The fall finale teed up the two-hour crossover event in January with 'Station 19' -- and we have some very big questions.
Warning: Spoiler alert! Do not proceed if you have not watched Thursday's fall finale of Grey's Anatomy.
Did we just witness a major tragedy?
Grey's Anatomy wrapped up the first half of its 16th season with the ominously titled "Let's All Go to the Bar," a jam-packed hour that ended with a shocking cliffhanger: A car plows straight through the windows of the local Seattle hangout, Joe's Bar, leaving several major Grey's and Station 19 characters in extreme danger. With debris and glass flying everywhere and mass confusion over what just happened, did Jackson, Richard, Ben, Captain Pruitt, Levi, Nico and the rest of the interns all make it out alive? (Watch the official crossover event trailer here.)
It's a fair question, considering Grey's and its firefighter spinoff, Station 19, will be more intertwined than ever with executive producer Krista Vernoff taking the reins on both shows. When they return in January for the Grey's winter premiere and Station 19's season three launch, the aftermath of this shocking accident will be the basis for the two-hour crossover event -- which leads us to believe that there may be some significant personnel changes (ahem, character deaths) ahead.
The Grey's and Station 19 characters who were at the bar when the crash happened all arrived in the aftermath of personal dramas and conflicts: Jackson, drowning in his sorrows after a tense chat with his mother over his rebound romance with Vic; Richard, drowning in his sorrows over marital issues with Catherine; Ben, taking solace following Bailey's heartbreaking miscarriage; Captain Pruitt, whose cancer has returned; and Levi, who snitched on Meredith in the insurance fraud fiasco, still reeling from the consequences of his actions that has since sullied his friendships with the other interns.
And then there's the person behind the wheel who caused the accident. There's a big question mark regarding who could possibly be responsible: Could it be someone we know? Perhaps Maggie, who had, moments earlier, abruptly quit as the cardio chief at Grey Sloan? Following Thursday's fall finale, ET breaks down the final moments and more questions we'll be asking until Grey's returns.
1. Is Meredith about to have her next big love story with McWidow? After DeLuca broke things off with Meredith last episode, another man came into her life -- but she didn't know that this random Irishman would become a large part of her story moving forward until they shared a Grey's-patented elevator moment. Nicknamed McWidow, Dr. Cormac Hayes (guest star Richard Flood) is Grey Sloan's new chief of pediatric surgery, replacing Alex, who left for Pacific Northwest. Meredith and McWidow didn't get off on the right foot initially, but things seemed to thaw between them after their private conversation in the hallowed walls of the hospital elevator.
That McWidow arrived to Seattle in the first place is no coincidence. It turns out, Meredith's bestie, Cristina, delivered him to Grey Sloan -- and Meredith -- on a silver platter. But why? Is it because they're both widowed, hard-headed and genius surgeons? Or is there something more to it than that? It's worth noting that Dr. Hayes easily earned a significant "McSomething" nickname after spending mere hours in the hospital, but Meredith's ex-beau, DeLuca, never got one. And is MerLuca over for good? His longing look after Meredith and Dr. Hayes parted ways seemed all too telling about his unresolved feelings.
2. How does Bailey's miscarriage affect her future? There was something delightful about the idea of seeing Bailey and Amelia go through their pregnancies together, but that dream was short-lived once Captain Pruitt -- in Grey Sloan for his recurring cancer -- noticed Bailey was bleeding. It only took seconds for Bailey to realize that something was very, very wrong, and the devastation on her face said it all. One word confirmed everyone's fears: "Sorry," Carina tells Ben, who barges in after receiving a distressing text message about his wife's emergency. Bailey goes into crisis mode in almost no time flat, heartbreakingly telling her husband that she needs time alone to process their loss. Which is why Ben is at the bar alone. If Ben survives -- and we're confident that he will -- how will this tragic development affect their future?
3. What's next for Maggie? In the last few episodes, Maggie has had a rough go of it -- and it all comes to a head in the fall finale, when she impulsively quits her post as chief of cardiothoracic surgery after stumbling during a patient's procedure that goes dangerously awry, forcing Teddy to jump in and save the day. "I can't be a surgeon if I can't trust my own gut," she tells Koracick during something of an existential crisis. Add to that the near-kiss she shared with her ex, Jackson, and it's understandable why she's been rocked to her core. What does this mean for Maggie moving forward? Who is she without medicine? Who does she lean on for support? Is she done being a surgeon forever?
4. How does Amelia handle the pregnancy twist regarding the identity of her baby's father? Like Amelia, we were led to believe that she was pregnant with Link's baby. But all that came crashing down when she found out during a routine checkup that she is actually six months pregnant -- not five -- meaning there's no way she could be having Link's child. Eek. As she does the math, the realization dawns on her that it was the time she had goodbye sex with Owen a few weeks earlier that they conceived. It's about to get a whole lot messier, considering Owen is happily raising his newborn daughter with Teddy. How will Amelia break the news to Link and Owen? How will the men in her life react to this unexpected news?
While the surprising baby twist was just that -- a huge shock to the system -- we're pouring one out for Amelia and Link, considering their already-complicated pregnancy is now marred by a baby daddy identity switch. There was already plenty to mine with how the non-couple would navigate parenthood together while not romantically involved in any official capacity -- at least for now -- and now this? Is Link the type of man who sticks by Amelia no matter what? How much of a say does Owen have? This is a storyline we're eager for resolution to.
5. Is Jo (and Alex) ready for parenthood? With Alex in Iowa assisting his mother with some unknown business, Jo pays a visit to the Station 19 firehouse to pick up an abandoned three-day old newborn and bring the infant to the hospital. But she has different ideas on what she wants to do: Presumably not running this by her husband, she brings the baby home -- surprising her BFF, Link, with the news. Surprise! But is Jo ready to be a mother? Is she thinking about adopting the baby? How will Alex react to news of a baby?
6. Is Teddy second-guessing her decision to be with Owen? Koracick finally comes clean about his intentions with Teddy, whom he still has eyes for. Even though Teddy and Owen seem like a happy little family raising their baby daughter together, Koracick notes that Owen has yet to propose to Teddy and leaves her with a question: Isn't that strange? After Maggie quits her cardio chief position, Koracick turns around and offers the cushy job to the more-than-capable Teddy. Will she take him up on the offer? Does Koracick actually make a decent point about Owen? (See No. 4.)
7. How serious are Jackson and Vic? It appears Jackson and Maggie are never getting back together, and things are rolling right along for Jackson and Vic. But with Jackson's mother disapproving of how quickly he's moved on from his romance with Maggie and Vic bristling at the thought of being referred to as "Jackson's girlfriend," this relationship -- however new -- may already be out of its honeymoon phase. Then again, these two connected rather quickly and under distressing circumstances, so it wouldn't be surprising if they didn't ultimately last. But, we could be proven wrong.
8. Are Captain Pruitt's days numbered? The former Station 19 chief's health is concern No. 1, after admitting himself to Grey Sloan and learning his cancer has returned. It's devastating news not even his daughter, Andy, is aware of quite yet -- only Ben. Should we be worried that Captain Pruitt's days are numbered?
Grey's Anatomy returns Thursday, Jan. 23 in its new time, 9 p.m. ET/PT, as part of a two-hour crossover event with Station 19, which takes over Grey's' old time slot at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
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