We gather here today to rejoice in Grey’s Anatomy lifting the Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) curse—even if we had to sacrifice Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) to do it. At least she’s not dead: once known for ruthlessly killing off series regulars, Grey’s has gone soft in recent years, so the show’s most vexing couple departs not by plane crash, stabbing, getting hit by a bus, an explosion, or LVAD wires being cut off, but by simple relocation. They get a happily ever after in the McKidd-directed season 22 finale, despite the fakeout of a bridge collapsing on Owen. Realizing that he wasn’t hurt, Teddy chooses to be with her ex over taking a cool job in Paris. In return, he offers to move to keep their family together. An unceremonious exit without any emotional goodbyes is a fitting end for the divisive couple. They’re France’s problem now.
Characters are frequently written out of medical dramas, no matter what certain fans of The Pitt suggest. Noah Wyle’s first TV doc, ER’s John Carter, traded Cook County General for Africa; House was a revolving door of diagnosticians who ran out of patience with the show’s namesake savant. It’s not rare for Grey’s Anatomy to unburden itself of two familiar, often frustrating figures at this stage of its life. Its cast has already been shuffled plenty, considering Sandra Oh, Patrick Dempsey, Eric Dane, Chyler Leigh, Justin Chambers, and Katherine Heigl have all come and gone since the Shonda Rhimes-created series’ 2005 debut. Even Ellen Pompeo’s titular Meredith Grey only drops in on a recurring basis nowadays.
But the loss of McKidd and Raver, who joined the show in 2008 and 2009, respectively, feels different—and more impactful. It’s not just that McKidd is the most prolific director in the series’ history. (And Raver’s no slouch in that department, either, having helmed three episodes herself.) Owen and Teddy are ingrained into the fabric of Grey’s Anatomy such that it’s hard to imagine how the writers will conjure soapy arcs in their absence. Yet it’s exactly the reinvention the long-running series needs.
Trauma surgeon Owen Hunt has terrorized the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial since the place was still called Seattle Grace. Literally at first: an army medic suffering from PTSD, he strangled his then-girlfriend Cristina (Oh) in season five. He eventually became a boring canvas to throw all types of messy relationship turmoil onto. See also: his three marriages, divorces, infidelity issues, a scary level of baby fever, adoption, and dealing with unplanned pregnancies. This devolution helped crystallize the broader issues plaguing latter-day Grey’s, from rehashed plots to an irritating emphasis on random, rapid-fire romances—remember Owen and Carina?—over interesting medical cases and the cultivation of endearing ensemble dynamics.
The poor development for Owen carried over to his close pal-turned-wife, Teddy. And hers was worse: Raver, who left after season eight, drew the short straw upon her return as a series regular in season 15. The kickass, bisexual cardio surgeon she played—who was once dubbed G.I. Jane—was gradually relegated to orbiting Owen instead of charting her own path as the chief of surgery. A relentless back-and-forth between them quickly turned into Grey‘s Anatomy‘s most toxic love story. The cyclical pattern could not have endured further, for all our sakes. What else is left for them to do after they’ve hooked up, had a baby, gotten engaged (twice), had affairs, tied the knot, opted for an open marriage, failed at couples therapy, gotten divorced, and reunited again?
This complicated decade-long whiplash isn’t about depicting the realities of balancing personal and professional lives—that’s what Derek and Meredith were for, alright? It’s a sign of how Grey’s struggles with balancing its legacy characters and promising new ones, losing sight of what made the show special in the process. Nostalgic appeal is a major source of its charm, and as two of the longest-tenured characters, Owen and Teddy symbolize the so-called good old days. Their farewell might mark the end of an era, but it should be noted that Grey’s continues to crush Nielsen and streaming ratings and tug at heartstrings—how about Meredith’s proposal to Nick (Scott Speedman) last night? Grey’s has already survived Yang’s move to Switzerland, Karev’s “Dear John” letters, and Derek’s accident. In comparison, Owen and Teddy’s muted exit finally paves the way for the show to pull off yet another reset in season 23.
Saloni Gajjar is The A.V. Club‘s TV critic.
Keep scrolling for more great stories.