With Grey's Anatomy's Season 13 premiere around the corner, I think it's time to put down what we know about the upcoming season. In case you didn't get it: SPOILER ALERT!
According to Kelly McCreary, who plays Maggie- Meredith's half-sister - Grey's will go back to basics focusing on the "Original" characters. "After such a long period of time and so many new people coming in and out, they remain the foundational characters of the show," Kelly McCreary says. "We're gonna be spending some more time with them to check in with where they are. The way that we spent time with Meredith last season, exploring the major shift in her life, the loss of Derek, I think we can expect to see those doctors being explored where they are in this moment, all these years later, the changes that they've gone through."
Just a few days ago the new promo of the season dropped and things do not look good for Alex (Justin Chambers). At the last episode we last saw Karev, beating DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) over a huge misunderstanding concerning Jo (Camilla Luddington). After watching the promo we conclude that Grey's will be picking up from right where it left off with DeLuca being transferred to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital fighting for his life. Also, regarding the Jolex storyline, at the end of season 12, Jo turned down Alex’s marriage proposal. She later got drunk and confessed to DeLuca that she was already married to an abusive man who she run away from by changing her identity. Through this story line season 13 will explore the topic of domestic violence. “I don‘t think that I ever think about doing things, like, ‘Oh, we’re doing a domestic violence story as an issue,’” Rhimes tells the EW. “It felt like it was time to tell Jo’s story, and it felt like it was time to tell Jo’s story especially in the context of Alex, who he is and how he grew up. Alex is so defined by who he used to be and who he is trying to become, and so is Jo.”
Alex will find out about Jo's past early on in the season. “Obviously, he’s going to find out why she can’t marry him,” Justin Chambers says. “I don’t know where that takes them from there, but he’s hurt, and he’s angry, and he’s wrong, but he’s also right
This storyline was discussed multiple times in the past but the writers never found the right moment to use it. “That concept is something that we’ve — the writers — have talked about for years, and have always been like, ‘Is this the right time? Is this the right time?’” Rhimes says. “We’ve been trying to figure out when to deploy that. It felt right at this moment in time because Jo’s backstory has always been very intriguing to us, and this idea that she is now fully who she says she is, and that she is somebody who has reinvented herself. I love her as being somebody who has reinvented herself. I also love her as being somebody who has overcome a lot of really, really bad things to make something of her life," Shonda continues. "She’s a survivor. The idea that she’s a survivor and that very act of being that person is threatening to that relationship is interesting. The fact that Alex is a guy who his response is to beat somebody up is a little problematic."
A new love interest is on the horizon for Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) who we last saw giving plane tickets to Callie in order for her to go after Penny in New York. According to executive producer, Shonda Rhimes she will definetely moving on from Callie this season. “We’re absolutely going to see it,” Rhimes says. “Jessica was very, very delightfully pregnant at the end of last year, and so she’s not in the first two episodes - which everybody brace yourselves for - because she’s taking a little bit of time off for kids, but then she’s back. I’m very excited to introduce a love interest for her, and to get to tell a story with her that lets her be who she is, and to see who she is post the relationships that she’s had.”
In season 12, we saw Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Ben (Jason Winston George) go through ups and downs after Ben's suspension. "I love seeing this very healthy couple that truly loves each other, that can fight, get along, be sexy, and feel real that we can enjoy watching be a couple with all of the ups and downs of whatever that means," Shonda Rhimes says. "That feels rare on television. There’s something delightful about watching this couple — that you know is going to make it — struggle through life. Even if Bailey gets jealous of somebody, or even if he’s having a hard time with her job, there’s something lovely about watching them figure this thing out together."
The peak of last season's finale was Amelia's and Owen's wedding. This season we'll get to see them as a married couple. Will they manage to stay happy and have a healthy married life? Only time will tell. "I love the fact that the last episode was, 'Oh my God, what the heck am I doing?' because [Amelia] did do something awfully fast with not that much thought put into it, though Owen may come to realize he feels much the same" Shonda Rhimes says. "How does a man who is married to someone like Amelia, who loves to talk everything out and take all 12 steps of everything, how does somebody like him, who doesn’t want to talk about anything, how does he cope with this when she’s a very much, 'Let’s heal!' kind of person? Watching him deal with this will be very interesting."
And as things couldn't get any more dramatic we have the Meredith-Riggs-Maggie love triangle. Last season, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and the new hot doc in town, Dr. Nathan Riggs, played by Martin Henderson (who BTW hasn't got a McNickname yet) secretly hooked up. Last scene of the season however, Maggie made things really awkward when she revealed to Mer that she has feeling for Riggs. “She’s finding herself in this triangle that Maggie for sure is going to see as a betrayal,” Ellen says. “Call me crazy, but I smell a little drama.” And drama is why we love this show.
Last but definitely not least, Jackson (Jesse Williams) and April (Sarah Drew) will try and make the co-parenting thing work. However, "Those feelings are still there," Rhimes says. "Just because they couldn’t make it work doesn’t mean that they don’t still really care about each other." Fortunately for Japril and us, the fans, their storyline will be much more lighter than last season's.
Thus, what do you guys think about the upcoming season? Does it seem dramatic enough or do you want more drama? Hit me up in the comment section below with your thoughts and questions. Grey's always manages to deliver and this season will be no exception.
Grey's Anatomy returns, for it's 13th season, September 22 at 8|9c on ABC.
