Grey's Anatomy's Sarah Drew: There's a "Tremendous Sense of Hope" for Jackson and April

[Warning: This article contains major spoilers about Thursday's episode of Grey's Anatomy. Read at your own risk!]

Who saw that one coming?

On Thursday's episode of Grey's Anatomy, Jackson (Jesse Williams) and April (Sarah Drew) finally made the decision no one wanted: After valiant efforts to make it work, including going to couples counseling, they're ending their marriage.

But even more shocking than April finally agreeing to sign the divorce papers was her declining a drink from Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) at the end of the episode because - surprise! - she's pregnant. Probably.

TVGuide.com spoke to Drew about the big reveal, and what this means for Jackson and April going forward. (Hint: Don't give up all hope yet, Japril fans!) Check out what she had to say here:

What was your reaction to April's pregnancy news?
Sarah Drew: I was completely shocked when I read that in the script. I was like, oh my gosh. But I loved it. It was this beacon of hope that we could cling onto. So, I love it. I had no idea it was coming, and I'm so glad that it did.

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Did filming this episode give you any new insights into Jackson and April's relationship?
Drew: It was a really, really fun to travel back in time for 12 years and kind of go through every different possible human emotion you can in one episode. ... It's so romantic, and it's really, really fun to go back and see those scenes during the elopement. Those are my favorite scenes of the episode. But then we get a deeper picture into the kinds of conversations they had that led to, "Oh, hang on. I never thought about that. That's interesting."

We kind of get a behind-the-scenes look at some moments, including a couple of bad-luck mishaps, like when he missed his flight to come see her overseas, and her call didn't go through on the anniversary of Samuel's death. What was your reaction to seeing those events that we didn't know about before?
Drew: It adds to the tragic nature of it. ... I think it just deepens their relationship for the audience. We get to see these moments that the audience never got to see, which really helps you to understand how they got where they are. And it just makes their relationship more full and more multidimensional.

It seems like they both put a lot of effort into trying to make the relationship work.
Drew: I would say that April's made more of a valiant effort than Jackson has, but that's just me and I'm a little biased. [Laughs]

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Well, in the end, why does April sign the divorce papers? Is she just tired of trying, or does she just know it's over?
Drew: I think [Jackson] not answering [her question] is his decision. I think when she says, "Are you sure you want this?," that's her extending herself. Please, is there any shot? He's already signed this stuff. He's done. They're waiting for me to sign the papers. I look at him and I'm hanging on to one last glimmer of hope, and then he looks at me and then looks away. That's like the final nail in the coffin.

So April's still willing to work on things?
Drew: One hundred percent. I think that if she could in any way stay in this marriage and reclaim the love of her life and make amends for whatever happened, she would do whatever she could. But he's not budging.

Does she suspect that she's pregnant when she signs the papers?
Drew: The timeline is not completely clear, but we will find out in the next few episodes whether she knew before or after the meeting. What we do know is she took a test on the day that she signed the papers, but we don't know if she took the test before or after she signed the papers. But you will find out in the next couple of episodes.

This episode drove home the point that there's a lot the audience doesn't get to see. Just to clarify, is the baby definitely Jackson's?
Drew: [Laughs] I would hope so. I can not imagine [April] shtupping somebody else while desperately trying to fight for her marriage. It doesn't seem like it makes any sense to me. But you never know. Anything is possible, I guess.

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Even all the stuff about Jackson and her marriage aside, is April emotionally ready to handle another pregnancy after her last experience? What's going through her mind when she shares her news with Arizona?
Drew: For me, the greatest piece of this episode, especially the end of this episode, is that there's a tremendous sense of hope. I think she's kind of treating this baby and this pregnancy as her one great gift and joy in the midst of the pain and destruction of the divorce. I think she's clinging to that as tightly as she can.

Clinging to that in terms of hope for herself, or hope that a baby might bring her and Jackson back together?
Drew: You'll find out in the next episode a little bit more about how she feels about that. I think moving forward, her perspective shifts. She's really all about this baby. ... The end of this episode is really not the end of anything. It's really the beginning of several episodes of a lot of stories involving these guys.

How long will April wait before she tells Jackson?
Drew: There's a lot coming down the road about that topic in particular.

Do you think there's any hope for them to reconcile as a couple, or is there too much animosity there now?
Drew: Absolutely. I always, always, always hold out hope for Japril. I think there's always hope. Nobody's dead. There's always hope as long as they're both still breathing.

Who does April turn to for support?
Drew: Mostly Arizona. There's some very sweet moments with Hunt (Kevin McKidd) that I love in the coming episodes. Arizona for sure. Riggs (Martin Henderson) a bit as well. Those are kind of her three go-to people.

What did you think, Grey's fans? Were you surprised that Jackson and April actually went through with the divorce? How will Jackson react to April's news? And do you think there's hope for them to reconcile with a baby on the way?

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

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