Spoilers for the Season 16 premiere of Grey’s Anatomy are disclosed below!
How will Grey’s Anatomy handle Jackson’s new romance? Let’s back up a bit and address how he ended up single to explore one. That happened because of Season 16’s big breakup between Jackson and Maggie. Yes, he survived that cliffhanger. In the end, it was Jackson who decided to put an end the relationship. Jackson’s prognosis for his and Maggie’s relationship? He told Maggie, “What’s broken is us.”
Thanks to a bit of a time jump, a very much alive Jackson is beginning to move on, showing interest in Station 19’s Vic. Remember, there has been crossover action between the fire station drama and Grey’s Anatomy. How will Jackson and Vic’s relationship develop? Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff told ET:
It's a little bit of a slow build. The decision-making around it was a gut feeling. It was just a gut feeling. I knew that it was time for Maggie and Jackson to break up at the end of last season. I took over Station 19 and was looking at all the moving pieces and I just had a feeling about these two. And so, we tried it and the whole storyline is exciting to me. The complexity of it all is really interesting. It's been a long time since Grey's had a break-up this messy.
From what Grey’s Anatomy’s showrunner is saying, the breakup between Maggie and Jackson has been in the works for a while. Nevertheless, fans should expect the former couple’s breakup to get messy. Jackson is going to be attempting to move on from their relationship by embarking on a new romance with Vic.
Their relationship is not going to come together overnight. After teasing it, Grey’s Anatomy clearly liked what they had between Jackson and Station 19’s Vic. As a whole, the storyline between Vic and Jackson has struck a chord with the series’ showrunner. Why is Grey’s Anatomy having Jackson move on so soon? Krista Vernoff explained, saying:
I think that it's human behavior. Often we comfort ourselves with something new when we've been through something painful. It happens with great frequency and I'm interested in exploring the edges of human behavior. I'm interested in exploring people not behaving well all the time. People prioritizing their impulse over someone else's feelings, I think is human and makes great TV.
Interesting. What does Krista Vernoff mention of the need for comfort mean for the longevity of Jackson’s new romance? Will there be something lasting between him and Vic, despite how recently he broke up with Maggie? Can their relationship survive that, and being on separate shows? Fans will have to watch and see.
Jesse Williams has already signed on for Season 16 and 17. So, there will be lots of time for Grey’s Anatomy to explore his new romance. Jackson will be absent for a few episodes as Williams makes his Broadway debut in the spring of 2020. Speaking of schedules, how will Vic being on Station 19 affect her burgeoning relationship with Jackson? Stay tuned.
After the “Season of Love” (a.k.a Season 15), Grey’s Anatomy is getting started with a pretty seismic breakup. Jackson and Maggie will have the rest of the season to navigate their post-breakup dynamic. They do both still work at the same hospital, after all! Meanwhile, Jackson will have his new romance with Vic to consider. Will it all work out?
Find out when new episodes of Grey’s Anatomy air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. You can relive Jackson and Maggie’s romance via Netflix, along with newly arriving content. Season 16 of the medical drama is one of this fall’s premieres.
