Grey’s Anatomy fans met Camilla Luddington’s Jo Wilson way back in Season 9, and I think it’s fair to say her love life has been pretty traumatic — from her abusive ex-husband Paul Stadler to Alex Karev informing her via letter that he had reunited with Izzie Stevens. These days, however, she’s settled down with her longtime best friend Atticus Lincoln, and it’s lovely to see her in a safe, reliable marriage (assuming Link didn’t die in that finale explosion). I have to admit, though, I wasn’t always rooting for JoLink.
As we approach the Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 premiere — which hits the 2025 TV schedule on October 9 — I’m ready to admit I was wrong about wanting Jo and Link (Chris Carmack) to remain platonic friends. Let’s take a look back at their friends-to-lovers arc, why I fought their romance so hard and what ultimately changed my mind.
Jo And Link Were Established As Platonic Friends In Season 15
Atticus Lincoln joined the Grey-Sloan team at the beginning of the ABC medical drama’s 15th season, but it wasn’t until Episode 4, “Momma Knows Best,” (available to stream with a Hulu subscription or Netflix subscription) that he crossed paths with Jo at the hospital. Fresh off their honeymoon, Alex (Justin Chambers) and Jo were waiting for an elevator when she heard her old buddy’s voice and jumped, screaming, into his arms.
They were quick to establish each other as being like brother and sister after meeting as undergrads and waiting tables together at Jimmy’s Crab Shack. Jo and Link continued to be there for each other over the seasons.
When Jo learned she was a product of rape and refused to get out of bed for days, Link showed up with chicken soup, helped with her laundry and sat with her. He was also there for her when Alex left, offering to sit with her when she read the letter and then asking if she wanted space or to go day-drinking afterward.
Jo supported him through multiple breakups, too, including giving him a place to stay after Caterina Scorsone’s Amelia rejected his proposal. And in exactly zero of these situations was it suggested that there were any romantic feelings — just friends being concerned for one another.
It Was Unnecessary For Grey’s Anatomy To Retcon Link’s Crush On Jo
The friendship between Jo and Link was so beautiful, why would Grey’s Anatomy want to mess with it? Because Grey’s Anatomy hates platonic love.
In Season 18’s “Today Was a Fairytale,” everything changed between Link and Jo when he told her he’d had a huge crush on her back when they worked at Jimmy’s Crab Shack. At first she seemed weirded out by his casual admission, but then it was clear that she was looking at him through a new lens. (Too bad Link was still in love with Amelia.)
It would be one thing if Link started to see Jo differently over time, but retconning their friendship to suggest Link had always had feelings for her doesn’t make any sense, because nothing in Chris Carmack’s performance or Link’s actions toward Jo suggested that to be the case.
Link’s Confession Kicked Off A Season And A Half Of Bad Communication
Of course at that point, it was a foregone conclusion that Jo and Link would end up taking their friendship to the next level. They slept together in Season 18’s “No Time to Die” (a rebound for Link, who was still crying over Amelia), and that nearly broke them when they both wrongly assumed what the hookup meant for the other.
Seasons 18 and 19 robbed us of so much of what we love about JoLink. They were no longer honest with each other. There was jealousy, miscommunication, awkwardness, and nobody to help them with their laundry!
Rather than admit her feelings for Link, Jo kicked him out, and when he finally confronted her about using him for sex (?), she admitted she fell in love with him and wanted to protect their friendship since he didn’t feel the same way. Of course, while he was stammering to find words — presumably that he did, in fact, feel the same way — she stormed off, and it took 23 more episodes (yes, I counted) for him to finally say it.
I wasn’t a huge fan of how this played out, since it felt like one conversation would have saved, like, a year of frustration, but by this point, I had actually given up my fight against JoLink as a couple. Here’s what happened.
A Season 19 Story Involving Jo’s Daughter Got Me On Board With JoLink
In Season 19, Jo realized that Luna may have trouble hearing and took her to get some tests. She started to spiral when she got to the clinic, overwhelmed and worried about her daughter, when Link showed up! She was surprised to see him, which means she didn’t ask him to be there with her, but he did his best to keep her calm as her mind listed off the worst-case scenarios. This is the JoLink of old I’d been missing!
After it was confirmed that Luna was losing her hearing, Link tried to keep things on a positive note, but Jo asked for some time to process the news while they waited to see if there was a more serious underlying issue.
OK, so Link did not give her that space, but it was his next move that made me realize they were endgame: Link started teaching his son Scout sign language!
This didn’t go over well with Jo, but I don’t think there’s any bigger gesture that proves that Jo and Link are a family, regardless of what they label themselves. He was already planning for their future together, accepting her and Luna, ready to face whatever hurdles came along.
Jo did come around anyway, once it was established that they weren't dealing with cancer or encephalitis, etc., and the way she ran through the hospital to share the good news with Link immediately was more romantic than any rom-com ending, in my book.
Now That I’m On Board, I Really Don’t Want Link To Die
The relationship between these two characters hasn’t been as easy-peasy lemon squeezy as it was before romance entered the equation, but they’ve got a good thing going. They got married in Season 21 and found out they were expecting twin girls. But there is the issue of the hospital explosion — and the fact that we were led to believe Link was in the room where it happened.
Camilla Luddington has teased “hard moments” ahead, while Chris Carmack is having a little too much fun with the speculation. So before we find out if newlywed Jo lost her best friend and husband and has to raise 3-4 kids alone (assuming Amelia would take Scout most of the time), I would like the record to show that I am admitting I was wrong about JoLink. The friendship that I was so protective of is exactly why they make such a good couple.
Tune in to see if Link survived the blast and what’s next for these two when Season 22 premieres at 10 p.m. ET Thursday, October 9, on ABC and streaming the next day on Hulu.
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