Grey's Anatomy 16: Will Richard and Alex Be Fired Indefinitely?!

Are you ready for Orange is the New Grey?

On Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Episode 1, the hospital is left reeling with the aftershocks of the shocking events that took place during Grey's Anatomy Season 15 Episode 25.

DeLuca was hauled away in handcuffs, Meredith decided to own up to her actions, and Richard and Alex both got fired.

The news of their unemployment is shared by none other than Bailey. If you watched the promo for the premiere, you know that she announces to the staff that Meredith, Alex, and Richard have all been fired.

There's no fun way to spin themselves out of this corner they've been written in, right? Well, according to James Pickens Jr. who spoke with US Weekly, while he and Alex will have a taste of the unemployment life, it won't be for too long.

The actor stated, "It won’t be for long. We’ve got some things in the works. We’ll see what happens. We’re keeping you all in suspense, and it’ll be fun.”

That sounds promising.

It also means that two of our favorite doctors won't be down and out for too long. They tend to be two of the characters who are sidelined or offered limited plots and screentime, which can be especially frustrating given that they're OG cast members.

While it's been confirmed that the premiere will initially pick up where the finale left off, Vernoff has also mentioned that there will be a time jump through the course of the hour.

We have no idea how much time will pass or how it will play out onscreen.

Perhaps it will explain why we see Meredith doing community service. It means she has gone to trial and been sentenced in some capacity.

We know her unemployment and illegal activities may affect her new relationship with DeLuca, but it seems like the pair will still be going strong regardless.

Meredith admitted she loved him in the finale, so they at least have that.

While it's great that Meredith is finally facing some consequences for her actions, via her experience committing insurance fraud, the series plans spend some of the season exploring the broken healthcare system.

If you happen to be a fan of both The Resident and New Amsterdam, then you'll likely be interested in how Grey's Anatomy plans to put their spin on this.

Alex may be unemployed for an undetermined amount of time, but things may go well for him in the relationship department.

Jo checked herself into a mental health facility during the finale, and it could have reopened old wounds for Alex who has a history of loving women who struggle with their mental health stemming from his mother.

Fortunately, it sounds as though he and Jo will come out on the other side of this is a solid place. For once, this story may end well for him and bring him and Jo closer together.

Jolex fans can rejoice over that!

Meanwhile, there's some interesting things to explore with Teddy and Owen as well.

It seemed as though the two of them found their way to one another again, but we'll have to see if it was the excitement over baby Alison or something real. Although, it's looking very much real.

Teddy remains entangled in a relationship with Tom, so the love triangle remains unresolved and messy. Although, it appears she's still living in that hotel room and not in the house Tom found for her.

The stills of Teddy and Owen look promising, so Towen fans may also be rejoicing.

More than anything, the pair will have to figure out how to co-parent together, irrespective of their romantic relationship or friendship.

According to Kim Raver, "We’re seeing another side to Teddy that I don’t think we’ve ever seen. It was really fun. I also love how the relationship is with Amelia. They planted a lot of seeds and there’s so much to grow. Plus, I think we’re gonna have to figure out the Owen of it all.”

Perhaps the co-parenting will extend to Amelia too, or maybe we can expect a friendship between the two women.

They bonded during their experience with Amelia taking Teddy to the hospital.

Since the premiere will pick up right after the finale, then we'll find out what happened to Jackson immediately. He disappeared into the fog and left Maggie stranded after the two of them got into an argument.

In the promo we hear Maggie asking if he's dead, so maybe she doesn't find him after all.

It's doubtful that he will be going anywhere, but the state of Maggie and Jackson's relationship is a question mark. Will they be able to work through their issues, or will those issues tear them apart?

Maggie will probably have enough on her plate.

Not only will she be kicking butt at GSM, but will have to deal with the aftermath of her sister being fired and charged with insurance fraud, her nieces and nephew needing support, and her birth father and pseudo-brother being fired as well.

Grey's Anatomy returns on September. 26 on ABC.

If you need to catch up, you can watch Grey's Anatomy online here via TV Fanatic!

Grey's Anatomy Promo: Meredith Does Community Service!

Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.