‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Catherine’s Cancer Diagnosis Brings Drama in Fall Finale

Grey’s Anatomy dropped the bomb of Catherine Avery’s cancer diagnosis last week, leaving it up to her and Meredith to break the news to her family members during the fall finale.

As a looming windstorm wreaked havoc on Seattle, it was up to Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) to bail Richard out of jail following his arrest, and confronting him about his attitude since his sponsor’s death.

“Are you O.K.?” Meredith asks.

“I lost control… I was angry, and this bar… destroys lives,” Richard (James Pickens Jr.) says.

“Catherine says you haven’t gotten a new sponsor since Oli died. You’re not making meetings and now you’re destroying bars?” She says. “You need to get your head right. Get your head in a place where you can take care of the people who depend on you.”

The conversation is interrupted by a large branch hitting the car, as the windstorm picks up.

The next morning, Maggie (Kelly McCreary) and Jackson (Jesse Williams) see each other for the first time since their big fight and and she attempts to make small talk. However, he says he has no desire to just talk about nothing with them.

Meredith seems in a mood — clearly still reeling from Catherine’s diagnosis and picking up Richard from jail — and she seems to lash out at Maggie as she tries to talk to her about her relationship issues.

“You and Jackson. It sucks but no one is going to die,” Meredith tells her sister.

Richard later calls Catherine, but Koracik answers. Not knowing about the cancer, Richard hangs up thinking that Catherine might be cheating on him.

After surgery, Maggie confronts Meredith about her attitude and she clues her in on Catherine’s diagnosis.

“It’s big and it’s bad. And he’s going to need you,” Meredith says to Maggie. “So, unless he’s revealed himself to be a sociopath just make up with him, or at the very least be his friend.”

Later, Bailey finds Richard and he says he is determined to his sobriety so he doesn’t end up in jail for killing Koracik. Jackson finds Maggie and the pair make up, before Maggie breaks the news about his mom just before the episode ends.

Meredith and Koracik (Gregg Henry) traveled to Los Angeles in the previous episode to help Catherine with a VIP patient — who then turned out to be her. Catherine revealed that she had been feeling pains and scans showed a massive growth in her spine.

After doing a biopsy, the doctors diagnose Catherine with a serious case of spinal cancer. She tells them that she refuses to die and commissions them to come up with a way to cure her disease.

Will Catherine Avery survive this health scare? Grey’s Anatomy returns with new episodes in 2019 on ABC.