Station 19’s Season 6 finale signaled some challenges ahead for the firefighters, as a main character was killed off and Jack Gibson’s fate was left unknown. The big changes aren’t just happening on the screen, though, with plenty going on behind the scenes as well, following Krista Vernoff’s announcement that she was stepping away as showrunner from both Grey’s Anatomy and its firefighter spinoff. Taking over as co-showrunners on Station 19 for Season 7 will be Peter Paige and Zoanne Clack, and Paige just got me really excited about the stories that are to come, as he explained why he’s the right man for the job.

Peter Paige joined the Station 19 family as the director of Season 4’s “Comfortably Numb,” and he began serving as an executive producer during Season 6. He talked about the opportunity he has to continue his career of inclusive storytelling in an interview with EW, saying: 

Station 19 definitely followed in the footsteps of Grey’s Anatomy in its diverse casting practices — the majority of its cast comprises people of color — and in how it doesn’t shy away from social issues. That seems to be right up Peter Paige’s alley, as the Queer as Folk actor has proven his strength in those avenues through The Fosters and Good Trouble, which he created.

In fact, one of the issues tackled on Good Trouble involved its characters fighting for justice after a Black man died at the hands of police. So maybe it’s no coincidence that the most recent episode of Station 19 that Peter Paige directed was Season 6’s “We Build Then We Break,” which involved a particularly intense scene between the firefighters, several police officers and an innocent Black man.

Station 19 has always tackled conversations about race or sexuality head-on, and it looks like fans shouldn’t expect that to change with Peter Paige running the show. Those stories aren’t always the easiest to watch, because they feel so real, but that authenticity is definitely one of the draws to the series, and a quality that Paige will continue to provide. 

He’ll be bringing his experiences to the table alongside co-showrunner Zoanne Clack, who joined the Station 19 staff as head writer and executive producer last August. Clack was brought in amidst structural changes to the leadership, after a racial slur was reportedly used several times in a draft outline. Krista Vernoff shut down the virtual writer’s room in the aftermath until inclusive discussions were had and further actions were taken, including adding Clack to the team.

I can’t wait to see what new stories are in store for these characters! Station 19 was renewed for a seventh season in April and will hit its milestone 100th episode with the new batch of episodes. However, with the WGA strike ongoing, there’s no indication about when that Season 7 premiere will come, and it’s likely fans will have to wait a lot longer than they’re accustomed to for the new season. 

Keep an eye on the 2023 TV schedule for updates, and in the meantime, you can catch up on any of the firefighting drama you may have missed, with all six seasons of Station 19 available to stream with a Hulu subscription. 

Grey’s Anatomy is pretty much a cultural touchstone at this point, as the show has amassed quite a following over its 19 seasons. Fans tune into ABC faithfully to see what's going on with the staff of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The series is now looking towards its historic 20th season, though it'll be doing so without a familiar face. Longtime showrunner Krista Vernoff is officially set to exit after the end of Season 19. With that, the outgoing boss opened up about being part of the series and how it's literally saved lives.

Medical dramas, which involve fictional characters, utilize medical jargon and life-saving procedures in accurate ways. This helps to add a layer of authenticity to the proceedings. As Krista Vernoff prepares to depart the series for a second time, she spoke to TVLine about the impact the ABC drama has had by revealing the types of fan letters she and her colleagues receive:

It’s pretty remarkable to know that the series has helped so many people in such profound ways. The series has featured some intense storylines over the course of its run, so it's understandable that folks would've picked up a few things. Krista Vernoff deserves a lot of credit for her the guidance. (She even oversaw Grey's exhausting pandemic storyline.) 

I has to be nothing short of profound for someone to hear that a show you work on is actually helping people. Who says you can't learn anything important by watching scripted TV shows, right? It wouldn't be surprising if plenty of people have decided to enter the medical field due to watching the series as well.

Though the show is incredibly helpful, we do have to remember that at the end of the day, not everything is going to be 100% accurate. The producers aren't always going to have things totally on point when it comes Grey’s surgery scenes, for example. Still, the effort that everyone puts in is much appreciated.

Meanwhile, Krista Vernoff’s exit as showrunner from Grey’s Anatomy marks the latest departure for the long-running medical drama. Fans just said goodbye to Kelly McCreary’s Maggie Pierce and also Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey earlier this year. Though Pompeo will be returning for the Season 19 finale, and she has still been providing the voiceovers. This is clearly a period of transition for the show, one that sees a number of stars joining and exiting the program. But as things change behind the scenes, let's hope that audiences are able to continue pulling invaluable information from this lifesaver of a show.

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC as part of the 2023 TV schedule, and past seasons can be streamed by anyone with a Hulu subscription.

The future of Grey’s Anatomy seems to be safe for now, as the medical drama has already been renewed for a 20th season, following the addition of five new interns in Season 19 to re-engage the longtime fans. However, which of our beloved Seattle surgeons will make it to next season feels increasingly up in the air, as Ellen Pompeo stepping down as a series regular was followed by showrunner Krista Vernoff announcing her own exit and Kelly McCreary’s goodbye episode(s) coming April 13. 

Several of Grey’s Anatomy’s veteran cast members — including Chandra Wilson, Kevin McKidd, and Kim Raver — have spoken candidly on this very issue, so let’s take a look at where they stand. 

Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey)  

Chandra Wilson is one of the two main actors remaining who have been there from the very beginning. Although her character Miranda has been doing important work this season, there have been threats to her safety. If Wilson has anything to say about it, however, her character isn’t going anywhere. The actress told People in early April: 

Being with the show for the length of its run has apparently always been the goal — even if nobody could have expected it to be going strong 20 seasons in.  

James Pickens Jr. (Richard Webber)

The show’s first chief of surgery, Richard Webber has also been there from the jump. As the man portraying the doctor, James Pickens Jr. maintains that he’ll be around “as long as they want me.” In fact, he told ET at this year’s PaleyFest: 

It’s hard to imagine losing any of the characters who have been around for a while, so it’s especially comforting to hear that both of the remaining OGs seem to be happy right where they are. 

Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt)

Kevin McKidd may not have quite as many years under his belt as the previous two stars, but Owen Hunt joined the hospital staff way back in Season 5. In addition to playing the U.S. Army veteran, McKidd has directed a whopping 38 episodes, and he told The Wrap in March that he has no intentions of leaving: 

Owen’s situation seemed dicey for a while, almost dying when his vehicle went off a cliff and then being forced to run from the law, but the second half of Season 19 has seen him back where he belongs — Grey Sloan's chief of trauma. 

Camilla Luddington (Jo Wilson) 

Camilla Luddington joined Grey’s Anatomy in Season 9, so she’s aware just how quickly things could change in regards to her role as Jo Wilson. Earlier in Season 19, however, she let everyone know that she’s all-in with the direction the show has taken this season, telling ET:  

Jo has had a fun will-they-won’t-they situation going on with her bestie Link (Chris Carmack, more on him later), so it’s not surprising that Camilla Luddington is excited to stick around and see what’s next for her character. 

Kim Raver (Teddy Altman) 

This season Kim Raver has expanded her role on Grey’s Anatomy, not just with her character being promoted to chief of surgery, but also joining Kevin McKidd and Chandra Wilson as actors who also direct. The opportunity to grow as an artist is keeping her inspired, as she told TV Insider: 

Kim Raver has been a part of the series since Season 6, but did not appear in Seasons 9-13. Adding new skills to her repertoire seems like a good way to keep things fresh, so hopefully we'll see her step behind the camera again. 

Chris Carmack (Atticus Lincoln) 

Chris Carmack has been playing “Ortho God” Link since Season 15, and as previously noted, fans have become invested in the potential romance between his character and Jo. When asked in April if he was with Grey’s Anatomy for the long haul, he told ET: 

Yes, an astute observation from Chris Carmack. The hospital will, indeed, always need an orthopedic surgeon. However, his response falls a little short of a solid confirmation regarding his future years in that position. Please, Grey’s writers, just promise me one thing: if Link isn’t meant to stick around forever, don’t let him leave Jo in the same cruel way Alex Karev did!

It’s good to hear how many of the longtime cast members remain committed to Grey’s Anatomy, but there are also plenty of actors who have remained mum on the subject. Anthony Hill’s fate as Winston Ndugu is still unknown, and that will likely be addressed in next week’s two-hour event. Debbie Allen, like Ellen Pompeo, is an executive producer on the series, but her character Catherine Fox received some worrisome news earlier this season regarding her cancer, so we also don’t know how much longer she’ll be around.

In the meantime, we’ll continue to enjoy our favorite Seattle medical care professionals for as long as we have them. Grey’s Anatomy airs at 9 p.m. ET on Thursdays on ABC. Season 19 episodes are available for streaming with a Hulu subscription, and the first 18 seasons can be streamed with a Netflix subscription. 

Grey's Anatomy fans have known for some time that upheaval was on the way to Season 19 with the upcoming departure of leading lady Ellen Pompeo after nearly two decades as Dr. Meredith Grey, but another surprise exit is on the way. Showrunner Krista Vernoff is handing over the reins of the hit medical drama at the end of the 2022-2023 TV season after six years. 

In fact, Deadline reports that Krista Vernoff is stepping down as showrunner of both Grey's Anatomy and spinoff Station 19, with the latter in its sixth season and paired in primetime with Season 19 of the parent series. Vernoff started on Grey's in the first season, starting as a writer and ultimately working her way up to executive producer and then named showrunner in 2017. Her first season as showrunner was the fourteenth, which was particularly notable for big changes like the departures of Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw.

At the time of writing, no successor has been named as showrunner for Grey's Anatomy or Station 19, although it's worth noting that neither has officially been renewed so far. That said, both shows have continued doing well for ABC, even after the news that Ellen Pompeo was on the way out. The odds seem good that there's a future of at least one more season for the two series, which would mean a new showrunner... or showrunners, if the responsibilities for the shows are ultimately split between bosses. 

According to the Deadline report, splitting the showrunner roles for the series is likely the plan, with Meg Marinis – who, like Vernoff, started at Grey's Anatomy back in the beginning of the show – expected to take over as the next showrunner. It would be a big rise for a woman who started at the show as a researcher and has since moved up the ranks. As for Station 19, it's expected that executive producer and writer Zoanne Clack would be promoted to co-showrunner, alongside Peter Paige of The Fosters and Good Trouble as a co-showrunner.

Krista Vernoff's departure raises many questions about the future, not the least of which is whether crossovers between Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 will be as frequent in the event that both are renewed for the 2023-2024 TV season. ABC has aired two-parters between them and even delivered massive twists in the crossovers over recent seasons, with Vernoff helming both shows; can two-hour events be coordinated as frequently with different sets of runners?

Only time will tell on that front, as Vernoff will remain showrunner through the end of the seasons, which will presumably conclude in May as per usual. Ellen Pompeo's time as the face of Grey's Anatomy will conclude much sooner, as she'll bow out when the drama returns in the 2023 TV premiere schedule with its winter premiere on Thursday, February 23 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, following the Station 19 winter premiere at 8 p.m. 

With weeks still left to wait before seeing Ellen Pompeo's swan song, you can always revisit earlier episodes streaming with a Hulu subscription, along with Station 19 and even original spinoff Private Practice, which starred Kate Walsh prior to her return to Grey's more recently. Walsh has shared why fans should keep watching Grey's even after Pompeo exits.

Grey’s Anatomy fans were excited when Kate Walsh reprised her role as Addison Montgomery on the medical drama in Season 18 after more than a decade. McDreamy’s ex-wife made a few appearances — including an all-time great elevator scene — as the renowned OB/GYN who was attempting a groundbreaking uterine transplant. Ahead of the current season, it was announced Addison would be back in Seattle again, as Walsh signed on for a recurring role, and after showrunner Krista Vernoff revealed an upcoming storyline for Season 19, I think I might know what Addison is about to face.

In speaking with Deadline about what’s ahead for Grey’s Anatomy, Krista Vernoff revealed that they are going to tackle another big issue this season, similar to their COVID arc in Season 17 that saw another Meredith near-death experience when she caught the virus. When asked if the medical drama was going to address the controversial Roe v. Wade reversal, Vernoff responded: 

With the showrunner confirming that Roe v. Wade and its “massive” impact on our country will play a part in Season 19, I think it’s a good bet that fetal surgeon and neonatal goddess Addison Montgomery would play a big part in the story. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see fellow OB/GYN Carina DeLuca (Stefania Spampinato) cross over from Station 19, where she and her wife Maya Bishop (Danielle Savre) have been struggling to conceive a baby.

Krista Vernoff also implied that the Roe v. Wade plotline would be overarching, rather than a one-off episode, which might speak to star and executive producer Ellen Pompeo’s hopes that Grey’s Anatomy would become “less preachy” with its social issues. On her podcast Tell Me this summer, Pompeo said: 

Kate Walsh returning in a recurring role seems like the perfect opportunity to give this important issue some room to breathe over multiple episodes, especially after Addison’s uterine transplant didn’t achieve the desired results last season. 

With the character returning in the October 20 episode, “Let’s Talk About Sex,” I’m also excited to see the dynamic between her and Lucas Adams (Niko Terho), who was revealed to be McDreamy’s nephew in the season premiere. Will Addison be involved in the awkward confrontation that awaits Lucas, after he chose to let his fellow interns believe he was sleeping with Amelia (Caterina Scorsone), rather than reveal their family ties? I NEED Addison's take on that bonehead decision.

Whatever is in store for Addison Montgomery, I will be here for it, so join me in tuning into Grey’s Anatomy at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, October 20, on ABC. Also be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what new and returning shows are premiering soon. 

Spoiler alert! This story contains spoilers about the Station 19 Season 6 premiere, “Twist and Shout.” Proceed at your own risk!

Our favorite Seattle firefighters are back, and with Station 19’s Season 6 premiere making the same six-month time jump as flagship series Grey’s Anatomy, there was a bit of catching up to do in regards to the events of the Season 5 finale. The biggest question mark seemed to be Jack Gibson (Grey Damon), who abruptly quit the firehouse as he struggled with newfound knowledge about his biological family. Well, Jack did make an appearance in “Twist and Shout,” but in the most unexpected of ways, so while we’re relieved that he’s still around, showrunner Krista Vernoff warned fans not to get too celebratory just yet.

After the tornado sent a tree crashing into what turned out to be the home of Eva Vasquez (Kelly Thiebaud), the widow of former Station 19 firefighter Rigo, the team was surprised to find Jack in Eva’s bed — and even more surprised (and amused) when they realized he was handcuffed there. It was a rock-bottom moment for Jack, as his ex-colleagues expressed disappointment that he’d slid back into that affair, and Krista Vernoff told Deadline there is no quick fix for what Jack is going through. The showrunner said: 

It sounds like we might see Jack return to the fire station at some point, but given that he lied to Andy (Jaina Lee Ortiz) about where he’d been the past few months and restarted a relationship with Rigo’s widow — on top of the terrible way he abandoned Maya (Danielle Savre) and Carina (Stefania Spampinato) after agreeing to help them start a family — it seems like Jack’s not quite done trying to burn all his bridges.

However, Andy said at the end of the episode that she’s going to help him, whether he wants it or not. Plus, fire chief Natasha Ross (new series regular Merle Dandridge) also said when Jack was ready to come back, they’d get him the help he needs. So there's at least a support system there whenever he's ready for it. 

Jack was dealt a heartbreaking twist in the final episodes of last season, as he met his biological brother, only to learn that he was the only one of his parents’ five children who was put up for adoption. Furthermore, while he’d grown up with a series of abusive foster parents, his four biological siblings had lived a life of privilege. This came after Jack was already reeling from the death of Dean Miller and the end of his relationship with Inara.

It’s great that Grey Damon is still around on the show, and that his character still has a family at Station 19, even if he doesn’t want to acknowledge that. We’ll have to see how Jack's story develops, but it sounds like it’s going to be a long and winding road, but hopefully one without any further soul-crushing reveals.  

Station 19 will return to ABC for its next episode on Thursday, October 13. Be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what other shows are premiering soon. 

When a series has been on the air for a long time, it can become a concern that the writers will run out of new things to do with the characters and start to recycle storylines. That’s apparently a huge reason Ellen Pompeo has voiced her support to end Grey’s Anatomy. But as the hit ABC medical drama wrapped its 18th season, showrunner Krista Vernoff has opened up about that exact issue, comparing the stories of Cristina Yang and Jo Wilson as an example to illustrate why that’s not an problem for their show going into Season 19.

Nobody’s certain of Grey’s Anatomy’s fate past Season 19. While Ellen Pompeo appears more than ready to leave (her character’s story about not being allowed to leave Seattle has seemed pretty meta), ABC is in no rush to lose its ratings winner. The actress has expressed concern that being on the show too long will result in them using old plotlines, but Krista Vernoff apparently doesn’t see that as a problem, and she explained to Variety how they’re able to keep things fresh:

It makes a lot of sense when you think about it like that. Grey’s Anatomy fans don’t say, “Jo and Todd are breaking up? They already did this story when Cristina and Owen split.” Hell, Jo’s breakup from Todd was even different from her breakup with Alex (and yes, we are still mad about that). Derek Shepherd getting hit by a semi was completely different from George O’Malley getting hit by a bus. Meredith and Derek had a beach wedding in the same season that Maggie and Winston got married on the beach, and there were definitely not any accusations that those were the same.

The makeups and breakups on Grey’s Anatomy are just as important as the medicine, and that’s something else Krista Vernoff cited as endless fodder for stories on the show:

It seems like Krista Vernoff has a lot left in the tank, as well as Chandra Wilson — one of three Grey’s Anatomy OGs, playing Miranda Bailey for all 18 seasons so far — who pushed back during a recent TV appearance when confronted with rumors that Season 19 would be their last. If they really can continue to bring in fresh ideas nearly two decades later, is it possible Grey's Anatomy will continue without Ellen Pompeo? Apparently it’s an idea making its way into conversations.

We’ve got a lot of time to wait and speculate before we can expect any official word from the network, but in the meantime you can rewatch Seasons 1-17 of Grey's Anatomy on streaming with a Netflix subscription. Season 18 is available to Hulu subscribers.

Station 19 received some good news from ABC recently, as the hit Grey’s Anatomy firefighter spinoff was renewed for Season 6. In the world of Seattle’s bravest, however, it’s been doomy and gloomy for a while. According to showrunner Krista Vernoff, it’s about to get even darker, too, with star Jaina Lee Ortiz raving that Season 5’s second half will give fans a little bit of everything, while also saying that not everyone’s going to come out alive.

The winter finale of Station 19 saw the firehouse in all kinds of disarray, with Vic Huges still reeling — physically and emotionally — from Dean Miller’s death, Andy Herrera and Robert Sullivan on a roller coaster with their impending divorce, and Ben Warren gearing up for a custody battle over Dean’s daughter Pru. (Maya Bishop and Carina DeLuca are in a love bubble after deciding to have a baby, so let’s just leave them there as long as possible, okay?) Krista Vernoff told TVLine she’d planned to lighten the mood around the firehouse this season, but it didn’t quite work out that way.

I’d be afraid to ask how much darker it will get! As well as its COVID elements, Station 19 spent a lot of time dissecting racism and police brutality following George Floyd’s 2020 murder. When Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy decided to respectively set Seasons 5 and 18 in a fictionalized post-pandemic world, there was hope among fans (myself included) that the series would shed some of the issues weighing down our beloved characters. It sounds like that was Krista Vernoff’s hope as well, but as evidenced by Dean’s death and its aftermath, such happiness-driven fun wasn’t meant to be.

What’s terrible for the characters, however, is often fun for the actors portraying them. Andy Herrera might be dealing with tragedy and drama amid her divorce from Robert Sullivan, but Jania Lee Ortiz is excited to show what her character and the rest of Station 19's elite are going through. She said the second half of Season 5 will run the gamut of emotion for the fans. 

Jaina Lee Ortiz didn’t reveal any details about who might not survive Season 5, of course, so we don’t know if that means we’re losing another series regular, some recurring actors, or if she’s talking about Seattle civilians in general. However it goes, it sure sounds like things are about to get real.

It's worth noting that fans have been worried about Vic, who was electrocuted at the gas line rupture that killed Dean. She also suffered a heart attack after she found out Dean had died, and the heart monitor she wears is a beeping omen that I’m still afraid is going to pay off tragically somewhere down the line. But I wouldn't think Ortiz would be teasing that particular moment quite so energetically at this point. 

We don’t have to wait long to find out, and the first order of business for Station 19 when it returns is going to be (possibly) saving Grey’s Anatomy’s Owen Hunt, as Season 5’s spring premiere is part of a two-hour crossover event. It all starts Thursday, February 24, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what other premieres are coming up.

Grey’s Anatomy is coming back for Season 19, as a deal was recently reached with series star Ellen Pompeo to return as Meredith Grey. As fans bask in the joy of more of our favorite Seattle surgeons, the big question that nobody seems to know the answer to is how long the medical drama can keep going. With Pompeo’s consistent concerns about being on the show too long, an ABC boss has weighed in with his thoughts on the future of Grey’s Anatomy.

While ABC renewed Grey’s Anatomy for a nineteenth season, it wasn’t specified whether or not that would be its last. Craig Erwich, president of ABC Entertainment and Hulu Originals, discussed at TCA (via Deadline) the current state of the medical drama and the network’s opinion on its longevity.  

“As much as we can have” sure has a nice ring to it for Grey’s Anatomy fans, and it’s no surprise that the ABC boss would feel that way, with the amount of success Grey’s Anatomy has had. Ellen Pompeo suggested as much when she said she’d been trying to convince everybody they should end the show:

Ellen Pompeo’s new one-year contract promotes her from co-executive producer to executive producer, a title also held by creator Shonda Rhimes and showrunner Krista Vernoff. While it can be frustrating for Grey’s Anatomy fans to hear the star say she’s ready for the show to end, Pompeo explained on her podcast that if she wasn’t motivated to make sure the show is good and the characters’ stories were strong, then she wouldn’t deserve to be in the position she’s in.

Grey’s Anatomy sure has shaken things up in the past couple of seasons. After tackling COVID in Season 17 and bringing back former cast members who had been killed off, the show continued to bring back fan favorites in Season 18, with the return of Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh), Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman) and more. Meredith and Amelia have also been splitting their time between Seattle and Minnesota in an attempt to cure Parkinson’s. 

Most recently, however, viewers were left with multiple cliffhangers, as the Season 18 winter finale saw Owen Hunt, David Hamilton and Megan Hunt’s son Farouk all fighting for their lives. Whatever the future holds for Grey’s Anatomy, I know where I’ll be February 24, when the drama picks back up for a two-hour crossover event that starts at 8 p.m. ET with Station 19 on ABC. In the meantime, check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what other premieres are coming up. 

That big sigh of relief you heard was the collective reaction from Grey’s Anatomy fans everywhere now that the hit ABC medical drama has officially been renewed for Season 19. Ellen Pompeo will indeed resume her starring role as Meredith Grey, despite claims by the actress that she’s ready to end the series. While it’s great news for fans of the franchise, I can’t help but feel a little frustrated by this whole process, as well as what it likely means going forward. Let’s break it down. 

Awesome: Grey’s Anatomy And Ellen Pompeo Will Be Back For Season 19

Grey’s Anatomy’s Season 19 renewal comes with the news that Ellen Pompeo has agreed to a new one-year contract (per Deadline) that will also see her promoted from co-executive producer to executive producer. Fellow EP Krista Vernoff will also be returning as showrunner. As well, several of the series’ stars had previously signed on for a nineteenth season pending renewal, including Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr. and Kevin McKidd (whose Owen Hunt was in a life-threatening situation in the winter finale). So at this point, everything sounds all gravy!

Awesome: Grey’s Anatomy Still Has Interesting Stories To Tell

Ellen Pompeo’s main argument about not being sure if the show should continue has seemingly centered around her concern that Grey’s Anatomy may run out of interesting directions to take its characters. It’s admirable that she wants to do right by the show and its fans by not wanting the narrative content to suffer just because of all the money the show rakes in. The fact that we’re already finding out about Season 19’s renewal is a good indicator that Ellen Pompeo felt strongly enough about the direction of the series to sign on for another year. What plots did the writers divulge that helped to lure Pompeo back? I can’t wait to find out. 

Frustrating: Ellen Pompeo’s Short-Term Contract Sets Up Yet Another Waiting Game Next Year 

With Ellen Pompeo signing just a one-year contract – and without any designation of Season 19 being Grey’s Anatomy’s last – we’re set up to be in another state of limbo a year from now regarding a potential Season 20. It feels like the renewal talks have just become the Ellen Pompeo Waiting Game, where the star and podcast host spends months talking about wanting to leave, only to sign on again in the end after negotiations come together, but with short-term contracts. 

Even when forgetting how frustrating that is to the fans, it’s really not fair to Ellen Pompeo’s co-stars, either. Ahead of Season 17, Kim Raver, Camilla Luddington and Kevin McKidd renegotiated their contracts for two more seasons – before they even knew there would be an eighteenth season. Pompeo’s fellow original castmates Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. also signed up for a potential Season 19 when they renewed their contracts ahead of Season 18. While I’m sure none of them would be quick to blame Pompeo for anything, it seems wrong that others are being asked to – and are indeed willing to – make a commitment, while still remaining at the mercy of someone who’s been so vocally apprehensive about continuing. 

One positive aspect to come out of these negotiations is that they happened so fast. The Season 19 renewal came much earlier in the year than the Season 18 renewal did, which might signal that everybody was on the same page. While the “How long will it last?” narrative can be a trying one for fans (and probably the actors), I’m fine to grab my tequila and dance it out in celebration of more Grey’s Anatomy episodes to look forward to going into 2023. 

Grey’s Anatomy returns for its spring premiere on Thursday, February 24 as part of a crossover with spinoff Station 19. The two-hour event starts at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see when your other shows are returning this spring.

Katey Sagal's return to television in a starring role for ABC's Rebel seemed like a surefire hit, but the show was shockingly cancelled after just five episodes. The Rebel team, including creator and showrunner Krista Vernoff and Sagal herself, as well as fans, weren't ready to say goodbye, however, and the search was on for a new home for the series. Now, sadly, that search has come to an end as Rebel failed to find a new home, and Vernoff has a message for fans.

Krista Vernoff, whose hand in hit shows like Grey's Anatomy and spinoff Station 19 made it seem all but guaranteed that Rebel would score at least a Season 2 on ABC, took to Twitter to confirm the news that the search for a new home is done and convey her feelings to fans. Vernoff wrote:

Although confirmation that the fight for more Rebel has come to an end is undoubtedly sad, Krista Vernoff put a positive spin on the news by thanking fans and expressing a hope that what Katey Sagal's character (and the real Erin Brockovich) represented continues to inspire. The odds of the show scoring a renewal weren't necessarily the best after the initial cancellation, but Rebel's arrival on IMDb TV opened up the possibility of a Season 2 on the streamer.

The decision not to order a second season of Rebel came after IMDb TV evaluated the performance of Season 1 since it began streaming, according to Deadline, indicating that the streaming numbers just weren't what IMDb TV was looking for to justify ordering another batch of episodes and echoing ABC's original explanation for the cancellation. Rebel also isn't the only cancelled series that just lost its shot at a second home, as IMDb TV is also not moving forward with a third season of fellow former ABC series For Life.

While most shows that are cancelled do not get a shot at a second life via streaming, there are exceptions, with Lucifer as one particularly successful example after Netflix picked up the series following Fox's decision to cancel. Similarly, fan campaigns have resulted in the almost certain return of NBC's cancelled Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, although just for a wrap-up movie that would release on Roku rather than a third season.

Efforts for NBC's Manifest to return for Season 3 on Netflix may also result in a rescue, even after all hope seemed lost for a time. Rebel just didn't have the numbers to join the ranks of saved series. Still, it was admirable of the fandom to do their part to support a second season of Rebel. The creator clearly appreciated it despite everything, and Katey Sagal had a similar message of gratitude after the series finale aired back in June. At the time of writing, Sagal has not commented on the news that the show is definitively not returning.

If you still want to check out the first season of Katey Sagal's Rebel (or just rewatch), you can still find all the episodes streaming on IMDb TV. For what's on the way in the upcoming TV season, be sure to check out our 2021 fall premiere schedule as September approaches.

Though not always stated, one of TV's greatest truths is that "life is always better when more Katey Sagal shows are on the air," and ABC viewers were living in splendor thanks to the actresses work on both the freshman legal drama Rebel and the established sitcom The Conners. But while the latter series was recently renewed by the network for a fourth season, Rebel did not fare nearly as well, as it was shockingly cancelled after only five episodes made it to air. Many fans, as well as Sagal and creator Krista Vernoff, wondered what the deal was.

It appears there aren't any legitimate smoking guns to be found when it comes to Rebel's cancellation, by way of problems behind-the-scenes or with the cast, and that ABC's decision largely came down to the lack of immediate success. Here's how the networks' bossman Craig Erwich put it to THR:

Now, because Katey Sagal is obviously still part of The Conners, and because Krista Vernoff is still the showrunner and EP on both Grey's Anatomy and Station 19, everybody higher up at ABC probably felt comfortable knowing that ending Rebel wouldn't be fully severing ties with anyone. (Although I guess the show's inspiration Erin Brockovich could certainly move to another network.) Still, it's interesting to hear him use the phrase "tried to give the decision and the show every benefit of the doubt," and yet Rebel wasn't allowed to get six episodes in front of audiences before the choice was made to pull the plug. To many, that might just sound like "doubt" without any benefits.

That said, it's not like Craig Erwich & Co. looked at tea leaves and astrological charts to arrive at the decision to cancel Rebel. The exec further explained the rationalization as guided by the drama's viewership data, saying:

It's true that for a show with such big names attached (not to mention Andy Garcia as Katey Sagal's co-star), Rebel got off to a pretty slow start, with its premiere episode netting just 3.65 million people with the live airing. And that's in a pristine Thursday-night time slot right after Grey's Anatomy, so that scheduling was definitely set to give Rebel a statistical advantage, even though it didn't come through. And while the DVR numbers are indeed pretty decent, they would probably have to be outrageously good to make up the difference from the Thursday-night viewership.

So while the decision may not be the most agreeable one, as far as likeability goes, Rebel's cancellation boils down to just not enough people watching. So if there's anyone out there griping about losing the show, but hadn't actually watched it so that they could just binge it later on Hulu or Netflix, that kind of mindset is part of the issue here.

For those who don't want to say goodbye to Rebel just yet, you're in luck, since there are still another 8 episodes or so still left to air on ABC on Thursday nights at 10:00 p.m. Check out all the big shows that are coming to the 2021 Summer TV schedule, and see which of the biggest network TV shows are still waiting on renewal and cancellation decisions.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since the world as we knew it was changed forever due to COVID. And little did we know that television would change along with it. Many shows had to pause production and end their 2020 seasons early due to the pandemic. Long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy was among the many that had to shorten the 2019-2020 season, and in turn, came back to a different way of production once the show finally got rolling again in the 2020-2021 season starting in the fall. Grey's Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff revealed some of the changes made that she wants to keep.

When shows went back into production starting late summer of last year, it was all about getting tested, not having as many crew or cast on set, quarantining, and social distancing. Krista Vernoff told Deadline that while thinking of going back to normal isn’t the healthiest thing that can happen, she’s grateful they were able to go back to production. Vernoff said:

Many shows, including Grey’s Anatomy, have found ways to include the COVID pandemic into their storylines, to not only keep the cast and crew safe but also because these shows tell stories in the real world, so the writers want to tell a story that audiences can relate to, even if it’s not one they particularly want. Krista Vernoff praised the Grey's Anatomy team for having managed to do what they do during everything:

Grey’s Anatomy has significantly included the pandemic into the storyline, even giving the virus to a couple of characters, including Dr. Meredith Grey. Being a medical series, it shows fans firsthand what doctors and nurses on the frontlines deal with, how it’s like either not being able to go home or dealing with the constant feeling of losing someone. The emotional toll it has on the characters reflects what it’s really like for those on the frontlines.

WARNING: Major spoilers are ahead from the Grey's Anatomy Season 17 midseason premiere. If you haven't watched and decide to keep reading, well, we might have to put you in a bed next to Meredith. You've been warned!

We've all been waiting for a few months to see how Grey's Anatomy would pick up after that extremely tense winter finale, which was filled with increased medical troubles for Meredith and some potential danger for Andrew and Carina. Unfortunately, things only got worse in many respects with the midseason premiere, as the promise of that danger came to heartbreaking fruition when Andrew DeLuca was stabbed on Station 19 and ended up dying from his wounds on Grey's. But, it turns out that even showrunner Krista Vernoff wanted to save good ol' DeLuces.

As much as I realize that you're probably reading this while dealing with the hot sting of your own tears as they stream down your face and threaten to form an actual pool at your feet, know that Grey's Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff isn't happy about killing off poor DeLuca, either. In fact, she really tried to stop it from happening. When asked about the shocking move by TV Line, Vernoff said:

I know, I know! Vernoff is talking about the "magical process" of writing away a wonderful character like Andrew DeLuca, leaving fans without more of actor Giacomo Gianniotti and the possibility that his character could help Meredith put her life back together after coming through her devastating illness. Meanwhile, we're all crying into our morning wine glasses...What do you mean, you don't have a morning wine?

Anyway, Vernoff explained that before each season, she spends a lot of time alone thinking about the characters and where their stories need to go. This continuation of the human trafficking plot with DeLuca was the first story that came to her "wholly realized," so she felt compelled to take this route.

Obviously, though, it wasn't easy. As Krista Vernoff noted she kept trying to change the direction of DeLuca's story, both so that the show wouldn't have to lose the character and so that they wouldn't have to lose Gianniotti's contributions. Both have been a part of Grey's Anatomy since Season 11, and have brought fans, and clearly those behind the scenes on the drama, a lot of joy each week, so it makes sense that Vernoff would have had a really hard time pulling the plug on the character.

The small upside for the fans is that DeLuca was able to go out a hero. As we saw in the winter finale, he and Carina followed Opal and ended up at the train station, where DeLuca eventually broke away from his sister to chase after the sex trafficker so that she wouldn't get away (she didn't). A man bumped into him, and...that was it. Andrew DeLuca was stabbed and had to be rushed into surgery, twice. He was able to meet with Meredith on her dream beach, but accepted the call from his mom while there, and was pronounced dead in the operating room.

You can bet that the death of Andrew DeLuca will send some pretty big shock waves through the staff at Grey Sloan Memorial, and Krista Vernoff promises that at least one character will be "broken by it," so there will definitely be more good drama to come from his passing.

We can all see how this plays out as Grey's Anatomy airs on ABC, Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST.

The staff at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital has had a very rough time of it in Season 17 of Grey's Anatomy. Not only is the facility overflowing with dozens upon dozens of patients due to the worsening pandemic, but two of their own have been struck down by the illness, with Ellen Pompeo's Meredith being very close to the point of no return when the show signed off for its winter hiatus. Now we're hearing some potential bad news that might mean the long-running hit will be cancelled before fans get to see Grey's Anatomy Season 18 come to fruition.

Here's what's going on. According to The Hollywood Reporter, for the first time in a few years, Grey's Anatomy's showrunner, Krista Vernoff, her team of writers and the rest of the crew and cast are heading into the back half of their current season without a clear picture of what the future holds for the show on ABC. Talks to renew the series for at least Season 18 have, apparently, already been underway for several months, but the network hasn't come to any agreement with executive producer and series lead Pompeo. This has left Vernoff and her staff in a tough spot, as she noted:

If it seems surprising to you that ABC would let the showrunner and everyone else behind Grey's Anatomy hang right now, know that you are surely not the only fan thinking that way. Even though the medical drama is quite long in the tooth at this stage, it hasn't lost its appeal to the fans, who still tune in weekly and have made sure that, 17 seasons in, the show is the network's number one drama in both total viewers and in the very important advertising demographic of adults aged 18-49. The show also brings in a lot of money via a streaming deal with Netflix, where it's consistently one of the most-watched series licensed by the streamer, and through international airings.

Disney, ABC's parent company, and Ellen Pompeo signed a new deal in late 2017 which both kept her around for Seasons 15 and 16, and made her the highest paid actress on a primetime drama. That deal was extended in 2019 to cover Pompeo's return for Season 17, but now that we're nearing the spring premiere of the latter half of that season, it appears that the show's future is becoming a bit trickier to pin down.

While creator Shonda Rhimes has always said that the show will continue as long as Pompeo wants to come back and lead the on-screen charge, the actress herself recently spoke about the show potentially ending soon and noted that "we’re really trying to figure it out right now," with regards to how they'd wrap up a show this iconic in a way that will do the series justice and satisfy the fans. And, whether that end comes at the end of Season 17 or further down the road, Pompeo said simply hadn't been decided on yet.

I cannot imagine that ABC would be at all eager to let a guaranteed breadwinner like Grey's Anatomy go without a serious fight, so it seems a lot like Ellen Pompeo's participation as Meredith Grey is what might be the true deciding factor as to whether or not the show keeps going into Season 18. The series is unlikely to receive a swift cancellation which will leave fans without storyline resolutions, but that doesn't mean that all parties won't simply decide that the Season 17 finale is the best place to wrap everything up.

Until we know more about the future of Grey's Anatomy, be sure to keep up with the show when it returns with new episodes this Thursday, March 11, at 9 p.m. EST.

It's no secret that Grey's Anatomy used to be home to some major behind the scenes troubles, and for several seasons. The medical drama debuted in 2005 and pretty much immediately garnered millions of fans, but it also launched with issues brewing among the cast and crew, which went on to bubble over many times during the early seasons of the show. One of the biggest controversies involved star Katherine Heigl, who played Izzie Stevens until her, rather sudden, departure about half of the way through Season 6. Now, the showrunner is revealing that Heigl's exit really did totally mess up the plans that Grey's Anatomy had for Izzie.

Katherine Heigl was one of many fan favorites during her time on Grey's Anatomy, and she even won an Emmy in 2007 for her role. Unfortunately, that was basically the beginning of the controversial end for the actress and her time on the series, as she'd withdraw her name from Emmy consideration the following year, with a public slam to the writers of the show and what they'd given her to work with as Izzie being her reason. Now, though, current showrunner Krista Vernoff, who was the show's head writer during Heigl-gate, has revealed that they had big plans for the character before having to write Izzie out quickly.

When asked how several sooner-than-expected departures have impacted the writers, Vernoff told Variety:

Well, folks. There you have it. If you're a long-time Grey's Anatomy fan who's been wondering whether or not the show would have had Izzie and her ex-husband Alex get together again back in the day, you now have your answer. After beating cancer but being fired by Webber, Izzie left but then came back for a final scan to make sure she was totally cancer-free. She was clearly interested in reconciling with Alex, and met him to show off the results of her scan. While he was thrilled for her to be completely healthy again, he told her he felt he deserved better and encouraged her to leave town and be happy.

Of course, Izzie did just that, and the next time we heard anything significant about the character, it was in Season 16. Alex was having his own crisis after going through a lot with his new wife, Jo, and having contacted Izzie to help get Meredith out of trouble, ended up finally reconciling with her when he found out that she'd used the embryos they froze to have their twins. To relieve one of the last-remaining original stars of Grey's Anatomy, Justin Chambers, of his role as Alex, the show had his character leave his wife, job, and friends behind to start over with Izzie and their twins in Kansas.

Obviously, the entire course of the show would have been changed had Krista Vernoff and her writing team not had to make a very sudden "pivot" when it came to their plans for Katherine Heigl's Izzie. And while we'll never know just how good those stories might have been, we also likely wouldn't have gotten to some of the characters and stories we have now, and I dare any of you to be mad at dream ghost Derek or dream ghost George.

Grey's Anatomy is currently still Heigl-free in Season 17, and it will return with new episodes on ABC, Thursday, March 4, at 9 p.m. EST. For more on what to watch in the coming year, check out our guide to winter / spring 2021 TV!

Well, anyone who's been checking in on Grey's Anatomy in Season 17 will be well aware of how desperate the situation is getting for our favorite characters. The series has been doing a pretty thorough examination of what our many, many thousands of healthcare workers have been going through this year, as Bailey, Webber, and all of the rest deal with the hard work of trying to save lives during the overwhelming pandemic, and Meredith and Koracick trying to simply survive having the virus. Now, the showrunner is discussing Meredith's "rough road" to come after the winter finale.

The winter finale of Grey's Anatomy just aired, and while there were a couple of victories during the episode, there was way more to be worried about than anything else. This was true to the point where it's probably going to be difficult for many fans to see the light at the end of this very long, tricky, dangerous tunnel. So, when showrunner Krista Vernoff spoke with Deadline about the finale, she was asked specifically about what's in store for Meredith, considering what she went through in the episode, and said:

As those who watched the winter finale may have guessed, Vernoff isn't talking about any random virus statistics when mentioning how Meredith will fair in future episodes, as things have now taken a very dire turn for the worse when it comes to her treatment.

Spoilers ahead! The hospital has now had to convert the cafeteria into a COVID unit, due to a surge in patients, and Koracick and Meredith are still very sick. Mer felt better for a bit, and even woke up enough to chat with Koracick, but she also took it upon herself (Stubborn Mer!) to get up and assist a patient when no one else was around, which led to her collapsing and Webber having to make the tough decision to put her on a ventilator. Unfortunately, patients who end up needing to be put on ventilators, especially early in the pandemic, do not have very positive prognoses. End spoilers!

Basically, things will likely continue to get worse for Meredith before they get significantly better. And Krista Vernoff also confirmed that there will continue to be some very intense episodes when Grey's Anatomy returns from hiatus in March. While this will likely mean that we'll get to see a lot more of Mer on her beach with Derek or others from her past who have...passed on, we don't know just yet who might show up on that lovely dream beach. When asked if new possibilities for guest stars to enter Meredith's dreams have already been recruited, Vernoff said:

Well, at least it sounds like Grey's Anatomy is working on having some cool guests from the past show up as the series continues down Meredith's "rough road," right? The long-running drama will be back with new episodes on ABC, Thursday, March 4 at 9 p.m. EST, but for more to watch check out our guide to everything coming to the small screen early next year!

Warning! Spoilers ahead for the most recent episode of Grey's Anatomy. Look away until you've caught up!

Man, Grey's Anatomy has not pulled any punches this season when it comes to kicking viewers right in the heart with emotional reveals and storylines. On screen, it's still the early days of the pandemic, and the staff at Grey Sloan Memorial are dealing with a lot, none the least of which is Meredith having the virus, and her condition being very touch and go. Every time Mer gets worse, she mentally retreats to a beach, where she's seen Derek a few times already this season. Now the show has given us a touching moment with the last remaining original cast members, and we're hearing how it all came about.

Fans were shocked, but also extremely pleased, when the final moment of the Season 17 premiere showed Mer on the beach and unexpectedly (even to her) reuniting with her dead husband, Derek. While we've been promised that he would continue to show up here and there as she battles the virus, it's been only natural to wonder if she'd meet other deceased characters in the same way. This week brought Meredith and T. R. Knight's George back together, along with some sweet beach time for them and the two other original cast members, Chandra Wilson (who plays Bailey) and James Pickens Jr. (Richard), who are still going strong.

Showrunner Krista Vernoff spoke to Deadline about the scene, and had this to say about how it happened:

Meredith was in her happy, dreamland place for most of the episode, as her friends tried to figure out the best way to help her and the mountain of other patients suffering from the same illness. So, we got to see George and Meredith reconnect throughout the episode, but, towards the end, Bailey and Richard are talking over Meredith's hospital bed after getting her enrolled in an experimental clinical trial for a drug to beat the virus. Suddenly, they showed up on Meredith's beach, and had a chance to sit with her and George.

T. R. Knight left Grey's Anatomy and George behind (after much behind-the-scenes strife) in Season 5 when his character was killed off in what is still one of the most talked-about episodes of TV. While having George show up was certainly a big deal for fans, returning to Grey's and being able to work with so many old friends, also brought up a lot of emotions for Knight, who said:

Same, T. R. Knight. Same. Grey's Anatomy will, I'm sure, continue to surprise us in Season 17, when new episodes air, Thursdays on ABC, at 9 p.m. EST. For more to watch, be sure to check out our guide to fall TV and see what's coming up in the new year!

Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Grey's Anatomy Season 17 episode, called "My Happy Ending."

At the end of the Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 premiere, Meredith Grey collapsed in the parking lot of the hospital, and the episode ended with a beach-happy dream of Patrick Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd. The very next episode confirmed that Meredith was diagnosed with COVID-19, which explained why she was fever-dreaming about her late husband to begin with. While it's a pretty shocking move to give a main character a potentially deadly virus, Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff revealed why she and the writers decided to give Meredith COVID to kick the season off.

Grey’s Anatomy, like so many medical TV shows, incorporated the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on patients and healthcare workers into its new episodes. While the Season 17 premiere focused on the many patients diagnosed with COVID in the early days of the pandemic, the medical drama pivoted to address what it would be like for a major character like Meredith to come down with the virus. Here’s what Krista Vernoff told The Hollywood Reporter about the creative decision to infect Meredith:

Meredith was in and out of consciousness throughout “My Happy Ending,” clearly in pain and unsure of what was real. Meanwhile, her fellow doctors were debating how they should treat her. It was a very harrowing storyline and I commend Krista Vernoff and the writing team for actually taking it a step further.

Meredith’s diagnosis offers a way for viewers to witness her experience through a personal lens. Not that having other COVID patients wouldn’t have done the same thing, but Meredith is the main character and that arguably makes it all the more powerful. Considering Grey’s Anatomy’s national and global audience, giving Meredith COVID certainly showcases the very real dangers of the virus and I hope it will emotionally resonate with viewers.

All that said, Meredith wasn’t the only familiar character to be diagnosed with COVID-19 on Grey's Anatomy. Greg Germann's neurosurgeon Tom Koracick also tested positive. At the same time, the remaining Grey Sloan medical staff were being tested for the virus while also having to attend to patients, many of whom were unfortunately dying. Suffice it to say that the episode was devastating and all too realistic, and Krista Vernoff's "stay tuned" has me sincerely worried for what's to come.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 airs Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC. For more on what to watch in the meantime, be sure to check out our fall TV schedule and our 2021 winter and spring premiere guide.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Grey’s Anatomy Season 17’s two-hour premiere.

At the end of the two-part Season 17 premiere, Grey’s Anatomy had a twist so big that it took everyone by surprise. That’s because showrunner Krista Vernoff and the cast and crew of the ABC show managed to keep a tight lid on Patrick Dempsey’s return as Derek Shepherd. Yes, McDreamy was back on Grey’s Anatomy and the “dreamy” part of his nickname has never been more relevant. Vernoff recently explained how Dempsey’s return remained a secret before and during filming.

The Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 premiere saw Meredith Grey’s mind escape to the calmness of the beach. It was in stark contrast to the chaos of dealing with the influx of COVID-19 patients and the lack of PPE for the medical staff. In a dream sequence, Derek appeared to Meredith right before she collapsed at the end of the premiere’s second hour. While Meredith’s condition is worrisome, seeing Derek again was a special moment. How did Patrick Dempsey’s big comeback stay unspoiled? Here’s what Krista Vernoff told Deadline:

I’m impressed. Managing to keep Patrick Dempsey’s return from the writers and the studio really was an epic feat. I bow down to Krista Vernoff, and Ellen Pompeo — who revealed in the interview that she pitched the idea of Derek’s appearance to Dempsey while on a hike together — for pulling off such a massive surprise like that.

For what it’s worth, Patrick Dempsey says he was very excited to return to Grey’s Anatomy. If you recall, Derek died shortly after getting into a fatal car accident at the end of Season 11. Considering his death, the idea to bring him back to the show is an inspired one (in my humble opinion). In addition to keeping the secret from most of the cast, crew, and writers, Vernoff revealed how she had to change the script as an extra precaution. In her words:

Luckily, Patrick Demspey’s return isn’t a one-and-done deal. He’s expected to make at least one more appearance in next week’s Grey’s Anatomy episode. The trailer implies that Meredith’s fall in the parking lot wasn’t simply due to exhaustion; she might have a health issue to potentially contend with. We all know that it’s never a good sign when a character sees a dead person in a dream. Despite the dire circumstances, Meredith’s beach scene with Derek was a great way to end the two-part premiere.

New episodes of Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 air Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our fall TV guide and our 2021 midseason premiere schedule.

Every season of Grey's Anatomy holds plenty of shockers for fans, but few recent ones have been as big as the reveal that original cast member Justin Chambers had decided to leave his role as Alex Karev behind during Season 16. The news meant that the writers had to hurry up and find a way to write Alex off of the series, and seeing as how many main characters have simply been pushed off of the fictional mortal coil, viewers thought he'd be killed. But, that wasn't the case, and now the showrunner has let us in on why they didn't kill Alex when Chambers exited.

Alex had grown tremendously as a character over his 15 and a half seasons on Grey's Anatomy, which included what seemed like a strong marriage to Jo. But, when Justin Chambers decided to leave the medical drama, showrunner Krista Vernoff and her team decided to have Alex abandon Jo (totally off screen) for his former love, Izzie, which pissed many fans off to no end. Vernoff spoke to Variety recently about the decision to let Alex live, and said this:

OK, I happen to be in the less annoyed camp about how Alex was written off of Grey's Anatomy. Sure, watching all of the characters who were most important to him read the letters he wrote to them explaining that he wasn't coming back to Seattle felt incredibly shitty at the time, but I also realized that death didn't seem like a satisfying solution to the Justin Chambers problem, either.

Alex and Jo had only been married for a short time, but their romance began several seasons prior. The two had been through some serious ups and downs, but had managed, fans thought, to come out of the other side with a combined hope for their future. Alex's farewell episode saw him tell his wife, via letter, that he was leaving her for Izzie, whom he'd recently found out had their children with the help of their frozen embryos. And, this came after Alex had left town, claiming to be visiting his mother, several episodes earlier and not made contact with Jo before sending that letter.

According to Krista Vernoff, this option allowed the show to let the characters have sadness, confusion, and even anger over Alex leaving so abruptly and finally, without raining more prolonged grief upon them or the actors who play them. Jo has had her share of grief, having even returned from an extended stay in a mental health facility not long before Alex left town. And, Meredith and Alex were best friends, but she'd already lost her husband, mother, father, sister and other beloved co-workers to death by then. It does make some sense that Vernoff and her team didn't feel right doing that to her again.

Vernoff said that the writers were also thinking about the audience when making the choice to leave Alex alive, seeing as how his storylines and growth had become so important to the show and viewers, noting:

Honestly, wouldn't you have been way more bummed if Alex went to visit his mom and died suddenly off camera in a senseless accident or was having his own mental health issues, didn't tell Jo or Meredith, and committed suicide without us seeing any of that play out? Having him leave to be with Izzie and their growing children didn't feel good, but it did bring him full circle to his first love and the life he'd wanted to have since he was a child himself.

The Alex Karev-less and pandemic-focused new season of Grey's Anatomy begins this Thursday, November 12, at 9 p.m. EST on ABC. For more on what to watch right now, check out our fall TV premiere guide!

Station 19 stands as one of the relatively few major network dramas that managed to wrap filming and air a completed season in spring 2020. The Station 19 Season 3 finale ended on more than one cliffhanger to leave fans speculating, and things weren't looking too great for newlyweds Andy and Sullivan. The second half of Season 3 made some dramatic (and arguably premature) moves with the couple, and the finale seemed to set the stage for more of a downward spiral for their relationship. Now, based on comments from showrunner Krista Vernoff, the future isn't necessarily too bleak for Andy and Sullivan.

While Station 19 hasn't yet received a premiere date for its fourth season on ABC, showrunner Krista Vernoff shared some of what's in store for the characters, including Andy and Sullivan. She confirmed to TVLine that although Station 19 "gets hit with a pandemic," the pandemic twist is actually "ironic because we still have a lighter season planned." Considering Station 19 killed off a couple of the people who were the closest to Andy, a lighter season can only be a good thing for her. Vernoff elaborated on some lightness ahead despite a pandemic plot:

Krista Vernoff's comments don't indicate that life will be easy for Andy and Co. when Station 19 returns for Season 4; after all, the whole premise of the show relies on emergencies in the Seattle area (and at the local hospital). That said, fans can apparently count on more than just the darker elements of the finale driving the action of Season 4.

The third season finale ended with Sullivan alone in the hospital, reeling in pain from his surgery with his wife nowhere to be seen. Of course, Andy was dealing with a personal bombshell thanks to the reveal that her mom has actually been alive all this time, but Andy leaving Sullivan at the hospital was far from the first issue between them following their secret marriage.

Throw in Andy's struggles with the deaths of her dad and Ryan and combine them with Sullivan's drug problem and the possible repercussions of his surgery, and I for one thought that their marriage might fall apart in Season 4 as quickly as it came together in Season 3. I certainly had my issues with it, particularly with how Sullivan revealed it to their friends and coworkers.

Fortunately for fans who want them to be happy, healthy, and open with each other, Krista Vernoff did drop some encouraging comments, even if she didn't come out and guarantee smoothing sailing for Andy and Sullivan. Vernoff said:

Does this mean that Andy and Sullivan fans are in for nothing but sunshine and happiness in Season 4? Definitely not, but I would say that it bodes well for the showrunner to be rooting for them! I do wonder if their stories in Season 3 would have ended differently Station 19's Season 3 finale was followed by Grey's Anatomy's Season 16 finale, as intended. While Station 19 managed to finish filming its third season, Grey's Anatomy was still several episodes shy of its finale when production had to shut down, which meant the crossover that was intended to end Station 19 and Grey's Anatomy's seasons couldn't happen.

Fans can only speculate for now. Station 19 is intended to premiere Season 4 at some point this fall, and Grey's Anatomy has already restarted production, but there is no news on Station 19. Neither Station 19 nor Grey's Anatomy were on the list of premiere dates that ABC recently released. You can find the third season of Station 19 streaming on Hulu now, and check out our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule for more upcoming viewing options.

There were very few TV fans who weren't disappointed early this year when several shows had to stop filming until the teams behind those series could figure out the best ways to keep everyone safe on set. Grey's Anatomy was one of the many shows which saw its season end before the planned finale, having wrapped a whole four episodes early. Now, though, they have returned to production, and star Ellen Pompeo is honoring healthcare workers as she gets back into her scrubs and mask.

Having Season 16 of Grey's Anatomy end with Episode 21 might not seem like a big deal to many viewers, seeing as how that would be a full season for most shows, but the long-running medical drama had been given a whopping 25 episodes to tell its story. Obviously, things have changed a lot since Ellen Pompeo and her co-stars had to stop filming, so now that she's returned to set, she's taken to Instagram to pay tribute to all the real healthcare workers who've risked their lives to keep the rest of us safe. Take a look:

Man, I love Ellen Pompeo. The star was probably one of the first to give public thanks to healthcare workers shortly after things had to shutdown in March. Now that she's finally back on set with co-star Richard Flood and everyone else, she's making it known that she has much love and respect for all of those who have given their lives to try and keep us healthy, as well as everyone who's still on the front lines despite the hardships they're facing on a daily basis.

As she noted in her post, Ellen Pompeo is dedicating Season 17 to all the healthcare workers out there, and the show is certainly set to deal with our current health crisis in a very real way. Showrunner Krista Vernoff was able to confirm that Grey's Anatomy would do some resetting before filming the new season, so that they could bring some very real scenarios that healthcare workers are dealing with to the show, as opposed to simply starting with what would have been the last few episodes of Season 16.

Vernoff said the producers and writers have been having talks with healthcare workers, so that they can not only show what dealing with the pandemic has been like from a dramatic standpoint, but also "how we keep alive humor and romance while we tell these really painful stories." Luckily, this means that not only will the series be able to give fans some real world situations to ponder, but also continue to show us some of that Grey's levity we love, and where things stand with the many twisty romantic relationships they've given us.

That, of course, includes what's going on with Meredith, DeLuca and the new character played by Richard Flood, Dr. Cormac Hayes, who was brought in last season after Karev and his portrayer, Justin Chambers, left Grey Sloan Memorial behind. So, fans can enjoy looking forward to seeing how Meredith works out her feelings for both of the complicated men now in her life.

Grey's Anatomy will be back on ABC at some point this fall, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates. To see what else you can watch in the coming weeks, check out our fall premiere schedule!

The doctors of Grey Sloan Memorial have seen their fair share of medical crises over the years. Considering COVID-19’s impact on healthcare workers, it seemed like only a matter of time before Grey’s Anatomy worked in the pandemic as a storyline. Showrunner Krista Vernoff has confirmed that the long-running series will address the health crisis, and she also revealed which doctor will be most equipped to deal with the pandemic when Grey’s Anatomy returns for Season 17.

Krista Vernoff explained that the Grey’s Anatomy writing staff has been speaking with real-life health professionals regarding their experiences working during the pandemic. Speaking at the Television Academy-hosted panel, “Quaranstreaming: Comfort TV That Keeps Us Going,” Vernoff discussed the stories doctors shared with her and which Grey’s Anatomy doctor she felt could handle the pandemic better than others. Here’s what she said (via EW):

That makes sense. Before Grey Sloan, Owen Hunt was a trauma surgeon with the U.S. Army who served in Iraq. He likely has a lot more experience dealing with limited supplies and is “actually trained” to handle a pandemic better than his colleagues. It sure sounds like he’ll be the one the other doctors will look to when Grey’s Anatomy delves into the pandemic arc.

Tackling the pandemic on a long-running TV show while still in the midst of said pandemic might come with another set of challenges. COVID-19 was the reason Grey’s Anatomy’s Season 16 was cut short and, while some productions will resume filming soon, safety measures are being put in place for whenever cast and crew have to return to work. However, Krista Vernoff addressed why she felt Grey’s Anatomy has to include the pandemic in Season 17 despite everything. In her words:

It won’t be the first time Grey’s Anatomy has handled an outbreak. In Season 10, the show did an episode about the flu. In it, Meredith Grey painted a pretty grim picture about how quickly germs could spread because of how often we touch our faces and surfaces daily. Suffice it to say that the doctors of Grey Sloan had to treat several flu patients, but the illness eventually caught up to them, too. Of course, COVID-19 has been much worse than the flu, so it’ll be interesting to see how its severity will be handled on the show.

Grey’s Anatomy will be back for Season 17 on ABC, though filming on the season has not yet begun. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates. In the meantime, be sure to check out our 2020 fall TV premiere guide.

Grey’s Anatomy is known for many things, and towards the top of that list is the series’ love triangles. Meredith, whose romantic interludes have been filled with loads of drama, certainly has some options on that front between DeLuca and newcomer Cormac Hayes. Ahead of the impending Season 17, Grey’s Anatomy’s showrunner is offering up some insight into Meredith’s latest love conundrum.

DeLuca and Meredith have been a thing for a considerable amount of time. However, Season 16 saw their relationship shift, and the momentum may continue when Grey’s Anatomy returns for Season 17. The series’ showrunner, Krista Vernoff, teased the road ahead between Meredith, DeLuca, and Cormac Hayes, told TVLine:

It sounds like Grey’s Anatomy’s showrunner does not think either of DeLuca or Hayes are quite on Meredith’s level. DeLuca had a major meltdown in the most recent season, which came to an early end due to Hollywood shutdowns. Now, fans are looking ahead to Meredith’s romantic prospects in Season 17. Well, that, and waiting to see if Grey’s Anatomy can redeem Teddy from her own love triangle behavior.

As for Meredith’s triangle, Grey’s Anatomy’s showrunner has acknowledged that what she wrote on the page and what eventually made it to the screen had a different impact due to the various actors’ portrayals. Speaking to Giacomo Gianniotti and Richard Flood’s performances, Krista Vernoff said:

It seems that viewers are not the only ones in the dark as to how Grey’s Anatomy will resolve the triangle with Meredith in the middle. Whatever ends up happening, fans undoubtedly hope it will be less controversial than how the medical drama chose to write off Meredith’s BFF, Alex Karev.

If you have been worried about DeLuca, it sounds like he will continue to be a love interest for Meredith, which is good news for fans of the couple. Of course, there is a bit of a downside with that news, since Hayes is still very much a player for Meredith’s heart.

Nicknamed “McWidow,” the character joined Grey’s Anatomy last season to take over Karev’s formerly-held position at the hospital, and his past is tragic. Hayes' wife died of cancer, and he is now a single dad to two kids. Considering that Meredith also lost the love of her life with whom she has children, the connection is pretty palatable between them. They share something in common that Meredith does not have with DeLuca. Not that having deaths in common is the best thing.

This is not the first time that Meredith has had to consider her romantic prospects on Grey’s Anatomy with DeLuca in the running. He did end up winning out in the past, but time will tell if he and Meredith end up working out for the long run, or if Hayes is what the doctor ordered for the future.

Past seasons of Grey’s Anatomy are currently streaming on Netflix, along with new 2020 additions. While you wait to see how Meredith’s love triangle gets resolved in Season 17, check out this summer’s premieres.

The shared universe of Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 has involved more sharing than ever throughout the 2019-2020 TV season, to mixed reactions from fans. The frequent sharing of characters and overlap of stories have made for a more cinematic primetime experience on ABC Thursdays, but needing to watch both shows to get the full story and giving valuable screentime to another show's characters on a regular basis didn't always work for viewers. Well, those crossovers may soon cause major problems for everybody.

Why? Well, Grey's Anatomy has already wrapped for Season 16, having run out of episodes due to production halts before all 25 episodes could be produced. The season ended four episodes shy of the original order. Meanwhile, Station 19 managed to complete production on its full third season, which will include some Grey's characters in episodes presumably meant to correspond with Grey's episodes. With those Grey's episodes no longer happening, will everything -- or anything -- make sense?

Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 boss Krista Vernoff addressed Station 19 giving away some Grey's spoilers, saying this to TVLine:

Krista Vernoff also noted that she did go back and edit some Grey's Anatomy content out of the final episodes of Station 19 Season 3 to minimize spoilers, so steps are being taken to make sense of the situation. Given that most of the Station 19/Grey's Anatomy crossovers are on a smaller scale than the two-parter that kicked off Station 19's third season, fixing the issues might be as simple as Grey's eventually reverse engineering early Season 17 to fit Station 19's final Season 3 episodes.

The bigger problem, as I see it, is whether there were storylines from Grey's Anatomy that were intended to bleed over into Station 19 and impact the crew there. Since Grey's aired after Station 19 before its Season 16 finale, it was usually Station 19 cases bleeding into Grey's, which worked in cases like the arguably shark-jumping bear attack, although I still think it was pretty messed up that a Station 19 death wasn't explained until Grey's.

That said, rumor has it (via TVLine) that the original Grey's finale was going to involve an explosion that resulted in the death of a major character. If that was going to be the case, I could see an explosion happening at the end of the planned penultimate episode of Grey's Anatomy Season 16, bleeding into the next episode of Station 19, and then being resolved on Grey's.

If this, or any other kind of scenario involving Grey's plots impacting Station 19, was planned then major problems could be in store. While obviously nobody could have guessed that a pandemic would force the entertainment industry to a stop, I do wonder if this could change how Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 will handle their crossovers in the future.

I've been comparing Grey's Anatomy/Station 19 on ABC to One Chicago on NBC throughout the 2019-2020 season, and this is one area in which One Chicago has the advantage. Chicago Med showrunners Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov shared with CinemaBlend how the three shows go about sharing actors and handling the mini crossovers when the episodes all air on the same night, and it has definitely worked for One Chicago.

With Krista Vernoff running both Grey's Anatomy and Station 19, might she approach the schedules for the series differently? Both shows have already been renewed for another season, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that both could premiere in the fall rather than Station 19 being held until midseason again.

That said, a pandemic shutting down the entertainment industry isn't necessarily likely to happen again, so changes to how the crossovers are handled might not be necessary. I for one wouldn't mind fewer crossovers, but only time will tell what's store. For now, you can catch new episodes of Station 19 (featuring some Grey's Anatomy characters) airing Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

Grey’s Anatomy bid farewell to Alex Karev in the wake of Justin Chambers’ abrupt departure from the medical drama. After weeks of not hearing back from her husband, Camilla Luddington’s Jo learned that Alex had rekindled his romance with ex-wife Izzie Stevens and was never coming back to Seattle. Jo was left to pick up the pieces of her life after that particular heartbreak and Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff recently explained Jo’s rather strange reaction to Alex abandoning her.

Jo has been through a lot. She was a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of her first husband. In Season 15, she discovered that she was the product of rape from her birth mother, and subsequently had a mental breakdown. It wasn’t long after that she went through another devastating blow when Alex announced that he was leaving her behind for his ex. What made everything worse was that he didn’t even wait to tell her the news in person, and opted to write her a letter instead. Jo is nothing if not resilient and Krista Vernoff explained the reason for why she was able to bounce back so quickly. Here’s what she told TVLine:

Jo did have to endure a lot of trauma, so it makes sense why the Grey’s Anatomy showrunner didn’t want her to live through any of that again. Krista Vernoff expanded on that, revealing that — due to Alex’s prolonged absence ahead of his letter — Jo had some time to mourn their relationship before it was officially over.

Krista Vernoff put it this way:

Grey’s Anatomy Season 16 ended up with a shortened season due to pandemic-related shutdowns, with filming completed on 21 of its 25-episode order. The show’s season finale aired earlier this month and, though there were storylines left up in the air, the Season 16 finale still managed a few twists and turns.

Luckily, the ABC drama will be back for Season 17, though there’s no word yet on when production will resume. For more on what to watch in the coming weeks, be sure to check out our list of all the big TV finales.

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.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 16 finale of Grey's Anatomy on ABC, called "Put on a Happy Face."

Grey's Anatomy has come to an end in Season 16, and although "Put on a Happy Face" wasn't originally designed as a finale, it still ended on a cliffhanger for Teddy and Owen that raises some big questions for Season 17. Teddy crossed a major line in the episode, and I'm already wondering if Grey's Anatomy can actually redeem her after how far she's gone in Season 16.

In "Put on a Happy Face," Teddy and Owen were hours away from their simple wedding when Teddy hooked up with Tom again at the hospital. Unfortunately, Teddy had been calling Owen when she was caught up in her passion, and the end result was a voicemail of her and Tom having sex being recorded onto Owen's phone while he was operating. And that wasn't even the end of it!

Owen had another doctor put his phone on speaker to listen to Teddy's message, assuming it was about the wedding. He was shaken when he heard what was happening, but covered well enough, and he shut the message down before it could become clear to all the listeners that the recording was made between Teddy and another man. Later, when a crying Owen listened through the whole message, he heard Teddy via the recording tell Tom they couldn't be together because she was getting married that night.

Come on, Teddy! I've been able to sympathize with her to a certain extent throughout the season, with the early stages of what I dubbed the "love pentagram" of Link/Amelia/Owen/Teddy/Tom, and facing her past while away at the medical conference was rough on her. Still, she lost me as soon as she hooked up with Tom while engaged to Owen so quickly that it felt like she was looking for an excuse to do it.

But to sleep with Tom at their (and Owen's) place of work, hours before she and Owen were set to get married, and then fully intend to go ahead with the wedding with Owen theoretically none the wiser? That was too far. If Grey's Anatomy wanted me to feel bad for Teddy, looking admittedly lovely in her white dress, when she discovered that Owen had "delayed" the wedding because of an operation, then Grey's Anatomy went too far in tearing Teddy down.

The early end to Season 16 means fans won't get to see any kind of confrontation or resolution to this ugly love triangle any time too soon, but Grey's Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff teased to THR how the story will carry forward into Season 17 after Owen's decision regarding the wedding:

Basically, fans shouldn't assume that Owen is totally cool with Teddy just because he didn't cause a scene and yell in the Season 16 finale. Maybe a scene would have been caused if Grey's Anatomy had been able to fill its original order for 25 episodes in Season 16. There were four whole hours of Grey's Anatomy that were supposed to be produced after this episode, and a lot can happen on Grey's Anatomy in four episodes.

While the wait for Season 17 is currently indefinite, considering TV productions across the board are on hold, fans can always relive the first decade and a half of Grey's Anatomy via streaming on Netflix. If you're still in the market for some upcoming TV options, check out our 2020 midseason premiere guide, and be sure to vote in our poll below about whether or not Teddy went too far.

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Grey's Anatomy fans recently suffered a blow with the news that Justin Chambers left the series after 15 years without a grand farewell finale, and now they may be in for more bad news. Jesse Williams may not be around as much in the rest of Season 16. The actor, who has been part of the Grey's ensemble since way back in Season 6, will appear in an upcoming Broadway revival, and Williams can't be in two places at once. That doesn't translate to no Jackson Avery at all, though!

Jesse Williams signed on to Grey's Anatomy through Season 17, and showrunner Krista Vernoff explained why Williams heading to Broadway doesn't require Jackson leaving Grey Sloan Memorial:

So, Jesse Williams heading to Broadway doesn't mean that Jackson has to be killed off, stuck in a coma, sent off on an extended trip somewhere, or get lost in the fog for a few months. Krista Vernoff confirmed to TVLine that she's known about Williams' role in the Broadway revival of Take Me Out and planned his storyline to accommodate the project.

The play debuts on April 2 and will presumably start rehearsals much earlier, and Grey's Anatomy will still be in production. Jesse Williams only working on Grey's one day per week means that fans might not get as much Jackson as they're used to. One day a week is not a whole lot of time, and I wouldn't be surprised if Jackson looks pretty exhausted when he does turn up in the rest of Season 16. Williams seems like he'll be going nonstop on one project or the other!

Still, one day per week means more of Jesse Williams as Jackson than fans will get of Justin Chambers as Alex Karev. Chambers unexpectedly announced his departure from Grey's Anatomy, and it turns out that his final episode was actually in the first half of Season 16. The killer winter premiere didn't give a definitive explanation for why Alex won't return to his wife, friends, and job after his visit with his mom. Losing Jackson altogether on top of Alex would have been rough.

The big question now: how will Grey's Anatomy accommodate Jesse Williams with Jackson's storyline? His big romance of the season has paired him with somebody on another show, but his relationship with Vic probably isn't enough to explain why he's not around as much courtesy of Williams' one day per week. Will Grey's Anatomy simply send Jackson into the background and keep the focus on the current love pentagon of Link/Amelia/Owen/Teddy/Tom?

There's some drama on the DeLuca/Meredith front as well thanks to the arrival of Alex's replacement, and Maggie is facing a dark storyline of her own. Perhaps giving Jackson a less prominent role in the second half of Season 16 will be as simple as not giving him any major arcs and focusing on those already in motion.

Find out when new episodes of Grey's Anatomy air in a new time slot on ABC Thursdays, paired with spinoff Station 19. Be sure to swing by our 2020 winter and spring premiere schedule for some additional viewing options.

Spoilers ahead for the January 23 crossover event between Station 19 and Grey's Anatomy.

Grey's Anatomy closed out 2019 on a cliffhanger that left the lives of several key characters in very real jeopardy after a car crashed into the bar where they were trying to unwind with a drink, and the 2020 crossover event between Grey's and spinoff Station 19 had a bloody mess to clean up. The two-parter marked Station 19's Season 3 premiere and Grey's Anatomy's Season 16 winter return, and Grey's deadly past made it all too possible that some character(s) could bite the dust. According to Grey's boss Krista Vernoff, the "intention" was there.

The good news for fans is that the death toll was surprisingly low, with the most impactful death of the crossover being one of the people in the crashed car. That's not to say the event didn't pack an emotional punch, what with the severe injuries of several doctors and, of course, the fallout of Bailey's miscarriage back in the fall. Krista Vernoff shared why the crossover didn't kill off more people in the crisis:

Grey's Anatomy's infamous willingness to kill off major characters, going way back to the early years and peaking with the death of McDreamy, did undoubtedly leave plenty of fans nervous about the fates of all the Grey's and Station 19 characters who were in that bar when the car hit. Krista Vernoff's comments to Variety indicate that the intent was indeed to kill somebody off.

While it's good that there were no devastating doctor deaths to kick of Grey's in 2020, the episode was still a heartbreaker thanks to Bailey trying to process her miscarriage in the middle of an emergency, and of course Chandra Wilson's incredible performance. Her breakdown to Richard over the loss of the child, who she was imagining as the daughter she'd always wanted, was a tearjerker. Imagine if one of the residents had died a horrible death on top of what Bailey was going through!

So, although that tragedy struck in the midseason finale, the loss was still impacting the story and the characters in the winter premiere when so many lives were in jeopardy. Which characters were potentially going to be killed off before Krista Vernoff and Co. decided Bailey's loss was enough? She went on to share:

Helm seemed to be the one on the chopping block before she managed to pull through in Grey's winter premiere, but apparently there were many people who might have been killed off. While characters like Ben, Jackson, and Herrera were likely never going to meet their end, there were some supporting characters handy whose deaths would have packed a punch. Instead, there were just some serious injuries from the bar incident, while Bailey dealt with her personal tragedy.

Does this mean that everybody on Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 will be safe for the rest of the season? Definitely not. Bailey was on her way to processing her loss by the end of the crossover, and fans shouldn't count on Grey's only delivering relationship drama surrounding Amelia's big secret or dealing with Justin Chambers' absence as Alex Karev after how the winter premiere handled the void. Some darkness is already on the way for one character, and it's always good to stay prepared for twists when it comes to Grey's Anatomy.

You can catch new episodes of Station 19 at 8 p.m. ET and Grey's Anatomy at 9 p.m. ET on ABC Thursdays.

Katey Sagal may get to keep her TV hot streak going with a promising new series. The actress has signed on to team up with Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff for a new show inspired by a familiar person: Erin Brockovich. Vernoff will trade in the drama of the medical world for some of the legal variety with Sagal along for the ride.

Katey Sagal found a new ABC TV show in Krista Vernoff's Rebel, per Deadline. The show is inspired by the present-day life of activist Erin Brockovich. Pop culture enthusiasts will remember that Julia Roberts played Brockovich in the self-titled 2000 film about her life. Unlike Roberts, Sagal will be playing a dramatized version of Brockovich.

In the new show, which Grey’s Anatomy’s showrunner will write, Katey Sagal will play Annie “Rebel” Bello. She is described as a “blue-collar legal advocate” minus the law degree. Rebel fights hard to win. She is said to be “funny, messy, brilliant, and fearless.” The Erin Brockovich will executive produce the series with Krista Vernoff.

Rebel has not been picked up to series yet. A pilot order has reportedly hinged on the series finding its lead. Consider that job done! Now the show’s future lies in wait. Katey Sagal has not been a stranger to ABC in recent years. During The Conners’ first season, she made her debut as Louise Goldufski, a potential love interest for Dan.

The ABC comedy liked her so much that they wanted to have her back even more in Season 2. Hence, Katey Sagal made her return to The Conners, which subsequently dealt with a critical issue. So, what (if anything) does Sagal landing the Rebel pilot mean for the romance between Sagal’s Louise and John Goodman’s Dan? Time will tell.

Katey Sagal has remained busy since her time on the FX drama, Sons of Anarchy, came to an end in 2014. She guest-starred as Penny’s mom on The Big Bang Theory in 2016. Sagal also had a role in ABC’s short-lived series Grand Hotel last year. The Alphabet Network was clearly paying attention.

Katey Sagal reportedly had her pick of ABC’s scripts, and she chose Rebel, which speaks highly of the project. Now fans of the actress will just have to sit tight and see if ABC ends up ordering Rebel to series. It is a long way between a pilot and a series order. John Davis, John Fox, and Alexandre Schmitt will executive produce the series with Mike Stein on-board as a co-producer.

Katey Sagal seems like a great fit to take on the eponymous role in Rebel, in my opinion. Sagal has significant comedy and drama skills, both of which should come in handy when portraying the non-lawyer legal advocate. Plus, Sagal knows how to play a fighter. Based on all of that, she should be able to bring Rebel to life in an extraordinary way.

As for Krista Vernoff, Grey’s Anatomy will continue taking on new twists and turns as its current season continues. The long-running medical drama is still dealing with the shocking departure of original cast member Justin Chambers (Alex Karev).

Speaking of Grey’s Anatomy, it would be neat if Katey Sagal guest-starred on the show. Sagal and Krista Vernoff’s team-up on Rebel will have to do for now. Maybe if things do not work out with Rebel, Sagal can add Grey's to her impressive list of guest roles.

Rebel has yet to receive a series order, so a premiere date is not even pending at this point. As you await word on if Katey Sagal’s show gets picked up, you can catch up on this winter and spring’s premieres.

Spoilers for the Season 16 premiere of Grey’s Anatomy are disclosed below!

How will Grey’s Anatomy handle Jackson’s new romance? Let’s back up a bit and address how he ended up single to explore one. That happened because of Season 16’s big breakup between Jackson and Maggie. Yes, he survived that cliffhanger. In the end, it was Jackson who decided to put an end the relationship. Jackson’s prognosis for his and Maggie’s relationship? He told Maggie, “What’s broken is us.”

Thanks to a bit of a time jump, a very much alive Jackson is beginning to move on, showing interest in Station 19’s Vic. Remember, there has been crossover action between the fire station drama and Grey’s Anatomy. How will Jackson and Vic’s relationship develop? Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff told ET:

From what Grey’s Anatomy’s showrunner is saying, the breakup between Maggie and Jackson has been in the works for a while. Nevertheless, fans should expect the former couple’s breakup to get messy. Jackson is going to be attempting to move on from their relationship by embarking on a new romance with Vic.

Their relationship is not going to come together overnight. After teasing it, Grey’s Anatomy clearly liked what they had between Jackson and Station 19’s Vic. As a whole, the storyline between Vic and Jackson has struck a chord with the series’ showrunner. Why is Grey’s Anatomy having Jackson move on so soon? Krista Vernoff explained, saying:

Interesting. What does Krista Vernoff mention of the need for comfort mean for the longevity of Jackson’s new romance? Will there be something lasting between him and Vic, despite how recently he broke up with Maggie? Can their relationship survive that, and being on separate shows? Fans will have to watch and see.

Jesse Williams has already signed on for Season 16 and 17. So, there will be lots of time for Grey’s Anatomy to explore his new romance. Jackson will be absent for a few episodes as Williams makes his Broadway debut in the spring of 2020. Speaking of schedules, how will Vic being on Station 19 affect her burgeoning relationship with Jackson? Stay tuned.

After the “Season of Love” (a.k.a Season 15), Grey’s Anatomy is getting started with a pretty seismic breakup. Jackson and Maggie will have the rest of the season to navigate their post-breakup dynamic. They do both still work at the same hospital, after all! Meanwhile, Jackson will have his new romance with Vic to consider. Will it all work out?

Find out when new episodes of Grey’s Anatomy air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. You can relive Jackson and Maggie’s romance via Netflix, along with newly arriving content. Season 16 of the medical drama is one of this fall’s premieres.

Season 15 of Grey's Anatomy proved that the veteran medical drama hadn't lost its touch for cliffhangers, despite breaking a record set long ago by ER. Although Meredith didn't have her hand on a bomb in anybody's chest in this particular Grey's finale, the episode did end with DeLuca behind bars after taking the fall for Meredith, Meredith along with Richard and Alex getting fired by Bailey for majorly breaking the rules (and law), and Jackson seemingly vanishing into the mist after an adventure gone wrong with Maggie.

The Season 15 finale aired all the way back in May, so fans have been waiting months and months for payoff on these cliffhangers. How much longer will we be waiting? The answer is a little complicated. First off, showrunner Krista Vernoff said this about when the Season 16 premiere will pick up in-universe:

Well, that's one promising answer! The aftermath of Jackson's disappearance, the firings after Meredith and Co. failed to successfully pull off a redo of the iconic "I cut the LVAD wire" scene, and DeLuca behind bars would have lost some of the impact if they were resolved over hiatus, and Season 16 picked up five months later to drop some exposition about what happened.

Of course, tidbits from the filming of Season 16 have given a few peeks into what's probably happening (or not happening) with the DeLuca/Meredith situation, and Jesse Williams signing on for two more seasons of Grey's Anatomy was pretty solid proof that either Jackson would be back in the flesh sooner rather than later or that Grey's was turning him into Denny Duquette 2.0.

All of this isn't to say that the entire Season 16 premiere will take place immediately following the events of the Season 15 finale. Krista Vernoff went on in the talk with TVLine to say this about the timeline of the premiere:

So, Grey's Anatomy will deliver some kind of time jump in the Season 16 premiere, even if the showrunner wasn't willing to divulge the details of how much time yet. Does "a little bit" mean a matter of just days or weeks? Or was she just choosing her words carefully, and the episode will catch up with real time of fall 2019?

We'll have to wait until the premiere hits the airwaves later this month to find out for sure, but Krista Vernoff was a little bit more forthcoming with details in a different conversation with TVLine, concerning what happened to Jackson and his future with Maggie. She said this:

Krista Vernoff may know what happened to Jackson now, unlike when the Season 15 finale actually aired and introduced the mystery to viewers, but she didn't specify where he went when he disappeared into the fog. His disappearance came after he and Maggie spent most of the episode fighting with each other, and the future of their relationship wasn't looking too rosy. A romp in the woods turned out to be very much not what their romance needed!

That said, Krista Vernoff's comments do suggest that they'll continue to work on their relationship, if "for some time to come" holds true. Jackson's disappearance is probably the most difficult of the cliffhangers to speculate about, and what happened to him is the biggest question that I personally want to see answered.

Fortunately, the wait is almost over. Season 16 of Grey's Anatomy will debut on ABC in the fall TV premiere lineup on Thursday, September 26 at 8 p.m. ET.

Grey's Anatomy Season 16 premieres September 26, and the 2019-2020 season may bring back a familiar face from past seasons. Showrunner Krista Vernoff explained her goal:

Grey's Anatomy boss Krista Vernoff emphasized the "maybe" to TVLine, but it's encouraging that someone may return. Who will it be? There are too many options to count, and the answer may end up being someone disappointing (please don't say it's just Leah again). But here are some of the more likely options.

Addison Montgomery 

This may just be a fan hope, but what if Kate Walsh returns as Addison? Addison was part of the Grey's Anatomy family from 2005 to 2012, and got her own spinoff in Private Practice. She and Amelia Shepherd were like sisters, and Krista Vernoff did tell TVLine Season 16 is "a season of family" -- as well as a "Season of Fun" -- and I can see Addison popping in at Grey Sloan to either visit with Amelia, check in with everyone else, or maybe even consult on a case. Kate Walsh has stayed on good terms with the Grey's world, saying she was open to a return. Plus, Shonda Rhimes said she would love to see Addison back, adding this to THR:

If Addison doesn't return in Grey's Anatomy Season 16, maybe we'll see her in Season 17, since ABC already renewed the show for the 2020-2021 season.

Callie Torres 

It's certainly possible for Grey's Anatomy Season 16 to bring back Callie, and in fact we were just speculating about that, since Sara Ramirez announced she won't be returning for Madam Secretary's final season. Sara Ramirez being done with the CBS show doesn't mean she'd definitely return to Grey's Anatomy, though. After all, why would Callie make an appearance when she's not even in Seattle anymore? She's in New York -- and the Season 14 finale showed Arizona and Sofia moving out to NYC as well. Would Grey's bring back Callie without Arizona? Seems unlikely. Jessica Capshaw may be willing to make an appearance again as Arizona, after Krista Vernoff wrote her out of the story in Season 14. But the way the tease was phrased -- that Vernoff is trying to get "someone" back -- made it sound singular. Which leads me to other options...

Izzie Stevens 

If we see Katherine Heigl return as Izzie Stevens in 2020, it would be a full 10 years since her departure in Grey's Anatomy Season 6. Heigl recently said she worried it would almost be a distraction for fans to bring Izzie back, and she's not sure if she would do it. But I could see it. Time heals all wounds, and bringing Heigl back might finally heal the ugliness of her departure at the time. Shonda Rhimes isn't the day-to-day showrunner anymore, now that she has her Netflix specials, and I don't really know how Krista Vernoff might feel about it. Alex Karev has talked about what he imagines Izzie doing now, and that's a nice place to end her story -- on a happy note. But I could also see Izzie and Alex getting better closure than that, and maybe even becoming real friends as he tries to help his new wife Jo navigate through her trauma. Maybe this is a long-shot, but not as much of one as in the past.

April Kepner 

Sarah Drew was understandably hurt when Grey's Anatomy wrote her and Jessica Capshaw out after Season 14. Fans were devastated to lose both April and Arizona. But April didn't die or even leave Seattle. She is there, now married to Matthew and co-parenting baby Harriet with Jackson Avery. As Jesse Williams has said, it would make sense to see April again, since she is Harriet's mother and she's still in the area. Would Sarah Drew want to return so soon, though? It might still sting that she was written out. I could see this going either way.

Cristina Yang 

This seems very unlikely, since Sandra Oh has made it clear she's moved on from Grey's Anatomy. She's seemed open to returning at the very end, but Season 16 won't even be the end. We already know it will at least come back for Season 17. However, Cristina is Meredith Grey's "person," and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) ended Season 15 in a very bad place. Mer was fired from Grey Sloan and may even go to prison. I could see Meredith calling Cristina to update her and maybe just vent or get advice from a friend. Would Sandra Oh make an appearance for that, or would she be too busy with Killing Eve and other things?

Nathan Riggs 

Meredith Grey had a brief romance with Nathan Riggs after Derek Shepherd died and before she got into her current situation with Andrew DeLuca. However, Riggs left Seattle when Megan Hunt -- Owen's sister -- was discovered to be alive and brought home. Riggs and Megan started a new life together in Los Angeles. Abigail Spencer already returned as Megan in Season 15, and was shocked by all of the updates in her brother Owen's life. She's the one who urged him to go into therapy. The Season 15 finale showed Teddy having her baby with Owen, so I can see Aunt Megan showing up and bringing Riggs along for the ride. However, would that even be worthy of bringing up as a return? I don't know.

Stephanie Edwards 

Jerrika Hinton left Grey's Anatomy after Season 13, but her Dr. Stephanie Edwards is still alive. She quit Grey Sloan after the fire, but maybe it was just temporary and she could be talked into a return? I might be reaching, but Miranda Bailey did just fire three major power players -- Meredith, Richard, and Alex. Someone is going to have to at least temporarily step in for them to get stuff done at the hospital, and I could see Bailey making some calls to get back some past faces. Could Stephanie be one?

Other? 

Who are your guesses? There are any number of past Grey's Anatomy characters who could return, but who would be worth even mentioning in an interview as someone the showrunner was trying to make an appearance? An "appearance" could just be like a cameo, which is why I had Izzie, Callie, or Addison as top options. To me, it would be exciting but also make the most sense to see one of them -- as opposed to Cristina, who may just be a dream.

Grey's Anatomy Season 16 may not even be able to convince this mystery star to appear. Hopefully Krista Vernoff explains the character she meant, however this turns out. Season 16 premieres Thursday, September 26 at 8 p.m. on ABC.

A casting leak led Grey's Anatomy's showrunner to axe Meredith Grey's post-Nathan Riggs relationship. However, it also led to the creation of a new character for Season 14.

Grey's Anatomy Season 13 had ended with Riggs (Martin Henderson) running off to be with Megan Hunt (Abigail Spencer), who was newly discovered to be alive. You may have recalled reading about plans for Grey's Anatomy to cast a 40-something doctor in Season 14 to be Meredith's new love interest.

Well, here's why showrunner Krista Vernoff scrapped those plans:

Guess we can safely say that leak did not come from Krista Vernoff herself, based on what she told EW. Instead, they decided to switch the character around, and cast Rachel Ticotin for the newly created role of Dr. Marie Cerone. Marie was an old family friend of Meredith's mother Ellis Grey, before the two had a falling out. Season 14 delved into the troubling backstory of Ellis allegedly stealing a surgical innovation she and Marie had worked on together, leading to Ellis' second Harper Avery award.

Here's more from Krista Vernoff to EW on swapping Mer's new doc love interest for Marie Cerone:

For the record, here's the spoiler that TVLine had posted on the new doc casting in November 2017:

It's possible the change also came from reaction to the idea of Meredith getting another love interest so quickly after Riggs. Ellen Pompeo had said she was surprised at how quickly ABC wanted to get another penis into the picture after Derek died. But ultimately, she said, they didn't like the Riggs storyline so they ended it. This new doc was meant to be her next romance, but instead Mer focused more on work in Season 14, until the season ended with an unexpected kiss from Dr. Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti).

Grey's Anatomy Season 15 saw Meredith briefly play the field -- including one date with a character played by How I Met Your Mother's Josh Radnor -- and gave her a love triangle between new doc Link (Chris Carmack) and DeLuca. Mer went with DeLuca, and Link is now with Derek's sister Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone).

Grey's Anatomy Season 15 was billed as the Season of Love, but that news only came out after previous reports suggested Meredith might spend the season focused more on her work and children, since Ellen Pompeo wasn't in a rush to give Meredith another love interest.

Since they were determined to give Mer a new love interest anyway, I thought it might be Dr. Tom Koracick (Greg Germann). I thought he and Meredith had a playful chemistry, but Koracick has that chemistry with everyone. Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) just dumped him, but he doesn't know it yet, so Season 16 should show Dr. Koracick wide open for a new relationship. Actor Greg Germann is one of three stars who just got promoted to series regular status for the 2019-2020 season, so I'm looking forward to seeing a lot more from him, with or without a relationship.

Dr. Meredith Grey is not single, although her boyfriend was last seen in prison, taking the blame for her insurance fraud. Meredith was one of three doctors fired in the Season 15 finale, and she may be going to prison herself, although we shouldn't expect either of those events to last too long. She's the star of the show, after all.

Many Grey's Anatomy fans are still getting used to the idea of Meredith and DeLuca as a couple. Krista Vernoff said she was shocked by the backlash to Meredith finding love after Derek's death:

Some fans weren't upset with Meredith finding love, they just didn't see that love happening with DeLuca. Many viewers had hoped she'd be with Scott Speedman's Dr. Nick Marsh, if not Koracick, Link, someone new, or even her BFF Alex. (Mer and Alex fans should probably give up on that idea now that Jolex is married and probably working on a baby in Season 16.)

Find out what happens next for Meredith, Jo and Alex, Jackson and Maggie, Glasses and Nico, Owen and Teddy, etc. when Grey's Anatomy Season 16 premieres this September on ABC. Don't forget that ABC already renewed Grey's for Season 17, so we know the show will continue until at least 2021. That is pretty amazing. The question is where Meredith's life -- romance and otherwise -- will be at that point. Will she still be with DeLuca? Will they fast-forward into the future to show her grown children? We'll have to wait and see.

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.

Grey's Anatomy Season 16 will see Jake Borelli as one of three recurring stars bumped up to series regular status for 2019-2020. It's an exciting promotion for Borelli's chracter, Levi Schmitt, aka "Glasses." It's also the surprise result of what he told CinemaBlend was craziest casting experience of his acting career so far.

As you already know, that's not quite how it ended. But the turnaround for Grey's Anatomy was a lot faster than Jake Borelli expected:

So if it looks like Jake Borelli's Glasses is a bit shell-shocked at Grey Sloan in his first Season 14 episode in 2017, that might be art imitating life.

At that point, he said the role of Levi Schmitt was just a one episode co-star role, possibly two episodes. Jake Borelli's first two episodes of Grey's Anatomy Season 14, where he plays one of the med students sort of wreaking havoc on the hospital, was all that was ever supposed to be.

Jake Borelli said he didn't even know much about the role at that point, since he had just sent a tape in and all he ever read was the audition sides. He thought maybe his character got sick and was coming back to the hospital as a patient or something.

Wow! I kind of feel sorry for the New York roommate, but it's a win for Jake Borelli. I'd lose hair from stress with all the night-before calls, but maybe that's typical for actors rising in the TV ranks. Jake Borelli, now 28, came to Grey's Anatomy after TV roles on Psych: Flashback to the Teen Years, iCarly, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, and Greek, plus a lead role in the Netflix movie Reality High.

Jake Borelli said he didn't know what Levi's arc was going to be on Grey's Anatomy -- including coming out and getting a boyfriend in Dr. Nico Kim (Alex Landi) -- it was just surprise after surprise.

Levi Schmitt's role definitely developed over Grey's Anatomy Season 15. He stopped being a goofy side character called Glasses and became Dr. Schmitt, a respected member of the team. He got a great showcase in the Station 19 crossover episode, and was part of the big car pileup scene with Kevin McKidd's Owen Hunt in the season finale.

And, of course, Levi got a new romance with Nico Kim. Jake Borelli came out himself, via an Instagram post, at the same time that Levi had his coming out story on Grey's Anatomy. Levi and Nico's relationship hit a rough patch toward the end of Grey's Anatomy Season 15, but rallied in the fog-driven finale. Levi even introduced Nico to his mom -- as his boyfriend. So they will apparently be entering Grey's Anatomy Season 16 as a couple, with actor Alex Landi still a recurring star for ABC, despite his new role in Netflix's Insatiable Season 2. Hopefully Levi/Glasses also gets more scenes with these two actors in the 2019-2020 season, since that's what Jake Borelli said he wanted.

Grey's Anatomy Season 15 didn't have such a happy ending for everyone. Pity poor Tom Koracick, who still doesn't know about Teddy and Owen. Oh, and pity DeLuca for being in prison and Meredith Grey for possibly ending up there. And also maybe pity Mer for being fired, along with Alex Karev and Richard Webber. (Those firings can't possibly last, right?) And where is Jackson Avery? Find out when Grey's Anatomy Season 16 premieres this fall on ABC.

Spoilers ahead from the Grey's Anatomy Season 15 finale.

What the heck happened to Jackson Avery at the end of the Grey's Anatomy Season 15 finale? He literally jumped into the fog in "Jump Into the Fog" and we don't know where he went. Apparently we're not alone. Showrunner Krista Vernoff made the rounds after Season 15, Episode 25, and it sounds like she hasn't quite decided how the Jackson twist will play out in Season 16.

Krista Vernoff was asked why the finale left Jackson's fate so open-ended, and whether it was a creative decision or based on what's in actor Jesse Williams' contract:

The Hollywood Reporter noted that Jesse Williams is coming back as a series regular in Grey's Anatomy Season 16, so we're expecting to see more of him. But the Season 15 finale showed him get in an ugly fight with Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary), with both of them saying things it may be hard to come back from. Then, when they hit the fog that covered most of Seattle, he got out of the car to walk ahead. That's the last we saw of him, until Maggie later got out of the car to shout his name and try to find him.

Krista Vernoff told TVLine that Jaggie fight felt "significant" and was possibly something that they can't come back from. However, since Maggie is so worried about what might've happened to Jackson, that could be something that helps to bridge their other gaps.

She said Jackson's current status is "worrisome." But even if he emerges unscathed -- or only slightly scathed -- and they get back together, there's no un-ringing the bell of what they said. She called him out on his "Mr. Monopoly" privilege and he keeps pushing for her to change who she is. Here's Vernoff's take on that fight, to TVLine:

The Grey's Anatomy Season 15 finale had a lot of surprises for fans, as Jake Borelli told CinemaBlend it would. The Levi Schmitt/Glasses actor also revealed the co-stars he'd love to have more scenes with in Season 16. Grey's Anatomy will be coming back for at least two more seasons, since ABC gave the series a two-season renewal last week. Season 16 premieres this fall on ABC.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 15 finale of Grey's Anatomy, called "Jump into the Fog."

Another season of Grey's Anatomy has come to an end, and the finale featured everything from Teddy giving birth and getting a love confession from Owen to a quadriplegic woman regaining sensation to a thick blanket of fog over Seattle causing all kinds of crises. Arguably the most game-changing twist, however, was actually a recreation of an iconic moment from way back in Season 2, and the consequences are very different from what they were back then.

In "Jump into the Fog," Meredith confessed to being guilty of fraud, which led to Alex and Webber stepping up to confess as well in an attempt to save Meredith from the repercussions. It was so similar to the Season 2 scene when all five interns "confessed" to cutting Denny's LVAD wire that Bailey even commented on it. As she said, they're not interns anymore, and when none of them backed down from their claim of guilt, Bailey went ahead and fired them all.

In the "I cut the LVAD wire" scene, Meredith, Cristina, George, and Alex presented a united front to Webber to save Izzie from being cut from the surgical program for cutting Denny's LVAD wire. As longtime fans remember, Denny died anyway in a truly heartbreaking twist.

Nobody died due to Meredith's fraud or Alex and Webber trying to save her job by lumping themselves in with her, but the hospital lost three of its most talented and seasoned surgeons, and Bailey doesn't intend to change her mind as of the end of the episode.

Given that the show is called Grey's Anatomy and not Bailey's Anatomy or Hunt's Anatomy or Shepherd's Anatomy, it's probably safe to say that Meredith will be back in scrubs come Season 16, but we'll have to wait and see.

Somewhat ironically, back in Season 2, Alex was the intern who wanted to give up Izzie, and Webber was the one throwing his weight around to get the truth out of the interns. Now, both men supported Meredith to try and save her job. Showrunner Krista Vernoff confirmed that the scene was designed as a callback to the LVAD confession and explained why the show delivered such a huge twist for Meredith, Alex, and Webber:

Meredith has blazed trails throughout the 15 seasons of Grey's Anatomy so far, both personally and professionally. That has required her to cross lines and break rules, but never for any dastardly reason. The system hasn't always allowed her to do what she needs to do to save lives, and that hasn't always been enough to stop her. While that makes it easy for fans to root for her to succeed, it's not 100% realistic that she tends to escape consequences. No more!

It does make sense that this is the time that caught up to Meredith. There was paperwork involved, and witnesses who participated. Fans haven't loved the fraud twist when there were seemingly ways to help the family that weren't actually illegal, but it does make sense that this is the time that somebody was nailed for the fraud. At first, Meredith wasn't the one in trouble, as she was in the hyperbaric chamber when she found out that DeLuca confessed to the fraud to keep her out of trouble.

As the heroine of the series, of course Meredith wasn't content to let DeLuca take the fall for her, especially considering she was finally ready to tell him she loved him. So, as the season ended, Meredith along with Webber and Alex had been fired, DeLuca was still in prison but likely to get out as soon as his name was cleared, and Meredith was ready to turn herself in.

She did lay out to Webber why she believes her reputation and lack of priors meant that she'd get off with minimal legal trouble. That said, Krista Vernoff went on in her chat with THR to explain that the consequences won't go away in the blink of an eye. She said:

Well, when your show has been running for nearly 350 episodes, has already featured everything from bombs to shootouts to natural disasters, you have to go pretty far to deliver something shocking. Bailey immediately telling Meredith, Alex, and Webber that they were fired definitely caught me off guard.

There were no grand speeches about betrayal or why they did it or why she couldn't keep them on at the hospital. Bailey wasn't entertaining excuses. They were just fired. It was shocking AF, as the kids might say!

Unfortunately, we have months to wait before we find out what happens next, but the good news is that Grey's Anatomy still has a long future ahead of it. ABC handed down a renewal for not one but two more seasons, with three cast members getting bumped up to series regular status. There's a lot to look forward to, and at least there are plenty of summer TV viewing options to pass the time until fall premiere season.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for Grey's Anatomy**'s "Silent All These Years." Read at your own risk!**

Grey's Anatomy's heartbreaking consent episode was one of the series' most powerful episodes in quite a while, and it almost didn't happen as intended. It turns out ABC initially took issue with some of the imagery the episode contained, and preferred it be removed from the episode. Showrunner Krista Vernoff said Shonda Rhimes pushed back, and fought for the right for the episode to film as scripted:

Much of ABC's initial complaint involved the plot in the hospital, in which a woman came in with several horrific injuries. It was from a sexual assault, but the woman was initially afraid to admit. After some encouragement from Jo and others, she submitted to the tests, which involved a rape kit and some of the processes ABC initially saw issue with. Luckily, they ultimately changed their minds, and the episode ran as aired.

Surprisingly, the episode was one that its writer, Elisabeth Finch, had pitched for a while. The concept was built around the scene in which the women of the hospital lined the halls in support of a rape victim, but Vernoff and Finch told THR the pitch never worked organically into an episode. It wasn't until the decision was made to flesh out Jo's origin that it could run.

As it turned out, Jo found her biological mother and learned the truth behind her abandonment. Her mother had been raped, and while she was numb the nine months of her pregnancy, she realized she couldn't look at Jo without seeing her rapist as well. The news was tough for Jo to swallow, and the meeting between her and the mother ended without any happy closure, but Jo's actions at the hospital prove she understood the trauma her mother felt to a degree.

Overall, it was a powerful moment for Grey's Anatomy and a relevant message towards the struggles women undergo when a sex crime occurs. The always vocal Krista Vernoff is especially proud of the episode and said it was "the most powerful hour of television" she had ever been a part of.

Grey's Anatomy airs on ABC Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Stick with CinemaBlend for updates on it and other spring television, and read up on how the show will likely be leaving Netflix soon.

Grey's Anatomy fans have been invested in Meredith Grey's (Ellen Pompeo) love life since the first episode. So it's not really surprising that fans still have passionate opinions about what's best for her. To current Grey's showrunner Krista Vernoff, what's shocking is that some fans are hating on Mer's new relationship with Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) because they don't want to see her in another romance after the death of Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey).

Cruelty to Meredith! Krista Vernoff shared her shock with TV Guide, after previously tweeting to fans during Season 15 that she wasn't trying to erase Derek by giving Meredith another romance. The MerDer love story will always be fans' first love, but it doesn't have to be our last love. Besides, it was Patrick Dempsey's choice to leave, so go blame him.

(Side note: Apparently we're all choosing to ignore Martin Henderson's Nathan Riggs as Meredith's first post-Derek romance? Yes? OK. Just checking.)

To me, while some fans may not want to see Meredith with anyone but Derek, they appear to be in the minority. While it's perfectly fine to just see Meredith as a single mother focusing on raising her kids and thriving in her career -- there wouldn't be anything wrong with that, and it might actually be refreshing! -- the more common complaint isn't about romance in general. It's about romance with DeLuca.

Granted, MerLuca does already have a lot of supporters, which isn't always the case for new couples on the show. I'm just now getting used to Maggie (Kelly McCreary) and Jackson (Jesse Williams) together as Jaggie, despite my own knee-jerk aversion because they are step-siblings. Also, they don't have the greatest chemistry. Some fans don't see chemistry between Mer and DeLuca either -- despite their steamy time in the elevator. When he speaks Italian [fans self] it's quite charming, and you have to admit it was cute when he tucked her in and gave her a kiss a couple of weeks ago:

Grey's Anatomy is known for pairing just about everyone up at the hospital, but DeLuca did already have a thing with Meredith's sister Maggie. From there, he had an unrequited thing for Jo. Now -- seemingly out of nowhere -- he's hot for Meredith. They had a drunken kiss in the Season 14 finale. In early Season 15, Meredith did some brief dating around, then got into a very brief love triangle with DeLuca and Link. We barely even got to know Link before he exited the triangle, and now it's just Meredith and DeLuca.

Giacomo Gianniotti recently told TVLine that Krista Vernoff told him at the start of Season 15 filming that Meredith and DeLuca would be getting together. He did not see that coming:

It is great to flip double standards, but when a couple comes together just so Grey's Anatomy can make a statement, it doesn't feel organic. For my money, I loved the natural chemistry between Meredith and Tom Koracick. I thought that was headed somewhere, but now Tom (Greg Germann) is with Teddy Altman (Kim Raver). And some fans are still hoping Scott Speedman's Dr. Nick Marsh comes back to continue his sparks with Meredith. Fans saw instant chemistry there. And heck, if Grey's Anatomy really wants Meredith to be with someone younger, I know intern Taryn (Jaicy Elliot) would be happy to step forward.

So it's not really about fans not wanting Meredith to move on, it's just that we all have our favorites. Some fans are even still hoping Meredith and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) will be endgame, despite Alex now being in one of the only stable relationships on the show with Jo (Camilla Luddington).

Speaking of Alex and Meredith, though, in last night's milestone episode, Alex's mom Helen (the great Lindsay Wagner) remembered Meredith is Alex's best friend. That friendship will apparently be tested in the March 7 episode when Mer has to pick a side between Alex or DeLuca. The February 28 episode ended with DeLuca's father showing up out of the blue, so we know we'll be hearing more about that too.

Plus, Link (Chris Carmack) needs to pair up with someone, since this is Grey's Anatomy and no one is really allowed to be hot and single at the same time. Will he be with Amelia (Caterina Scorsone), or are Amelia and Owen (Kevin McKidd) going to try to make things work now that Leo is back in the fold? Amelia deserves better than Owen, to be honest, and she finally realized as much last night. Don't make her take two steps back from here.

Grey's Anatomy Season 15 continues its relationship drama Thursdays at 8 pm., ET on ABC as one of the many shows airing in midseason 2019. ABC has yet to renew the show for Season 16, but it's all but guaranteed. Will Meredith and DeLuca end the series together as the endgame couple, or will The Powers That Be throw another curveball into the mix?

Grey's Anatomy featured another death recently as Meredith's father Thatcher ended his battle with terminal cancer. Surprisingly, the reason behind the character's death wasn't because the initial plan was to kill him off, but rather a way to even the show's scales. Showrunner Krista Vernoff explained that Thatcher ended up being the sacrificial lamb of sorts during "The Winner Takes It All" in order to ensure another parent on the show could pull through:

As Krista Vernoff stated, Grey's Anatomy had a streak of characters going through really bad situations, but then pulling through and surviving their tough times. Catherine seemed like an easy candidate to break that streak, as Vernoff told TVLine the procedure the character had is one "few people survive." The episode's writer Elisabeth R. Finch wasn't so willing to part with Catherine, and instead presented Thatcher as another option to remind viewers meaningful characters aren't immortal.

Vernoff added that Elisabeth R. Finch wanted Catherine to survive as the story drew parallels to her own battle with cancer, surgery, and survival post-operation. Additionally, Finch told EW she wanted to show that life with cancer is imperfect, and that two people can follow their doctors' orders and it end in life and death. Finch hoped to showcase that there is no "right" way to battle cancer, and present a different method behind how people battle the illness.

That was showcased with Joe Perry's Thatcher Grey, who opted not to continue fighting through his terminal cancer diagnosis. Instead, he declined further treatment, and sought to die in his home in a reasonable amount of comfort while he still could. It's common to say folks "lose" their battle with cancer upon death, but Elisabeth Finch sough to show coping with the illness isn't about winning or losing.

All that didn't make the death of Thatcher Grey any less devastating, as Meredith got a chance to share some moments with her father before he passed. There were some saddened to see Thatcher go, but some even sadder for Meredith. She's seen a lot of people close to her die in the past decade, and one has to think that amount of loss will further shape her character as Grey's Anatomy continues.

Grey's Anatomy is on ABC Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. The coming weeks are jam-packed with a bunch of new and returning television shows worth checking out, so be sure to keep up on all the latest premieres with our midseason premiere guide.

Am I the only one who really thought, wished, hope, understood, truly believed Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) was going to end up with Dr. Tom Koracick (Greg Germann) by the end of Grey's Anatomy Season 15?

This is The Season of Love, showrunner Krista Vernoff has said, and that love will extend to Dr. Meredith Grey. No one will ever forget Derek, but Mer is finally moving on (does Riggs even count?). Apparently she's going to move on with one of two guys, and neither is Koracick.

Krista Vernoff told TVLine that Meredith Grey's "dating adventure has boiled down to [that triangle]" -- meaning Dr. Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) and Dr. Atticus "Link" Lincoln (Chris Carmack). So this is the triangle:

Really? Who asked for that?

OK, some people may have asked for that, at least after Meredith's steamy DeLuca dreams. They are stuck in an elevator together as of the Season 15 midseason finale. They are going to get to know each other better, which doesn't mean they will end up together.

We barely know Link at this point, so it's unfair to judge. But I'm judging. His hair alone irritates me! He's not right for Meredith. We don't really know that much about Koracick yet either, but he already seems like a better match for Meredith. I loved their chemistry during the otherwise dark episode when they had to work together to try and help the terminally ill Catherine. They don't have the sexual spark that's already flying between Mer and DeLuca, but they have something deeper.

It seemed to me that if Meredith wasn't going to end with with Koracick, Grey's might hold out until Scott Speedman agreed to return as Dr. Nick Marsh. They had a great connection for his scenes, and many fans hoped he might be The One. But apparently that's not happening, or at least not this season.

There's no confirmation that either guy in the current love triangle will be Meredith's end game. We all thought Derek would be end game, until Patrick Dempsey decided to leave. Ellen Pompeo is contracted through Season 16 for the 2019-2020 season, but after that? Who knows.

DeLuca actor Giacomo Gianniotti made his case for why Meredith should pick his character. But on my list of 10 things we need from Grey's Anatomy in 2019 I made a case for Meredith hooking up with DeLuca short term, but picking, choosing, loving Koracick longterm.

I posted an informal poll after the midseason finale, asking who Meredith should end up with in Season 15. No one picked Link. DeLuca got 13 percent of the vote, Scott Speedman's Nick got 4 percent. Tom Koracick got 80 percent. Granted, not all Grey's fans weighed in, but it seemed to me like I wasn't alone on Team Tom Koracick.

At the end of the day, I'm still just rooting for Meredith to be happy. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) is the one who really needs to come back for that to happen, since she's Meredith's person, but we know that's not in the cards anytime soon.

Grey's Anatomy Season 15 will return -- now with Jennifer Grey -- on Thursday, January 17 at 8 p.m. on ABC. Here's what else is ahead in midseason 2019.

Warning: spoilers ahead for the November 1 episode of Grey's Anatomy, called "Flowers Grow Out of My Grave."

Now in its fifteenth season, Grey's Anatomy has killed off a whole bunch of characters, to the point that fans have to be nervous whenever news breaks that an actor is departing the series. Season 15 revealed that at least one more death is on the way: Meredith's estranged father, Thatcher. In "Flowers Grow Out of My Grave," the show found a touching way to bring back many characters who died in seasons past, and many fans undoubtedly needed to break out the tissues. Here's how it happened.

At the end of "Flowers Grow Out of My Grave," Meredith was visited by visions of loved ones who had passed away. Now, fans don't need to worry that this is a Denny situation and Meredith is seeing dead people because of a brain tumor. No, she was visited by her friends who died because she spent the episode treating a patient whose family was celebrating the Day of the Dead, prompting Meredith to think back on those she loved and lost.

As she walked down the hallway of the hospital, Meredith spotted George, who was one of the first really big deaths of Grey's Anatomy. Her mom was present with a smile, as was Lexie. Mark turned up as well, and of course Derek got a moment. Even her beloved dog Doc turned up.

If none of that was enough to get longtime fans reaching for the tissue box, the song that played over the scene might have done the trick. The song was none other than a Spanish-language version of Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars," which has been used many times over the 15 seasons so far. Grey's Anatomy returned showrunner Krista Vernoff explained how the scene came about, saying this:

As it turns out, Grey's Anatomy embraced Day of the Dead because the episode happened to air on the correct date and writer Kiley Donovan had the idea to embrace it for the show. It can't be easy for a show that has been on the air for so many years to cover new ground, and a Day of the Dead episode certainly hadn't been done by Grey's Anatomy before. In fact, few shows have ever done a Day of the Dead episode.

Meredith certainly has lost enough people over the years that there were plenty of people who could have made a cameo from beyond the grave. Krista Vernoff actually cut a few dead characters that were once slated to appear in the episode. Denny Duquette, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan long before he picked up a baseball bat and started bashing faces in on The Walking Dead, was originally on the list of the dead to turn up in "Flowers Grow Out of My Grave."

Kyle Chandler was once slated to turn up in the episode as well. Chandler played Dylan, who is probably better known as "bomb squad guy" and blew up into pink mist after a bomb was taken out of a patient. Dylan and Denny ultimately didn't make the cut. According to Krista Vernoff, she didn't believe it was emotionally realistic for those two characters to be visiting Meredith on the Day of the Dead when they would have had more important people in their lives. Maybe Denny visited Izzie off-screen somewhere.

Although some of the appearances from dead characters were clearly pulled from memorable past episodes, others were more difficult to place. Krista Vernoff went on in her chat with THR to say this about how she compiled the dearly departed:

Grey's Anatomy didn't have to bring all the actors back for new footage in order to include their characters in Meredith's bittersweet walk down memory lane, and longtime fans got to enjoy a few brief moments of some of their favorite characters back within the walls of the hospital. At the very least, it was nice to see some of them looking a lot better than they did when they died. Characters on Grey's Anatomy generally don't get to go gently into the night.

There really couldn't have been a better song to use for this sequence than "Chasing Cars." The song has been used many times on Grey's Anatomy, and almost always in scenes that are seriously emotional. The show did mix things up this time around by using a cover of "Chasing Cars." If it's not a cover you were familiar with, there was a good reason.

Krista Vernoff revealed the story behind the Spanish-language version of "Chasing Cars" like this:

Grey's Anatomy commissioned a special version of "Chasing Cars" for the very special sequence, and the music combined with the long-dead characters guarantees that this is a scene that won't be forgotten. The show has come a very long way since characters like George died, but this episode proved that even the long-dead aren't forgotten.

Tune in to ABC on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes of Grey's Anatomy. Thatcher Grey doesn't have much time left, so you'll probably want to prepare yourself for another death. He's not a huge character whose death will force Grey's Anatomy to reinvent itself, but it will still make a difference to Meredith, estranged or not. Maybe she really will need a good romance this season. For some additional viewing options, check out our fall TV premiere schedule.

Grey's Anatomy fans have been preparing for the "Season of Love," and the medical drama is not planning to slouch on that promise. Meredith Grey is looking for a long-term romantic partner after losing the love of her life aka her husband, Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd, in Season 11. After enduring so much tragedy, how will her finding happiness manifest itself for Meredith in Season 15? Well, Grey's Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff has responded to that inquiry by saying:

Krista Vernoff opened up about Meredith's upcoming love life with TV Guide, and what she has planned is nothing shy of compelling. Based on what she is saying, it sounds as though Meredith's search for a long-term romance will not yield immediate results. A twist that will see Meredith taking in the dating scene for a while. Vernoff's assurance that Dr. Grey's road to romance would take a while is a realistic one. Another intriguing tidbit Vernoff shared involves Meredith and Chris Carmack's new surgeon Dr. Lincoln.

Grey's Anatomy's showrunner revealed that since Meredith has opened herself up to the potential of love, she will start to see more options. Vernoff mused that she is not sure if Lincoln is "Meredith's type." She turned him down in the Season 15 premiere. Vernoff also shared that Meredith does not know who she is romantically, as an adult following her life with Derek. So, fans will have to tune in to see whether Lincoln eventually turns out to be the one.

Given that Meredith turned Lincoln down so intensely, it could indicate that she has to do so because deep down she may be scared of what she senses about their romantic potential. There could be a spark there, she is not quite ready to fully explore. She may want to wade into the dating pool before launching into something that is serious. Nevertheless, it sounds as though DeLuca's kiss has put Meredith's romantic desires into full effect.

One of the issues facing Meredith's potential love interests is that they are not Derek-- a lesson Dr. Thorpe previously learned. As fans know, McDreamy is a tough, if not impossible, act to follow. The fandom will have to take a leap for Meredith to find another love, and share her life with moving forward. In the meantime, Meredith will be dating and possibly trying to sort out if Lincoln is her actual endgame.

Watch as Meredith takes her next brave steps towards finding love again and find out who with when the season continues. New episodes of Grey's Anatomy Season 15 air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The medical drama is among many other shows, making their returns and premieres this fall, including on ABC's schedule.

Warning: spoilers ahead for the Season 15 premiere of Grey's Anatomy.

Season 15 of Grey's Anatomy is being touted as the "Season of Love," and the premiere didn't hold back on getting new romantic arcs for the various characters going. Meredith came to the conclusion that she's ready to jump into the dating pool (and the episode's first few minutes proved that her trailer hookup with DeLuca was part of a dream sequence), Jackson dropped the big L word to Maggie, and the love triangle of Amelia, Owen, and Teddy was set in place. As it turns out, this love triangle has split the writers on what they want to happen. Showrunner Krista Vernoff explained the situation as they work on writing the storyline, saying this:

Apparently, half the Grey's Anatomy writers are Team Amelia and the other half are Team Teddy! The love triangle can surely only go on for so long. After all, this is the Season of Love, not the Season of Love Triangles! We already knew that this latest love triangle is a challenge for the writers, but Krista Vernoff's comments to THR prove that the people working on Season 15 are as invested in their characters' romances as fans are.

While the division within the writers' room might be complicated for the actual writers, it probably means good things for viewers. The folks behind the scenes will undoubtedly have to break the relationships down to figure out which pairing makes the most sense at the end of the day. Grey's Anatomy seems like it won't just pick the couple that makes the most buzz on social media or has the steamiest sex scenes with this triangle. One woman will probably "win" over the other, but if the storyline is handled well, there may not actually be somebody who "loses."

Krista Vernoff also praises the three actors who bring the characters to life for their roles in elevating the love triangle, which is saying something. Grey's Anatomy isn't exactly new to the love triangle game. At this point, it's anybody's guess as to which woman will or will not end up with Owen. He and Amelia agreed to restart their relationship in the Season 15 premiere, but the truth about Teddy's pregnancy is bound to come out sooner rather than later.

We'll find out what happens next in new episodes of Grey's Anatomy this fall on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Grey's Anatomy covered just about every major TV plot twist at some point in the first 14 seasons, ranging from major character deaths to surprise weddings to explosions resulting in epic cliffhangers. There have also been plenty of love triangles over the years, and it can't be easy for the show to come up with new ways to handle such dynamics. The writers struggled when putting together the upcoming love triangle between Amelia, Owen, and Teddy, but showrunner Krista Vernoff revealed the unique way they decided to handle it:

That right there is some very good news for Grey's Anatomy viewers who love all three of these characters! A lot of love triangles on a lot of shows inevitably villainize one of the three parties so that viewers will root for one couple to get the happily-ever-after and make it easy to understand why one person was chosen over the other. In the Amelia/Owen/Teddy love triangle, Grey's Anatomy could have easily villainized one of the ladies.

In a lazily written love triangle, perhaps Amelia would have resented Teddy returning to Owen's life with a baby on board to the point that she tried to sway Owen away from her, or Teddy could have been scripted as heartless or entitled for walking back into Owen's life with a bun in the oven. Instead, the characters will work through their relationships without any of them becoming the villain, and so we won't have to watch one of them ruined for the sake of a love triangle.

Krista Varnoff's comments about Grey's Anatomy Season 15 to TVLine are worth getting excited about as we count down the final weeks before the big premiere, especially since we already knew that Teddy would be around a lot thanks to Kim Raver returning to regular status for the new season. Perhaps the handling of this plot will help fans move on from the big departures at the end of Season 14, which not everybody was happy about.

Admittedly, both Arizona and April got happy endings in their final episode, but their departures came rather abruptly, and the reasoning behind the actresses leaving upset a number of viewers. Big changes are in store in the aftermath of their departures, and not just because of Teddy's return and the love triangle. Meredith looks to be getting a love interest in Season 15, and a dreamy new doc is joining the staff. We'll have to wait and see how the new doctor fits into the ensemble. At least we can safely say that he'll be pleasing to look at!

Grey's Anatomy will hit the airwaves in the fall TV lineup with a two-hour premiere starting Thursday, September 27 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

There are long running TV shows, and then there's Grey's Anatomy. ABC's medical drama is currently in the midst of its whopping 14th season on the network, and is showing no signs of slowing down. And with a spinoff being developed, we're going to be watching the surgeons of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital likely until the title character decides to call it quits. Meredith has been through some serious ups and downs in the past few years, especially since Derek's death in Season 11. While she had a connection with Nathan Riggs, he departed the show, once again leaving audiences wondering if Meredith will ever be able to find love after McDreamy. Showrunner Krista Vernoff recently addressed these concerns, saying:

It looks like the folks over at Grey's Anatomy are treading lightly, allowing Meredith to have a more gradual, and therefore realistic, journey back into the world of dating. She's always maintained that Derek was her one true love, and never truly opened herself up to anyone since his death. She had a brief fling with Dr. Thorpe that resulted in her kicking him out of the house the morning after, before the shift turned to Martin Henderson's Nathan Riggs. Their shared grief bonded the two surgeons, and extra drama was added once Maggie admitted her attraction toward Riggs to her sister. But with Henderson suddenly leaving the series, all of this drama and character development feels for naught.

That being said, Krista Vernoff's comments EW do make sense. With Meredith once again free of any romantic ties, her grieving process feels more authentic. It would stand to reason that she'd have a difficult time being romantic with someone other than McDreamy, with three seasons having passed without her truly moving on. This also honors Patrick Dempsey's signature character, who was the male lead for over a decade. Some fans wondered if Grey's could survive without McDreamy, although star and producer Ellen Pompeo recently admitted that Cristina (Sanra Oh)'s departure felt even more risky at the time.

Grey's Anatomy will return to ABC on January 18th, picking up at the shocking cliffhanger involving Jo's husband. In the meantime, check out our midseason premiere list to plan your next binge watch, and our cancellation list to see if your favorite show got the chop this year.

Season 14 of Grey's Anatomy has been an interesting one. The long running medical drama brought back a lost character, saw a series regular depart, and has also been putting in the groundwork for the upcoming spinoff. The companion series will follow a group of firefighters in Seattle, with the two shows occasionally having crossover events and helping the city's various emergencies. Grey's character Ben Warren (Jason George) will be a series regular on the untitled spinoff, meaning he's once again changing careers. This has caused major problems with his marriage to Chief Bailey, but Grey's chose not to show the scene where Ben told Miranda the bad news. Now we know why.

Grey's Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff spoke to TV Line about the choice to keep the couple's confrontation offscreen in the 300th episode. She said,

This is probably a smart choice, as Grey's Anatomy fans have been privy to Warren's new career choice for a few weeks now. Let's break down why Krista Vernoff and the Grey's team probably made the right call.

The news of actor Jason George's transition from Grey's Anatomy to the firefighter spinoff came months ago, far before the concept was introduced on the show. And Warren first told the audience (and the male staff) about his second change of careers while they were boozing on Jackson's boat a few weeks ago. So showing Warren break the news to his wife would have been a bit redundant; it's information that we already know.

That being said, choosing to keep the confrontation off screen does seem a bit awkward, making Warren's new firefighting dreams feel even more forced. It's already pretty bizarre that he's completely jumping ship from a career in medicine. Warren started off his Grey's tenure as an anesthesiologist, and had to convince Bailey to allow him to switch careers and enter Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital's surgical intern program. But he eventually got his way, and has had a mixed back of a career as a surgeon. But now he wants to completely throw away his years of med school and work as a surgeon to rush into fires, saving lives a different way.

It really doesn't make much sense that Warren isn't going to be on Grey's, considering he and Bailey are married and raising her son Tucker together. His absence will no doubt be felt next season, and it should be interesting to see if the medical drama chooses to split up the couple. We'll just have to wait and see once Grey's returns from the winter hiatus.

Grey's Anatomy will return to ABC on January 18, 2018. Be sure to check our midseason premiere list to see when your other shows will return, and see if your favorite got the chop with our cancellation list.