‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 16 release date: How is Mer, Alex, Richard going to reverse Bailey’s decision?

“Grey’s Anatomy” Season 16 is just around the corner and fans can’t wait to see how the cliffhanger of the fifteenth entry will be resolved by the writers. While there are a lot of loose ends to tie, arguably the most urgent of which is the one surrounding Meredith (Ellen Pompeo).

Meredith, along with Alex (Justin Chambers) and Richard (James Pickens Jr.), have been fired by Bailey (Chandra Wilson) after they’ve colluded to commit insurance fraud. Sure, the decision was morally correct, but that doesn’t mean it was in line with the law. Thus, “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 16 will be exploring the fallout of the decision and what sort of consequences this will bring for everyone, including the hospital itself.

The only certainty here is that Bailey’s verdict will not stick since, well, all three are main characters in the show. So the question now becomes: how is Meredith, Alex, and Richard regain their position in “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 16?

Grey’s Anatomy Season 16 will not be going political

That’s unclear for now. However, showrunner Krista Vernoff said that they’re not going to be exploring a political plotline in “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 16, so that possibility is out the window. The next option is to conduct a time jump, perhaps jail Mer for a few months as the case gets resolved. Vernoff herself told THR that she isn’t sure if they’re going to employ a time jump next season since everything has been turned on its head by the previous entry.

“It's unlikely that there will be much of a time jump because I really want to play through the consequences of what Meredith did. But I honestly might be lying to you because I honestly just don't know yet,” Vernoff said. Another avenue that the writers might take is a courtroom drama in “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 16.

Mer, Alex, and Richard could argue their case and explain why they committed the crime. This could result in a new law being put in place that would protect vulnerable families in the future. But that’s honestly too predictable for “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 16 and everything that the writers have been doing hasn’t been straightforward at all, which is a good thing.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 16 to return next month

While the show has been brilliant through its 15-season run – not all of them, but most – it can be argued that the storyline has become somewhat formulaic, case-in-point the relationship between Teddy (Kim Raver) and Owen (Kevin McKidd). Shaking things in a major way has given “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 16 the mystery factor that’s been unseen in recent years.

It would be interesting to see how Meredith maneuvers everything from here on out, especially since she still has an ace up her sleeve. The ace, of course, is the fact that she’s one of the owners of Grey Sloan. Grey’s Anatomy Season 16 is slated to premiere on Sept. 26, E! reported.