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Summary

  • Grey's Anatomy Season 19 shook up the status quo after losing its central star, Ellen Pompeo, as Meredith Grey.
  • Link and Jo finally confront their feelings for one another in an anticipated romantic gesture.
  • The season ends on a massive cliffhanger where a main character's fate is left in the air.

Season 19 of Grey's Anatomy ended with a shocking turn of events sure to have viewers tuning into the seminal 20th season. The two-hour finale brought an end to what was a turning-point season for the show, with the exit of Meredith Grey and the surprise end for her sister Maggie Pierce. The two-part finale split the storylines into an episode focused primarily on the interns, and one focusing on the attendings at the Catherine Fox Awards.

Episode 19, "Wedding Bell Blues," served audiences the first part of the finale and featured a host of storyline wrap-ups, with each of the five interns finding closure in their series-long conflicts. All three of the show's new romances get satisfying progression, in a welcome return to what Grey's is so good at: declarations of love and mildly problematic flings. Things don't really ramp up until the second part of the finale, "Happily Ever After?" where seasons-long questions finally get their answers, and fan-favorite romances reach their ultimate conclusions.

Updated on December 6, 2023 by Katie Doll: Even 19 seasons in, Grey's Anatomy still knows how to keep fans on the edge of their seat, hoping the next season will be just as thrilling. This article has been updated to expand on everything there is to know about Grey's Anatomy Season 20.

Meredith Grey and Maggie Pierce Make Big Decisions

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The two central romances of the past few seasons have been Maggie Pierce and Winston Ndugu, and the on-again, off-again flings between Nick Marsh and Meredith Grey. Although the Grey sisters both left the show this season, the finale gave fans some much-needed closure on both stories. From the outset, Marsh is nervous to confront Meredith after she pretended not to hear him confess his love in Pompeo's final episode as a series regular. After a series of misunderstandings, the two are finally able to reconnect and decide to make the leap to be together.

Scott Speedman, who plays Dr. Nick Marsh, has not been confirmed for a return in Season 20, and the actor was billed as a special guest for Season 19, both of which suggest that this could be the last we see of Dr. Marsh. There is potential for the couple to be long-distance, but with Ellen Pompeo all but removing herself from the show, there may not be much hope for Nick Marsh fans. In a similarly intense situation, Maggie Pierce moved to Chicago to make headway on some life-saving cardio-thoracic research. Her last episode, "Mama Who Bore Me," saw Maggie leave behind a rocky marriage with Winston Ndugu, choosing her career over him.

The tension between them was unresolved going into the finale, but fans were happy to see them reunite. Maggie and Winston's story ends with the two deciding to try long-distance and stay married without either of them compromising their ambitions. This ending remains hopeful while also keeping the door open for Anthony Hill, who plays Dr. Ndugu, to return for Season 20. The show wraps up these romances well, with both couples having happy endings, which is a rare but welcome shift for Grey's Anatomy in what seems to be a reset for the series.

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Since Link’s introduction in Season 15, he and Jo Wilson have been very close. Fans saw the chemistry between Link and Jo, and after his failed relationship with Amelia, Link rekindled his flame for Jo. This was one of the more frustrating relationships in the series as the timing was never right for these two. Season 19 had the couple live together, their lives completely intertwined and the tension between them building for the majority of the season.

Shockingly, Jo then seemed to wave off Link's subtle advances, leaning on him for support with Luna, but still considering him a friend. This became more frustrating when she began a flirtation with one of their patients. With Camilla Luddington, Jo's actress, hinting at a new romance for the character, all hope seemed lost for fans of the duo, until the end of the episode, which has Link confess his love for Jo during a huge argument in the rain. Jo finally reciprocates his feelings, and they kiss, becoming an item for the upcoming Season 20.

Does Teddy Die in Grey's Anatomy Season 19 Finale?

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The most stunning portion of the finale came in the final moments. Chief of Surgery Teddy Altman complains of a toothache for most of the episode. Mercifully, the ongoing conflict and seemingly endless strain between her and Owen was resolved in the second half of the season, and she and Owen seem happy. The toothache came out of nowhere and mostly served as a vehicle for comically gross moments between Teddy and the hospital staff, as well as a reiteration of her commitment to the job.

All jokes fall to the wayside when Teddy -- about to cut into a patient for emergency surgery -- passes out in the OR. With most of the staff in Boston for the Catherine Fox Awards, and Link and Jo busy in the rain, interns Adams, Yasuda and Griffith are left with two lives in their hands. The final shots of the episode show that Griffith and Adams tried to save the patient themselves, leaving Yasuda to perform CPR on Teddy.

Owen runs into the room to find his wife on the floor and takes over the defibrillator. The episode ends with the continued resuscitation attempts, leaving behind a central question for Grey's Anatomy Season 20: Is Teddy dead? Recent cast announcements may have served to spoil the reveal, with Kim Raver set to return, but this could be in a comatose state or even just a red herring.

Everything to Know About Grey's Anatomy Season 20

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Grey's Anatomy will hit two milestones in 2024: It'll hit its 20th season, and it'll be the first without Meredith Grey as the central character. Television shows don't typically fare well after its titular character departs, no matter how hard the series tries to make up for it. But Grey's Anatomy has been through dramatic character departures before, and Pompeo has helped fans transition through the lack of Meredith Grey by slowly easing out of the series in Season 19.

Fans can still breathe though, knowing Pompeo is still an executive producer on the series and will provide the voice-over for the beginning and end of each episode. Pompeo isn't the only series regular leaving though -- Kelly McCreary is officially departing the series as Maggie Pierce as well. Despite these losses, the longest-running medical drama will keep running, just as long as people are still tuning in.

Returning to the series for its 20th season are the final two original characters, Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) and Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), who don't appear to have plans to leave anytime soon. Other confirmed characters will be stepping up to the plate after the Season 19 finale, including Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington), Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) and Atticus Lincoln (Chris Carmack).

Cast of Grey's Anatomy Season 20

  • Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey
  • James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber
  • Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt
  • Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd
  • Camilla Luddington as Jo Wilson
  • Kim Raver as Teddy Altman
  • Jake Borelli as Levi Schmitt
  • Chris Carmack as Atticus Lincoln
  • Anthony Hill as Winston Ndugu

Other changes include a new showrunner, Med Marinis, replacing Krista Vernoff after four seasons. Debbie Allen, actor and director of the series, will direct at least the first episode of the season, and has teased the upcoming episodes as "hot, unpredictable and compelling." It certainly lines up with the jaw-dropping Season 19 finale, which successfully brings Grey's Anatomy back to its dramatic roots, with love and death sitting front and center, both respecting the nearly two decades of established canon and creating space for a fresh new set of characters and stories.

Season 19 of Grey's Anatomy is available to stream on Hulu and Netflix.

Richard Webber, Meredith Grey and Miranda Bailey posing on Greys Anatomy TV Show Poster
Grey's Anatomy
TV-14

A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors.

Release Date
March 27, 2005
Cast
Ellen Pompeo , Chandra Wilson , James Pickens Jr. , Justin Chambers , Kevin McKidd , Jesse Williams , Patrick Dempsey
Main Genre
Drama
Seasons
20 Seasons