The long break is over, and new episodes of Grey’s Anatomy are on the horizon.
The pandemic disrupted Grey’s Anatomy Season 16, and now, the upcoming season will spend time covering it.
We can also expect more crossovers, relationship drama, and so much more.
TV Fanatics Berea Orange, Kerr Lordygan, and Jasmine Blu came together ahead of the premiere for a fun, wild, and at times racy chat about all things Grey’s Anatomy.
Jasmine: What do you hope to see on Grey’s Anatomy this season?
Berea: I hope to see a better season, in short, and preferably fewer crossovers.
Kerr: I hate the crossovers. I dislike Station 19, so I don’t care about any of them. I also don’t like the episodes that take us out of the overarching plot and focus on one character.
Berea: I also can’t wait to see Owen get his karma. AKA his reaction to Teddy’s cheating.
Kerr: LOL! I have lost empathy for a lot of the characters. I guess because I miss the OGs.
Jasmine: I think the crossovers could be OK if they did less of them, but they don’t always line up with each other, and there are too many of them. I think they’re trying too hard to be like the One Chicago Franchise, and they can’t pull that off at all.
Berea: Agreed. I think there should be fewer crossovers. Just a couple of really good and big ones
Jasmine: So Kerr isn’t a fan of bottle episodes either. I think those, much like the crossovers, are good and necessary in small doses.
Grey’s has way too many characters, so bottle episodes are essential, but I agree that they’re hit or miss. They need a lesson in small doses, and that’s something I would like to see this season — more restraint.
Jasmine: What about Meredith? Did you like her arc last season, and what do you hope to see from her this season?
Berea: No, she annoyed the hell out of me.
Kerr: The Meredith arc is my favorite part of last season. It’s what kept me involved.
Jasmine: Ha! I love it, Kerr. You might be in the minority here. What did you love about it?
Kerr: I like to see people coming to fight for her.
Jasmine: Interesting. So you loved Grey’s Anatomy Season 16 Episode 8 with her medical hearing. It was one of the most frustrating episodes for me.
Berea: I wasn’t a fan at all. She played this “White Savior” and was not held accountable outside of Bailey. The whole fraud storyline was kind of ridiculous to me.
Kerr: Going off of Berea, I do hate when the show gets too preachy and fear-mongery for political purposes. I tune out immediately when that happens, add that arc was sliding into that direction a bit. The savior stuff is irritating.
Berea: I got the message they were sending. But there was no need for this. Meredith could’ve paid for it herself, done it pro bono, or got the foundation to pay for it. But instead, she puts her daughter’s name down? It makes no sense, and it was sloppy.
Jasmine: They did get too self- congratulatory and preachy with their political and social justice points, and they somehow managed to fall short, which makes it annoying.
The very basis of this fraud storyline didn’t even make sense, and it somehow shifted away from its primary issue to Meredith The Martyr.
Kerr: I also found the community labor scenes comical but also dumb since she would never in real life be taking phone calls on the job, and then, of course, she had to save the lead boss there.
Berea: I did love the 350th episode. Mostly the flashbacks, and it was the last time we saw Alex.
Kerr: I still don’t buy Alex leaving. It didn’t ring true at all for me.
Jasmine: I agree, Kerr. I thought Alex’s exit was very weak. I hated it. I expected a much better send-off, and it felt sloppy and nonsensical to me. And I didn’t have any investment ship-wise, but I thought the “Dear Jo” letter was absurd.
Berea: I’m in the minority because I loved it. I give them slack because Justin left so suddenly.
I legit have been asking for years for Izzie to show up with Alex’s kids from that embryo fertilization. I never forgot that from Grey’s Anatomy Season 5, and it always felt unresolved to me. I would’ve liked it more if Izzie could’ve actually shown up, and there were a couple of episodes leading up to him leaving Jo.
But again, I give them slack because he left so suddenly, and they had to think on the fly. I would be mad if I were a Jolex ‘shipper, though.
Jasmine: Alright, Alex is gone, DeLuca is mentally ill, and Dr. Hayes is waiting in the wings. Do you think they’ll focus on Mer’s love triangle this season?
Berea: I definitely think we’re headed for another Meredith love triangle. Even though she specifically said in S14(?) when Megan returned, she didn’t want to be in another one with Riggs.
But I feel like she and Hayes would be a better fit. DeLuca couldn’t handle Maggie’s power, and it seems to me he still has that issue.
Jasmine: I agree that Hayes is a better match for Mer than DeLuca. I think they need to put a pin in Merluca and call it.
Berea: Merluca just doesn’t inspire much in me. I liked them a bit in the beginning when they had that elevator scene, but it didn’t last. Deluca got kind of unlikeable last season.
Jasmine: I HATE how unlikable DeLuca became with Mer because I genuinely loved him before. I didn’t like their relationship but appreciated his Bipolar storyline. However, I wish they spent more time with it.
Berea: Now, I did love his Bipolar storyline. I wish we got more Carina in it, though.
Jasmine: Carina was so poorly used on Grey’s Anatomy. I didn’t care for DeLuca’s Bipolar storyline involving Meredith so much but leaving Carina out. Carina is utilized better on Station 19.
Kerr: Do you like Hayes? And what about Koracick? I loved Germann in Ally McBeal, and he’s kind of the same asshole here, but he’s so incredibly unlikable.
Do you buy Teddy falling for him at all?
Jasmine: I do like Hayes, and I actually like Koracick too. Oddly enough, I preferred Teddy with Tom. Although, towards the end, I felt Tom deserved better than Teddy.
Berea: I love them [Tom and Hayes] both. I actually preferred Toddy to Towen. And I like Hayes a lot.
Jasmine: We left things with Owen standing Teddy up after overhearing her having sex with Tom. Do you think Owen will forgive Teddy?
Berea: It’s what Owen deserves. And I think Teddy loves Tom too.
Kerr: Yeah, I never cared much for Owen.
Berea: Yeah, I don’t like Owen. I haven’t since he yelled at Cristina for her abortion at Zola’s birthday party in Grey’s Anatomy Season 8, though.
Kerr: I think forcing him with Amelia was weird. And that back-and-forth thing with him, Amelia, and Teddy is so trite and boring.
Jasmine: Eh, the T.O.T.A.L. love pentagon last season was too much. And I’m happy Link and Amelia are officially together and out of it.
Kerr: But wouldn’t it have been more interesting if the kid was Owen’s?
Jasmine: God, no! I would have pulled my hair out.
He has two kids already, and that’s enough. I was already mad another baby was coming. If we can make it through the new season with no babies, I’ll be thrilled, thanks.
Berea: Every relationship this season had drama in some way, but I would’ve been so angry if that was Owen’s kid!
Kerr: I am SO SICK of babies and children. Stop f*cking up our TV with distracting parasites!
I guess it would have made Link less boring and have something more to do if it ended up as Owen’s kid. Now it’s just like a happy fairy tale ending. Blarph!
Jasmine: Gee, Kerr. Tell us how you really feel! There were too many babies and pregnancies. The only one I got emotional about was Bailey’s miscarriage.
However, I will take my happy Amelink fairy tale; thank you very much. They’re the only relationship I actually liked by the end of the season.
Kerr: I like the dark stuff!
Jasmine: Well, they’re covering COVID-19 this season, so you might be in luck, Kerr. Do you guys think they’ll handle it well?
Kerr: Well, I hate anything addressing COVID at the same time, honestly. And I do not trust they will use legit info in their fictional writing.
Jasmine: Some are complaining and vocal about not wanting the show to cover the pandemic because of a need for escapism. But I think it’s hard to avoid this pandemic within a medical drama.
Kerr: I worry they will politicize it like they do everything else these days.
Jasmine: Grey’s has always been political, so I know they will. It’s unavoidable at this point. However, I’m still wary of if the show can actually do it justice.
Kerr: Well for that, I’d hope they’d go with more hope than doom and gloom (contrary to my previous statement about loving the dark stuff). I think people have had enough of the preachiness.
Everything is political. But they do better when they address the human experience without screaming from a soapbox.
Berea: Yeah, I would like escapism too, but I recognize why it’s pretty unavoidable on a medical show, so I’m expecting it.
Jasmine: It’s risky to cover. I think so far, The Good Doctor did well, but I was severely disappointed with Grey’s attempt to address the injustices of the Healthcare system because it somehow shifted to a “let’s save Saint Meredith” narrative.
If they do something similar while we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, it will be insensitive. We’ll have to see how it works.
Jasmine: Which characters would you like Grey’s Anatomy to give more focus and proper storylines to this season?
Berea: Maggie, obviously, for me!
Kerr: I just want Callie and Arizona to come back.
Jasmine: Naturally, Berea.
I think while I like Levi, I wish they would focus on the other residents like Parker and Helm. I would like to see Maggie finally have a successful romantic arc with Winston since she and Jackson are over.
Berea: I really want to see what’s going to happen with Winston joining the cast. I wonder if Jackson will be jealous and if this is meant to be a hurdle.
Is he the Rose to Maggie’s Derek? But if Maggie is happy with Winston, and he’s a good guy, I’m happy. I also want her to leave Meredith’s house.
Jasmine: I would like to see where it goes between Maggie and Winston. I did not like Jackson last season. He needs a timeout and maybe a therapy session or two.
Kerr: Oh, for me, I thought Catherine was the biggest bitch last season of all the seasons, and that was unforgivable!
Berea: Jackson was definitely trash last season. I was so not into him and Vic. They were both rebounding.
I agree with Jasmine about the residents, though. I definitely want more Parker and Helm content.
I want Levi to leave Nico. He’s so boring. Kill him off with COVID for all I care.
Jasmine: Damn, Berea!
Kerr: Oh, him. I totally forgot about Nico and Levi. I never pay much attention to the romance parts of the show, which I know is a huge part.
Jackson can go away. Seriously. Welcome is way outstayed.
Jasmine: I am disappointed with what they did to Nico, and he’s pretty much just taking up space now, so he does need to go.
Kerr, I’m shocked. You are one of the few viewers I know who doesn’t watch Grey’s for all the ship drama.
Kerr: Nico is so hot, though. Levi has started to grow attractive in his own right. I am madder at Levi for staying with Nico, though than I am at Nico for being Nico.
Berea: Nico is nice to look at for me, but that’s it.
And you watch Grey’s for the romance, Kerr. It’s such a big part of all the stories.
Kerr: I hate the romance, usually in everything. I watch it for the medical craziness, and the human stories, and the drama. I love the drama!
Jasmine: Sure, the wacky medical cases that they sprinkle in between all that romance and sexytimes.
Berea: Most of Grey’s drama is relationship drama unless it’s a shooting or a bomb!
Jasmine: What kind of medical stories would you like to see this season?
Kerr: I enjoy how they show us unprecedented surgeries. Though they aren’t the best with authenticity.
It’s hard to say what I would love to see since I don’t know much about medicine and ailments, other than my own. Hey, there’s an idea: they ought to do an episode on misophonia!
Jasmine: I don’t have any specific medical cases I’m looking forward to, but I will say with the COVID-19 coverage, I look forward to what Owen and Teddy can bring to it as soldiers and doctors.
They have that training, and I always enjoyed their approach to practicing medicine during a crisis. I do look forward to what Owen and Teddy are bringing, you know, outside of the relationship drama.
Berea: That’s a good point.
Kerr: I guess that’s why I get bored so easily with it now. But it used to be about medical progress/achievements and drama. I mean when Izzie’s boyfriend died way back, that was romance stuff that was OK because it had drama in it.
Jasmine: I would like them to go back to focusing on all of the medical breakthroughs and projects they were working on. I loved that focus on their studies.
Sometimes, it seems as if they’re phoning it in from a medical perspective, so I agree with wanting more medical focus.
As for romance, I think we’ll continue with the Owen, Teddy, and Tom saga, and that’s the extent of the relationship drama. I also feel they’ll pair Jo up with someone now that Alex is gone.
Berea: I would actually love them to put Jo with Jack from Station 19. I think those two would actually be perfect for each other.
Jasmine: I agree that Jo and Jack from station 19 make SO MUCH sense. I said that the second they met. I can tolerate that if I must sit through the shipping business.
Berea: Right, Jo I can do without. Especially now that Alex is gone. If we MUST have an inter-show romance, outside of Benley, I would love JoJack.
Kerr: Jo is cool. Jo can be a badass. I liked her backstory more than many of them. She could have more to do now, but I actually worry they will give her less now that Alex is gone.
Jasmine: I’m kind of OK with that, Kerr.
Kerr: I mean, how much romance can ever really be original? One of them should get into a subplot of dominatrix or dominator side work. Or do something taboo. I get sick of the same ole same ole.
Jasmine: I actually hate that they never did anything with Amelia being bisexual and wanting a threesome with Link and Carina. They went their baby route when that could’ve been so much more interesting and different.
Kerr: It would be interesting to do a threesome that included two straight guys. THAT would be interesting. Hayes should be in it.
Jasmine: You mean like Hayes, Meredith, and DeLuca?
Kerr: I would enjoy that, yes. Hayes is a looker.
Jasmine: Oh, Kerr, while that’s 100 times better than another love triangle, with our luck, we would get a Teddy, Owen, Tom poly throuple. It’s the love triad that will never end!
They dropped in a threesome tease and also dropped in that Teddy is bisexual in that flashback episode, and it just seemed like they left those just out there with nothing to do with them.
Kerr: That’s right, they did make Teddy bisexual. I do get tired of everyone on TV having to be bisexual now, and I’m part of the LGBTQ community, so don’t throw shade.
I just don’t see it as realistic, and it actually seems to maybe do more harm than good. What, we now just expect everyone, especially women, to all be bi? I guess straight men do that anyway, huh?
Jasmine: This is why I had an issue with the sudden reveal that Teddy was bisexual in the flashback. I also hated that once again, that revelation went hand in hand with her being a serial cheater. It’s such a negative stigma, so their attempt to diversify or check off another box inadvertently contributed to negative stereotypes.
Kerr: Ah yes, the Spacey Rule that “coming out” can make up for morality issues. Yuck.
Berea: I do think we would’ve gotten the Amelia, Carina, Link potential threesome story arc if not for Caterina/Amelia’s pregnancy.
Jasmine: Hmph. The baby could’ve closed its eyes then.
The season’s theme is about heroes that may need saving. It sounds ominous, and they have also teased another death. Aside from Berea tossing out there that Nico could die from COVID, do you have any theories on who we could lose?
Berea: I feel like Tom will die.
Jasmine: Wow. What makes you think that?
Berea: Contracts. Teddy, Owen, and Jo all have renewed contracts. Winston is added to the cast, so Maggie is safe.
Kerr: Ahhh, I never know who has what contracts. I keep thinking they will kill off Meredith soon.
Berea: Jesse/Jackson also has a renewed contract. Meredith is definitely safe. I don’t think they’ll get rid of Link so soon, so that leaves Bailey, Richard, Levi, and Tom, I think.
Jasmine: Hmm. I think they’ll do something safe by killing off one of the residents we don’t see much of, but Tom would be just enough of a blow to be considered a major death and maybe resolve storylines.
They do like putting Amelia through pain, and like Kerr said, too much fairly-tale.
Berea: I feel like Amelia has been through so much already, which is why I knew her baby would be safe and healthy. The show is on as long as Ellen is. The most logical person to leave next, I think, is Richard.
Kerr: But is Ellen on as long as the show is? I hope Meredith stays the whole run. They seemed to not know what to do with her for a few years, just keeping her around for the name.
Jasmine: I also think with a show that brings back ghosts, that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t fulfilling their contract for flashbacks or visions or whatever. They need a big death, though. They’re due for a huge one.
Richard would devastate fans but also make sense.
Berea: And Bailey, if anything happens with Bailey, the show will definitely make Meredith chief of surgery.
Jasmine: It would leave two OG’s standing either way. And yeah, they would focus on Mer’s career trajectory, and that would include Chief if Bailey wasn’t there, so that is an interesting thing to consider.
Kerr: Do you ladies think it’s time to put a fork in this show yet? I only really watch for the OG characters and as they slowly leave, I lose interest
Berea: I’m so attached to Grey’s, I don’t know if I can say it’s time to put a fork in it but maybe.
Jasmine: Ellen Pompeo has spoken a lot about the show coming to an end soon, maybe even this season.
I think they have at least a couple of seasons left in it, but they’re circling the drain. It’s always better to end on your own terms and a strong note.
Berea: I’m at the point where if they end it, I’m at peace because we’ve gotten a lot of good years out of Grey’s. But I could take more of it also.
Kerr: I still love Grey’s too, though. It depends on the season.
I’m kind of surprised there hasn’t been a YA spinoff version. Like kids in their 20s in med school. Grey’s Anatomy: World Beyond.
Jasmine: Kerr, I definitely anticipate a Grey’s Anatomy reboot with the kids or something. Zola will carry the torch.
Berea: Yeah, I’m ready for Zola’s own episode.
Kerr: Zola will be the new leading character, love it.
Jasmine: Any last thoughts, you guys?
Kerr: Just to bring back the OGs! I know a finale episode would have that all.
Jasmine: They could pull that out for a series finale, I hope. For many of them.
Berea: I hope Maggie leaves Meredith’s house, Teddy and Owen break up, Link and Amelia stay happy, and Catherine and Richard stop being childish.
Jasmine: I knew you would say all of these things.
I want a strong, consistent, well-written, and balanced season, and no more of Meredith’s savior can do no wrong shtick.
Grey’s Anatomy’s two-hour premiere is Thursday at 9/8c on ABC.
Chime in below with all of your anticipatory statements. As always, you can watch Grey’s Anatomy online here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.