Here's How Grey's Anatomy Said Goodbye to Jackson Avery

[Warning: The following contains spoilers for Jesse Williams' final episode of Grey's Anatomy. Read at your own risk!]

After 12 seasons, Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) said goodbye to Grey's Anatomy and Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Avery handed in his official resignation to Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Weber (James Pickens Jr.) so that he could head off to Boston to take over the Catherine Fox Foundation and lead the charge to create true equity in medicine. However, that was just the start of the goodbye train and tears only continued to flow from there. 

The next stop was Jo (Camilla Luddington), who thanked Avery for saying goodbye in person instead of a letter (we see that shade, and we respect it). The pair, who have spent most of this season casually hooking up, parted on good terms with laughs and the agreement that they really are friends. Considering the messy break-ups that both of them have had on this show, it was nice to see them have such a healthy split, if you can even call it that.

Then came Meredith (Ellen Pompeo). The two bonded over having to live up to their big last names and reminisced about being the last two standing members of their resident class. Then Jackson started tearing up, which is officially when the episode took a turn toward Sadville. How are you supposed to keep your eyes dry when that beautiful man is upset? Non-Jackson tears were also shed when Bailey and Weber finally told Meredith that DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) had been murdered, ripping that wound open again. Of course, Meredith wasn't shocked, having seen DeLuca on her limbo beach and knowing he was safe with his mother in the afterlife. Rest assured, we're still really upset about it though. 

ABC 2021-2022 Fall TV Lineup: Everything We Know So Far

The biggest twist of the episode came in the final moments when Koracick (Greg Germann) asked Jackson for a job at the foundation as well. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Germann is departing Grey's Anatomy as a series regular, so we actually lost two doctors in one episode. At least they are leaving to save the world and are all in one piece. Grey's Anatomy has forced us to say goodbye to favorite characters in much more painful ways before. (Again, DeLuca, sigh.) 

The warm and fuzzy feeling won't last for long though. There are only two episodes left in the season and the preview for next week's episode reveals that baby Luna's life hangs in the balance, which means we are in for a really rough ride with Jo. We are never really going to catch break with this show. 

Grey's Anatomy continues Thursdays at 9/8c on Thursdays.