The cliffhanger ending of Grey’s Anatomy season 21 left the fate of several characters unknown, with one in particular being more in danger than others – something a recent report seemingly confirmed. The actions of Jenna to ensure that her daughter Dylan would be operated on by Amelia heartbreakingly led to the unexpected explosion at Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s very end.

The explosion put everyone who was last seen on the OR floor in Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s ending in peril, given where the hazardous chemical Jenna sneaked in was released. The chaos it generated guaranteed that Grey’s Anatomy season 22’s premiere would be poised to answer all the questions about it, but one character’s fate especially hangs in the balance.

New Report Claims Chris Carmack Isn’t In Grey’s Anatomy Season 22’s Confirmed Cast List

Grey’s Anatomy season 21 ending with Link about to use the cautery in the OR where Jenna opened the valve of the acetylene tank heavily implied that Link’s actions triggered the explosion, making his demise likelier, as he would have been at the center of the blast. This might be confirmed by Carmack not being on the official cast list.

Per TV Line, the Grey’s Anatomy cast members confirmed to return for season 22 are Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Caterina Scorsone, Kim Raver, Kevin McKidd, and Camilla Luddington. Their being contracted to appear would effectively rule out Bailey, Webber, Amelia, Teddy, Owen, and Jo as potential victims of the explosion. Chris Carmack’s absence from the list nevertheless speaks volumes.

Coupled with Grey’s Anatomy not revealing whether Carmack is due to return to play Link in season 22, and how the actor himself didn’t either, instead advancing the possibility that he wouldn’t return through his claim he had yet to receive the call, it seems like Grey’s Anatomy season 22 might actually kill off Link, as season 21’s ending suggested.

TV Line’s report is nonetheless in direct contrast with what Deadline revealed would be the cast confirmed to return for Grey’s Anatomy season 22 in August 2025. That report included Carmack, thus spoiling Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s cliffhanger ending by confirming that Link would have been safe, as Carmack was among the several other series regulars set to return.

The discrepancy between the reports, added to the statements given and the absence of others, makes the status of Link’s fate exceptionally muddied, potentially suggesting that he may very well be the victim of Grey Sloan Memorial’s explosion, as Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s ending implied.

What Link’s Death Might Mean For Jo’s Story & Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 In General

Over the years, Grey’s Anatomy notoriously hinted multiple times at some characters being in danger as a misdirection, as it would then be others who eventually died. Heather Brooks’ death in particular comes to mind, as her last episode in Grey’s Anatomy season 10 kept foreshadowing Webber being in danger, only for him to recover while Mousey unexpectedly died.

Link’s potential death being used to misdirect the attention onto another victim would be perfect after Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s ending, as the finale’s last moments set him up as the obvious casualty. However, were it not a trick, Link’s death would be incredibly affecting, both for his and Jo’s storylines and Grey’s Anatomy season 22 as a whole.

Dying mere days after Jo and Link’s wedding would make Link’s death exponentially sadder than Derek’s in Grey’s Anatomy. Their making a honeymoon at the hospital work right before the explosion in Grey’s Anatomy season 21 proved how good things were between Jo and Link, with the couple finally happy after countless fights about their different approaches to the pregnancy.

The family they already have, coupled with their expecting twins, would make Link’s death in Grey’s Anatomy season 22 an unprecedented heartbreak and an organizational nightmare for Jo. Link’s death now would effectively force Jo to face the worst tragedy she could have imagined at a terrible time, making that her biggest challenge even after what Jo already went through.

Without Link, Grey’s Anatomy would lose one of the few unapologetically sunny characters. Link’s death would deprive Scout of his father, Amelia of a co-parent, and Winston of someone with the potential to be a friend. In the context of Grey Sloan Memorial, Link’s death would be the first main one since Andrew De Luca’s in Grey’s Anatomy season 17.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 Is Better With Link’s Death

While incredibly devastating, Link’s death would make Grey’s Anatomy season 22 better. A heartbreaking death at such a terrible time would make season 22 feel more similar to the medical drama’s golden years. Link dying would shock the entire Grey Sloan Memorial to its core, being thus reminiscent of Grey’s Anatomy catastrophes like the plane crash or the hospital shooting.

After the drama season 21’s ending set up and the question at the heart of season 22’s teaser trailer, Grey’s Anatomy cannot avoid killing off a major character. Link being the one to die would make the death impossibly heartbreaking, due to his having his life in front of him and a beautiful family with Amelia and Jo.

Still, Link dying would follow through with the threat Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s cliffhanger ending introduced, delivering the heartbreak Grey’s Anatomy’s earlier seasons had become famous for. This would counterbalance the characters whose demise Grey’s Anatomy previously hinted at, like Teddy in season 18’s finale and Mika in season 21, but chose not to kill off.

Following such a tragedy, Grey’s Anatomy would inevitably need to go through a drastic reshuffling. This could push other characters to be at the heart of the story, and it would set up new alliances. Albeit heartbreaking, such a path could also remind audiences why Grey’s Anatomy deserves to be remembered as one of the gutsiest medical dramas.

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