“He was so relieved that I was not having him kill himself, or go out in a mania frenzy,” the TV writer continued. “And he was excited to play it—he played the hell out of it. He actually does appear in a couple more episodes this season. And he’s directing an episode.”
As for later episodes, Krista teased that more characters will be joining Meredith on the beach, and while she didn’t name names, she did promise “some surprises in store.”
Sadly, the show’s future beyond this season remains in flux as Ellen has yet to extend her contract. In the meantime, Krista said she doesn’t know whether the series will end with this season but that she’s planning a possible ending that serves as a series finale, in addition to one that sets up another season.
“I wish I knew,” she said about whether the show will return. “It’s a source of frustration at this point. And it sort of doubles my job, my workload, because I have to plan for both contingencies. But I am. And god willing, I’ll know soon.”