​Is Grey's Anatomy Teeing Up a Romance Between [Spoiler]?

Is there a new romance (or two, or three) blossoming on Grey's Anatomy? It sure seems that way after Thursday's episode.

Let's start with what's sure to be a particularly dicey pairing, if that turns out to be where the show is heading: Jo (Camilla Luddington) and DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti). If their cute exchange in last week's episode sent up a small red flag, we get to full DEFCON-10 level this week, with DeLuca full-on telling Jo that she deserves to be with someone better than Alex (Justin Chambers), someone who doesn't continually hurt her and other people. A) Ouch. B) He has a point.

Complicating matters is the fact that Jo and Alex's relationship is basically in limbo at this point. I'm sure they'll have a conversation at some point about where they stand with each other, and Alex has already indicated that he's fully committed to getting Jo back, but for right now, their interactions are confined to strictly professional ones. And of course, there's the whole awkward matter of DeLuca's assault charge against Alex, who beat the intern to a pulp after (incorrectly) assuming he and Jo were sleeping together. Perhaps Alex is a soothsayer!

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As an even more interesting twist, the show could potentially incorporate Luddington's real-life pregnancy into the storyline, adding a whole new layer of drama. But let's not get ahead of herself.

Here's the thing: I may be in the minority here, but I actually support a DeLuca-Jo romance (Jomance?). From all indications, DeLuca is a great guy. Alex, on the other hand, is an assh--- who is capable of being a nice guy when he wants to be, but whose assh--- tendencies still lie pretty close to the surface, as DeLuca and Jo know from firsthand experience. Sorry, but that's the truth. Plus, Luddington and Giacomo have undeniable chemistry together. Again, let's revisit that cookie scene from last week:

DeLuca looks at Jo with puppy dog eyes, whereas Alex's default mode is German shepherd protecting his bone. (Also, DeLuca is smokin' hot. Let's just be real.)

But speaking of Alex... he and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) act very much like a couple in this week's episode, do they not? This pairing has been anticipated dreaded by fans for a long time now, but for me this episode really hammered home the point that Meredith and Alex may be starting to consider a relationship that goes beyond best friendship.

When he's getting ready to go to court in the morning, they seem completely like a husband and wife, down to the fact that she reminds him to get home early. And then at the end of the episode, as Alex and Meredith have a chat while lying next to each other in bed, Alex says he wants to start a tradition of making waffles for Meredith and her kids on Sundays. Oh, and Maggie (Kelly McCreary) can be there too. Because, you know, Alex is probably going to jail, so Meredith should start being nicer to her sisters because he won't always be around to take care of her. Umm... what? Cue my eyes popping out of my head. For starters, Meredith is close with Alex, sure, but I wouldn't say she's exactly dependent on him for day-to-day survival. (Emotional survival, maybe.) And also, if Alex is so intent on getting Jo back, shouldn't he maybe be focusing his efforts there?

Grey's Anatomy: Is romance in the cards for Leah and Arizona?

But while Karev may be worried about the threat of jail, it seems like his job is pretty secure for now. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) goes against Catherine Avery's (Debbie Allen) wishes and says she's going to keep Karev on the staff. By the time she makes this announcement, however, Catherine has already moved on from wanting to give Karev the boot. She must have been reading TVGuide.com this week, because she raises the question we've all been wondering: Why have so many doctors been fired from Grey Sloan and then brought back again?

The answer puts Catherine in a tough spot: It's because the hospital's residency program is crap. And who's in charge of the residency program? Oh yeah, Catherine's husband, Richard (James Pickens Jr.).

The other noteworthy occurrence in the episode is the return of Leah Murphy (Tessa Ferrer), who's back and annoying as ever. Richard decided to give her a second chance because she's apparently a rock star surgeon now. Her motivation? After reading Maggie's writing, she's taken a (presumably non-sexual) shine to Dr. Pierce and decided to make it her life's goal to work with her - even though it meant returning to Grey Sloan to face all her former colleagues-slash-subjects of her sexual harassment charges. Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) seems content to write that whole thing off as water under the bridge, however. After her jaw initially hits the floor upon first seeing Leah, Arizona later collects herself and, in what comes off as a slightly flirty moment, tells Dr. Murphy it's good to have her back.

What did you think, Grey's Anatomy fans? Are you seeing sparks fly between DeLuca and Jo? Would a Meredith-Alex relationship make the show jump the shark for good? And did you like Leah Murphy any better the second time around? Sound off in the comments!

Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.