WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Grey's Anatomy season 16 finale. Read at your own risk.
Grey's Anatomy season 16 recently aired on ABC, with the title "Put on a Happy Face." This wasn't meant to be the original conclusion for the current season of the medical drama series, but some things changed due to the global health crisis. Now, it looks like the original season finale was actually planning to kill off one of the major characters.
According to a report via TVLine, sources claim that the original finale of Grey's Anatomy season 16 was set to feature a "cataclysmic event," one that would likely kill a major character. An insider also said that the event was supposed to be an explosion. This is something that showrunner Krista Vernoff did not confirm or deny.
It remains to be seen whether or not this rumored departure will be featured in the next installment. Fans have also been speculating that the finale of Station 19 season 3 might be connected to the original finale of the medical drama. Vernoff also told TVLine that those who will watch episodes 15 and 16 of the spin-off may feel some of what they planned for the original season finale of the flagship show.
As for who's supposed to die in the original finale of Grey's Anatomy season 16, CarterMatt noted several candidates as to who could it be. DeLuca could be the one as he's been constantly taking risks, while Jackson is another candidate since he's been outside of his element lately. Perhaps, the series may also want to put Amelia in a devastating situation by killing Link.
To remove Teddy in a messy situation, the series may kill either Owen or Tom. Maggie's life may also be at stake, given that her storyline has been quiet for a while now. Meanwhile, Meredith, Amelia, and Richard might all be safe since they've been through life-threatening situations as of late. Also, it wouldn't make sense if Jo will be killed off right after Alex's recent exit.
Grey's Anatomy season 16 shuts down its production before the series was able to finish the final four episodes. The show goes into a different direction and decided to make episode 21 as the alternate season finale. Vernoff said that after reading the script of the mentioned episode, it felt like it could serve as the season finale. Now, viewers may need to wait as the next season may not be arriving until fall.
