There's a lot to unpack after Grey's Anatomy's explosive season 21 finale last week. Miraculously, the show managed to neatly tie up loose ends from each of its many storylines -- while simultaneously leaving plenty of questions for the next season this fall, of course. It also left the fates of plenty of characters and their respective relationships up in the air, which isn't common for a major season conclusion such as this one.
One of the most anticipated wrap-ups going into this was Teddy and Owen's relationship, and whether or not it would survive the season. These two have been struggling with their marriage, and even their friendship, for what feels like years. Certainly this entire season. Their test of an open marriage seemed like it might actually work out in their favor -- even I was rooting for them at that point -- but in the end it only ended up leading Teddy to the realization that she didn't just want to be chosen. She also had to make the best choice for her.
I'll admit, I almost cheered near the end of the episode when she finally told Owen she was choosing herself over him. Romantically, anyway. I've always loved these two as friends and never liked them much as romantic partners, and this could finally be a real chance for Teddy to find someone who will truly make her happy.
Of course, those final moments of the episode want us to believe that Teddy could have been in that OR that went up in flames -- but now that would actually break my heart. I may have never liked Teddy and Owen together, but Teddy individually has really grown on me in the last few seasons. For the moment, let's assume she gets to stay, and Owen is -- finally -- the one to leave.
He can be with Nora. He can find someone new. He can go work at another hospital or work with veterans, I don't care. This could be the perfect opportunity for the show to finally get rid of him. There are parts of Owen that I like -- I think he gets a lot more hate than he deserves, to be honest. But I don't see them being able to do anything new with his story. What, he's going to fall in love again? Have more kids? Respond to more traumas and probably somehow manage to keep his medical license despite all the ridiculous decisions he often makes? How long can we really, realistically, keep this up?
This is Grey's, so of course it will probably keep going on the same way forever -- at least for this character. But they've given him a perfect out. Part of me doesn't want him to leave purely for nostalgia reasons, but there wouldn't be anything wrong with replacing him with another trauma surgeon with a different backstory and more interesting storylines. Hey, maybe the new trauma surgeon can even be Teddy's new love interest. Make it a woman. Give us a reason to celebrate the next chapter of her love life. Give us something new. Something better. Something good.