With Grey’s Anatomy in its 21st season — set to resume on the 2025 TV schedule — we’ve seen characters leave the show in all kinds of ways. Cristina Yang got her dream job in Switzerland; Lexie Grey died in a plane crash; George O’Malley jumped in front of a bus to save a stranger. It was Alex Karev, though, who boasts possibly the most controversial exit, leaving his wife Jo with nothing more than a goodbye letter. Fans were incensed over the betrayal, but surprisingly, Camilla Luddington wasn’t. The actress explained why she actually liked the storyline, and I honestly had never thought of it from that perspective.

After 15 years of playing Alex Karev on Grey’s Anatomy, Justin Chambers decided in 2020 he was ready to pursue other roles. Rather than some of the long, drawn-out goodbyes that we’ve seen, however, midway through Season 16, Alex just disappeared. In notes to Jo Wilson, Meredith Grey and Miranda Bailey, he explained that he’d reconnected with Izzie Stevens and was staying with her to raise the children he hadn’t known about. There was instant backlash from the Grey’s fandom on Jo’s behalf, but Camilla Luddington had a much more thoughtful take, telling Variety:

Personally, I felt like the abrupt exit was disrespectful to the fans who had followed Alex Karev’s journey for so long as well as to one of the Grey’s Anatomy’s OG actors. I also wanted that closure for Jo, because how dare Alex try to say he was doing the honorable thing if that meant just leaving his wife in a letter?

However, I hadn’t thought about it from the perspective of that being a lot of people’s actual experience. Maybe not “breakup by letter” specifically, but it’s true that so many people don’t get that closure and have to find that healing inside themselves. Camilla Luddington said she heard from so many people with those stories:

Knowing that Alex Karev’s infuriating non-goodbye was something that made so many people feel seen and maybe even helped them process their own experiences definitely takes away some of the bitterness I have over that storyline.

If you want to relive Alex Karev’s Season 16 exit or rewatch any of Grey’s Anatomy’s best eras, the first 20 seasons are some of the best things to binge on Netflix right now, and all 21 seasons so far can be viewed with a Hulu subscription.

Fans were thrilled when Justin Chambers and Katherine Heigl reunited with fellow original Grey’s Anatomy cast members Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. at the 75th Emmy Awards. It was a big moment, especially for Heigl, who famously was involved in some behind-the-scenes drama ahead of her exit in 2010. Time seems to have healed some of the wounds created on set at the ABC medical drama, and I think it’s high time Izzie returned to Grey Sloan; however, there needs to be one caveat. 

Why It’s Time For Katherine Heigl To Come Back To Grey’s Anatomy 

Katherine Heigl was labeled “difficult” after she spoke out about 17-hour days the Grey’s Anatomy actors were made to work in the early seasons. We can now see that the actress was right to advocate for herself and her co-stars, and bringing Izzie back to Grey Sloan would be a deserved redemption for Heigl. Even Ellen Pompeo has said that Heigl was “100% right” to speak out, and that if she had said that today, “she’d be a complete hero.”

As for the 2008 Emmys drama — in which Katherine Heigl withdrew her name from contention, saying she didn’t feel she “was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination” — the actress has since apologized, admitting she ambushed the writers, saying:  

Grey’s Anatomy has brought back so many of its former characters as it enters its 20th season, from Kate Walsh’s Addison Montgomery to fan favorite couple Japril to McDreamy’s surprise appearances from beyond the grave. Certainly fans would love to see some of that original MAGIC, especially with Ellen Pompeo stepping away from her role as a series regular. While Katherine Heigl used to say Izzie’s return might be too much of a distraction, she seemed to be warming to the idea in later years. I would love to see this happen, but only on one condition. 

Grey’s Anatomy Can’t Break Up Alex And Izzie 

The one thing that would ruin any potential Izzie Stevens return would be if something had happened to her and Alex Karev. Grey’s Anatomy’s use of their past relationship to write Justin Chambers’ character off the show all but ensured that they were endgame, because to break them up would be even more of a slap in the face to the viewers. 

Season 16 saw Alex leave his wife Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) and reunite with Izzie, who unbeknownst to him had given birth to his twins. Alex ended his marriage to Jo via letter and never returned to Seattle. Fans were infuriated, and even Katherine Heigl called it “an a-hole move.” Grey’s made their bed with that story, and now they have to lie in it.

Does that mean any Katherine Heigl return would have to include Justin Chambers? Not necessarily, though that would be welcome too! We’ve seen Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) return without April Kepner (Sarah Drew), but we know they’re still together.

I think Katherine Heigl’s reunion with her former co-stars at the Emmys proved all is well with the cast, and I really hope we can see her character again sometime soon. While we wait for Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 to hit the 2024 TV schedule at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, March 14, on ABC, you can relive any of the first 19 seasons with a Netflix subscription. And if you don’t want to start at the beginning, here are the starting points of all your favorite Grey’s Anatomy eras. 

Back in the earlier seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, the behind-the-scenes drama was plentiful — and often as salacious as anything happening on the screen — from Patrick Dempsey’s supposed “terrorizing” behavior that led to McDreamy being killed off to Katherine Heigl’s strained relationship with creator Shonda Rhimes. Time does heal many wounds, though, and 14 years after she left the ABC medical drama, Heigl reunited with her former co-stars on stage at the 75th Emmy Awards. Some viewers seemed surprised to see her hand-in-hand with Ellen Pompeo, and her appearance elicited some strong reactions on social media.

Katherine Heigl took the stage with Ellen Pompeo, Justin Chambers, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr., with the actress who played Izzie Stevens acknowledging that, “Yes, there have been changes” over the years as Grey’s Anatomy approaches its 20th season. Given the turmoil that surrounded Heigl’s exit from the show, seeing her hand-in-hand with Pompeo had people in their feels, like this fan who wrote on X (Twitter): 

The Emmys were quite the fitting venue for Katherine Heigl to show that fences had been mended with her former castmates, given the role the awards show played in fracturing their relationship. 

After winning an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama in 2007, Heigl withdrew her name from consideration for the following year’s awards, saying, “I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination.” At the time the actress also spoke out about working 17-hour days, and she was eventually released early from her contract in 2010. Many watching the 2023 Emmys loved seeing this redemption story, with one viewer saying: 

Others had similar reactions, tweeting: 

• I will forever be a Katherine Heigl defender. I hope 2024 is the year she is in literally everything. – laynesays
• Katherine Heigl is HOMEEEEE – WAYSTIAR
• Watching Katherine Heigl with the Grey’s cast feels so nostalgic – everybdymovedon
• On the floor with Katherine Heigl I love her so much IZZIE COME HOME – fearlustpride
• Katherine Heigl you were WRONGED by Hollywood you are sooooo beloved – TlMBRADFORD

It was a meaningful moment to see five of the original Grey’s Anatomy cast members together, as only Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. remain series regulars. Ellen Pompeo reduced her role on the series in Season 19, after Justin Chambers left in Season 16. Some fans were disappointed that Sandra Oh and T.R. Knight were absent from the reunion, but others saw potential Season 20 plot possibilities, with one fan writing: 

I agree it would be great to see Izzie Stevens (and possibly Justin Chambers’ Alex Karev, too?) back on Grey’s Anatomy, since it appears they’ve left the off-the-screen drama in the past. We’ll have to see just how far this reunion will take them, when Season 20 premieres Thursday, March 14, on ABC. In the meantime, you can relive any of the first 19 seasons with a Netflix subscription. 

The moment we’ve all been waiting for (but also dreading) is upon us. When Grey’s Anatomy returns from its Season 19 winter hiatus, we will be saying goodbye to Meredith Grey (at least for now). Ellen Pompeo is stepping away as a series regular, with her character taking her three McKiddos and relocating to Boston. It feels like fans have been so focused on Meredith’s impending exit that we’ve barely had time to consider what happens next for the show, and now that the time has come to move forward, I have quite a few questions.

One thing’s for sure — there’s plenty to be excited about, even without Ellen Pompeo leading the way. The five cast additions have breathed fresh life into the 19-year-old series as the new class of first-year residents, invigorating longtime fans. Plus, there’s plenty still brewing with the other surgeons who remain at Grey Sloan. Let’s take a look at seven questions I hope Grey’s Anatomy answers when Season 19 resumes on February 23: 

Will Nick Follow Meredith To Boston? 

I can’t imagine this issue not getting addressed in the midseason premiere, but things were left up in the air in regards to whether or not Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman) would move again to stay with Meredith. The two have been hot and cold since their apparent breakup in the Season 18 finale, and Nick was (in my opinion) justifiably annoyed that she 1) didn’t at least speak to him about Boston before deciding to move, and 2) neglected to tell him that her late husband’s nephew was a new hospital employee.

One thing we do know is that Scott Speedman’s role in Season 19 was reduced to recurring, so my money is on love persevering in Beantown.

How Will Catherine’s Cancer Be Handled? 

Speaking of Boston, we learned an interesting tidbit about Catherine Fox (Debbie Allen) during Meredith's visit, as Greg Germann made a guest appearance as Tom Koracick to inform his friend and colleague that her cancer was growing. This will certainly have to come into play back in Seattle from the perspective of her husband Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.), but I feel like it would hit harder as a plotline to kick off that Boston spinoff centered around Jackson Avery and April Kepner that fans have been begging for. I’m intrigued to see how it plays out. 

Who Is Luke Adams’ Mother? 

The Grey’s writers got us good in the Season 19 premiere with the reveal that one of the new interns was McDreamy’s favorite nephew. But after we got over the initial shock, we realized that while we knew Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) was Lucas Adams’ aunt (NOT his lover, as he strangely allowed his colleagues to believe), we were never told which of Amelia and Derek’s three sisters is Luke’s mom. 

Will Nancy, Liz or Kathleen make an appearance in the back half of Season 19? What will that look like if or when the mystery Shepherd sister comes face to face with "black sheep" Amelia — or Derek’s ex-wife Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh), who cheated on him, for that matter? Dammit, that could make for some great TV.

What’s In Store For Mika Yasuda, Jules Millin And Benson Kwan? 

It’s no surprise that a lot of the current season has focused on Luke (Niko Terho), with his Shepherd connections and all, and Simone Griffith (Alexis Floyd) has been heavily featured as well, as she has secrets of her own that have forged a bond between her and Luke. Will the second half of Season 19 feature more major stories for Mika Yasuda (Midori Francis), Benson "Blue" Kwan (Harry Shum Jr.) and Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane)? 

We’ve been getting small peeks into their back stories and personalities, and while I don’t see how Grey’s Anatomy is going to find time for all of its characters — old and new — I am hoping we get to bond with these doctors more. 

Will Jo And Link Finally Get Together? 

As much as I want to continue to get to know the new characters, I also don’t feel like I’m willing to give up time with some old favorites. Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) and Link (Chris Carmack) thankfully had gotten past the awkwardness of last season and seemed ready to finally admit that they were head-over-heels in love with each other. Enter Teddy Altman (Kim Raver), with an inspired speech about how falling in love with your best friend is the quickest way to ruin both of your lives. Why would anybody take relationship advice from Teddy anyway? Come on, JoLink, are we doing this or not? 

Will We See More Familiar Faces Return To Seattle? 

A number of Grey’s Anatomy legends have made returns to the show following their official exits. Meredith’s COVID hallucinations even gave us beyond-the-grave comebacks from Patrick Dempsey, T.R. Knight, Chyler Leigh and Eric Dane, so it seems nothing is off the table. This season we’ve already seen our previously mentioned Boston friends, as well as Kate Walsh returning in a recurring role. Will there be more? 

Justin Chambers went viral with a cryptic coffee post that had many thinking that Alex Karev may make an appearance, and wouldn’t that be an interesting showdown, after he ended his marriage to Jo via letter? Showrunner Krista Vernoff has promised some “delightful surprises” to come, so I’m trying hard not to get my hopes too high!  

Who Will Narrate The Remaining Season 19 Episodes? 

Despite Ellen Pompeo’s impending exit, the actress has said she’ll continue to do her trademark narration that opens and concludes each episode. Will Meredith’s voice remain for the entire second half of Season 19, or will we start to hear a different character transitioning into the role? Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) seems like an obvious choice to take over narration duties, but it seems like the job could just as easily fall to Simone Griffith or another of the interns. 

Meredith Grey may be Boston-bound, but there is still so much to look forward to with Season 19 set to resume. I’m pretty excited to start finding out the answers to these questions and to see what other surprises Krista Vernoff has for us in her final season as showrunner. Tune in to Grey’s Anatomy at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, February 23, on ABC, and in the meantime if you need to get caught up, the first half of Season 19 can be streamed with a Hulu subscription, and the first 18 seasons are available to Netflix subscription holders. 

There are long-running TV shows, and then there’s Grey’s Anatomy. The beloved medical drama is currently in the midst of its whopping 19th Season on the air, which will also seemingly be Ellen Pompeo’s final run as Meredith Grey. Fans are gearing up for this transition, although some are hoping that another beloved OG might be returning. And here’s why Karev actor Justin Chambers’ new picture has fans thinking he might be the next big Grey’s return. Taking a note from Game of Thrones, we've got a very different viral coffee cup moment. 

Justin Chambers is an OG Grey’s Anatomy actor (although he was CGI’d into the pilot), and stayed longer than most of his original co-workers. Chambers departed as Alex Karev back in Season 16, getting his happy ending with Izzie in the process. But he recently posted about Grey’s on Instagram, leading fans to wonder if he might be scrubbing back in at Grey Sloan Memorial. Check out the image for yourself below:

Well, I’m definitely intrigued. While Justin Chambers might be simply getting a kick out of a Grey’s Anatomy coffee sleeve, one has to wonder where he is, and how he got this swag. Is he back on the set of the medical dama, or is he perhaps working on another project in the same studio lot? Only time will tell, but fans are definitely taking notice.

While this is no guarantee that Karev will be back on our screens, Justin Chambers’ post is notable because he’s not actually all that active on Instagram. Despite his 2.1 million followers, he’s only got 10 posts on his page. And so when he posted and it was Grey’s Anatomy related, people wondered if the beloved pediatric surgeon might be coming back. 

Indeed, the comments section is filled with Grey’s fans who are wondering if Justin Chambers’ latest post was a hint that he was returning to his signature role. He’s been keeping busy since leaving the long-running series, notably playing Marlo Brando in The Offer. But with the show losing its title character in Ellen Pompeo, perhaps ABC reached out to alum like Chambers to make an appearance.

Season 19 has already included appearances by a few former series regulars from Grey’s Anatomy. Kate Walsh returned as Addison Montgomery, while Jesse Williams and Greg Germann showed up as Jackson Avery and Tom Koracick respectively. Fans have also been debating which of McDreamy’s sisters is Adams’ mother, and presumably one of them will show up whenever this mystery is solved. We’ll just have to wait and see if Karev ends up appearing.

It should be fascinating to see if/how Grey’s Anatomy manages to function without Ellen Pompeo’s title character. There are a number of big questions, including who will take over as the show’s main narrator. Meredith has been in less and less scenes over the last few years, but it’s still hard to imagine the show without the dark and twisty protagonist. 

Grey’s Anatomy will return to ABC on February 23rd. In the meantime, check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

We’ve seen a lot of characters come and go over Grey’s Anatomy’s 18 seasons, and just like the loyal fans, Ellen Pompeo has been there to witness them all. While in some instances it was simply time for the character (or the actor playing them) to move on, Grey’s Anatomy has also delivered some pretty shocking deaths that left us a little more broken than before (RIP, 007). The Meredith Grey actress reflected on the series so far, and she didn’t have to think hard about whose demise she thinks was the saddest.

The actress has starred on Grey’s Anatomy since it premiered in 2005, and as Ellen Pompeo prepares to take a step back from the show in Season 19, she opened up on her podcast Tell Me about losing her on-screen husband Derek Shepherd in Season 11. It was a serious blow for her character and the fans, as she explained when discussing which of the series’ deaths she found the most heartbreaking: 

Ellen Pompeo has spoken before about some of the traumatic events Meredith has suffered alongside Patrick Dempsey’s “McDreamy.” The hospital shooter episode — one of Grey’s Anatomy’s best episodes to date — featured a scene in which Meredith and Cristina see Derek get shot, and Pompeo said the actresses had to “scream and cry and go crazy 30 fucking times,” putting themselves in a dark place for a scene that Pompeo said she wouldn’t do again today. Thinking of it like that, it’s no surprise that Derek’s car crash death would be her saddest, as well as Mark Sloan (Eric Dane’s so-called “McSteamy”), who succumbed in the aftermath of Season 8’s plane crash.

Not all character departures involved such tragic scenarios, however, and Grey’s Anatomy has certainly been known to bring back former cast members to reprise their roles in guest appearances over the seasons. Ellen Pompeo said she had selfish intentions when thinking about who she’d want to return to the show, saying:

These two actors were friends before and after their time on the hit ABC medical drama together, so this choice makes complete sense. Pompeo expressed her sadness at Chambers’ exit at the time, saying she thought Grey’s Anatomy gave Alex Karev the “best send off.” The TV audience, however, largely disagreed. Fans were livid that Alex ditched his wife Jo via letter, which said that he had decided to move to Kansas and reunite with his ex-wife Izzie and their children he didn’t know existed.

Alas, when characters leave, they’re often replaced by others, and Season 19 has already added some new faces to the hospital. Grey’s Anatomy actress Caterina Scorsone has said the new cast members are “gorgeous” both “inside and out,” and I’m looking forward to that October 6 premiere at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. If you need to catch up or relive any of Grey’s Anatomy’s most heart-breaking moments like the ones mentioned above, all 18 seasons are available for streaming with a Netflix subscription. 

Jo Wilson has not always been lucky in love on Grey’s Anatomy, particularly when it comes to how Alex Karev so callously up and left her — with nothing but a note. The surgeon have remained joyful in her career and with her daughter Luna despite it all, but things in the romance department might actually be looking up for Camilla Luddington’s character. Skylar Astin joined the Grey’s Anatomy universe as Todd Eames, who waltzed through the doors of Grey Sloan and formed an instant connection with the resident on his sister’s medical team. And fans shouldn't expect to see Jo pining for any former loves in the near future. 

There were a lot of opinions about the way Justin Chambers abruptly left the show after 15 years. Alex left to take care of his mom in Iowa, and he just never came back, with Grey’s Anatomy giving his character closure by explaining via letters left to Jo and Meredith that he'd reunited with Izzie and their children, whom he didn’t know existed. Fans were absolutely livid at the time, and now two seasons later, Camilla Luddington told People she’s ready for Jo to move forward when asked about a potential rekindling with Alex.

Grey’s Anatomy viewers are ready to witness that journey as well. After Alex left, Jo entered into a casual situation with Jackson Avery before his Season 17 exit from the show. (Hopefully nothing awkward goes down between the two of them when Jackson and April return for the Season 18 finale!) Then, in a strange Friends-like twist, Jo realized she had more-than-friendly feelings for her BFF Link. However, after they slept together, she realized how strong her feelings were for him, while he seemed to be fine with keeping things as they were, so she broke it off.

Things aren’t totally back to normal with Link yet — understandable, since she kicked him out of her apartment, and he continues to come to terms with Amelia finding a hot new romance — but Jo seems to definitely be on the mend since she’s started seeing Todd. Camilla Luddington said she likes the direction her character’s story is going, too:

In the latest episode, “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” Todd helped Jo figure out how to handle a work problem, as Bailey asked Jo to leave her new specialty to help out in general surgery again (his solution: do both). Link wasn’t thrilled to see Jo starting a new relationship, but he did seem satisfied that Todd appeared to have her best interests in mind, so we’ll have to see if there’s a third side left to this love triangle.

Grey’s Anatomy continues at 9 p.m. ET Thursdays on ABC, all leading up to the two-hour Season 18 finale on May 26. Check out our full spring finale schedule, as well as our 2022 TV Schedule to see what premieres are coming soon.

The Godfather is not only one of the greatest movies of the 1970s, but it's also in the annals of all-time greats. So many quotes from the 1972 Best Picture Oscar winner have made it into pop culture, and are repeated so regularly, one could start to forget where they all came from. The Offer, however, takes us exactly to that place. The upcoming Paramount+ drama explores the events surrounding the development and production of the iconic mob movie, as seen through the eyes of mega-producer Albert S. Ruddy. Critics were able to screen the 10-episode limited series ahead of its April 28 release, and the reviews are in

The series is a star-studded affair, with Miles Teller as producer Albert S. Ruddy, Dan Fogler as director Francis Ford Coppola, Grey’s Anatomy vet Justin Chambers as actor Marlon Brando, and Anthony Ippolito as Al Pacino, as well as a number of other stars, including Giovanni Ribisi, Colin Hanks, Matthew Goode and Juno Temple. So what did the critics have to say about the story behind the story? 

Let’s dive right in, starting with Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence, who warns viewers the series isn't a factual retelling of the movie’s development, but rather the experience through Albert S. Ruddy’s point of view. She says Justin Chambers and Anthony Ippolito deliver, and that Matthew Goode is Emmy-worthy as Robert Evans, but that the show doesn't completely justify its own existence: 

Other critics are far less forgiving, including Rodrigo Perez of The Playlist, who grades the series a C-. He calls The Offer self-serving and more like “Godfather dress-up cosplay” with nothing to say: 

Matt Roush of TV Insider says The Offer is a series he could take or leave, but he agrees with other critics who praise the portrayals of Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Robert Evans — the critic says he’d watch a whole series about Matthew Goode’s character. He is also in line with others in saying that MIles Teller and Colin Hanks are among those who miss the mark:

John Townsend of Slant rates the series 2.5 out of 4 stars, and while he has more good things to share than many others, he also believes the show bombards viewers with puffed-up egos, and that it sometimes seems overdramatized for effect:

Richard Trenholm of CNET recognizes The Offer’s faults, but he says it’s a treat for cinephiles. The details of the story are fascinating, he says, but there were opportunities to make the series a little shorter:

The critics definitely were able to find some flaws in The Offer, which is possibly to be expected when it’s naturally being held up against what is considered one of the best movies ever. And it seems like this bit from THR's Daniel Feinberg encapsulates that feeling as poetically as seemingly anything said in the show itself:

On Rotten Tomatoes, 15 critics rated the Paramount+ series as of this writing, giving it a score of 47%, with an average rating of 5.9 out of 10. Certainly not the worst, given how some opinions were skewed, but clearly not on par with anything from Francis Ford Coppola's '70s era.

If you’d like to give The Offer a whirl, the first three episodes will be available for streaming with a Paramount+ subscription on Thursday, April 28. New episodes will be released each Thursday thereafter. A subscription will also get you access to the best shows that Paramount+ has to offer. Be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what other series are premiering soon. 

Justin Chambers scrubbed out of Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Alex Karev back in early 2020 after 15 years. His ending was not the best and many fans were heartbroken about his departure. As one of the last remaining originals on the show, his exit came as a big shock. But just why did he choose to leave after so long? The actor opened up about why he left the ABC medical drama.

Via Hollywood Life, Justin Chambers opened up about his shocking exit in the new tell-all book How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy, from Lynette Rice. The actor explained:

Justin Chambers' more recent comments go further than what he said back when the news broke that he was leaving after 15 years, as he stated in early 2020 that he wanted to “diversify” his acting roles and his career. His words about the "bubble" echo that sentiment about wanting more variety in his life.

Still, his departure was upsetting for many, and some fans were downright livid at how Grey's Anatomy handled Alex's final story. After Alex had been gone for a while, he finally wrote letters to his closest at Grey Sloan, revealing that he officially left the hospital to be with ex Izzie, after finding out she had his twin babies. Not only did Alex go back to a person who had left abruptly years before, but he left his “person” Meredith and his wife Jo, even though all looked great between them.

Although his story can’t be rewritten, could Alex be one of the many characters that return? Jo is finally doing well again. It’s hard to tell how she would react if she were to see Alex once again, and fans might have mixed reactions as well considering how he left. Justin Chambers had his valid reasons for leaving Grey's Anatomy, but how Grey's Anatomy said goodbye to Alex will likely remain divisive.

You can relive Justin Chambers' days as Alex Karev on Grey's Anatomy with all seventeen seasons of the series so far available streaming on Netflix. The show will soon return for Season 18 as well, so be sure to tune in to ABC on Thursday, September 30 at 9 p.m. ET for the Season 18 premiere that will bring back some long-absent familiar faces.

As The Many Saints of Newark gets set to bring the world of HBO's The Sopranos to the big screen, Paramount+ is now full-speed ahead on bringing Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather to TV viewers in the form of its making-of limited series drama The Offer. Justin Chambers is set to star as Don Corleone himself, Marlon Brando, in his first big TV role following his exit from Grey's Anatomy as surgeon Alex Karev, and it sounds like fans might get to see him in action soon, as Paramount+ released the above video to mark the start The Offer's production. These are good days indeed for gangster fiction.

Though the promo above obviously can't offer any footage, considering it's only the beginning of principal photography, I don't think anyone could successfully argue against it being the perfect mood-setter to celebrate this major step forward. (The Godfather is known for its pitch-perfect opening, so this is fitting.) The video features the instantly familiar "Speak Softly, Love" theme from The Godfather, originally conceived by composer Nino Rota, who took home the Academy Award for his work on The Godfather Part II. It's also rocking the signature window-blinds shading, the muted tones, and the script page has the also immediately familiar title font. The only thing missing is a little film dialogue, and probably lots of gunshots.

I'm sure many Grey's Anatomy fans would love to see Justin Chambers return to ABC's medical drama, considering the controversial manner in which he left it, which is to say he didn't really have much of a farewell episode, as his exit was explained through letters and voiceover. But The Offer should provide the actor with a huge chance to deliver a performance that pulls him out from beneath the Grey's Anatomy umbrella for a spell, not that fans will ever stop bringing it up. But if you're gonna go big with a follow-up, you can't get much bigger than Brando. (Actor-wise, not weight-wise.)

Justin Chambers joined a cast that also includes Giovanni Ribisi, Jake Cannavale, Miles Teller, Juno Temple, Matthew Goode, Lou Ferrigno, Stephanie Koenig, Colin Hanks and many more. As created by Michael Tolkin, who also spearheaded the award-winning limited series Escape at Dannemora, The Offer is based on the real-life stories and experiences of Godfather producer Albert S. Ruddy, who went on to create Walker: Texas Ranger with Chuck Norris (though isn't involved with Jared Padalecki's reboot). Ruddy also wrote Cannonball Run II, but I suppose it won't do any good to start petitioning for a limited series adaptation of his stories about the Burt Reynolds sequel.

At this time, Paramount+ hasn't yet unveiled a general release window for The Offer, and future viewers probably shouldn't expect to hear anything on that front in the immediate future, but here's hoping we'll get some picture-perfect first looks at the costumes and sets before much longer. In the meantime, there are lots of other offerings on the 2021 Summer TV schedule to get invested in before Justin Chambers makes a viewing suggestion that you can't refuse.

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November of 2019 was the last time Grey's Anatomy fans got to see Justin Chambers portray Dr. Alex Karev, who had been one of the few remaining original characters still on the series during Season 16. Chambers announced his departure from the show in January of 2020, with him providing a voice over for Episode 16 in early March that finalized Karev's time on the medical drama, in an exit that angered many viewers. Now that all of that's well behind him, though, Chambers is headed back to TV to play a very different role: Marlon Brando.

News from Deadline says that Justin Chambers has now signed on to play movie legend Marlon Brando in the Paramount+ limited series, The Offer. The show will take audiences into the behind the scenes story of The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 classic mob movie, which was nominated for 11 Oscars, winning three, including one for Brando, who won Best Actor. The Offer is based on producer Al Ruddy’s time making the film, and is set to be a 10-episode series.

Alright, I know that a lot of fans are probably incredibly surprised by this development, but that's only because Justin Chambers is so entrenched in our brains as Alex Karev. His exit from the show may have been very sudden for us, but it did come after he was in the Grey's Anatomy cast for a whopping 15 years and 350 episodes as one of the leads of the series. My guess, actually, is that this is exactly why Chambers would have jumped at a chance to play such a different role, and to tackle the challenge of playing not just a real person but one who continues to be very much a legend.

And, if you think that one stumbling block is that Chambers looks nothing like Marlon Brando, well, I beg to differ. Take a look at a side by side shot of Justin Chambers and Marlon Brando, and you'll probably see what I mean:

I mean, it's uncanny, right? That's a screenshot of an interview Marlon Brando did in June 1973, after declining to accept his Oscar for The Godfather, and the resemblance is certainly there. If you add in the fact that Justin Chambers is actually a teensy bit older now than Brando was when he filmed the movie (Chambers is currently 50, Brando was about 46), and this really seems like a case of the right part coming along at the right time for Chambers.

While Karev and his wife, Jo, were definitely having some problems during Season 16 of Grey's Anatomy, fans didn't see an exit coming at all from long-time star Justin Chambers, and, neither did at least some of the cast or crew. At the time, Chambers explained that he simply wanted to "diversify my acting roles and career choices," and noted that he'd wanted to do that for a while and that there's never really a "good time to say goodbye" to a character and job that one's had for so long. With Chambers' new role in The Offer as Marlon Brando, it would certainly seem he's well on his way to switching things up in his career.

Justin Chambers will star in The Offer alongside an impressive cast, which includes Miles Teller as Ruddy, and Dan Fogler as Coppola, Matthew Goode, Giovanni Ribisi, Colin Hanks, Juno Temple, and Lou Ferrigno. There's no release date set just yet, but for what you can watch in the meantime, check out our 2021 summer TV schedule!

After starring in one last episode in March 2020, Justin Chambers officially became the latest star of Grey’s Anatomy to step away from the cast. Of course, when a series runs for 16 seasons (and counting), it should be expected that a few characters may be written out for one reason or another, and Chambers is far from the last actor to make an exit.

In fact, of all the founding cast members of Shonda Rhimes’ Emmy-winning medical drama, only three have remained series regulars from the start, including James Pickens Jr. as Chief Ricard Webber, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, and Ellen Pompeo in the title role of Dr. Meredith Grey. Fan favorites who have otherwise moved on from Grey’s Anatomy have become favorites among fans of the projects they have pursued since.

That being said, what are some of their most notable roles since leaving Seattle Grace Hospital and what should expect from them in the near future? We answer that question by exploring the careers of these 11 former Grey's Anatomy cast members.

Patrick Dempsey (Dr. Derek Shepherd)

Former ‘80s heartthrob Patrick Dempsey was resurrected as a 21st Century heartthrob playing neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd on Grey’s Anatomy. When McDreamy reached a fatal end after 11 seasons, the actor played a possible baby daddy in Bridget Jones’s Baby, the title role of 2018 miniseries The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, and a sinister banker on 10-part drama Devils, which has yet to receive American distribution. Dempsey will soon star in and executive produce the CBS political series Ways & Means and is rumored to reprise his Enchanted role in the sequel Disenchanted, if it can get out of development hell.

Sandra Oh (Dr. Cristina Yang)

After winning her first Golden Globe in 2006 for playing Cristina Yang, Sandra Oh won her second for playing the title character of acclaimed AMC drama Killing Eve at the 2019 ceremony, which she also co-hosted with Andy Samberg. In other words, since leaving Grey’s Anatomy in its 11th season, things have been going pretty well for the original cast member, born in Canada to Korean parents, who has two additional TV projects in the works, including Robert Kirkman’s animated superhero series Invincible and college-set dramedy The Chair, which Oh will also executive produce along with Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss for Netflix.

Eric Dane (Dr. Mark Sloan)

Joining the cast of Grey's Anatomy in Season 2 was Eric Dane as cosmetic surgeon Mark Sloan, otherwise known as "McSteamy," who was killed in the infamous plane crash in the ninth season. Fortunately, the actor soon found a new role as the lead of TNT's The Last Ship, on which he played a navy admiral whose crew become the few survivors of a global pandemic. Currently, he plays a strict father with grave secret life on the hit HBO teen drama Euphoria and will next appear in D.J. Caruso's upcoming period romance Redeeming Love and is set to star in crime thriller The Ravine.

Katherine Heigl (Dr. Izzie Stevens)

After starring in many cult projects, like Bride of Chucky and sci-fi teen soap Roswell, Katherine Heigl really began to break out as surgical oncologist Izzie Stevens, which earned her an Emmy and paved the way for her to become the new rom-com queen with Knocked Up and 27 Dresses as notable examples. Heigl attempted a return to TV years after her 2010 Grey's Anatomy exit with two short-lived network dramas before successfully replacing Meghan Markel for the final season of USA's Suits. Next up, the actress will co-star with Sarah Chalke on Netflix series Firefly Lane and is returning to horror films as the mother of a teenage schizophrenic girl in Fear of Rain.

Justin Chambers (Dr. Alex Karev)

Izzie Stevens recently had an offscreen reconciling with ex-husband Alex Karev, which was the controversial explanation given for Justin Chambers' departure from Grey's Anatomy after a whopping 16 seasons. Prior to playing the MD, who most recently served as Chief of Staff for Pacific Northwest after his firing from Seattle Grace, the former model made his acting debut in 1995 on the soap opera Another World and would later land lead roles in major motion pictures like The Musketeer or 2005's The Zodiac (not to be confused with David Fincher's Zodiac from 2007). Chambers currently has no acting projects on the horizon, having stated to Page Six that he is, for now, focusing on "life, family, love and friendship"

Kate Walsh (Dr. Addison Montgomery)

Known best for the love triangle her, Derek, and Meredith, OB/GYN Addison Montgomery was a strong enough personality on Grey's Anatomy to earn her portrayer, Kate Walsh, her own spin-off, Private Practice, which ran from 2007-2013. Since then, television is where the 52-year-old actress has continued to shine the brightest, from leading short-lived comedy Bad Judge to playing a grieving mother on hit Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why. In addition to her casting in upcoming Lily Collins-led series Emily in Paris, Walsh will also grace the silver screen as a love interest to Liam Neeson in Honest Thief and a New England motel owner in upcoming indie drama Sometime Other Than Now.

T.R. Knight (Dr. George O’Malley)

Another perpetrator of one of Grey's Anatomy's many love triangles is George O'Malley, a surgical resident at Seattle Grace who died from being hit by a bus after Emmy-nominee T.R. Knight left the series in 2009, amid some behind-the scenes controversy which we will get to soon. After a short break from acting, he played sports writer Harold Parrot in Jackie Robinson biopic 42, landed a recurring spot on The Good Wife, and starred in ABC's chronicle of the gay rights movement, When We Rise, in 2017. He will next be seen in HBO Max original thriller The Flight Attendant, opposite star and series developer Kaley Cuoco, and will play former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus in upcoming political miniseries A Higher Loyalty, based on the book by former FBI Director James Comey.

Jessica Capshaw (Dr. Arizona Robbins)

No stranger to tragedy on Grey's Anatomy is Arizona Robbins, who managed to survive all of her 10 seasons despite several deadly experiences, including the plane crash that killed Mark Sloan. Jessica Capshaw, a stepdaughter of Steven Spielberg, said goodbye to her Grey's character in 2018 and her return to acting has yet to be seen. However, at the moment, she does have a couple of films in post-production, including a romantic comedy called Holidate and coming-of-age drama Dear Zoe, which is led by Stranger Things star Sadie Sink.

Isaiah Washington (Dr. Preston Burke)

To dial back T.R. Knight's reason for leaving Grey's Anatomy, Isaiah Washington is actually somewhat related, having used a homophobic slur on set in 2006 that caused issue with his then closeted co-star, costing him the role of surgeon Preston Burke after three seasons. While the actor never fully bounced back in popularity following the behind-the-scenes controversy, he still managed for find steady work after he was written off, including a recurring role on NBC's short-lived reimagining of Bionic Woman, a starring role on The CW's hit sci-fi drama The 100, and, more recently, an episode of the BET anthology series Tales. Washington has three feature films coming up, including post-Hurricane Katrina thriller Cut Throat City, coming-of-age drama James the Second, and prison escape story Escape from Black Water.

Sara Ramirez (Dr. Callie Torres)

Sara Ramirez made her acting debut with a brief but funny scene in the 1998 romantic comedy You've Got Mail, followed by other small roles in big films like Sam Raimi's firs Spider-Man and Chicago, which brought her theatre skills to the big screen, before breaking out Callie Torres on Grey's Anatomy in Season 2. The orthopedic surgeon would actually be the first of two bisexual TV characters the real-life bisexual Ramirez would play, having followed her 2016 exit by playing Kat Sandoval on Madame Secretary. The Mexican born singer-songwriter, who showed off her vocal talents on the Season 7 musical episode of Grey's and her self-titled album in 2011, has no acting major projects happening at the moment, but keeps busy with her efforts as an activist for LGBTQ+ rights.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Denny Duquette)

Although his role was relatively brief (save a few posthumous appearances) and he did not even play a doctor on Grey's Anatomy, heart patient Denny Duquette is still cited as one of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's more memorable characters, especially the romance he shared with Izzie until his heartbreaking death. Today, he is better known for playing more comic book characters than most actors do in a lifetime, including The Comedian in Zack Snyder's 2009 Watchmen adaptation, Bruce Wayne's father in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and, more recently, the brutal, baseball bat-wielding Negan on The Walking Dead. Morgan is currently filming Shrine, a horror film based on James Herbert's novel in which he plays a journalist investigating strange events in a New England town.

Be sure to check back for more information and updates on the longest-running medical drama in history, as well as other check-ins with the stars of your favorite movies and TV shows, here on CinemaBlend.

Earlier this year, Justin Chambers officially announced his departure from Grey’s Anatomy as Alex Karev. It’s safe to say that, not only was the news surprising, but viewers were blindsided to learn that the actor's last onscreen appearance had already happened earlier in Season 16. Following Alex’s goodbye episode, fans were livid over the way he was written off the show. Recently, Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff finally responded to the backlash over Alex Karev’s ending.

Justin Chambers’ abrupt exit left a big hole in his character’s storyline. Onscreen, Alex’s absence was explained by him visiting his mom. Then, his wife Jo began worrying because he wouldn’t respond to her messages after a while. In an episode filled with flashbacks, Alex said goodbye via letters to Jo and Meredith, explaining that he’d reconnected with ex-wife Izzie Stevens and their children, and that he was leaving Grey Sloan behind for good. While Ellen Pompeo thought it was “the best send off” for the character, many fans were not pleased. In an interview with Deadline, Krista Vernoff revealed her thoughts about the angry fan response. In her words:

It sure sounds like she was in a bit of a bind. In hindsight, it seems there was only so much Krista Vernoff and the writing team could do, considering that Justin Chambers left before his storyline could be wrapped up. Former Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Tony Phelan also conceded that character goodbyes were “never easy or entirely satisfying to the audience.”

It was hard for fans to see a character like Alex — one of the last few original cast members left — go out the way he did, abandoning Jo and his life in Seattle to go and be with Izzie on a farm. Still, his goodbye episode did have some heartwarming moments and Krista Vernoff admits that the farewell episode was an emotional one for her. Here’s what she had to say:

Grey’s Anatomy wrapped Season 16 early due to the Hollywood shutdowns, and Episode 17 ended up being the season finale. Thankfully, the ABC series was already renewed for Season 17, but stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates on production starts and more.

The shockwaves continue following Justin Chambers’ departure from Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Alex Karev. The actor officially announced his exit in January, though his final episode had actually already aired in November. While it’s hard to see an original cast member leave the medical drama after 16 seasons, everyone’s reactions to it have varied. Now, Grey’s Anatomy star Jaicy Elliot reveals she “had so many feelings” about Chambers leaving the long-running show.

Though Justin Chambers’ departure didn’t seem to be due to any ill will towards the writers or cast, emotions ranged from anger to shock following Alex’s official goodbye episode, called “Leave the Light On.” Jaicy Elliot, who plays Dr. Taryn Helm on Grey’s Anatomy, was quite devastated over losing Chambers and his character on the show. Here’s what she told TooFab:

She’s right, it is truly hard to watch a beloved actor and character exit a show, especially someone like Justin Chambers’ Alex Karev, who came so far from where he started in Grey's Anatomy Season 1 and was with the show for so long that fans had a vested interest in him and his storyline. Interestingly, Jaicy Elliot’s reaction to his exit was a bit different than co-star Ellen Pompeo’s.

Whereas Ellen Pompeo believed that Alex got the “best send off,” Grey's Anatomy fans were livid over the fact that Alex left his job at Grey Sloan and his wife Jo to go be with ex-wife Izzie Stevens and their two children, whom he hadn't known about. As for whether or not his exit was a surprise to her and the cast, it sounds like Jaicy Elliot also found the storyline to be surprising and was torn, especially since she was a fan of Alex and Jo as a couple. In her words:

The actress certainly offers a more unique perspective than what we’ve seen before because, while she is now starring on the beloved ABC drama, Jaicy Elliott has also been a longtime fan of Grey’s Anatomy. I can’t imagine what it was like for her to have to watch a beloved character and co-worker leave the show at once.

New episodes of Grey’s Anatomy air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our midseason schedule for updated premiere dates and times.

While Grey’s Anatomy finally said goodbye to Justin Chambers’ Alex Karev, it wasn’t exactly the send off most fans were hoping for. In fact, many fans were quite livid with the way the long-running ABC series wrapped up Alex’s storyline. As one of only a handful of original cast members left on the medical drama, viewers expected a bit more from his exit, with some wishing the writers had actually killed him off instead. However, Ellen Pompeo thinks Grey’s Anatomy gave Alex Karev “the best send off.” Really?

When Justin Chambers formally announced that he was leaving Grey’s Anatomy for good in January, with his final episode having already aired last November, Ellen Pompeo took to social media to react to her long-time co-star’s departure. While her response at the time was brief, Pompeo recently took to Instagram to share her expanded thoughts on Alex’s ending, explaining why that controversial ending was a good one for Alex. In her words:

Alongside her message -- which did not mention actor Justin Chambers -- Ellen Pompeo posted a video of all of Meredith and Alex’s moments together over the years. Their friendship really has been one for the ages and will remain a cornerstone of Grey’s Anatomy. Check out the video and full caption below!

Personally, the flashbacks to Alex’s early days were nostalgic, but they were more to remind fans that he and Izzie Stevens were together. Alex, who leaves letters behind to those most important to him, including his wife Jo, explained that he’d reconnected with his ex-wife Izzie and that she’d given birth to twins she’d failed to tell him about them for five years. After 16 seasons on the show and so much character development, fans wondered whether Grey’s Anatomy ruined Alex by having him leave Jo for Izzie so abruptly.

For what it’s worth, Ellen Pompeo clearly doesn’t think so, encouraging fans not to be “sad” about Alex’s departure or the way that he left Grey Sloan behind. However, considering that Pompeo’s Meredith Grey relied on Alex’s support to get her medical license back and how close a friendship they’ve had all these years, I’m honestly surprised she thought his ending was the “best possible storyline,” but to each their own.

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 midseason schedule for updated premiere dates and times.

Spoilers ahead for Episode 16 of Grey's Anatomy Season 16, called "Leave a Light On."

Grey’s Anatomy finally bid adieu to Justin Chambers’ Alex Karev after 16 seasons. Chambers, who officially announced his shocking departure from the medical drama in January, made his last physical appearance on the show in the November episode “My Shot.” While the ABC series initially explained Alex’s absence was due to visiting his mother in Iowa, this week’s episode revealed the real reason behind the surgeon’s departure, and Grey’s Anatomy fans are livid over how the show handled the whole ordeal.

In a shocking turn of events, Alex Karev left Seattle, his friends, wife Jo, and his job at Grey Sloan to go be with his ex-wife Izzie on a farm in Kansas. Apparently, Izzie had given birth to their twins and had never told Alex about it. Once he found out, he decided that living on the farm with his ex and kids is the life he’d always wanted. To top it all off, Alex told Jo all of this by way of a letter. And just like that, he and Jo were done; Alex claimed he had already signed the divorce papers. Ouch.

Suffice it to say, Alex’s send-off didn’t exactly give fans any warm or fuzzy feelings. In fact, the reason behind his exit made fans quite angry and emotional. Twitter practically exploded with various reactions, with one fan suggesting it would have been better if Grey’s Anatomy had just killed Alex off instead.

Meanwhile, another fan was so angry with the Grey’s Anatomy’s writing staff that they used a gif showing disgust towards the writers.

Another fan decided to use pictures of Alex Karev, pointing out how far the character has come over the course of 16 seasons on the show. The fan believes that Season 16 Alex would never abandon Jo to go be with Izzie the way he did in the episode “Leave a Light On.”

In a rather hilarious Twitter reaction, one fan decided to write out something that might have actually appeared on Alex Karev’s headstone had he died. To top it off, they used a gif of Nick Fury which explains how she's going to look at the choice for Alex to end up with Izzie again from now on. Personally, I think that’s rather fair, considering how this story played out.

A long-time Grey’s Anatomy fan wrote about how they’d dealt with so many ups and downs on the show, including Derek Shepherd’s death, but that Alex leaving the way he did may have been the final straw.

As you can clearly see, Grey’s Anatomy fans are not pleased about recent developments. Considering Justin Chambers’ abrupt departure, there was only so much that could have been done to clear things up with his character. However, this was, admittedly, an incredibly surprising choice for such a beloved character.

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 midseason schedule for updated premiere dates and times.

Spoilers ahead for Grey's Anatomy Season 16, Episode 15, "Snowblind," which premiered February 27, 2020 on ABC.

I never thought I'd hope for Grey's Anatomy to kill off Dr. Alex Karev, but here we are. I was hoping ABC would go with one of these options instead, if there's just no way to convince actor Justin Chambers to return to the role. But at this point, killing off Alex might be the only way to salvage his legacy. Grey's Anatomy Season 16 is going to reveal Alex's fate in a goodbye episode called "Leave A Light On," airing Thursday, March 5, 2020. That's when we'll get the clarity we were promised.

It seems like ABC has to kill him off now. Because, otherwise, he's a jerk who ghosted his wife Jo Wilson Karev, also ghosted his BFF Meredith Grey, and also ghosted his own mom? As we found out on February 27, Alex never made it to Iowa to see his mom Helen Karev. So something must've happened.

But what happened? Did Alex die on the way to Iowa? Would that timing work with Meredith's almost-reply-text from the February 20th episode? Remember, at the end of "A Diagnosis," she texted asking where he was because she needed him. Alex's phone appeared to start a reply but then it went dead.

So ... random speculation time ... was Alex driving and trying to text and he was hit by a car? That wouldn't explain why he didn't get back to Jo before that. She had been calling him, so if he had access to a phone, wouldn't he have called his wife first before starting a text reply to Meredith? And wouldn't Alex have already been in Iowa by the time Meredith got that "..." message forming from him? If not, where was he the whole time?

Did Alex's phone die right when he was trying to reply? Again, not clear why he wouldn't have called before that point. Maybe he really was going through something, but he was finally ready to communicate again and then something happened?

Why text and not call? And why not finish the text if the phone wasn't dead? I get that they can't have Justin Chambers' voice if he's not available for a voicemail, but we could at least see Jo Karev reacting to one last voicemail, if that happened. In this case, though, it sounds like he never called and we only have this started text that mysteriously stopped before he -- or whoever had the phone -- sent it.

Maybe something happened and he tried to make a heroic rescue -- I know that Grey's Anatomy storyline has been done before, but if they want to write out Alex as a hero, I'm fine with it. There's still the possibility that Alex Karev doesn't get killed off. Maybe he's been busy trying to help someone, or help himself, and he emerges alive and just stays off screen from this point -- occasionally giving Jo or Meredith texts, like Cristina, or mentioned off-screen like April, who is still co-parenting Harriet with Jackson.

Here's the simple synopsis ABC shared for Alex Karev's goodbye episode, Grey's Anatomy Season 16, Episode 16, "Leave A Light On":

Here's the promo:

Grey's Anatomy fans have been in shock since Justin Chambers announced his surprise departure -- months after his final episode. We found out later that his final episode on the show was Season 16, Episode 8, which aired on November 14, 2019. There was no warning, and there wasn't really any explanation beyond Chambers' own brief statement.

So now ABC is picking up the pieces and trying to write out Alex Karev in a way that makes a drop of sense. So far, the writers have angered fans by suggesting Alex would ever ghost Jo or Meredith, after Izzie did that to him. And that's why they kinda have to kill him off or find a way to explain what's been happening in a way that fits with 16 seasons of character development.

Do you have any theories on how Alex will be written out next week? Did he die? Was he going to text Meredith? Did someone else text? What happened with his phone? Will he still somehow live on, off-screen?

Grey's Anatomy Season 16 continues Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, even though I preferred it at 8 p.m. But clearly no one cares what I want.

Spoilers ahead from Grey's Anatomy Season 16, Episode 13, which aired Thursday, February 13, 2020 on ABC.

So far, Grey's Anatomy fans are NOT happy with how the show is handling Alex Karev's absence -- and showrunner Krista Vernoff just said it'll be a while before fans get clarity.

Grey's Anatomy original cast member Justin Chambers abruptly quit the show last month, and it turns out his final episode as Dr. Alex Karev aired back in November 2019 -- with no warning that that would be his last episode. Apparently there's a lot going on behind-the-scenes, but what's on screen to explain Alex's absence is frustrating fans of both Alex and his "Jolex" relationship with wife Jo.

In late January 2020, we heard that Alex was in Iowa visiting his mother, Helen. In February 13's "Save the Last Dance for Me," Jo basically revealed that Alex was ghosting her while he went through something. He wasn't returning her calls, and she even wondered if he was paying her back for pulling away last year during her mental health crises after meeting her birth mother. Jo quickly said she knew Alex wouldn't do that, but it was a sad note to add to their story all the same. At the end of the episode, Jo returned to their apartment and Alex was not there.

Grey's Anatomy fans were frustrated at the show suggesting Alex would ghost Jo -- and Meredith, and everyone at Pac-North, which just got bought out by Catherine? It doesn't fit with the Alex of Season 16. The Alex of Season 1? Sure. But he had so much character development since then. Besides, it would be close to how Izzie left him when Katherine Heigl left the show.

Actor Justin Chambers put Grey's Anatomy in a tough position to explain why Alex suddenly disappeared. Showrunner Krista Vernoff explained to Variety that it's going to take some time to let the story play out:

It sounds like Jo's storyline is informing this decision, because they don't want to put her through more grief -- and hopefully they don't want to write Camilla Luddington's character out just because Alex is gone.

I'm glad they care about leaving Jo in the right place, but what about Alex? Whatever is happening with Justin Chambers, the character of Alex Karev has been a fan favorite for 16 seasons. They don't seem to be handling Alex's absence with a lot of respect for the character.

This whole situation has been strange. I sympathize with the Grey's Anatomy writers, because I get the feeling they had very little warning about this exit too. Now they have to write out Alex while also continuing Jo's storyline, and altering plans for Pac-North. Alex was tied to so much because he's, well, Alex.

But the strangeness has continued off-screen with near radio silence on Justin Chambers' exit. Usually when a cast member leaves, we know about it in advance, or we hear right away "That was Such and Such's Final Episode." The cast and producers usually say nice things about the departing star, but not this time. There has been very little on that front.

There might be some resentment behind-the-scenes for where he put the show, but I don't know. Grey's Anatomy does have a long history of that kind of thing, though, and there was a "toxic" environment in the early years, per Meredith Grey star Ellen Pompeo.

What do you think? Can this Alex exit storyline be salvaged? Grey's Anatomy Season 16 continues Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.

Grey's Anatomy Season 16 is returning from winter hiatus this week, and it won't be the first episode without Justin Chambers as Alex Karev, but it will be the first one we KNOW won't feature Alex ever again. The ABC show is meant to address Alex's absence, but not in a way that provides closure.

Fans have speculated on how Grey's Anatomy could write out Alex after 16 seasons on the show. But perhaps an even bigger question is ... why aren't the Grey's cast and producers saying more about Justin Chambers' exit? His co-stars have been mostly quiet, and the producers have been silent.

Grey's Anatomy may be going through something right now, and the circumstances behind Chambers' abrupt exit are personal. He made his own statement about leaving -- and thanked ABC, Shonda Rhimes, and original cast members Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, and James Pickens. That was followed by the surprising news that his final episode already aired on November 14. It wasn't even the winter finale, which aired November 21. No one knew that was it for Chambers and Alex Karev until his statement last week.

And then? Mostly silence, or vague statements that said nothing specific about working with Justin Chambers.

Ellen Pompeo simply tweeted this as her reaction:

That's it so far. Camilla Luddington plays Jo Wilson Karev, Alex's wife, and so far she has said nothing publicly. This is not to pressure her unduly to say something, she doesn't owe us anything. It's just surprising to fans that so many cast members have been silent or responded in ways that seem ... distant ... considering the context.

As of today, only a few Grey's Anatomy stars have directly responded to Justin Chambers exit. Jake Borelli plays Dr. Levi Schmitt and had this to say at Entertainment Weekly Pre-SAG Awards celebration, when asked about Chambers' exit:

Not to pick that apart, but there wasn't a single word about Justin Chambers. Again, no one owes us anything, but the Grey's Anatomy cast and producers have to know fans are confused and curious about this whole situation.

Same thing for Jason George, who plays Ben Warren on Grey's Anatomy and Station 19; here's what he said about Justin Chambers' exit (via People):

Alex Blue Davis, who plays Dr. Casey Parker, appears to be the only Grey's Anatomy cast member so far to post something specific about working with Justin Chambers:

Justin Chambers has been on Grey's Anatomy since Season 1. He, Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson (Dr. Miranda Bailey), and James Pickens Jr. (Dr. Richard Webber) are the only stars who have been on the show since the beginning. ABC already renewed Grey's Anatomy for Season 17, and -- until last week -- Justin Chambers was expected to return with the rest of the series regulars.

Even if Grey's Anatomy fans don't need the nitty-gritty details of why he left, they have noticed that the silence out there on Justin Chambers' exit sounds very different from the reactions to, say, Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew leaving at the end of Season 14. Those characters had big send-offs and there were gushing posts about the stars and characters.

Now? Alex is already gone and not much has been said about it. Producers haven't stepped in to say how it might affect Jolex or Jo Karev's storyline, nothing.

There's definitely a lot going on behind-the-scenes that fans don't know about, and plenty we don't need to know about. But being left in the dark about this abrupt exit -- that apparently already happened two months ago -- just fosters a sense of betrayal. Whatever the cast and crew might think of Justin Chambers, fans have loved Alex Karev for 16 seasons. The show has existed for 16 seasons because of the fans.

Grey's Anatomy Season 16 returns from winter break Thursday, January 23 at 8 p.m. on ABC.

One week ago, Alex Karev actor Justin Chambers issued a statement about leaving Grey's Anatomy in the middle of Season 16. His final episode reportedly already aired on November 14, 2019. That left fans shocked but also nervous about how the ABC show would explain his absence. How are they going to write out this original character? He's Meredith Grey's "person," since Cristina Yang is already gone. Will they kill Alex off-screen? What about Alex's wife Jo Wilson Karev (Camilla Luddington)? Even if Alex lives, will Jolex die?

Jo and Alex became one of Grey's Anatomy's most popular 'ships. Why should the relationship have to end just because Justin Chambers abruptly left the show? They were just getting started and wanted a family!

When Grey's Anatomy Season 16 makes its 2020 return next Thursday, January 23, Alex's absence will reportedly be mentioned, but not in a way that writes him out or provides closure. So I'm hoping both Alex and the Jolex 'ship can at least survive -- even if it'll be awkward to try to explain why we don't see Alex on screen anymore.

On that note, here are five ways Grey's Anatomy can write out Alex Karev without killing him off or ending the Jolex relationship:

1. Alex Still Works At Pac North Off Screen

No matter what Grey's Anatomy chooses to do, it's going to frustrate fans. But since Alex is already working at Pac North, after being fired from Grey Sloan at the end of Season 15, they could just let him stay there and occasionally reference him. It could be like how April Kepner still lives in the area and co-parents baby Harriet with Jackson Avery, we just don't see her on screen anymore. She no longer works at Grey Sloan. So every so often, Jo or Meredith Grey could mention Alex. We could even spend more time at Pac North, where several other former Grey Sloan doctors now work, and everyone could just mention Alex. Sad as it is, this might be the best-case scenario.

2. Alex Takes Care Of His Mom

Let's say Alex Karev quits Pac North, or takes an extended break, and stays in Iowa to spend time with his mother Helen Karev (Lindsay Wagner). Or Grey's Anatomy could say Helen was moving to Seattle and Alex thought it was time he quit to be a full-time caregiver, with Jo bringing home the bacon. Helen has schizophrenia, and even though she was doing better, it would still make sense if she needed some family care. Alex and his mom got to bond a bit more, and Helen was even kind of nudging Jo to have grandchildren -- which is part of what led Jo to follow her own family history and meet her birth mother, which sent her into her own mental health crisis. At any rate, if Alex spends a lot of time with his mom, Grey's Anatomy could just mention that through Jo.

3. Alex Takes Care Of The Baby

Grey's Anatomy Season 16's winter 2019 finale showed Jo volunteering for a safe haven program and caring for a baby that was abandoned at Station 19. Jo was abandoned at a fire station as a baby herself, so it made sense that she'd bond with the child. She even brought the baby home. What happens from there? It looks like the winter return episode shows her with the baby -- along with the new pediatrics doc who replaced Alex at Grey Sloan. I really hope Grey's doesn't try to bring Jo and Dr. Cormac Hayes close together. Better to say Alex is the one staying at home with the baby. Maybe he quits Pac North as a lost cause and decides to stay home as a full-time dad, and we just follow Jo at Grey Sloan. As not-ideal-scenarios go, I kinda like this one.

4. Alex Joins Arizona In New York

Jo and Alex could do the long-distance thing if Arizona Robbins happens to call up Alex with an offer in NYC he can't refuse. They are both pediatric bosses and maybe she launches a new clinic and has a job that's perfect for him. He could work out there while Jo stays in Seattle at Grey Sloan ... or they could send Jo out there too. I'd hate for Camilla Luddington to lose her job on Grey's Anatomy because of Justin Chambers, though, so I'd prefer any scenario that kept Jo around while Alex was just off-screen. Just don't kill him off!

5. Alex Joins Cristina In Switzerland

I don't know why Alex would go to Switzerland without Jo, so this scenario would probably result in Jo leaving too, which is not ideal. When Sandra Oh left Grey's Anatomy, Cristina Yang wasn't killed off, she took a job at the Klausman Institute for Medical Research in Zurich, Switzerland. Every so often, we get a Cristina reference, or even a text from Cristina to her "person" Meredith. What if both of Meredith's OG peeps went to Switzerland? This is another tricky scenario for Jo, since I don't see Alex going there without Jo unless they broke up off-screen. I'm trying to keep Jolex together. Switzerland would be quite a long-distance relationship from Seattle, so this is the least likely scenario to work if 1) Jo stays at Grey Sloan as a main character on Grey's Anatomy and 2) Jolex gets to stay alive as a relationship.

I'm not in love with any of those scenarios either, but guess what? There are no great options left unless Justin Chambers returns. What other ideas can you think of where Alex gets written off the show -- 'cause we have no choice in that matter -- but Alex stays alive and he and Jo stay together? They just got married! They were just getting past their personal dramas! Don't ruin Jolex for us.

I don't envy Krista Vernoff, Shonda Rhimes, and the Grey's Anatomy writers the task ahead. No matter what they write for Alex Karev, it won't be what fans really want.

Grey's Anatomy Season 16 returns from winter break on Thursday, January 23 at 9 p.m. -- yes, 9 p.m., after the Station 19 crossover at 8 p.m. -- on ABC.

Welp, Grey's Anatomy's 2020 return has the thankless task of being the first new episode of the show since Justin Chambers announced that he was done as Alex Karev. Not even that he would exit the ABC show, but that he was already gone, having snuck out the side door in Season 16's November 14, 2019 episode.

Fans had no clue until Justin Chambers made his statement last Friday. So now what? Now Grey's Anatomy has to address Alex's absence, and it will do so right in next week's winter premiere, Season 16, Episode 10, airing January 23.

However, while Alex's absence will be addressed, it won't be done in a way that brings closure. That's the word from TVLine in response to a fan's question on how Grey's Anatomy will explain Alex's absence. So we'll hear about Alex but not get the closure or answers we want in the 2020 return. The questions will be left hanging.

I don't want closure, personally, but I would like answers. They do have to address Alex's absence in some way, not just in the winter 2020 premiere but in a way that explains how Jo Wilson Karev is moving on without her husband. Oh, and what's happening with that baby? Remember, Jo rescued a baby at Station 19 -- a baby left at a fire station, just like she was -- and, what, she's raising the child alone now?

Or, even worse -- to me -- is she going to start some kind of new romance with the new doc? It's possible Grey's Anatomy saw this coming longer than we knew, since Alex Karev's position at Grey Sloan has already been filled by Dr. Cormac Hayes, played by Shameless alum Richard Flood.

New photos of Grey's Anatomy's return episode -- which follows the big Station 19 crossover -- show Cormac and Jo with what I assume is the baby Jo plans to care for.

It's nice to see the new doc smile, but I don't like this look he's giving Jo:

They're not really going to go there, are they? Jo and Alex just got married. She just changed her name from Jo Wilson to Jo Karev. Jo and Alex were talking about starting a family. Jolex fans don't want to see that 'ship sink right when it was about to set sail. Jo was finally getting back on her feet after her mental health crisis. Alex has a new job at Pac North, but I was hoping he'd be able to follow Meredith Grey back "home" to Grey Sloan.

How are they going to explain Alex's absence? I have some suggestions on that front I'll post Friday (update: here they are), but I'm wondering if Alex just keeps working off-screen at Pac North, like April is still in baby Harriet's life as Jackson's ex, we just don't see her anymore. I'd hate for Alex to go to Iowa to take care of his mom and not take Jo. But I don't want Jo to have to leave Grey Sloan just because of Alex/Justin Chambers.

Speaking of Jo, what does actress Camilla Luddington think about this? Meredith Grey star Ellen Pompeo had a brief reaction to Justin Chambers leaving after 16 seasons on the show. But the silence out there is deafening. No one even has just a nice statement about the time spent together? They don't have to get into any personal specifics about his decision to leave. No one owes us anything, I'm just surprised is all.

At any rate, as Justin Chambers exits -- without saying goodbye on screen, for whatever reason -- Grey's Anatomy will continue to add stars, like a Suits vet for a new Season 16 arc. And apparently DeLuca is sticking around despite actor Giacomo Gianniotti's own cryptic social media posts.

Don't forget that Grey's Anatomy is moving timeslots when it returns next week. ABC has decided to start with Station 19 at 8 p.m., to continue the car-crashed-into-a-bar storyline that sounds like the setup to a dad joke. Then Grey's Anatomy will follow at 9 p.m., with whatever mention we get of Alex and his absence. I'm guessing that comes from Jo, but it could also come from someone at Pac North.

Grey's Anatomy Season 16 returns Thursday, January 23 at 9 p.m., new time, on ABC.

It came as a shock when, after 16 seasons on Grey’s Anatomy, Justin Chambers announced he was leaving the series. While his departure wasn’t saddled with any behind-the-scenes drama, fans felt blindsided by the news. Now that fans have had time to mull over the surprise exit, Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo is reacting to Justin Chambers leaving as Alex Karev and it’s heartbreaking.

Justin Chambers was one of a handful of original Grey’s Anatomy cast members left on the show alongside Ellen Pompeo and she’s just as devastated by his abrupt exit as everyone else. Over on Twitter, Pompeo responded to an article headline stating that the long-running series is about to feel one its biggest losses. The actress wholeheartedly agreed that that would be the case. Read her full response below.

Ellen Pompeo’s response was brief and exemplified her heartbreak over Justin Chambers’ exit. It’s not hard to understand why. Pompeo’s Meredith Grey and Chambers’ Alex Karev have been each other’s support system since the beginning of the show. Their friendship has endured a lot, but they’ve always been there for each other, sharing in both the happiness and devastation that life has had to offer. With Chambers’ departure from Grey’s Anatomy, Meredith is losing the last friend she’s had since Season 1, so the sadness is apparent.

It’s unclear, however, if Ellen Pompeo will offer any other updates or thoughts regarding her costar’s exit, but the question of how Grey’s Anatomy will move forward has been at the forefront of fans’ minds. The last anyone saw of Alex Karev was during the series’ 350th episode, which aired November 14, and it’s been revealed that the episode was Justin Chambers’ last. At the time, he didn't appear in Season 16’s midseason finale, but no one thought anything of it.

That leaves the fate of his future with Jo Wilson, whom Alex recently married, and his friendship with Meredith up in the air for now. How they’ll react and what will happen with all of Alex’s future storylines are big question marks. In addition, Alex was already replaced by Richard Flood’s Dr. Cormac Hayes, who joined Mercy Sloan as the new head of Pediatric Surgery in the midseason finale.

The last thing Alex did for Meredith was help her in her insurance fraud case. With his support, she was able to get her medical license and her job back. Surely Ellen Pompeo knows how important Alex was to Meredith. Off-screen, the actress also lost her costar of 15 years, and that’s just as devastating. And to think fans were concerned that another Grey’s Anatomy star would be leaving!

Grey’s Anatomy Season 16 will carry on without Justin Chambers’ Alex Karev when it returns with new episodes on Thursday, January 23 at 9 p.m. ET. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 midseason schedule to find out when every new and returning show is set to premiere.

What the heck just happened? Grey's Anatomy fans were already worried for another star of the show after his posts about a career loss. But never mind that now, because that was quickly followed by the shocking announcement from original Grey's actor Justin Chambers that he would be leaving the show as Dr. Alex Karev. Except ... it sounds like he already left and ABC already aired his final episode. It's bizarre and fans are handling it about as well as you might expect.

Sure, Grey Sloan already replaced Alex Karev's job with a new doctor, but Alex was still part of the cast and working (temporarily, I thought) at PacNorth. Plus, he and Jo Wilson just got married and have talked about starting a family. Plus, he's Meredith Grey's only OG friend left from Season 1. He's her new person now that Cristina Yang is off in Europe.

So how is Grey's Anatomy going to write out Alex Karev? Is he going to get the Cristina treatment and be mentioned off screen? Will he continue at PacNorth and we just hear about him through Jo? Is he ... going to get the Derek treatment and be killed off?

It's hard to imagine they'd kill him off, especially when -- another shocker -- Justin Chambers reportedly already filmed and aired his final episode:

What?! True, Alex was missing from Grey's Anatomy Season 16's winter finale, which aired November 21. That's leading into the big Station 19 crossover that premieres January 23. But Alex was always expected back.

I seriously thought Alex and Jo were going to be the ultimate endgame couple to turn off the lights whenever Grey's Anatomy eventually ended. They are arguably the most popular couple on the show right now, unless maybe Amelia and Link have that spot. Things keep changing, it's hard to gauge.

So what happens to Jo? She can certainly exist as a character without Alex, she's strong on her own and she's had quite an arc. But they really boxed her into a corner by just starting her married life with Alex. She's recovering from her own personal tragedy, explored when meeting her birth mother last season. She and Alex were going to have kids. That's something fans had wanted for so long for Alex. Will that still happen? Will we just never see Alex as part of his kids' lives? Who would even want that?

ABC has already renewed Grey's Anatomy through Season 17 and we thought, until today, that Justin Chambers would be part of that cast. This feels abrupt, to say the least, and fans don't know what is going to happen next:

Yeah, that did not feel like a goodbye. That was not closure. That was not enough for fans who have loved Alex Karev for 16 seasons. And what about Camilla Luddington's Jo? Will they write her out without Alex? I would hate that for her, so I certainly hope not. But so much of Jo Wilson Karev's story was tied to him and their future, so it's going to be strange, however they move forward.

I do remember Ellen Pompeo being frustrated after Patrick Dempsey left and so many fans wanted Grey's Anatomy to end. She wanted to show how Meredith could go on without Derek and be single for a while. I would hope Justin Chambers and Ellen Pompeo, as a producer, both fought for the character of Jo to go on without Alex, however they explain it. Maybe she just takes care of that fire station baby and ... Alex is just understood to be helping her off-screen? Eh.

Yeah, at the moment there's just a lot of shock and a ton of questions. Justin Chambers dropped the bomb on fans on a Friday afternoon, two weeks before Grey's Anatomy returns from winter hiatus. Why now? I'm curious about that. It really does seem abrupt.

At least when Grey's Anatomy revealed April and Arizona would be written off the show, there were several episodes for fans to prepare, and they both got to say goodbye in their own ways -- leaving the door open for potential appearances down the road. Their stories were given endings, as opposed to how things were left with Alex Karev in that Season 16, Episode 8 hour on November 14. It was the big 350th milestone episode but if ABC knew that was his final episode at the time, why not say it?

Welp, this changes things for Grey's Anatomy Season 16, but the show will still continue for this season and into Season 17 and maybe beyond. Yay? The winter 2020 premiere airs Thursday, January 23 at 9 p.m. -- new time, after Station 19 -- on ABC.

Grey's Anatomy fans are suffering a huge blow before the long-running show even returns for the second half of Season 16 later in January thanks to some big news from Justin Chambers. The actor, who has played Alex Karev since way back in the first season, announced his departure from Grey's Anatomy, cutting the list of original cast members down to three. In some good news, Chambers has explained why he's leaving, and his reasons don't necessarily mean no more Alex ever.

In a statement, Justin Chambers shared why he made the decision to leave Grey's Anatomy after 15 years:

In his statement (via TVLine), Justin Chambers was quite clear that he's not leaving Grey's Anatomy because of any bad blood or dislike of the show's direction. In fact, even the most diehard Grey's and Alex Karev fans may be able to accept his reasons for the big departure.

After spending 15 years on one show playing one role, can anybody blame him for wanting to try some new things in his career and perhaps spend more time with his family? And surely I can't be the only one astonished he's on the cusp of turning 50! He did go on to thank the people who made his long run on one of the biggest shows on network television possible. Are his reasons for leaving enough for fans to hope that he could return, at least for a limited arc or guest shot?

A lot may depend on how Grey's Anatomy writes out Justin Chambers' character for good. When he took a break from Seattle in the first half of Season 16, the explanation was that he needed to return home to care for his ailing mom. Now, that episode was reportedly his last.

If his absence is simply explained as Alex needing to stay for a while because his mom was worse than he thought, Grey's may not need to do much to sell why Alex isn't around to start. Interestingly, the lack of an epic goodbye for one of the final remaining original cast members may suggest that Chambers' departure came without a whole lot of notice to the show. Surely Alex deserved a grander sendoff, right?

Still, it might be hard for Grey's Anatomy to really sell Alex being gone for good to care for his mom when he has so many ties to Seattle, so what could happen next? On the one hand, McDreamy's demise (not to mention all those other heartbreakers) proves that Grey's isn't afraid to kill off major characters. On the other hand, characters like Cristina and Izzie got to leave without dying, and there's still talk about reprising their roles, no matter how unlikely at this point. And Alex is technically already gone without dying.

I do have to wonder if Grey's has painted itself into a corner on the Karev front. He is devoted to his loving wife Jo, and they even re-tied their knot in Season 16. If the show doesn't plan on losing Camilla Luddington from Grey's Anatomy, is there any reason short of death that would prompt Alex to leave Jo forever? Or could this mean a goodbye to Jo as well?

The show also doesn't necessarily need him, as he's been working elsewhere than Grey Sloan ever since the end of Season 15, and another doctor is joining the series to fill Alex's place at his original hospital.

Grey's Anatomy: Why Each Of The Major Cast Members Left

Still, Grey's may not want to kill him off when there's such a shortage of old-timers left at this point, so fans shouldn't despair when Justin Chambers leaves Grey's Anatomy. Anything can happen, and fans should be sure to tune in once the show returns for the second half of Season 16 on Thursday, January 23 at 9 p.m. ET as the second hour of a crossover event on ABC. And hey, at least fans have confirmation another doctor isn't leaving!

Can you blame Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) for looking like hell in ABC's photos for the Grey's Anatomy Season 16 premiere? The Season 15 finale left him in a very bad spot on two major fronts.

First of all, Alex's wife Jo Wilson Karev (Camilla Luddington) -- who had an even worse Season 15 -- took a leave of absence from Grey Sloan and committed herself to the psych ward to process the trauma of learning the truth about her birth. On top of that, Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) fired Alex -- and Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) and, somehow, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) -- for Alex's role in Meredith's insurance fraud situation.

So Alex Karev has no job and his wife is in not around to help him as we enter Grey's Anatomy Season 16. It's a huge change from Season 15, which showed Alex newly married to Jo, and then the acting chief of the hospital while Bailey took some time away.

The Grey's Anatomy Season 16 premiere -- which airs next Thursday, September 26 -- is titled "Nothing Left to Cling To," and includes this note: "Meredith, Richard and Alex must deal with the consequences after Bailey fires them from Grey Sloan for insurance fraud." One promo already showed Meredith out on the streets collecting trash for community service. ABC's photos show Alex looking rough (see top photo), with Richard presumably trying to help him get his ish together in this shot:

Then again, Richard may need help getting his own ish together. Not only was he fired, he's an alcoholic in recovery whose wife Catherine has been battling cancer. It's not like his life is rosy.

But Grey's Anatomy has given OG character Alex a long pattern of watching the women he cares about battle mental illness. Showrunner Krista Vernoff previously said she hoped therapy would bring Jo back to herself and Alex, and also allow Alex to "heal the wound that keeps repeating." So here's hoping they close that loop for good in Season 16.

In some hopeful news, Grey's Anatomy Season 16, Episode 2 is called "Back in the Saddle," and ABC's synopsis says "Jo readies herself to return to work." On the flip side, "Richard and Alex start anew and it's not easy." Do they start new jobs? Together or separate? That episode also notes, "Outside the hospital, Meredith’s recent firing doesn’t stop her from diagnosing those around her." I can totally picture that!

That episode is meant to also show "Amelia has a new revelation in her relationship with Link." They are shown in one of ABC's photos for Episode 2:

What's the new revelation about Link? I hope it's a positive one, and not Amelia wanting to go back to Owen.

Jaicy Elliot's Dr. Taryn Helm -- the intern who had a crush on Meredith -- never gets enough screen time, but she's also showcased in a couple of photos for Episode 2, so that's a hopeful sign for her:

You may have heard that Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 are planning a lot of crossovers in 2019-2020. Showrunner Krista Vernoff recently told TV Guide they are even "building one romance between the two shows." That could be between anyone -- including new romances for Maggie or Jackson if they do break up -- but I'm kind of hoping Taryn gets to find love, or Sophia Ali's Dr. Dahlia Qadri. Glasses shouldn't be the only intern with a love story!

Grey's Anatomy Season "Sweet 16" starts September 26 at 8 p.m. on ABC, so get yourself caught up and ready to go.

Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) has had a lot of nicknames on Grey's Anatomy -- from Dr. Evil Spawn to Dr. Doucheface -- but despite his angry frat boy reputation, we know Alex has a big heart.

Alex's childhood included a mix of aggressive behavior in foster homes and the tender caring for his mother Helen Karev (Lindsay Wagner), who has schizophrenia. He had to admit his mother into psychiatric care at one point, and that pattern later continued with Rebecca Pope/Ava (Elizabeth Reaser) in Season 4, and with his wife Jo Wilson Karev (Camilla Luddington), who voluntarily entered the psychiatric ward for treatment in the Season 15 finale.

Grey's Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff gave hope to Jo and Alex fans for the 2019-2020 Season 16. In addition to Jo getting the help she needs, Vernoff told TVLine this may be the year Alex gets to heal his own wound of having to watch the women he cares about battle mental illness:

Alex does seem to have a history of being drawn to women he can try to save, with many of those women suffering from psychological trauma. However, there are major differences in the stories of his mother Helen Karev, his wife Jo Karev, and exes like Rebecca Pope.

Alex's mom Helen Karev made a return in Grey's Anatomy Season 15, and seemed to show positive progress. She also kinda nudged Jo in the direction of having kids, which led to Jo finding her birth mother and that whole intense episode revealing Jo as the product of rape. Jo really took that personally and internalized it, but with Meredith Grey's help, Jo was ready to take the next step.

It's frustrating that Jo and Alex were sidelined so much right after their wedding in Season 14, but considering Jo's own incredibly tragic life, psychiatric treatment does make logical sense. Hopefully, as Krista Vernoff said, therapy brings Jo back to herself and Alex. Alex wants to help, but he can't just "fix" people, not like this. I wouldn't be shocked to see Jo emerge stronger from treatment, and ready for a Jolex baby -- or at least a pregnancy -- by the end of the season.

Krista Vernoff is now in charge of Grey's Anatomy storylines, but she did emphasize that the writers room for Season 16 hadn't even gathered to break the new season yet. That's why she previously wasn't sure what would happen with Jackson Avery's storyline after his disappearance in the Season 15 finale. There are plenty of places the stories can go in Season 16, but the writers are only just now getting ready to gather their thoughts to figure out what will happen across the year.

Grey's Anatomy was already renewed for at least two more seasons, including three newly promoted series regulars. Season 16 will premiere in September 2019 on ABC.

This past week has shown Jessica Capshaw's Dr. Arizona Robbins should return to Grey's Anatomy. Between Capshaw's loving tribute to the show's recent TV milestone to last night's "baby in a bag" episode, I'm really feeling the loss of her character.

Jessica Capshaw's Arizona and Sarah Drew's April were written off Grey's Anatomy at the end of Season 14. It was shocking for the stars as well as the fans. But it's clear Capshaw has no hard feelings, only love for the show. Last week's Season 15 episode marked the show's official takeover as the longest running primetime medical show. Capshaw honored the milestone by literally getting back into character as Arizona and posting this sweet tribute before the episode aired:

Beautiful! You could understand if Jessica Capshaw was still hurt and even bitter after being written off the show, but she showed nothing but grace and love for the character and TV series in her Instagram tribute.

Both Arizona and April are still alive, with the Season 14 finale showing Arizona's decision to move to New York with her daughter Sofia. It sounds like Callie and Arizona may reconnect romantically as they co-parent Sofia. That's the hope anyway. It would be great to see both Sara Ramirez's Callie and Jessica Capshaw's Arizona return to Grey's Anatomy, although there's been no discussion of that.

Last night (March 7), Grey's Anatomy showed a perfect opportunity for Arizona to weigh in, and it was frustrating that she wasn't there. Season 15, Episode 16, "Blood and Water," had Dr. Vincenzo DeLuca (father of Andrew and Carina) pitching Acting Chief Alex Karev on his idea for a "baby in a bag." As former Head of Fetal Surgery, Arizona would've surely been curious about the proposed procedure, and kept a close eye on it. Arizona would've fit perfectly into that storyline, and it sounds like I'm not the only one who noticed:

Seriously. Supposedly writing out April and Arizona after Season 14 was a creative decision to downsize the large cast of series regulars. Season 15 has given us romantic and family drama in spades -- from Meredith Grey finding new love with Andrew DeLuca, to the love pentagon between Amelia/Owen/Teddy/Koracick and -- apparently starting next week with Amelia -- Link. Jo and Alex Karev are also now talking about possibly starting a family, once she figures out more about her past through gene testing. Grey's is also following the romance between Jackson Avery and Maggie Pierce, the fledgling love story of Levi Schmitt and Nico Kim, Catherine's cancer treatment, and Bailey's stress and marriage. It doesn't really feel like the cast has downsized much at all.

Meanwhile, Sarah Drew just announced an exciting new lead TV role, in a CBS pilot that sounds like it could be a lot of fun. We'll have to see what happens with that. It would still be great to see her April eventually come back to Grey's, even for brief appearances, since she is the mother of Harriet Kepner-Avery. It would also be great to see Jessica Capshaw back on TV screens again, but for now I'm hoping Grey's Anatomy has a change of heart and decides to bring her back (and Callie?) in Season 16. ABC has yet to renew the show for Season 16, but it seems to be a given.

Grey's Anatomy Season 15 continues Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC as one of the many TV shows now airing in midseason 2019.

Grey's Anatomy is passing ER's record on February 28, 2019, making it the queen of all medical TV shows. Season 15, Episode 15 is the 332nd episode of the series, passing the 331 episodes ER enjoyed in its 15-season run from 1994 to 2009. ABC previewed the big event with a promo focused on the halls of the what we now call Grey Sloan, sharing some of the most famous quotes from Grey's Anatomy's history:

Ah yes. "Pick me, choose me, love me" will always be an iconic Grey's Anatomy quote. We also hear Bailey's "I have 5 rules, memorize them," among others, as Ellen Pompeo's voice-over shares the big news...

Yes! It is amazing to think Grey's Anatomy is still going strong after 15 seasons -- with Season 16 all but assured, considering Ellen Pompeo's contract as Meredith Grey.

This all started on March 27, 2005 with the first episode of the series, "A Hard Day's Night." That episode had 16.25 million viewers. The nightly average is down now, with more competition on TV and people turning to streaming, but Season 15 is still averaging around 7 million viewers a week. Plus, there are reruns of past episodes all the time on networks like Lifetime, and Netflix has given the show a whole new fan base of younger viewers now catching up on the drama.

So much has changed over the past 331 episodes, and we've lost many favorite characters along the way. It sounds like the synopsis for 15x15 has a celebratory angle, so maybe that will be Grey's Anatomy's way of honoring its new milestone. Here are ABC's details on Episode 15, called "We Didn't Start the Fire" (via Futon Critic):

As you can see there, Lindsay Wagner is coming back as Alex's mother Helen Karev. And Jackson Avery is throwing a party to celebrate his mother Catherine's surgery. But "literally nothing goes as planned," which sounds like Grey's Anatomy to a T.

Here's a look of what's happening with Alex, Joe, and Helen in this episode, and apparently a glimpse of the party setting:

Alex definitely looks worried about his mom. How did she get there, and why is she there? Guess we'll find out this week.

Grey's Anatomy still has a lot of story left in the tank, and plenty of viewers still watching from various devices. Ellen Pompeo and show creator Shonda Rhimes have talked about when and how they want to end the show, but there's no current plan on the table for the endgame.

For my money, nurse Bokhee should be allowed to have the final word of the series, after being a constant for 15 seasons and counting. Let her have another line to Meredith Grey, then quietly close the operating room doors and exit Seattle Grace/Grey Sloan.

Grey's Anatomy Season 15 continues Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, as one of the many TV shows during in the 2019 midseason.

Spoilers below for the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy.

One of the biggest dramatic carrots being dangled in front of Grey's Anatomy fans in Season 13 has been Alex's ongoing legal case resulting from him physically assaulting DeLuca. Last week's revealed Alex wasn't destined for jail - but rather Meredith's bed - and tonight's "None of Your Business" saw Alex succeed in reacquiring his job at Grey Sloan Memorial. His attempt to thank DeLuca for the dropped charges was met with complete dismissal, though, and actor Justin Chambers offered some input on where the two doctors' relationships will go from here. Hint: Jo might be involved.

Indeed, to Alex, the fact that DeLuca ended the legal battle probably seemed like a sign of forgiveness or at least some form of understanding that Alex didn't want to intentionally beat the shit out of him all the time. But as viewers may have suspected from the episode, DeLuca doesn't appear to be the most willing to treat bygones as such, and he could have a completely different reason for not wanting to send Alex to jail.

That reason could look a lot like Jo, who is far more of a connective tissue between the two men right now than Alex's guiding voice as a medical professional. And though Justin Chambers says that Alex thinks things are okay, the actor himself has a different path of speculation, and it's one that could bring up more drama between the characters down the line. Here's what Chambers told Variety about why he thinks the charges were dropped.

The actor is playing it nice and cagey in his answer there, but he did soon cop to DeLuca being a definite threat when it comes to what Alex and Jo have going. And when the topic of a love triangle between the three doctors is brought up, Justin Chambers is game, saying there might be one...or that there might not be. I cannot put too much faith in this situation fizzling out before things get even more explosive, so I'm going to go with the "might be" part of that. Because then you add in the fact that Jo's husband might come back at some point, and...[kaboom].

With more coming for Alex and DeLuca's story in the future, as well as more about Meredith's big ol' suspension, Grey's Anatomy airs Thursday nights on ABC at 9:00 p.m. ET. Head to our midseason premiere schedule to see what's coming to the small screen in the coming months.