'Grey's Anatomy' season 13 air date, spoilers: Will Meredith and Alex get together? Will DeLuca live?

The previews for the upcoming "Grey's Anatomy" season 13 premiere show Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Alex (Justin Chambers) going through yet another crisis. Based on the teasers, the season 13 pilots will put Mer and Alex's friendship in the spotlight after the latter beats up DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti), almost killing him.

The 13th season of "Grey's Anatomy" will return its attention to the medical drama's remaining original characters, which includes Meredith and Alex. Over time, the pair has relied more and more on each other, leading many viewers to begin rooting for the two to enter a romantic relationship.

Will the new crisis finally push Meredith and Alex's relationship to another level? Will fans see the two actually getting together in the upcoming season?

According to "Grey's Anatomy" executive producer Shonda Rhimes, she is not surprised that fans have been shipping Meredith and Alex. However, she also notes that not everyone would like Meredith and Alex to be together, particularly Pompeo and Chambers, who are reportedly like brother and sister in real life.

"But I think it's because those two actual people have 13 years of history together," Rhimes told Entertainment Weeekly. "They're very, very much intertwined; they're family. So it feels really easy like family, and there's something beautiful about that," she added.

But Chambers told the outlet that the fans' fervor for a Meredith-Alex pairing shocked him. He also suggested that viewers just may see a romantic relationship blossom between the two, saying: "Hey, this is Shondaland, you know? Anything's possible!"

Meanwhile, "Grey's" fans will be glad to know that they won't be seeing one of the doctors die in the season 13 premiere. According to Rhimes, though DeLuca was beaten close to death, he will survive the ordeal.

"We're going to get to know DeLuca a lot better, who we don't know at all, and who we've just started to scratch the surface of," the show's boss told EW. "Now, because this thing has happened to him, he has found himself in a spotlight that he was not interested in ever being in," she continued.

"Grey's Anatomy" season 13 debuts Thursday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.