Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 Episode 17 Recap: Owen Dying, Kwan Fired

Hookups, firings, and a possible fatality? Oh, we’re in for a classic season finale of “Grey’s Anatomy” next week.

The ABC drama’s April 30 episode set the stage for an absolutely chaotic season ender, especially where Owen and Teddy are concerned; Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver are both exiting as series regulars this year, and we’re starting to get a strong sense of where their characters are going to end up — for better or worse.

For Teddy, a visit from an old mentor presented her with an exciting new opportunity: the chance to lead a medical research program in Paris as its chief innovation officer. It was a lot for Teddy to process in the moment, but her mentor further enticed her with promises of leading her peers in pushing the boundaries of medicine. “You’re capable of more,” she told Teddy. “And better.”

Meanwhile, a patient pushed Owen into an existential crisis by asking, “Do you know how hard it is to miss someone who’s still here?” The man was referring to his wife who currently lives in a memory care facility, but his question clearly resonated with Owen, who practically rushed to Teddy’s side to tell her how he really feels.

Unfortunately, Teddy shared her news about the job offer before Owen could bare his soul, culminating in another classic fight between the tumultuous exes. Refusing to be the “bad guy” who has to tell her not to go, Owen threw up his arms and walked away, telling Teddy, “Do whatever you want, like you always do.” It was a big reaction, especially since Teddy hadn’t made any decisions yet, but these two have always been fiery. Just like Owen’s hair. 

Now for the gut punch: On his way into work the next day, Owen left an apology voicemail for Teddy, asking to talk again if the traffic on the bridge ever clears up. Just then — boom — the bridge collapsed, cutting Owen’s call (but hopefully not his life!) tragically short.

With Jules’ egg retrieval behind her, it was Simone’s turn to have the procedure — that is, until her doctor called with news of an unfortunate setback. She can try again next month, but it’s not looking “promising.” Simone didn’t know for sure that she wanted to have kids, but learning that she might not even have the option sent her into a mini spiral at Joe’s. And just like that, along came Lucas with some jokes, a bag of food, and the ultimate distraction — sex. Neither Simone nor Lucas were particularly thrilled to wake up in bed together the next morning, but the moment was played up for laughs rather than drama.

Now here’s our question: We know next to nothing about the fertility process, but given that Simone’s egg retrieval was canceled after weeks of shooting herself full of hormones, do we think she’s going to end up pregnant from this one-night stand?

Bailey and Kwan really thought they could pull one over on the institutional review board, but the jig is officially up. After receiving a call from the IRB informing him that Kwan was the one who administered the hydrogel, a furious Richard benched Bailey from surgery until further notice. When Bailey asked Richard to go easy on Kwan, he scoffed, “That won’t be a problem. He’s fired.” Boom.

We’re not too worried about Bailey getting banished from the hospital, but Kwan is another story. He’s hardly the first doctor to get fired from Grey Sloan Memorial, but given the severity of his actions, we don’t see an easy path to him getting rehired. 

The penultimate episode of Season 22 also featured a fun “Station 19” reunion, albeit under the worst of circumstances. Firefighter Maya Bishop (guest star Danielle Savre) was rushed to the OR exhibiting injuries from a roof collapse along with severe burns, with her probie also admitted for observation.

Maya’s condition required multiple surgeries, leading Ben and Toni to butt heads over the most effective course of action. Despite Wes’ concern that Ben was too close to Maya to be objective, Ben pushed on, completing his part of the surgery and proving Toni wrong. (And what did that insubordination earn him? Why, a spot on Toni’s plastics team, of course!)

Once Maya woke up from her surgeries, she checked in with Carina by text before giving Ben an update on their growing family, including Liam (who’s walking!) and the twins, who are presumably not walking… yet!

Here’s hoping our next reunion with a “Station 19” favorite comes with considerably lower stakes.

Now for a quick breakdown of the other less bridge-shattering developments on “Grey’s Anatomy” this week:

* Jules had the perfect night planned for her first time with Winston, complete with a stay at a fancy hotel. Unfortunately, her plan hit a slight snag when that hotel… burned down. Jules initially took this as a bad omen, and she thought Winston would make fun of her for being so superstitious, but he handled it charmingly. It wasn’t the dream night she planned, but Jules and Winston’s story still got the happy ending it deserved.

* Toni still hasn’t decided whether she wants to get back with her ex, so she spent most of the hour avoiding Amelia entirely. When the two were finally forced together in an elevator, Toni explained that she’s trying to make a clear-headed decision, and she has a hard time being clear-headed around Amelia. In other words, it was a very flattering stalling technique.

* With her final exam fast approaching, Jo confided in Teddy that she’s not sure she wants to be an OB anymore. Teddy encouraged her to take the test, if only because she deserves to know what all of her options are.

OK, let’s talk: How do you think the Owen/Teddy situation will work out? Will he go with her to Paris, assuming he survives the bridge collapse? How will Kwan possibly convince the hospital to rehire him after what he did, not to mention lying about it? Are we crazy for expecting Simone to wind up pregnant? And did you enjoy catching up with Maya, albeit under the worst circumstances imaginable? Drop a comment with your thoughts on the episode, as well as your hopes for next week’s season finale, below.