Grey's Anatomy's Kim Raver Said Things Get 'Messy' When The Show Returns, And I Have Theories About Why

Posted 01/08/2026 from Cinema Blend

The wait is over! Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 is set to resume on the 2026 TV schedule on January 8, and I have to admit the weeks since that fall finale cliffhanger haven’t been too rough — probably because we got the good news of Kate Walsh’s impending return to hold us over. As for what to expect from the rest of the season, Kim Raver says things are going to get “messy,” and I’ve got some guesses about what she means.

Camilla Luddington and Chris Carmack on Grey's Anatomy.

(Image credit: ABC)

Kim Raver Teases ‘Shock’ And ‘Surprise’ To Come On Grey’s Anatomy Season 22

We last left our beloved Seattle medical professionals in quite a dire state — at least for some. Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) was experiencing heart failure as Winston Ndugu (Anthony Hill) prepared to deliver her twins via emergency C-section. We also learned that Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. There was plenty of relationship drama as well, of course, and Kim Raver revealed her reaction to getting the new scripts, telling US Weekly:

A couple of scripts came in [recently] and I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ It gets messy and it is so Grey’s Anatomy. I just love it so much.

Kim Raver’s character Teddy Altman might very well be a part of that messy situation, as she continues to navigate her separation from husband Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd). Whatever it is, though, she sounds excited — and it sounds pretty major, as she continued:

We’re all reading what’s happening [during a table read], and I love it. Some of us are in scrubs, some of us are in our street clothes. Then when we find out the information, it’s a shock and a surprise to all of us. We are like the audience, too, and then we look at each other like, ‘This is really happening.'

So what could these shocking twists be?

Lucas Adams (Niko Terho) walks with his arm around a nervous-looking Simone Griffith (Alexis Floyd) in the Grey's Anatomy Season 21 finale.

(Image credit: Anne Marie Fox/Disney)

Here Are My Theories On What Could Get 'Messy'

Of course, the January 8 episode “Skyfall” will reveal Jo’s fate and the fate of her and Atticus Lincoln’s (Chris Carmack) babies. Camilla Luddington has warned that the midseason premiere is even worse than the fall finale for Jo, but if anything happens to her or either one of the twins, that would be enough to make me rage-quit this series.

That said, I predict that at least some of the mess to come involves the doctors’ love lives. The fall finale saw Nora (Floriana Lima) call things off with Owen, and there is always so much potential for messiness when it comes to Owen and Teddy. I just hope they don’t get back together.

All apologies to Niko Terho’s Lucas Adams — forget Skywalker, I’m calling him McBroody — because I’m kind of on board with whatever Simone Griffith (Alexis Floyd) has going on with Wes Bryant (Trevor Jackson).

Kim Raver also mentioned that she’s set to direct an episode centering around Meredith Grey and Nick Marsh (Ellen Pompeo and Scott Speedman), and while they have become one of Grey’s Anatomy’s most solid couples, I’m wondering if they might be responsible for one of Season 22’s bigger surprises.

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As far as someone I don’t think is in danger, I predict that Richard Webber will be OK. The character’s cancer diagnosis comes alongside James Pickens Jr.’s revelation that he is now cancer-free after his own prostate cancer was caught early. He has been an advocate for early and regular screenings, particularly for Black men, and I think this storyline is going to be used to further the important message that early detection saves lives.

All in all, I’m just glad Grey’s Anatomy has returned, and I can’t wait for whatever twists the medical drama has in store. Catch new episodes at 10 p.m. ET Thursdays on ABC and streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.

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