‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 19 Finale: A Doctor Flatlines in the Operating Room

The two-hour Season 19 finale of  was as intense and emotional as ever, and it ended with Dr. Teddy Altman flatlining in the operating room. Throughout the finale, Teddy kept complaining about a toothache, but since she was so busy, she never had time to get it checked out. At the end, Teddy was in the OR, but she collapses. Yasuda couldn’t find a pulse, and Owen soon comes in after a nurse tells him what happened. With Teddy unconscious, Yasuda uses the defibrillator on her, and that’s when the episode ends.

It’s a pretty Grey’s Anatomy way to end the season, especially with the context leading up to the collapse. With Teddy becoming chief, she’s dealt with a lot in the recent episodes, particularly the whole situation with the clinic and the abortion care. Luckily with Season 20 of , fans will be able to find out what happens with Teddy, though it might not be so soon, considering ABC’s fall unscripted schedule will push scripted series to midseason.

There is actually a plus side to this storyline with Teddy, and that is that she will most likely live, considering multiple fan-favorites have signed on for Season 20 of Grey’s Anatomy, including Kim Raver, who portrays Teddy. It’s unlikely that if Teddy were expected to die next season, she wouldn’t sign on, so it’s assumed that Teddy will come out at least somewhat okay. There’s no telling how this could affect her moving forward, however, or if she would need to take a step back from being chief, depending on what the impact is.

Meanwhile in the finale, Ellen Pompeo returned as Meredith Grey, who discovered that the Alzheimer’s research is wrong. Amelia didn’t take the accusation lightly, knowing that her brother was a big part of that research. Furthermore, at the Catherine Fox Awards, Meredith presented the award to a non-surgical, non-nominee recipient, Bailey, for her fight for reproductive rights, which was truly deserved.

The season finale might have ended on a pretty sour and horrifying note, but there were still some good things in it, which can hopefully be used to erase what happened in the end. While it will be a while until Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 premieres, at least fans can rest easy knowing that Teddy won’t be dying any time soon. But, that doesn’t mean that the aftermath won’t be any less terrifying.