Such an exit certainly leaves the door open for all sorts of interesting storylines for Jackson and April (affectionately nicknamed “Japril” by the fandom), even if they don’t play out on Grey’s Anatomy. When we asked if she would ever consider a Japril spinoff in Boston, following the two characters as they revolutionize the medical industry and fight for racial justice, Drew responded with an enthusiastic, “Yes! I mean, how cool would that show be?” She went on to reveal that when she was on set, even the Grey’s Anatomy crew seemed invested in the idea of a spinoff starring the fan-favorite pair. And when it comes to Drew’s own thoughts on what a Boston-set spinoff would look like, she had a lot of ideas. “How amazing and needed is a show about racial justice in the medical field?” Drew told Parade.com. “And equity, and equality…how amazing would that be?” Drew went on to praise her co-star, and express her eagerness to see what comes next on his journey. “Jesse Williams freaking killed it,” Drew said, speaking of his performance in the episode they filmed together. “His passion for all of this stuff shines through in his performance so beautifully and so brilliantly. I just kept thinking, how cool would this couple be, him working from the position of having money and power, to be able to actually make that change. And then she’s working with folks experiencing homelessness, and she’s also doing that in her own way. These two could change the world of medicine, right? I mean, I’d watch that show. There could be so many amazing stories.” Of course, such a spinoff, right now, is still just a dream, but considering that Grey’s Anatomy has already birthed two other successful spinoffs (2007’s Private Practice, which ran for six seasons, and 2018’s Station 19, currently in the midst of its fourth season), it doesn’t seem too far-fetched. “I get excited,” Drew said. “We had so much fun working together, and we love working together. So it’s fun to dream. Who knows?” Still, Drew made sure to clarify, “It’s not up to me.” Whether or not we get to see more of Japril in Boston, when asked her own thoughts on whether the couple will finally get back together once and for all and receive their happily ever after, Drew told reporters, “I think that we’re leaving it up to the audience to come to whatever conclusion makes them happiest. But I have never been shy about wanting Japril to be endgame. It’s what I’ve wanted the whole time. One of the biggest heartbreaks for me about leaving in Season 14 was that they didn’t get to be endgame. So who knows what happens when they make their way to Boston, but I think there’s a great deal of hope that’s there.” Drew explained that, while she understands the desire to want them to be together again, she didn’t think that “Look Up Child” was the right time for them to reunite romantically. When asked why the two didn’t kiss, Drew said, “I do think a kiss–I just think it would’ve been too much. I love how it leaves the audience hoping and wanting more and drawing their own conclusions. It would be a little intense if she drops the bomb that her marriage is over, and then five seconds later they’re making out.” Although Drew counts herself among the biggest Japril ‘shippers around, she thinks that it’s the right call for them to take some time to find their way back to one another–if indeed that is their trajectory. “There’s tenderness there about all of the things he’s asking her to do. She’s uprooting her life. They’re about to go on this epic journey. You’re going to need to take some time if that’s the direction they’re going to go back in,” she said. Still, Drew has thought through what might be different for April and “her person” this time around, and why going slow is the right call for the star-crossed couple. “I think these two people, having matured and the way that they’ve matured, I don’t think it would’ve been smart for them to rush into that,” Drew mused. “Even if they’re both feeling things right now, it’s like, you’ve got to give some space to this. There’s tenderness here. So I think that they’re in a smarter place. So they’re not going to rush into things. They’re going to take their time.” “Maybe in a spinoff,” she added with a smile. Goodbye is not forever on Grey’s Anatomy. Read about howGrey’s Season 17 has honored some of its departed characters.
