Like so many things in 2020, season 16 of Grey’s Anatomy did not go exactly as planned: The last season of TV’s longest-running primetime medical drama was cut a few episodes short due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But just because we had less time with the surgeons at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital doesn’t mean we didn’t get our fill of Grey’s being Grey's — because Grey's was definitely being Grey's last season.
Ahead of the season 17 premiere, let’s take a little stroll down memory lane and review some of the ups and downs (and one game-changing good-bye) the Seattle doctors faced during season sixteen.
It all started with the fallout from that insurance fraud fiasco.
Season 16 picked up right where the previous season left off: After committing insurance fraud to help a little girl, Meredith was fired from Grey Sloan, along with Alex and Webber, who helped her cover it up, and DeLuca was in prison after taking the blame for Meredith to protect her. Meredith got DeLuca out pretty quickly by fessing up to her crime, and then she was ordered to perform community service and has to face the medical board and fight to keep her license to practice. Obviously, the heroine of our medical show wouldn’t just stop being a doctor, but nonetheless her hearing was an emotional hour, mainly thanks to Alex Karev stepping up and getting colleagues and old patients to speak on Mer’s behalf. In the end, she kept her license and got her job at Grey Sloan back.
The longer lasting fallout from Meredith “I Don’t Play By the Rules And I Never Will” Grey actually had to do with two of the most important men in Mer’s life: Alex and Richard. After being fired from Grey Sloan, Richard talked Alex into taking the Chief of Surgery position at Pac-North Hospital. To say Pac-North is no Grey Sloan is putting it mildly. Alex hired Richard, and the two of them work to get the hospital functioning again. Things seemed to be going according to plan — okay fine, they learned that there’s a mass grave underneath the building, but other than that everything’s totally cool — until problems between Richard and Catherine go next level.
Grey’s Anatomy is taking Richard and Catherine from us and it hurts, people. It hurts.
Richard and Catherine have been at odds over little things like Catherine not standing up for Richard when he was fired from Grey Sloan and Catherine suspecting Richard of cheating with an old AA friend. For the record, he didn’t cheat, although it could’ve gone there. After a huge fight and deciding to separate, Catherine decided she would show Richard who’s boss by buying Pac-North, closing it down, and making him take a job at Grey Sloan...so, like, literally becoming his boss. It’s petty and manipulative and pushes Richard even further away.
By the end of the season, however, something’s up with Richard. At a medical conference where he’s set to give a presentation, he has a major meltdown in front of everyone. He was hallucinating, nothing he says makes sense, and he's whisked away to get medical attention. Things looked bad, but Catherine was by his side making sure Meredith and co. worked until they figured out what was going on with Richard. Finally, thanks to Andrew DeLuca, they do: Richard suffered from cobalt poisoning from a hip replacement he had done years prior. Once he had that hip replacement removed, he recovered quickly. Catherine wanted to celebrate, but now that Richard’s really back, he remembers what she did to him and demands she leaves him alone. It is cold! It is sad! Will they ever come back from this?
Is it still too soon to talk about that good-bye? You know the one.
The biggest news to come out of Grey’s Anatomy season 16 was, of course, the departure of Alex Karev. After seemingly doing well in his Pac-North Chief job and helping Meredith keep her medical license, Alex went off the grid. He told Jo he was visiting his mom, who he’s been rebuilding a relationship with, but eventually Jo learns this wasn't true. She didn't know where her husband was and he wasn't answering her calls. It was especially strange because at the start of the season because after Jo spent time in a psychiatric rehab while processing the news that she was born from her birth mother’s rape, Alex reaffirmed his love for his wife. They were solid.
Unfortunately for Jo, there was a woman out there named Izzie Stevens. Yep, Grey’s fans, Alex left Jo and Meredith and Seattle to reunite with his first great love on her farm where she was, unbeknownst to Alex until he called her up for Meredith’s license hearing, raising their two kids that she had using the embryos from when Izzie was going through chemo for her brain tumor. On one hand, poor Jo. On the other...Alex and Izzie forever, maybe?
The Amelia and Link saga ended on a high note.
What started as a casual hookup due to convenience and a very high level of hotness turns into much more in season 16 when Amelia found out she was pregnant. At first, there was a slight possibility the baby could be Owen’s, which sent Link (and his relationship with Amelia) into a tailspin. Eventually, Link agreed to love Amelia and the baby no matter who the father was, and Amelia finally got a paternity test to put everyone out of their misery: The baby was Link’s. Surprisingly for Grey’s Anatomy, the birth of Amelia and Link’s son was drama-free. It was, however, steeped in cuteness. These two really have it bad for each other.
The Owen and Teddy saga ended on a low note (and a very uncomfortable voicemail).
Oh, Owen and Teddy. Just when you thought these star-crossed lovers had figured their own messes out — were happily raising their little family together, and were finally going to get married — Teddy accidentally left a voicemail for Owen that is just a recording of her and Tom, her ex but also sometimes lover, having sex in his office. He also got the voicemail while in surgery with other people the day before the wedding, in case you thought it couldn’t be any worse. Tom loves Teddy, and thought she loved him back, and he wanted to rescue her from rushing into a marriage with Owen. Plus, Tom isn’t a cheating cheater. Still, Teddy told Tom they'd hooked up for the last time — she was marrying Owen. Unfortunately, when Teddy got all ready to walk down the aisle in their impromptu backyard wedding, she learned Owen had to postpone...and didn’t even bother telling her. So...she has to know he knows, right?
Bailey & Ben 4Ever!
Bailey and Ben have had relationship issues before — most recently because of the stress Ben’s firefighting job was putting on Bailey — but recently they seemed stronger than ever. In season 16, they were surprised with the news that Bailey was pregnant. It was wholly unexpected, but very, very welcome. The excitement, however, was stolen away from them when Bailey miscarried. It was gut-wrenching to watch them deal with the loss in their own ways, but eventually they found their way back to one another (it took a car driving into Joe’s Bar to put some things in perspective, it was a whole thing). By the end of the season, we saw these two make the decision to foster a teenage boy. The joy was back — may it stay for a long, long time!
This is Grey’s Anatomy: It’s time to talk about the important stuff — love.
In the course of one season, a lot of romantic entanglements can ensue, and season 16 did not disappoint. It didn’t take long for Maggie and Jackson to realize that they kind of didn’t like each other as people, so dating was definitely not a good idea. Jackson rebounded quickly with Station 19’s Vic Hughes, but they were a little more off than on by the end of Station 19’s third season. Maggie stewed for a bit, and then while at the aforementioned medical conference where Richard had his meltdown, she ran into one of her residents from Tufts, Winston Ndugu, and the two spend a whirlwind evening — and morning — together. It’s very steamy and immediately they know they have something real, even if they do live across the country from one another.
Not everyone is as lucky in love as Maggie Pierce turns out to be. Schmitt and Nico seem very in love, but things went downhill — fast. Schmitt was very clearly in love with Nico, but Nico didn't always reciprocate. Nico didn't want Schmitt to move in with him and he also didn't want him to meet his parents because he wasn't out to them yet. The latter was a big sticking point for Schmitt, since Nico had issues with Schmitt being in the closet when they first met. They almost worked through it...and then Nico took a job with the Mariners. In the end, Schmitt knew his value and tossed Nico to the curb.
We’ll end this whole thing with a status report on Meredith’s love life because, come on, doesn’t that just feel right? Surprising mostly herself, she had fallen for DeLuca — I mean, the man was willing to go to prison for her — but in season 16 they hit some bumps. DeLuca voiced some feelings of disrespect in the relationship: He didn't think Meredith viewed him as an equal and that bothered him. Things got even more complicated when a very hunky Irish doctor took over as Head of Pediatrics. Cormac Hayes is a father and a widower and might have just the right amount of dark and twisty swag to make him the perfect match for Meredith. Nothing’s happened yet, but don’t think Meredith hasn’t thought about. How about one more layer of complexity to this budding love triangle? Last season it became exceedingly clear to everyone, except DeLuca, that he was suffering from bipolar disorder. We watched him put himself and others in harm's way during a manic phase and then the season ended with Meredith picking him up off the floor, crying, and finally realizing that something is wrong.
And let me remind you that all of that happened in a shortened season.
As season 17 starts up, the Grey Sloan doctors will be dealing with the repercussions of all that drama, but also facing the Covid-19 pandemic head-on. Brace yourselves, people. The new season of Grey’s Anatomy premieres November 12 on ABC.
Maggie Fremont is a freelance pop culture writer with a focus on television. You can find more of her writing on Vulture, Entertainment Weekly's EW.com, and TV Guide.
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