Where we left off: Derek was offered his dream job at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C. – but Meredith flatly told him she's not going with him. What's next: A bumpy road ahead, to say the least. Shonda Rhimes has teased that Season 11 is "the year of Meredith," and after Sandra Oh's departure last season, the title character may find herself lonelier than ever. Can Meredith handle losing her husband as well as her "person"? We're guessing she won't find the discovery of a third (!) half-sister in Dr. Pierce very comforting. "It's very earth-shattering information," Rhimes tells TVGuide.com. "It undoes everything Meredith thought to be true about her past and her childhood."

Where we left off: After Callie learned that she can't carry a baby, she and Arizona decided to use a surrogate to give Sofia a sibling. What's next: Meredith and Derek aren't the only couple in dire straits as Season 11 gets underway. After Arizona's miscarriage and subsequent cheating, Calzona will continue to have their share of problems in Season 11. "The concept of the surrogate reveals more problems than it solves," Rhimes told TVGuide.com this summer. "They pretended a lot of things were okay when they weren't okay and it's time to face those problems. They'll either work them out or not and figure out what they want to be next."

Where we left off: Alex was stunned to learn that Cristina left him her shares in Grey Sloan and her seat on the hospital's board, just as he was preparing to leave and go into private practice with Dr. Lebackes (a.k.a. Dr. Butthole). What's next: With Cristina gone, Meredith starts turning to Alex to fill the best friend void – and that isn't likely to sit well with Jo. Meanwhile, on the professional front, Alex has a big decision to make. Is he prepared to fight Bailey for the board position? And is it worth giving up his big moneymaking opportunity with Dr. Lebackes?

Where we left off: Even though they spent the previous night together, Owen's actual goodbye to Cristina was just a small, intestine-stained wave through the window of the observation deck while he was in the middle of a surgery. Sadface. What's next: It's likely that Owen will eventually get a new love interest – but Rhimes says she doesn't want to rush things and have him move on from Cristina too quickly. However, will Derek's sister Amelia, who's taking a full-time job at Grey Sloan, catch Owen's eye? "Somehow that feels exciting," Rhimes tells TVGuide.com about the potential pairing. "I've had that thought and I don't know yet."

Where we left off: It was a good news/bad news day for Bailey, as Jackson informed her that her research funding had been cut and later, Webber offered Bailey a seat on the board. But … What's next: … she's going to have to fight Alex for it, as Cristina left a letter bequeathing both her shares in the hospital and her seat on the board to Dr. Karev. Now Bailey is up for a tussle with her former protégé, Rhimes promises. "Bailey has taken a lot of crap," she says. "She has been very overlooked and underestimated. She may be done with that at this point."

Where we left off: Surprise! Richard has a daughter – and she's the hospital's new head of cardiothoracic surgery, Dr. Maggie Pierce. What's next: How long will Richard hold onto his secret? Rhimes won't say – though it's a given that Meredith is going to find out one way or another. "Whether Richard admits his part in it at all is going to be very interesting," the showrunner says. It's also up in the air whether he will reconcile with Catherine.

Where we left off: Maggie casually mentioned to a stunned Richard in the Season 10 finale that her mother was Ellis Grey (meaning that Richard is her father). What's next: It remains to be seen how Maggie will fit in among her new colleagues, especially with Cristina Yang's gargantuan shoes to fill, and furthermore how she'll react to all the family secrets that are inevitably revealed. Through flashbacks (some of which will feature Kate Burton returning as Meredith and Maggie's mother, Ellis), we'll learn more about Maggie's past.

Where we left off: April found out that she's pregnant (as is actress Sarah Drew in real life), and judging by the look on Jackson's face as he held a baby in the hospital, he couldn't be more excited about being a dad. What's next: The newlyweds will have to get over their differences of opinion about child-rearing pretty quickly, and we're guessing that won't just be an agree-to-disagree situation. On the work front, Jackson will likely have to mediate the Bailey-Alex showdown over a seat on the hospital's board. "They're being forced to grow up," Rhimes tells us. "They did a spontaneous thing and things are starting to get serious. They have his mother to contend with, they have the future to contend with, and being Averys to contend with."

Where we left off: The "Shepherdess" dumped her fiancé and decided to move to Seattle … just as her brother Derek was considering leaving. What's next: Nothing's set in stone, but don't be surprised if Amy and Owen's relationship becomes more than a professional one. "They have interesting personalities and I think they have interesting pains that one another could possibly solve," Rhimes explains. Also, if Derek does stay put in Seattle, expect that bubbling sibling rivalry to boil over now that they'll be working together full-time – and especially since Derek was prepared to take over his service when he left for D.C.