The Newest Couple To Hook Up On 'Grey's Anatomy' Is *Very* Controversial

With 16 seasons and counting, Grey's Anatomy has given audiences countless romantic pairings over the years. Some of them are iconic matches that will go down in history as among TV's greatest love stories (hello Mer and Der), while others... well, not so much (any longtime fans remember George and Izzie?). Now, there's a new possible couple on Grey's Anatomy, and fans are already worried it will fall into the latter category. So, will Jo and Jackson actually date in Grey's Anatomy? They're getting a whole lot closer.

Warning: Spoilers for Season 16, Episode 4 of Grey's Anatomy follow. The coronavirus pandemic has found all the doctors of Grey Sloan Memorial in a tough place, but Jo (Camilla Luddington) is especially emotionally fragile. Her husband Alex (Justin Chambers) left her at the end of last season, and she went into Season 16 ready to figure out how to move past that. Her solution was to try a no-frills, friends-with-benefits hook-up with Jackson (Jess Williams), but that just ended with her in tears over her marriage.

In the Dec. 3 episode of Grey's Anatomy, Jo and Jackson decided to hang out and make sure their friendship wasn't ruined by the awkward non-hook-up. That night went platonically well and nothing of note happened... until the next morning, when Jo and Jackson slept together.

It was a big shock for fans to see two characters — who have never really had so much as a flirtation between them — jump into a totally new phase of their relationship. Fans took to Twitter to discuss the controversial pairing, revealing mixed feelings within the fandom:

Luddington, who plays Jo, spoke to Cosmopolitan about what's going on with Jo and Jackson, emphasizing the fact that the pandemic has made this a strange time for everyone. "I think that in COVID [times], you need to lean on people," she said. "I think that you'll see them start to sort of find that, at least, in each other."

At the end of the Dec. 3 episode, Jo and Jackson made it clear to each other that neither of them wants a serious relationship. That's something Luddington seems to support for her character. She told Cosmopolitan, "Personally, I don't think her jumping into a long-term relationship is the right thing for her right now. I think you always need that time after a huge breakup like that to kind of sit back and breathe."

But just because Jo and Jackson say they don't want anything serious, it doesn't mean one (or both) of them won't catch feelings. They seem to have decided to continue sleeping together as friends, and only time will tell if their emotions get more involved in the situation.

Season 16 of Grey's Anatomy continues on Thursday, Dec. 10, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.