dreamer was at risk of being deported. While Oh has said repeatedly that she probably wouldn't return to the medical drama due to her commitment to her series Killing Eve, we still wouldn't be surprised if she was the one Vernoff was attempting to woo back, possibly with a particularly juicy cardio surgery, or with a case that requires Meredith and some of the other docs to make an international trip to the Klausman Institute. Even if Cristina is not the one Vernoff is trying to persuade to rejoin the Grey's fold, considering that Cristina has always been one of Shonda Rhimes's personal favourites, we expect the show will keep the door open for her return all the way until the very last episode.