Grey’s Anatomy season 16 episode 2 preview: Amelia tells Link about her pregnancy

Of all the surprises thrown our way last week, Amelia’s pregnancy was probably the most shocking. But she isn’t the only character ready for a major life change.

The season 16 premiere of Grey’s Anatomy was full of surprises — everything from Jackson possibly rebounding way too fast to Karina figuring out Amelia is pregnant before she does.

Amelia’s pregnancy isn’t something most people saw coming, though maybe we should have. The past few seasons have forced her character to grow significantly, and it only makes sense that her next arc would likely involve coming to terms with the demons of her past once and for all.

The promo for tonight’s episode shows Link talking to Amelia in a stairwell (you know, always the perfect place to hold a private conversation). She tells him she’s pregnant, and the look on his face says it all: He didn’t see this coming, either.

Watch the preview for tonight’s episode here:

This twist is going to bring an all-too-familiar kind of drama into Amelia’s storyline — with some (hopefully) pleasant upgrades. Her first pregnancy on Private Practice ended tragically, and it’s likely a lot of those negative feelings are going to resurface as she faces the prospect of motherhood once again.

But, fingers crossed, she’ll have a huge support system rallying around her. We just need this to end with a healthy baby and a happy Amelia. That’s all we want.

Amelia isn’t the only character whose story is going to push them to their limits, either. What we haven’t talked much about yet is Richard’s new job. He and Alex are continuing their careers at Pacific North West Hospital, and Catherine couldn’t be more devastated.

Richard is questioning his purpose as a physician, and some signs might be pointing to the conclusion of his career. A hiring manager actually asked Richard about his retirement plans during a job interview. (Are you even allowed to do that?) That makes us wonder if his character is heading toward a quiet and comfortable exit from the show.

Richard planned to retire a long time ago, but he has remained at Seattle Grace/Grey Sloan in various roles throughout the past 15 seasons. He has also been through a lot: Losing his wife to Alzheimer’s complications, supporting Catherine through her cancer treatment, and of course, his struggles with alcohol addiction.

Maybe getting fired will turn out to be the best thing that could have happened to him. We love Richard — he’s like a father to Meredith and has been with us since the beginning. But we have now seen him face his history with alcohol head on and emerge strong and sober (though not without being arrested … it all turned out fine. Everything is fine). If his story ended this season, as long as we got closure, it wouldn’t feel like a betrayal.

This show hasn’t killed off a major character in a while, so they could take things in that direction. But could our hearts handle it?

Don’t let the end of Maggie and Jackson fool you. Grey’s is notorious for making viewers feel safe and satisfied just long enough that they don’t see the dark and twisty surprises lingering just around the corner.

Grey’s Anatomy returns tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC.