8 Burning Questions We Have After the 'Grey's' Finale
Grey's Anatomy ended its nineteenth season on a major cliffhanger, with fans left to wonder whether Dr. Teddy Altman died of a tooth abscess (no, really!). But the chief of surgery's fate wasn't the only thing left up in the air at the end of the two-hour finale. Below, 8 burning questions we'll be pondering until the arrival of Season 20.
1. Will Meredith lose her funding?
Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) makes her first non-voiceover appearance on the show since February 2023, and it turns out she's been knee-deep in controversial Alzheimer's research. Whereas most of the medical community believes that Alzheimer’s is associated with amyloid plaque in the brain—and therefore the majority of funding goes towards advancing that theory—Meredith has a different idea.
"Meredith, this is huge," Dr. Webber tells her. But he warns her not to share it with their peers. "Doctors who blow up pre-existing ideas, sound ideas, they’re not seen as cutting edge, they’re seen as crazy...If you make this public, there’s the possibility you could lose your funding and your reputation. Maintain the respect that you have built for yourself.”
Of course, Meredith doesn't listen. Which begs the question: Will she lose her funding? What could that mean for her future in Boston?
Related: All About Ellen Pompeo's First Post-Grey's Anatomy Role
2. Will Meredith cure Alzheimer's?
Amelia tells Webber that Meredith's research is so good she's "about to sink my brother's entire legacy." Could the series end with Meredith, um, curing Alzheimer's? If so, let's hope life imitates art.
3. Will Nick move to Boston?
Meredith confesses to Nick that she pretended not to hear him when he told her he loved her as she was leaving for Boston. "I was tired and scared and overwhelmed," she says. But now she wants him back. “I miss you.”
Nick tells her that he went to her house earlier that day because he still wants to be with her, too. “I went [there] to say that I never should have let you walk away, and to say that I want to live a whole life with love and mess and pain and you.” Then they kiss!
What's next for the couple? Will Nick move to Boston to be with Meredith, or will she be popping into Seattle every now and then to visit?
Related: How Every Grey's Anatomy Character Got Written Off the Show
4. Will Lucas and Simone get in trouble for operating on a patient without an attending present?
Lucas and Simone operate on Sam Sutton after Dr. Altman collapses—despite the fact that they aren't supposed to perform surgery without an attending present—and the patient seemingly dies. What sort of repercussions will they face for their actions? Will their punishment get in the way of their blossoming romance?
5. Will Jo and Link really end up together?
Finally, Jo and Link profess their love for each other! “I love you and I’m gonna love you forever," Link says. “You unbelievable dummy," Jo responds. "I love you too." Only problem is, while they're making out in the rain, their patient Sam Sutton is inside dying.
Will Jo, who had quasi romance with Sam, and Link, who resented Sam for his relationship with Jo, be able to forgive themselves and move forward with their relationship—or is it tainted?
6. Does Richard drink the vodka tonic?
Richard admits to Amelia that he almost took a swig of Catherine's martini when he thought their plane was going down on their way to Boston. Had Bailey not knocked it out of his hand, he said, he'd have relapsed 30,000 feet in the air. Amelia suggests he join her for an AA meeting, but he tells her he's going to hang back and wait for Catherine instead. After Amelia walks away, a waitress shows up with a vodka tonic. Does Richard drink it?
7. Will Maggie and Winston get divorced?
Maggie, whose goodbye episode aired April 13, is already back—and hooking up with her estranged husband, Winston, who eventually asks if they should get divorced. "I want to excel at my new job, like really tear it up...and I want to break new ground," he says. (He was just promoted to chief of cardio.)
"Let's just start with that and figure out the rest later," Maggie responds.
Looks like it's back to square one with these two!
8. Does Teddy die?
It's hard to imagine Dr. Altman dying—of a tooth abscess, no less—but crazier things have happened on Grey's Anatomy. Good thing Kim Raver just re-upped her contract. Maybe she'll be back as a ghost!
