It turns out I was right to be concerned about at least one Grey’s Anatomy character ahead of the Season 22 fall finale, “When I Crash.” Camilla Luddington delivered on her promise of Jo’s story being one that will “shock” fans, as Jo and her twins were both in danger at the end of the episode that aired November 13 on the 2025 TV schedule. As tough as that cliffhanger was, it doesn’t sound like things are going to be any better when Season 22 resumes.

Camilla Luddington Says The Next Episode Of Grey’s Anatomy Is ‘Worse,’ And ‘Survival Is Not Guaranteed’

Remember back at the end of Season 21, when we were simply able to enjoy Jo and Link being in love and getting married? I know, that feels like seven years ago given what they’ve gone through in the first six episodes of Season 22. Grey’s fans spent the summer wondering if Chris Carmack’s Atticus Lincoln would die in the operating room explosion, leaving Jo a widow with four children and, now, the shoe’s on the other foot.

Link is now dealing with the possibility of losing his wife and/or two daughters, and as Camilla Luddington broke it all down for The Wrap, she certainly didn’t sound optimistic, saying that “survival is not guaranteed.” She talked about getting the scripts for “When I Crash” and the episode to follow, saying:

I’d heard some whisperings that something was going to happen that was really big [for Jo]. And then when I got the script, I just knew I was going to have to really emotionally prepare myself, because it gets dark. This one and then the next episode after this … it’s really dark.

Grey’s Anatomy hasn’t been afraid to tackle heartbreaking stories involving babies in the past, but I feel no need to go down that road emotionally until it’s necessary. That day might come, though, as the actress warned:

If there’s one word to sit on it would be ‘brutal.’ Emotionally prepare because the next episode coming up after this, it is worse, to be honest. So yeah, just drink a lot of wine and try to compartmentalize this is not happening on Grey’s Anatomy until January.

Drink a lot of wine. Check. And yes, she did say it’s not happening until January, because…

Grey’s Anatomy Is On Hiatus Until 2026

While it sounds like the cast is aware of what’s to come, we’ve got to carry this cliffhanger through the holidays, because Grey’s Anatomy will return as part of the 2026 TV schedule, with the spring premiere set for Thursday, January 8. We can’t tell too much from the preview, except that we should probably bring tissues to this watch party:

I’m going to take the sounds of a baby crying as a good thing but, honestly, I won’t be OK until we have two babies. I also think the shot of Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) crying might be a response to Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) having cancer, which we learned in the finale.

Camilla Luddington’s Comments About Her Future On Grey’s Sound Ominous

Camilla Luddington joined Grey’s Anatomy in Season 9 way back in 2012, and with around 250 episodes under her belt, she said she’s just happy to have gotten this far, saying:

The fact that they’ve kept me up until this point is incredible. I am so grateful for all the seasons that I’ve had on the show.

Does that sound a little bit like a goodbye to anybody else? The Wrap also asked her about an idea she said she had about bringing Katherine Heigl back as Izzie Stevens, but she said she never pitched it to the writers. Furthermore:

I don’t know if I can pitch the storyline right now, because it would involve Jo being there. And it would mean a continuation of that character, and that’s not something I can really talk about right now.