How Greys Anatomy Mightve Just Signaled Harry Shum Jr.s Exit

Ever since Benson “Blue” Kwan (Harry Shum Jr.) was fired by Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) on Grey’s Anatomy last season, we’ve been wondering whether the character was long for the Grey-Sloan world. The fact that the actor joined the cast of Dancing With the Stars while Season 23 was still filming certainly added to the speculation, even if the actor was spotted on set in key cast photos and videos.

Now, Thursday’s (November 5) newest episode, “Love on the Brain,” might have just signalled an exit strategy for the character, if and when he leaves the show. Warning: Spoilers for Grey’s Anatomy Season 23 Episode 4, “Love on the Brain,” ahead!

In the episode, Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) had a setback in her master’s training when her advisor called her research pitch “mid.” She coped by returning to the hospital to do what she does best — except, with Seth Norton (James Wolk) on a day off, Richard needed her in the VIP wing, where she was shadowed by the still-in-surgery-time-out Blue.

Disney / ABC

Blue managed to pull off a miracle, though, and impress even Richard with a clutch catch. After a VIP patient, whose kids emptied their bank accounts to get her onto the floor, proved to be a true mystery, Miranda didn’t want to give up, and Blue found the solution — there was a tumor hidden on her duodenum due to a rare genetic disease.

This gained him favor with the chief emeritus, and his suspension from the OR was officially lifted. It was happy news for Blue until he walked outside and saw someone he didn’t expect to: his father, who was looking for him and seemed in deep distress.

Could a family crisis or emergency bring Blue out of commission at the hospital, just after he worked his way back into the good graces of leadership? We’ll have to wait and see.

Elsewhere in the episode, Jo (Camilla Luddington) made a new friend (Sarah Levy) who truly understood her postpartum PTSD experience thanks to her own; Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane) spent the whole day being dismissive to Winston Ndugu (Anthony Hill), only to ultimately reveal that she was pretending not to care, and the two ended up resuming their romance; Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) had to check Toni Wright (Jen Landon) for secretly canceling her surgeries for a romantic getaway, and then check herself for overreacting to it; Ben Warren (Jason George) got an assist from Wes Bryant (Trevor Jackson) on a key case but didn’t let him hold it over his head; and, last but not least, Simone Griffith (Alexis Floyd) randomly offered for Lucas Adams (Niko Terho) to move in with her… as if nothing could go wrong with that decision!

Grey’s Anatomy, Thursdays, 10/9c, ABC