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I think Ellen said it best when she said the early success of the show was hard on everyone. I appreciate that Ellen has never has never put on the "everything was fine!" facade that most actors put on. She even admitted to being one of the actors who let it get to her head early on. Grey's peak was the era where ratings REALLY mattered. It made news when Grey's started passing Desperate Housewives in the ratings. The show took off in an absolutely massive way. It was basically the big farewell of broadcast TV ruling the world. They had both massive ratings and critical success, and the actors became celebrities virtually overnight. Katherine didn't show up to set and later said she reached out to the team to ask for time off because her adopted daughter wasn't bonding with her. It's clear tensions were high between she and Shonda, and Shonda made that very obvious in the following years. But Shonda also said she was incredibly overwhelmed as a showrunner. She went from "the girl that wrote Crossroads" to one of the first celebrity showrunners along with JJ Abrams, Marc Cherry, etc. It's a lot of pressure to have that type of $ on your back when you have no experience being in charge of so many things. I think much of the turbulence of the early years comes down to this, on all accounts - Katherine, Shonda, Patrick all had moments of ego overtaking them. What bugs me is how long Shonda let it linger. Krista alluded to wanting to bring Izzie back for the 300th episode, and Shonda turned the idea down. I appreciate Ellen, Debbie, Krista and Shonda fighting over the last several years to transform the set from toxic to one that the actors gush about. I don't think that was an easy thing.

Jesse Williams reflecting on Alex's departure / teasing what's to come to ET: "It can't not reverberate. It's such an incredible, impactful character. I've always said that’s always been one of my favorite characters." "[Justin's] been one of the sweetest and funniest guys on set with me and everyone, certainly not just me. He's a light and he's so unassuming and chill as a person. And that character is specific and rooted and motivated. It's a big departure and it will impact all of us and impact the relationships that form and sever as a result, for sure." As Grey's moves on from Chambers' exit, Williams looked ahead to another key relationship that's been heating up since the start of the season: Jackson's blossoming romance with Station 19 firefighter, Vic. "There will be some answers before the end of the season for both shows. I think that that relationship is playing an important role for both of them because they're both coming out of two very different situations -- her losing her fiance [Ripley] and Jackson having this little bit of bumper cars with a couple of relationships since the love of his life left and the person he co-parents with [April]." "And I think Jackson is still admittedly -- speaking of knowing yourself and with this play, being honest with yourself -- Jackson doesn't quite have both feet on the ground. I think he's not entirely available as much as he might want to be." Speaking of April, Williams addressed a lingering question that's been on the back of fans' minds ever since Sarah Drew left the show at the end of season 14. The actor expressed optimism that that part of Jackson's story -- the fact that he and April are parents to a young daughter, Harriet -- will still remain a crucial part of his character's identity moving forward, even though fans haven't seen much of her since. "I hope so. We'll see. We'll certainly see Harriet again. I know that we shot with her," Williams revealed. "I think in general, fans need to keep in mind -- I know we love, and I'm one of them, loved Japril -- but we don't see kids very often on the show anyway. But you know, you've got 12 series regulars. You’ve got story to tell. Kids are not always the best device for that. So I would just remind our fans that it's not unique to Japril. Harriet is not being isolated in some way. We don't see most of the kids very often outside of a glimpse. But any connection... Sarah Drew is one of my favorite people in the world and that character and that relationship are everything to me, so I'm all for anything that connects to that in any way."

Episode 19 is a bottle episode featuring Richard, Catherine, Teddy, Maggie, and Hayes taking place at a Surgical Innovation conference in LA. It features flashbacks to Hayes' time with his late wife. Maggie and Teddy run into old friends, played by Anthony Hill (Maggie's friend) and Sherri Saum (Teddy's friend).

If Justin had such a big issue with his storyline or the producers for the last several years, he wouldn't have signed on again. His contract was up at the end of season 15, and he signed for two more seasons. He exited for personal reasons.

I think everyone knows (but maybe just doesn't want to accept) that this wouldn't work at all. Grey's is a romantic drama and having Jo's husband be referred to offscreen would halt her storyline. They just got married. It would also be incredibly awkward. If he had filmed some episodes of wrap-up, maybe. But without him there, you can't have Jo just pop up and say "Alex is working at another hospital!!! Everything is fine!!!" He's far too major of a presence on the show to tip-toe around the fact that he's gone. There really was no logical option left for the writer aside from killing him off. I'll be upset if they go for the alternative of having him leave Jo because that's out of character.

Amelia will give birth in either 16.19 or 16.20. They are filming the episode now. DeLuca's story is a continuation of his dad's bipolar disorder that was explored last year. It isn't a sleep disorder and it would have been planned long before Justin's exit. There is no reason to believe that there is any bad blood between Justin and the cast or writers.

All I'm speaking to is the idea that the people working on it only look at it as a paycheque. I can tell you that's factually wrong. I know people who work on the show (not Ellen or Shonda lol, but a writer and a few crew members) and can at least attest to the fact that it's a great work environment and they're all trying hard to tell important stories. By all accounts, they're scrambling after Justin left because they had intended an Alex/Jo endgame and expected Alex to be by Meredith's side until the end of the series. I don't always like the writers' choices (I'd be very content if Owen, Teddy, Maggie, Jackson and Catherine all disappeared) but I do believe they care about the show they're making and the characters they're writing. I can't change anyones mind, that's not my intent, just share my side of it.

I honestly think this couldn't be further from the truth. I get that it's how a bunch of cynical fans see it, which isn't surprising after all these years, but it isn't how the writers/producers/actors see it. Ellen made $40M between seasons 14 and 15 alone. She didn't need to sign on for two more. Of course money is important - it's a job. And Grey's is a massive money-maker. But they have, by all accounts, a great work environment: there's a reason so few regulars have left of their own will over the last several seasons. Since Sara's departure at the end of season 12, all the regular actors that have left have been creative choices, not the actors wanting to leave (AKA... they were let go). Until Justin. When you listen to Camilla, Caterina, Kelly, Kevin, Kim, Chandra, etc. talk about the show, you can tell they're proud of it. They're telling important stories and they all seem to love working together. The rape episode last year greatly increased calls to the sexual assault hotline that they promoted at the end. They employ women of colour behind and in front of the camera more than nearly anything else on broadcast TV. They hire tons of female writers and directors. They tell stories about race, sexuality, and illness that reach a MASSIVE audience. They've been inspiriting girls to become surgeons, doctors, and nurses for years. Grey's is basically an actors dream, aside from being, like... Leonardo DiCaprio or Meryl Streep. They may not always stick the landing, but it's rare to be part of something in Hollywood that even tries as much as Grey's does, much less something with as huge of an audience. I think everyone involved knows how lucky they are to be part of this thing. Most actors go their entire career without a part in a series nearly as significant as Grey's.

Justin wasn't in contract negotiations. He signed on last year for 2 more seasons. All this "he wanted a producer credit" or "he wasn't happy with his storylines/screentime" have absolutely nothing to do with anything and couldn't be further from the point. And in terms of "backstage drama", that hasn't been an issue since Patrick left. And even then, he was clashing with producers/writers, not other actors.

Apparently a major part of Ellen's 2-year contract signing last year was making sure that the other 3 originals wanted to stick around, as well. They really wanted to make it to the end together. If any one of them wanted to leave, Ellen likely wouldn't have signed for 16 and 17. I think this departure was a huge shock for everyone.

I don't think it has anything to do with other work/parts.

Per a friend of mine who is... familiar with the set, Chambers wasn't being let go. He wasn't moving to any spin-off (there was never a Pac-Gen spinoff on the table). He was signed on through the end of next season. He's very well-liked on set, good friends with Ellen, Jesse, etc. He asked for time off for personal issues, which he was granted, and then amidst that break, he approached ABC and the producers asking to be let go from his contract immediately.

It seems like something happened pretty spontaneously to lead to this (it's hilarious that people go directly to randomly trying to blame Ellen). There's no way that the 350th episode was intended to be his last - Shonda, Krista, Ellen, ABC, etc. would have made sure it was an event. They've all worked hard to keep the 4 remaining regulars around. Justin was at the 350th party with everyone else. It would have been announced or addressed (Krista, Shonda, Ellen all made speeches). Saying that he went to his mom's was the type of thing that they always do when an actor is gone for an episode or two (which is common). I don't believe for a second that they didn't think he'd be back... I just also can't help but wonder what went down after episode 8 that caused him to not return. Nothing about the writing for him in those first 8 episodes hinted at him exiting. I hope everything is okay with him personally and I'm sad that one of my favorite TV characters ever is going to just disappear. Unless they write Jo off with him (which doesn't seem to be the case, as Camilla is still filming) I think they're going to have word get back to Seattle that he was killed somehow. Nothing else will really make sense.

Wow. So... we've already seen the last of him according to TVLine. Something must have happened. Grey’s Anatomy fans have already seen the last of Alex Karev. TVLine has confirmed that the final episode featuring Justin Chambers — whose departure from the show was announced early Friday — aired on Nov. 14. In the Nov. 21 episode, viewers learned that Alex had returned home to care for his ailing mother. The fact that Chambers will not be given a proper onscreen sendoff suggests his departure came abruptly and without much notice. Reps for ABC declined to comment for this story.

16x10 - “Help Me Through the Night” – Following the car crash at Joe’s Bar and subsequent rescue efforts led by the Station 19 firefighters, Grey Sloan doctors work through the night to save the lives of their colleagues. Meanwhile, Amelia worries about sharing her pregnancy revelation with Link. Owen and Teddy take a big step, and Bailey deals with grief over her recent loss when “Grey’s Anatomy” returns THURSDAY, JAN. 23 (9:00-10:01 p.m. EST), on ABC. Guest starring is Jason George as Ben Warren, Richard Flood as Cormac Hayes, Alex Blue Davis as Casey Parker, Alex Landi as Nico Kim and Jaicy Elliot as Taryn Helm. Looks like the rescue will play out on Station 19 and Grey's will pick up with the doctors coming into the hospital, so watching S19 first won't be essential unless you're eager to actually see how Levi, Jackson, Ben, etc. get out of the bar.

Grey's finishes the first first part of the 2019/2020 TV season as the #3 scripted series on broadcast in the demo (1.3), behind only This Is Us (1.4) and 9-1-1 (1.35). It is ABCs #1 series (scripted or otherwise). The shows boasts among the lowest year-to-year declines on TV. With 35-day delayed viewing (which counts DVR and official streaming numbers) it grows even more: The season premiere of Grey's Anatomy, for instance, posted an initial 1.5 rating among adults 18-49 and 6.51 million viewers. A week of delayed viewing pushed it up to 2.6 and 9.67 million. Four more weeks of viewing, plus digital plays for the full 35-day period, give the episode a 6.5 rating in the 18-49 demo — more than four times that of its first airing — and 16.6 million viewers, 2 1/2 times its same-day audience.

Veroff spoke to Deadline. Regarding the crossovers: The two shows will interconnect “every few episodes,” she added. “We don’t want to do it every week, we don’t want to create a mold, we don’t want to fall into any kind of pattern, we don’t want people to ever know what to expect. We have found many different, really quite exciting and fun ways to interact between the two shows.” “We have got big casts from both shows and natural ways for them to interact with each other,” Vernoff said. “It’s always really fun when we find ways to bring the Grey’s characters onto Station 19 and vice versa. It feels like our worlds have grown and the possibilities for storytelling have grown.” “With Station 19 airing at 8 o’clock and Grey’s Anatomy airing at 9 o’clock there are very organic opportunities for Grey’s Anatomy to, for example, inherit patients we see rescued on Station 19,” she said. “Ever since Station 19 premiered, in the writers room we always thought the better progression was from firefighters to the hospital,” she said. “I didn’t think it was going to happen but I was thrilled ABC had made the decision. I literally cheered when they let me know that. It’s really exciting and opens up the storytelling.” Regarding what the time slot change means for the show: Vernoff also is happy about Grey’s Anatomy’s return to the Thursday 9 PM slot where it had aired for eight seasons before it was moved to the 8 PM time period in fall 2014 to anchor TGIT. There are significant limitations on adult content from 8-9 PM, which is designated as a family viewing hour. “There are different rules for a 9 PM show than there are for an 8 PM show, and we hope to take advantage of those rules,” Vernoff said. “Grey’s was definitely allowed to be a sexier show when it was on at 9 o’clock. So we are excited by the change back to our original (Thursday) time slot.”

Screamed at the TV over the awful Amelia "twist". F*** off. Owen getting a 3rd kid in as many seasons is ridiculous. As others have said, Amelia and Link have been the best part of this season so far. This is totally unnecessary. Hoping this is just a scare and not actually Owen's. The Bailey and Ben stuff was heartbreaking. I'm glad they let it play out rather than making it a cliffhanger. Bailey's age always made that pregnancy risky, and even as I saw it coming I felt totally crushed for both of them. The situation is all too common, and always incredibly sad. McWidow can be fun. I like that they've figured out ways to make it clear that Cristina and Meredith are still in regular contact. At the very least, giving DeLuca some competition is fine with me. Koracick needs a better storyline than pining after Teddy. Move on. Richard and Catherine's story is ridiculous because all they have to do is sit down and talk. It's been stretched out for too long at this point. I'm okay with Jo and Alex adopting but...... did she steal that baby? WHY!?

The thing is... Station 19 isn't a flop. Not even close. In fact, it does quite well. Last season the low was 0.8, but it went as high as 1.3. No ABC drama, aside from Grey's, has gone above a 1.0 so far this season. Most shows are lucky to hit an 0.8, much less call it their low. Also: the crossovers did work. The windstorm last year ticked S19 up from a 1.0 to a 1.2 week-to-week, and the last crossover of the season ticked up from an 0.8 to a 1.2, a pretty significant jump. Which is why putting the show BEFORE Grey's doesn't make much sense if they're trying to attract more viewers. Thursday at 8 is an infamously tough slot - it actually kind of speaks to ABCs confidence in Station 19. Ratings will take a hit (everything has this year, as usual) but they must have faith that it will remain a steady performer. I imagine it's a majorly creative choice: Krista mentioned wanting to introduce situations on S19 (someone is injured) and then follow-up on Grey's (they visit GSM) in a way that didn't require audiences to view the other episode, but also allowed fans of both shows to follow stories through 2 hours. What will be more interesting to see is if being at 9 helps or hurts the live viewing for Grey's.

Strange choice: Grey's is moving back to 9pm in January. ABCs new TGIT lineup will be: 8pm: Station 19 9pm: Grey's Anatomy 10pm: A Million Little Things/HTGAWM (returns in April)

Meredith and DeLuca won't be broken up for long. Per Ellen's instagram story, she has a love scene with Giacomo in the episode that Jesse Williams is directing right now, which is 16x13.

The final conversation between Owen and Amelia exemplifies the difference between before Krista returned as head writer and after. Stacey as showrunner would have dragged this out for 3 episodes and made Owen a complete ass the whole time. In this case, he DID still fuck up and have an awful reaction, but they discussed it, he acknowledged his bad behaviour, articulated what caused it, and they resolved it. He has been a lot more bearable this season, honestly. This was an enjoyable but not fantastic episode. Looking forward to the next two.

The mid-season finale, 16x09, includes Jo going to Station 19 after a baby is left at the firehouse. Anyone else sense a possible Alex/Jo adoption storyline?

Ellen directed an episode in season 13 and another in season 14, so I'm not sure how she isn't interested in 'stretching' herself. She also has a production company, Calamity Jane, which has sold several projects to ABC, and she's a producer on Grey's Anatomy. She's also said she's still around because she likes that Grey's inspires girls to become doctors and touches on subjects that are important to her, which as a producer she's been able to push for. She's not exactly just sitting there collecting a check. In terms of money... she won't need to do anything after Grey's ends. She's pulling in over $20 per year at this point between her $575,000 per episode, back end, and producing fees.