McKidd joined the series in 2008 as Owen, Seattle Grace’s trauma surgeon, in season five. A year later, Raver began her run as Teddy, a cardiothoracic surgeon and Owen’s former Army medic pal. While she exited Grey‘s in 2010, Raver returned as a full-time regular in 2015. Since then, their characters have been placed on a seemingly never-ending and bizarre roller-coaster. Owen and Teddy have gone through various relationships while harboring a crush on each other. They’ve had a child together. At the start of season 18, the couple finally got married (having experienced a broken engagement, infidelity, and other issues). But in the current season, they got divorced only to hook up two episodes later. This ridiculous back-and-forth naturally reached a breaking point with audiences, especially because it builds on the already weak arc Owen had with ex-wives Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) and Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone). It explains why a lot of viewers are rejoicing about Owen’s departure in particular.
Perhaps Owen and Teddy quickly got back together in season 22 after signing the divorce papers because of the “creative decision” to write them out. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Rhimes said in a statement that the two will get a “happy ending,” but whether that means Owen gets a brutal death and Teddy runs off into the sunset with Sophia Bush’s Dr. Cass Beckman remains to be seen. (Yes, Teddy being bisexual was another twist thrown into the couple’s life.) THR also included a statement from McKidd, which said, in part, “I’m particularly thankful to Shonda Rhimes for creating Owen, and for the encouragement she gave me as I stepped into directing.” As for Raver, she noted that “To my amazingly talented castmates and our formidable, tireless crew: playing in this arena with you has been a joy, and I will carry this company in my heart always.”
McKidd and Raver are free of Grey’s Anatomy, and the fans are free of their torturous on-screen dynamic. It’s a win-win for all. The season finale (directed by McKidd) airs on May 7. It’s still to be seen if any other regular cast members will exit by then, and if ABC will officially renew the series for season 23.
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