SPOILER ALERT!!! This article contains potential spoilers for “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 21 Episode 18, “How Do I Live.”
Dramatic finales are nothing new for the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, with previous seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy” ending in plane crashes, mass shootings, and too many major character deaths to count, including Dr. George O’Malley (T.R. Knight) in Season 6, Dr. Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) in Season 8, and Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) in Season 11.
“Grey’s Anatomy” Season 21 continued this trend, leaving that fates of many of its doctors up in the air following its ‘explosive’ finale episode, which aired on Thursday, May 15.
‘Grey’s’ Finale Takes a Dramatic Turn
The finale of “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 21 brought an end to the first year of internship for the show’s latest set of interns – Dr. Simone Griffith (Alexis Floyd), Dr. Benson “Blue” Kwan (Harry Shum Jr.), Dr. Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane), and Dr. Lucas Adams (Niko Terho).
More notably, Season 21 Episode 18, titled “How Do I Live,” brought an end to the ongoing case of Dylan Gatlin, a pediatric patient in need of a “high-risk brain surgery” from Dr. Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone). While Amelia previously questioned whether or not the surgery would be a success, Dylan’s prognosis seemed positive at the start of the finale, with Dylan’s parents, played by “Yellowstone” star Piper Perabo and “Swamp Thing” actor Andy Bean, finally breathing a sigh of relief.
The parent’s relief was short-lived, however, with Dylan’s health deteriorating over the course of the episode. In the end, Dylan’s mother ambushed Amelia, Simone, Lucas, and BokHee (Kathy C. An) in the O.R., threatening to detonate the hospital with a tank of acetylene if the doctors didn’t “fix” her daughter.
The hostage situation was eerily reminiscent of the Season 6 finale of “Grey’s Anatomy,” which saw doctors like Christina Yang (Sandra Oh), Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), and Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) held hostage by a mass shooter as they tried to operate on a wounded Derek Shepherd. In this instance, however, the shooter was demanding that the doctors cease operating, wanting Dr. Shepherd to die for not being able to save his wife.
Simone became Perabo’s main hostage as Amelia and Lucas attempted to operate under the pressure. After Dr. Monica Beltran (Natalie Morales) saw what was happening in the O.R., she reported the news to Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr), who quickly called for the floor to be evacuated and contacted emergency service.
Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), who has been the focus of “Grey’s Anatomy” since its debut in 2005, similarly makes an appearance in the hostage O.R., having returned to Grey Sloan with the intention of selling her shares in the hospital to fund her burgeoning Alzheimer’s research. Discovering the hostage situation, Meredith runs to the O.R., delivering the FFP (fresh frozen plasma) that Amelia desperately needs to save Dylan. The plasma works its magic and Dylan stabilizes, causing Perabo’s character to drop the gas tank in relief. The gathered doctors panic as the tank falls, only to learn that the tank had been empty all along. Police then rush in to arrest Dylan’s mother.
In the aftermath of the O.R., Lucas and Simone start kissing, the latest interaction in their will-they-won’t-they romance. While things finally seem good for the interns after a season of dramatic moments, including Lucas getting shot in a convenience store, Simone discovers that a previous hook-up will be joining the Grey Sloan team as an intern next season, potentially signaling drama for the couple. That is, if they survived the final twist of the night.
Who Survived the Finale and Who’s Still in Danger
In the final moments of the finale, Dylan’s father reveals that his wife couldn’t have held up the O.R. with an empty gas tank, as all of the tanks in his truck were full. Lucas sprints off to see if anyone is still on the floor when the explosion goes off.
While victims of the explosion won’t be officially revealed until the premiere of Season 22 this fall, Jules, Monica, and Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) were all preparing for surgeries when the gas tank detonated, making them possible casualties.
Link (Chris Carmack) and Jo (Camilla Luddington), who staged an impromptu wedding in last week’s episode, learned in the finale that their soon-to-be-born twins are both girls. Shortly after hearing the news, however, Link is whisked away to the O.R. floor to perform an arthroscopy when the explosion goes off, adding the newly-wed to the list of possible victims.
Chris Carmack and Camilla LuddingtonDisney
Jo (Camilla Luddington) and Link (Chris Carmack) tie the knot in “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 21 Episode 17
Other major occurrences in the finale included Teddy(Kim Raver) and Owen finally calling it quits on their marriage. This marks Owen’s third divorce on “Grey’s Anatomy,” following his divorce from Christina in Season 9, and from Amelia in Season 14.
