Debbie Allen

Debbie Allen is returning to Grey's Anatomy both in front of and behind the camera!

Allen will reprise her role as Catherine Avery, the mother of Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams), for at least one episode in the upcoming ninth season, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively.

Details on Catherine's return are scarce, though we know she'll pop up in the fourth episode. The last we saw of the Avery matriarch, she had quite the fling with Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) during the medical board exams, much to Jackson's chagrin.

Grey's Anatomy Exclusive: Debbie Allen to direct again in Season 9

As we first reported, Allen will also step behind the camera to direct this season's third episode. The ninth season picks up two to three months after the Stranded Six Five (RIP Lexie!) were rescued after the plane crash. The second episode will jump back in time to when they were rescued, while the Allen-directed episode will jump back to the present timeline, which will find some doctors outside of Seattle Grace with new jobs.

Grey's Anatomy returns Thursday, Sept. 27 at 9/8c on ABC.

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Exclusive: Debbie Allen Returning to Grey's Anatomy as Jackson's Mother