Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice return with all-new episodes tonight, and the creator of both ABC medical dramas, Shonda Rhimes, is making the media rounds to prepare us for the developments to come.

Let's get right to it, shall we?

On the Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) front, this little tidbit should make fans smile: "You will see the dream house before the end of the season," Shonda teased to E! Online.

"Although, we're getting closer and closer to the end of the season and now I'm not totally 100 percent sure how the season's going to end because contract negotiations haven't been finished. So I will say I'm planning on it and I am extremely hopeful we're going to see the dream house before the end of the season."

On a less optimistic note, regarding Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Owen (Kevin McKidd): "It's going to get darker, people! It's going to get darker before it gets better," Shonda reveals.

"Cristina has gone through tremendous personal growth," Shonda explains. "For me, I was really interested in exploring [how] Cristina is, first and foremost before she's anything else, a surgeon and she's a person of gift."

"When that happens in men, everyone accepts it. When it happens in women, it's a very different thing."

"I'm really interested in exploring that with that character because there's something really wonderful about this idea of an extraordinarily talented, gifted woman who is unapologetic about her desire not to have children and to have things sort of go her way and what that means when you're in a relationship. It's very complex."

Turning our attention to Private Practice's Sam (Taye Diggs) and Addison (Kate Walsh): "Things get very interesting. Jake has feelings for Addison, that's very clear, and Addison might have some feelings for Jake."

"But, I think that Sam is always still very close to her heart and their problems don't seem so insurmountable to me. I really feel like Addison deserves some happiness and I'd like to see her get it."

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Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.