The season 22 finale of Grey’s Anatomy just aired on ABC and we’ve learned the fate of Dr. Owen Hunt and Dr. Teddy Altman, played by departing cast members Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver.
Heading into last week’s episode Owen and Teddy were seemingly going strong as a couple after a recent rough patch in their relationship. There was a hiccup though. Just as Owen was about to tell Teddy how much he really loves her, she broke the news that she’s considering taking a job in Paris.
Owen didn’t have the best reaction and later apologized in a voicemail to Teddy, which got cut off as he was involved in a bridge collapse.
Thankfully, Owen survived and even helped save a family involved in the collapse too.
So, what does the future hold for Owen and Teddy?
In the end, Owen tells Teddy that she should take the job in Paris and that he’ll move there with her and the kids.
They got their happy ending!
Showrunner Meg Mairinis broke down the ending in a post-finale interview with TheWrap.
We went through a couple of different options. And yes, there were pitches for iconic Grey’s deaths, and I’m sure fans have been wanting one of those for a long time. But I really wanted to show that these two characters who have been with us for so long also had full character arcs and growth. Showing Owen as the medical hero and saving an entire family and then choosing to follow Teddy for once — after she’s been following him for decades — I thought was a beautiful full circle arc for him and also for her too. She came here for him back in Season 6, and she came here thinking that he was calling her to be in a relationship with her. But when she walked into that hospital he was with Cristina Yang. So it’s kind of a full circle moment for her, too, to be pursued by him, and for her to be able to pursue her career and still have everything.
Also, I need a little hope in my life. I didn’t want their journeys to end. I want to believe that they’re moving on to Paris and starting a wonderful life, and maybe getting out of Seattle is what this couple needed, to get away from all of this baggage — and I want to see them again, not as ghosts.
–Meg Marinis, TheWrap
Why are Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver leaving the show?
It doesn’t sound like it was Kevin and Kim‘s choice to leave.
Meg told Variety that she made the decision to cut them from the show “shortly after the new year. It’s no secret what’s happening with network shows, and we’re not an exception, unfortunately.”
Long-running shows on network television are being given major budget cuts all across the board, leading to the departures of main cast members or reduced episodes for them.
It was a super painful decision, from the bottom of my heart. I’m very close to both of those characters and those actors. Kevin has directed double digits of episodes that I’ve written. So it was a very difficult episode to write, and it surprised me how difficult it was to even watch. But when we were faced with needing to exit [someone], it made the most sense for where their characters were in their lives. It felt like it was time. After the ups and downs of their relationship this season, I knew I wanted them to exit together. I thought they finally deserved to be happy, and it became clear to me that maybe they can’t be happy in Seattle — and that’s where the decision was made.
–Meg Marinis, Variety
What’s next for Kevin McKidd
Kevin opened up about his future in an interview with Variety.
There’s so many things I want to do. Some theater — I haven’t done theater in a long time. I have about 15 projects on the slate. And my production company, we just signed this deal with STV. So we’ve got a few that are in development, and quite close to getting green lights. I’ll be directing and producing and acting in some of those. I just want to keep acting and improving my craft. I want to direct other stuff, my own stuff. I’m really excited about how busy things are getting. It’s funny, because my agent was like, “You know, for 18 years, we get calls all the time from people going, ‘Hey, is Kevin available for this?’ And it’s like, ‘No, he’s doing Grey’s. She’s quite excited that it’s shifting. I just finished Highlander, which was a blast, getting back to doing some period drama — swinging swords and riding horses. And then The Only Suspect is this really taut, twisty-turny psychological thriller that is brilliantly written and adapted from a novel, and the cast is great. The director is fantastic. It starts filming next week.
–Kevin McKidd, Variety
What’s next for Kim Raver?
Kim also opened up about her future after Grey’s Anatomy.
I really want to continue directing. It’s something that I feel really passionate about. I have the rights to a book with this incredible female lead, so getting that off the ground and directing and producing that. And continuing to work with amazing people that I’ve had the fortunate ability to work with.
–Kim Raver, Variety
Take a look at all of the upcoming season 23 cast updates we know already.
Posted To:Greys Anatomy Kevin McKidd Kim Raver Television