"Sledgehammer" is the season premiere of the twelfth season of the American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy, and the 246th episode overall. It aired on September 24, 2015, on ABC in the United States. The episode was written by Stacy McKee and directed by Kevin McKidd. On its initial airing the episode was watched by 9.55 million viewers and opened up to positive reviews from television critics. Earlier in April 2015, Patrick Dempsey had revealed that he would be leaving the show after the eleventh season despite having signed a contract through another season. Grey's Anatomy centers around a group of physicians struggling to balance their professional lives with their personal lives.