'Grey's Anatomy' Season 8 teaser: Pack up your stuff, Meredith

Shonda Rhimes and Co. are not beating around the bush in the first teaser for Season 8 of "Grey's Anatomy."

Within five seconds of the 30-second promo, we hear Chief Webber (James Pickens Jr.) tell Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) that she's fired for messing with the protocol on Derek's (Patrick Dempsey) Alzheimer's trial. Seattle Grace doesn't have the greatest record in disciplining its doctors (coughDenny'sLVADwirecough), but that's pretty much the only logical outcome of Meredith's misdeed.

Whether it sticks? Who knows. Meredith could be back in scrubs by the end of the two-hour season premiere on Sept. 22, for all we know. And based on what we know about the new chief of surgery at the hospital, Webber will suffer some consequences from the trial fallout as well.

We're hoping, though, that Rhimes and the rest of the "Grey's" writers let the Meredith-fired story play out for a while. We realize the show probably isn't going to keep her out of the hospital forever, but a period of penance pretty much needs to happen.

"Grey's Anatomy" begins its eighth season at 9 p.m. ET Sept. 22 on ABC.

What do you think of the teaser? Will Meredith's firing stick?