Several residents of "Grey's Anatomy" faced their past last episode. Now, it's Alex's turn as he confronts his future and the possibility that he might not be a free man for much longer.

Fans got a different kind of offering in the eighth episode of "Grey's Anatomy" season 13 when Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), Owen (Kevin McKidd), Stephanie (Jerrika Hinton), and Richard (James Pickens Jr.) performed a late-night surgery. The residents had been on shift for more than two days and the stress and lack of sleep are clearly taking its toll.

Richard's decision to humanize the patient revealed some interesting but harsh truths about the residents. Fans learned about Richard's mother and also saw how Owen was like with his sister Megan (Bridget Regan). The epiode also broke viewers' hearts again when they were shown how Meredith broke the news of Derek's (Patrick Dempsey) death to their children and shocked when the doctor in question appeared at the end.

The cameo was a welcome balm for fans who still can't get over McDreamy's demise. While the character obviously can't return to the show, it did raise questions as to whether they'll be seeing more of Dempsey through flashbacks.

There's no news yet on that front, but what's certain is that this season's winter finale will be full of revelations. Episode 9 will apparently find Alex (Justin Chambers) coming to a decision about his future as he faces the possibility of jail time. Meanwhile, the hospital scrambles to treat victims of a building collapse. In the midst of the chaos, Richard confronts Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and demands answers about Eliza's (Marika Dominczyk) status in the hospital.

A trailer for the upcoming episode, "You Haven't Done Nothin," teases the episode's two story arcs. The clip starts with Richard trying to calm several residents down and is later shown confronting Bailey about who's really running the residency program. He probably doesn't like her answer as he tells Bailey that she "has no business being chief."

Meanwhile, one scene shows Alex telling Meredith about his trial. It's a tense situation as Jo is apparently being asked to testify, while Meredith warns her friend that he will be destroyed. Her reasoning behind the sentiment is unclear, though. The clip ends with Jo (Camilla Luddington) finally admitting to Alex that she's married.

What Jo's admission would mean to Alex and his case remains to be seen, although fans are in agreement that her coming clean was long overdue.

"Grey's Anatomy" season 13's winter finale will be aired on Nov. 17 at 9 p.m. The series will go on hiatus and return on Jan. 19, 2017.