Season 21 of “Grey’s Anatomy” aired its explosive finale on May 15, leaving the fates of many of Grey Sloan’s doctors in jeopardy. The cliffhanger left fans in a frenzy as they began to speculate who survived the fiery finale.
While we won’t have definite answers until the premiere episode of Season 22 – coming as part of ABC’s 2025-2026 primetime schedule – the cliffhanger finale is nothing new for the long-running medical drama.
’Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 21 Goes Out with a Bang — Literally!
From showing Jo (Camilla Luddington) and Link (Chris Carmack) celebrating their lives as newly-weds, to witnessing the end of Owen and Teddy’s tumultuous marriage, the finale of “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 21 was full of plenty of the show’s trademark romantic drama.
That being said, the most dramatic storyline of the episode focused instead on motherly love, and watched as Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) breathed a sigh of relief after her high-risk pediatric brain surgery seemed to be a success. As the episode progressed, however, the patient’s health deteriorated to near-fatal levels.
The patient’s mother, portrayed by “Yellowstone” star Piper Perabo, then took drastic measures to ensure her daughter’s survival, stealing a tank of acetylene gas from her husband’s truck, holding Amelia, as well as interns Simone (Alexis Floyd) and Lucas (Niko Tehro), hostage in an O.R., and demanding that the doctors fix her daughter — or else.
Though Amelia and the interns were eventually able to save their patient and apprehend her mother, they later learn that Perabo’s character had been leaking gas into the O.R. throughout the entire ordeal.
Amelia sends Lucas running to alert the hospital’s other doctors that the threat still remains, just as Link begins to perform an arthroscopy surgery in the O.R.. Moments later, Link’s surgical equipment seemingly ignites the gas. We see a shocked Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) watch the subsequent explosion from the hospital’ parking lot before the screen goes black.
Who survived the explosion is left a mystery to viewers, with major characters like Bailey (Chandra Wilson), Amelia, Link, and even Jo – who is currently eight-months pregnant with twin girls – still unaccounted for.
’Grey’s Anatomy’ Cast Share Their Favorite Series Cliffhangers
In the aftermath of the explosive finale, the “Grey’s Anatomy” cast took to TikTok to reveal their favorite finale cliffhangers from the show’s 20-year history.
Chris Carmack, who joined the series as Atticus ‘Link’ Lincoln in Season 15, named the very first “Grey’s” finale as his favorite. The now-iconic episode ends with Meredith discovering that Derek (Patrick Dempsey) is a married man after their season-long affair.
ABC“Season One. Derek’s married. We meet Addison (Kate Walsh). Mind blown,” said Carmack in summation.
While it’s hard to beat an original, the cliffhanger finales of both Season 2 and Season 3 were also highlighted by the cast.
Niko Tehro and Adelaide Kane, who play interns Lucas and Jules respectively, both chose the Season 2 finale as their favorite.
The 2006 episode saw a desperate Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) execute a last-ditch effort to get her husband, Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), the heart transplant he desperately needs to survive. While Izzie cutting Denny’s L-VAD wire remains one of the show’s most dramatic scenes, it was Denny’s eventual death that the stars recalled most.
ABC“I was really invested in their relationship,” lamented Tehro.
Alexis Floyd, who plays intern Simone Griffith, recalled the Season 3 finale, where “Christina (Sandra Oh) can’t quite get herself to walk down the aisle” at her wedding to Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington). “It was devastating,” said Floyd.
ABCThe Season 8 finale cliffhanger, which saw a plane carrying Meredith, Derek, Christina, Mark (Eric Dane), Lexie (Chyler Leigh), and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) crash into the wilderness, was revealed as Owen Hunt-actor Kevin McKidd’s favorite. Meanwhile, Chandra Wilson and Jason George, who play married-doctors Miranda Bailey and Ben Warren, recalled the finale of Season 6, which saw a mass shooter run rampant through the hospital’s halls.
Check out the full video with the cast of “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 21 below.
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’Grey’s Anatomy’ Cast Reveal Their All-Time Favorite Series Cliffhangers