'Grey's Anatomy' season 16: Will Jo come out of her depression and save her marriage with Alex?

Alex and Jo are going through a rough patch as a married couple and it may 'derail' them further in the wake of Alex's lay-off from his job. 

'Grey's Anatomy' is back with its sixteenth season and fans can hardly wait to see the changes in each character's lives. The longest-running medical drama follows the personal and professional lives of the doctors at Seattle's Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

The last season ended on a cliffhanger where Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) was ousted from the hospital following an insurance fraud along with Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) and Richard Webber (James Pickens) as they kept mum about it. The bizarre set of developments has left personal relationships of the characters in a bundle of mess. While Meredith Grey and Andrew DeLuca's (Giacomo Gianniotti) relationship may hit a roadblock after the latter took the fall for her, there is major trouble in Alex and Jo Wilson Karev's (Camilla Luddington) paradise too.

Alex Karev, portrayed by actor Justin Chambers, in a still from 'Grey's Anatomy'. (ABC)

In the last season, Jo took a leave from Grey Sloan and committed herself to the psych ward after she found out she was the product of rape. The trauma of the reality of her birth has taken a toll on her health and she has been wrestling with depression ever since. Owing to that, Alex and Jo are going through a rough patch as a married couple and it may 'derail' further in the wake of Alex's lay-off from his job. 

It is a struggle for Alex as he has no job and no shoulder to fall back on, but Jo has her own demons to fight. The series has shown Alex having a history with women battling mental illness and that's where his caring and understanding side may come to rescue. The showrunner previously hinted at how she would like for Jo to pick herself back and allow Alex to "heal the wounds that keep repeating."

Jo Karev, portrayed by Camilla Luddington, in a still from 'Grey's Anatomy'. (ABC)

However, Camilla — who plays Jo — told Cosmo, "I think it will derail [them]. You will see the ripple effect through the rest of the season. ‘Jolex’ has been unshakable all season, but this does end up shaking them. I’m not sure if “look forward” is the right way to describe viewing what’s to come. You’ll see a person slowly lose the sense of themselves. You’ll watch a person implode."

The second episode of 'Grey's Anatomy' Season 16 is named 'Back in the Saddle and the synopsis reads: "Jo readies herself to return to work," but it also says, "Richard and Alex start anew and it's not easy." It does leave things in a confusing state and the new season might see the two in a new job. 

The sixteenth season will premiere on ABC on September 26 and can be seen every Thursday at 8/7c and fans are still hoping that it could bring a fresh start in their lives with a spell of positivity. 

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Several familiar TV stars were missing from the 2026 Emmys In Memoriam despite major tributes during the ceremony.
11 minutes ago
‘Charlie’s Angels’ actress Farrah Fawcett passed away in 2009 after her battle with cancer
51 minutes ago
Sally Field won in the ‘Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie’ category for her work in ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’
1 hour ago
There’s a very Taylor Swift-coded reason she was not present at the Emmys this time
1 hour ago
Matthew Rhys, Jean Smart, Rhea Seehorn and more were among the biggest winners across the 78th Emmy Awards
2 hours ago
The Emmys had a few surprise wins up their sleeve. Here are 7 biggest moments of the 2026 Emmys.
3 hours ago
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ fan favorites came together on stage to present the award for Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
3 hours ago
‘The Late Show’ was nominated alongside 'The Daily Show,' 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!,' 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,' and 'Saturday Night Live'
3 hours ago
Vince Gilligan just broke a streak that followed him for years
4 hours ago
Several familiar contenders left television’s biggest night empty-handed as others made Emmy history.
4 hours ago