Grey's Anatomy Kills Off [Spoiler] In Season 22 Premiere, Surviving Co-Star Reacts: 'It Definitely Hurt To See That'
The Season 22 premiere of Grey's Anatomy proved a bitter pill to swallow for the staff of Grey Sloan Memorial, as they found themselves fighting to survive amidst the wreckage of last May's explosion at the hospital — ultimately having to say goodbye to one of their own.
We've already waited five months for this, so we won't beat around the bush any further: after talking Jules through a life-saving surgery on a young boy, Dr. Monica Beltran (Natalie Morales) succumbed to the injuries she sustained from the blast and died in Jules' arms.
"I loved working with Natalie so much," Chris Carmack (whose character did survive, but more on that later) tells TVLine. "She's such a light, funny, wonderful, kind, great actress. Link and Beltran don't have an extensive history together on screen, but Natalie made a huge impression in the time that she was working on the show, so it definitely hurt to see that Beltran didn't make it."
Which brings us to Link, the character whose potential death had fans sweating all summer. While Jo spent the hour attempting to remain calm, her new husband and the future father of her twin girls was receiving emergency surgery in a literal stairwell. It was desperate times, but thanks to some clutch calls by Ben (who now gets to finish his residency at Grey Sloan!), Link will live long enough to give Jo and the girls that dog he promised before losing consciousness. The extent of his injuries remains to be determined, but hey, at least he's alive.
Read Carmack's full Q&A with TVLine below, which includes his thoughts on Link's biggest hurdles ahead, as well as our best attempt at getting him to spill those baby names.
TVLINE | First of all, congratulations on surviving!
CARMACK | [Laughs] Well, I don't think he's out of the woods yet, unfortunately, but he seems to have made it through the initial blast.
TVLINE | The fans will be relieved. I feel like they've been worrying about you all summer. Have you felt that love for your character online?
CARMACK | I definitely felt the love online. I can't tell you how good it makes me feel when I read comments like, "If Link dies, I'm done with the show," or whatever. Not that I want anybody to be done with the show, but you know, they're going to bat for me.
TVLINE | I assume the producers told you that you were surviving ahead of time, but were you surprised by how it all unfolded on the page?
CARMACK | Yeah, I knew I was going to survive the blast, but I didn't know what was going to happen, except that he was going to have a bad injury. Reading it on the page was a bit of a nail biter. Also, I didn't know anyone else's storyline, so I had no idea if anyone else was going to make it.
TVLINE | What was it like going from playing to a surgeon to suddenly being the one operated on?
CARMACK | It was a trip. It was a wild reversal, especially because I was being worked on by all the surgeons that I'm usually doing surgery with. So my castmates have their heads hovered over, talking about how bad it is. It's definitely an image burned into my mind that I'll never forget.
TVLINE | He survived, but this is the beginning of a long road to recovery for him. How is that going to impact him, personally and professionally?
CARMACK | Well, I wish I could say this is as bad as it gets, but it's not. We've got more challenges coming down the road that are going to put things into perspective in a big way. But he's got a long... what's the expression, road to hoe? [Laughs] Is that the expression?
TVLINE | I honestly don't know, but I'll accept it.
CARMACK | Yes, so in terms of his recovery, his injuries are pretty extensive. He wants to get back to surgery and being a surgeon, but at this point, he identifies most as being a new father. He's got twins on the way, and he wants to be able to hold them and help Jo and be the father and husband that he wants to be. After the physical injuries he endures, he's not going to be that man right away. So, first and foremost on his mind is recovery.
TVLINE | Speaking of those twins, any hint at what their names are going to be?
CARMACK | You know, there are some good plot points involving the names coming up, so I'm going to steer clear of this question. But I will tell you to keep an eye out.
TVLINE | Oh, I will. Of course Jo was beside herself in this episode, but I was also struck by Amelia's explosive reaction to Link being operated on. How do you feel about where that relationship is and the mature example you two have managed to build together?
CARMACK | I think Amelia and Link have a very comfortable co-parenting situation, one where they trust each other completely with Scout. They know that when Scout is with the other one, Scout is safe, Scout is taken care of and Scout's best interests are being looked after. So they're in a happy co-parenting place. They've definitely moved on from one another, other than hoping that the other can find happiness, hoping the best for each other. In this scenario, it is the father of of her son that is gravely injured, and you realize what that loss would mean to somebody, even if you're not in a loving relationship or marriage anymore.
In other premiere news... Owen got a hotel room after speaking with Teddy, who feels like she doesn't know who she is anymore; new intern Dr. Spencer made a memorable first impression on Meredith by way of a serious abdominal injury; Lucas and Kwan kept Nora alive, though not without a bit of fumbling; and after spending the hour spurning Wes' advances, Simone came clean to Lucas about sleeping with someone else, ending things between them (again).
Were you shocked by Monica's death, and are you relieved that Link survived the explosion — but also extremely worried about him moving forward? And did Simone call things off with Lucas too quickly, or are you ready for her to try things with Wes? Grade the premiere below, then drop a comment with your thoughts.