Grey's Anatomy aired its final episode of season 16 called Put On A Happy Face on ABC on Thursday, April 9. The medical drama was meant to have a few more episodes left but as filming could no longer take place, the makers of Grey's Anatomy had to make episode 21 the last one. But fans shouldn't be worried about the show's future as Grey's Anatomy has already been renewed for a 17th season.

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Grey's Anatomy season 16,

Actor Justin Chambers who has played Dr Alex Karev since Grey's Anatomy first began 15 years ago, announced in 2019 that he would be leaving the show for good.In a statement, he said: Theres no good time to say goodbye to a show and character thats defined so much of my life for the past 15 years.For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices."And, as I turn 50 and am blessed with my remarkable, supportive wife and five wonderful children, now is that time.The big question which remained following the news was how he was going to leave the series.

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Chambers' last ever episode was actually shown back in November and sadly for fans, he did not appear again.Many questioned where he had gone but in episode 16 Leave A Light On, things made a lot clearer.His wife Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) had already told colleagues her and Alex's marriage was over but no real explanation was given as to why.He had told everyone he was going to visit his sick mother but the real reason for his exit was far more shocking.

After Dr Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) got in trouble for insurance fraud, Alex thought this was a good excuse to get back in touch with his ex-wife Dr Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heig), who left Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in season six.When Izzie and Alex were still together and she had Stage IV cancer, she froze her embryos just in case she could no longer have children naturally.So when she left the series, Izzie used the embryos to have her and Alex's twins who were now five-years-old.He didn't have any knowledge of this but when he found out, he wrote several letters, including to Jo and Meredith, explaining what had happened and how he had decided he would stay with Izzie and the children on a farm in Kansas.Since the episode aired, showrunner Kirsta Vernoff has opened up about writing Alex out of the series and if there was ever a chance of Alex being killed off.

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Speaking to TVLine, Vernoff confirmed there was never any intention to have Alex killed off.She said: "At the end of the day, there were three choices.Kill Alex off camera; have Alex be alive and in Seattle and still married to Jo and we just never see him; or [reunite him] with Izzie.Vernoff insisted killing Alex would have been cruel to everyone particularly Meredith and Jo".She continued: There was no way to not put those characters through gut-wrenching, ongoing grief if we had killed Alex off camera.Some fans were upset, particularly the Jolex shippers, that [Alex left Jo to be with Izzie] and I understand why.

"But I would fight real hard anyone who tried to tell me that fans would not have been equally or more upset if I had killed Alex Karev off camera.Vernoff also added how there wasn't "even a debate in the writers' room" about reuniting him with Izzie off-screen when the idea was brought up.But fans will just have to wait and see if either Alex and or Izzie will ever make another appearance in Grey's Anatomy in the future.Grey's Anatomy season 16 is available to watch on ABC.

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Grey's Anatomy season 16: Was Dr Alex Karev going to be killed off in Grey's Anatomy? - Express