Fans of
Grey’s Anatomy (Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on CTV) are used to dealing with the loss of beloved characters on the long-running medical drama, but this season included a shocker that not even the writers saw coming. When original cast member and fan favourite Justin Chambers abruptly announced he was leaving the show after 15 years, the actor left a hole in the series without enough time to give his character Alex Karev the proper sendoff. Now, showrunner Krista Vernoff is hinting at when and how
Grey’s Anatomy will say their final goodbye to Dr. Karev.Vernoff spoke to
Variety about the upcoming major storylines in
Grey’s Anatomy, including the biggest question mark surrounding the show, which is how Alex Karev will make his exit. Chambers has already made his final on-screen appearance as Karev in the
November 14 episode titled ‘My Shot,’ where his last order of business was helping his longtime friend Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) get her medical license back. Chamber’s Karev didn’t appear in the next episode and his absence was explained by a family emergency in Iowa. Five episodes later, Karev is still in Iowa,
but has now begun avoiding his wife, Jo Karev, played by Camila Luddington.[video_embed id='-1']RELATED: ‘Station 19’ cast tease ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ crossover[/video_embed]Luddington’s character went through emotional turmoil in Season 15 after learning she was the product of a rape and spent much of the season in a deep depression. After receiving treatment at an in-patient rehab center, Jo and Alex found happiness again and
got married in the Halloween episode of Season 16. Vernoff confirms that the writers don’t plan on putting Jo back in the same dark place she was in prior to her release. “It was a very careful threading of a needle, where we are giving a little bit of information and pain to Jo,” Vernoff told Variety. “We’re, episode by episode, illuminating the story of where Alex is. And it takes us quite a few more episodes to get there and to give the audience clarity.”Vernoff confirmed that Alex Karev’s unravelling from the world of
Grey’s Anatomy will not be an overnight event and will require several more episodes to fully play out. But thankfully, there will be some #JusticeForJo. “Jo went through so much pain and so much grief just last season that I wanted to be careful,” said Vernoff. “And so it’s a bit of a mystery [what’s going on with Alex], so that we don’t watch Jo in the same place that we watched her in last season. We did it as carefully as we could. But it takes a while to get there.”The
Grey’s Anatomy writers have been quickly putting in place storylines to ensure that Karev’s departure feels authentic. In last week’s episode, many of the doctor’s who left Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital returned after the struggling Pac North Hospital was bought by
Debbie Allen’s Catherine Fox. Karev’s position has already been filled by newcomer Richard Flood, who plays Dr. Cormac Hayes, a possible love interest for Pompeo.Justin Chambers shocked fans in January when he
announced he was leaving Grey’s Anatomy after 15 years. The actor and Grey’s Anatomy showrunners haven’t provided many details around Chambers, but show lead Ellen Pompeo did
tweet that his exit would be a loss to the show.
Watch new episodes of Grey’s Anatomy every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on CTV and catch up online anytime at CTV.ca.[video_embed id='-1']Before you go: Confused puppy thinks he sees himself on TV, tries to make contact[/video_embed]
