‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Sets Alex’s Farewell Episode: How Will His Story End? (VIDEO)

Justin Chambers Exit Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Alex Farewell Episode
ABC/Kelsey McNeal

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 16, Episode 15 of Grey’s Anatomy, “Snowblind.”]

Is Alex Karev’s story about to have a tragic ending?

Grey’s Anatomy fans have been waiting since Justin Chambers’ exit was announced at the beginning of January to find out how his character would be written out, and the time has come for answers. The promo for March 5’s “Leave a Light On” reveals it’s Alex’s farewell.

Hauntingly set to A Great Big World’s “Say Something,” the clips of Alex from over the years go all the way back to the pilot. “See how his story ends,” it promises.

It’s very unclear just how Grey’s will be writing him off, given that Thursday’s episode called into question everything we’ve been told since his last on-screen appearance. We heard multiple times that he was in Iowa taking care of his mother; however, not even a minute into “Snowblind,” Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) texted him “I know you’re not in Iowa. Where are you??”

Jo (Camilla Luddington) confirmed that near the end of the episode, revealing to Link (Chris Carmack) that she spoke with Alex’s mother. He had never been there. “He left me,” she’s deduced. “I think he woke up one day and felt the need to escape his life and me.”

Even if that’s the case, there has to be more to the story, right? After all, he’s not talking to Meredith either. (He seemingly started to text her, but did he stop because he didn’t know what to say?) Plus, we have to take into consideration one of this week’s patients, the older sister of a girl who died under Alex’s care. As Meredith recalled, “she loved comic books, he did a whole thing for her,” and “he was devastated when she died.” Hayes (Richard Flood) noted he didn’t seem to care enough to return to help her family.

Did Alex just leave Jo and his life behind? Why did he use his mother as an excuse? Will the character survive his farewell, or might an unrecognizable patient be brought into the hospital — or one somewhere else — and die before anyone can say goodbye? However he’s written out, it’s likely to be something very permanent. We’ll know his fate soon.

Grey’s Anatomy, Thursdays, 9/8c, ABC