The ongoing love triangle between Owen, Teddy, and Tom on Grey’s Anatomy probably isn’t going to end the way you’re expecting it to end. That’s a good thing.
In recent years, love triangles have become one of the most tired tropes in fiction. That hasn’t stopped Grey’s Anatomy from leaning heavily on this formula — not that it hasn’t resulted in a few moments of pure bliss (is anyone keeping track of Tom’s nicknames for Owen? Anyone??).
Let’s give them a little credit, though. Fans are always talking about how they want the “old” Grey’s back. And Derek/Meredith/Addison was technically the OG love triangle in this show. So technically, it’s just returning to its roots. Right?
Believe it or not, this might be the perfect opportunity for Grey’s to insert a (mostly) unexpected twist into an otherwise all-too-predictable narrative. Traditionally, the woman (why is it almost always a woman choosing between two men?) will end up picking one guy over the other and they ride off into the sunset without a care in the world.
But what if that’s not how this storyline ends?
What if Teddy’s choice is — as far as this trope goes — unconventional?
For a while there, it looked like Amelia could turn this love triangle between Tom, Teddy, and Owen into a rectangle, but that possibility (as far as we know) evaporated as soon as that paternity test confirmed Link was in fact the father of her child.
But that didn’t change the fact that Tom and Teddy have repeatedly hooked up while Owen has somehow remained completely oblivious. Seriously — we’ve come to love you, buddy. But how do you not see it?
There’s no way she could actually end up with Tom, right? Not after he told her he didn’t want to be the man she left someone else for. Not after we’ve seen him break down over his tragic past quite literally coming back to haunt him.
Deep down, Teddy really is a good person. Talking Tom out of his moment of crisis wasn’t just a one-time thing. She would — and probably has — done that for anyone.
And if you’re wondering what the real purpose of that Teddy-Allison backstory was, let’s just assume it WASN’T to imply that Teddy can have both Tom and Owen and be happy. Neither of them would stand for that. Not even for a second.
So other than attempting to build up sympathy for Teddy and round out her character — hey, it worked a little — maybe that was our hint that she’s actually not suited for either of the doctors in question.
The ending you’re expecting is that Teddy will leave Owen for Tom and they’ll all live happily ever after. It’s plausible. Maybe even a little realistic.
But if this season has shown us anything about Teddy, it’s that she’s not going to choose Tom. She’s not going to choose Owen, either.
She’s going to choose neither of them. That’s how this love triangle is finally going to dissolve.
At this point, she’s done it all. She’s explored all her possibilities. She’s grieved. She’s grown. She’s embraced her role as a mother (we think?). She’s shown she can be kind and compassionate while also standing up for what she wants and what she believes in.
Would it be so wrong for a female character on this show — FOR ONCE — to choose once and for all not to be with another man or woman, but to instead stand on her own and do life without having to depend on a romantic interest to further develop her character?
She and Owen should be friends. They will always remain, after all, co-parents. She and Tom should be friends. She should have ALL the friends.
But maybe, just maybe, she doesn’t need a romantic partner to sustain her.
Now’s the time, Grey’s. Let someone be happily alone.
Who do you think Teddy will end up with at the end of all this? Are you expecting an answer by the time the season 16 finale ends?