The Grey’s Anatomy season 19 finale’s massive Dr. Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) cliffhanger leaves the cardiothoracic surgeon’s life hanging in the balance. The newly minted Chief of Surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, Teddy develops a painful toothache, which she dismisses as a nuisance rather than a symptom of something more serious. Moments before Teddy scrubs in to perform a potentially life-saving surgery on Sam Sutton (Sam Page), she collapses. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) rushes to his wife’s side to resuscitate Teddy, but Grey’s Anatomy rolls the credits on season 19 without officially confirming Teddy’s fate.
That said, Grey’s Anatomy season 20, which is slated to premiere on March 14, 2024, will need to address Chief Altman’s fate — STAT. Since Teddy’s long-time actor Kim Raverre-upped her Grey’s Anatomy contract ahead of season 20, it doesn’t seem like Teddy Altman’s tenure at Grey Sloan is over. However, that doesn’t mean Teddy’s condition is a one-off issue to be resolved in the season 20 opener. In fact, Grey’s Anatomy should leverage the compelling Teddy plot that it set up in order to better the series as a whole.
Teddy Presents With Symptoms Of Endocarditis In The Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Finale
When it comes to Grey’s Anatomy, something as seemingly benign as a toothache is never just that. Stressed by her new role as Chief of Surgery, Teddy pushes through the pain in season 19’s finale. With several of Grey Sloan’s top surgeons attending the Boston-based Catherine Fox Awards, Dr. Altman feels even more pressure to keep working. After Chief Resident Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli) inspects Teddy’s mouth and doesn’t see anything glaringly wrong, Teddy is lulled into a false sense of security. In Grey’s Anatomy season 19’s ending, Teddy’s toothache develops into what appears to be a cardiac event.
Ironically, the accomplished cardiothoracic surgeon overlooked a symptom that culminated in a cardiac event. To make matters even more dramatic, Dr. Winston Ndugu (Anthony Hill), who Teddy appointed as Grey Sloan’s new head of cardio, is still in Boston. While the fallout of Teddy’s collapse remains to be seen, her symptoms align with two major cardio-related diagnoses. Both endocarditis, a heart sepsis that stems from dental infections, and heart spasm, which can present as jaw pain in women, are likely culprits (via Mayo Clinic). That said, Grey’s Anatomy season 19’s Teddy cliffhanger will have huge ramifications for Altman’s future.
Grey’s Anatomy Doesn’t Know What To Do With Teddy Altman
Given that Teddy is a cardio whiz, her fate is a cruel bit of irony. Interestingly, Teddy Altman is one of the few doctors on Grey’s Anatomy who has yet to be admitted as a patient. Considering the amount of life-threatening tragedies that strike Grey Sloan on a regular basis, that’s quite an accomplishment. While Teddy’s health turn might have been a long time coming in terms of the show’s narrative beats, it’s also become more apparent that Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t know what to do with Dr. Teddy Altman’s story.
Introduced in season 6, Teddy was billed by Owen as a “gift” for his then-partner Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh). At the time, Cristina needed to learn from a top-notch cardio attending; although Teddy’s methods were a bit unconventional, she fit the bill. A long-time potential love interest for Owen, Teddy finally married her best friend in season 18 after years and years of convoluted love triangles. Even so, Grey’s has been struggling with Teddy, from her unhinged cheating scandal (she accidentally sends Owen a voicemail of her having sex) to her catatonic state in season 17.
Teddy Can’t Leave Grey Sloan Without Owen
After over 10 seasons of a will-they-won’t-they romance, Teddy and Owen are finally married — and, seemingly, happy. The pair have two children, Leo and Allison, and Teddy has just been made Chief of Surgery at Grey Sloan. Still, season 18 seemed poised to write the couple out of Grey’s Anatomy altogether. After experiencing a near-fatal car crash, Owen decides to give illegal drugs to dying soldiers in order to ease their suffering. Teddy, also a vet, eventually helps Owen. When the pair are reported, they take their kids and go on the run.
Evidently, the on-the-run plotline wasn’t the out Raver and McKidd were looking for; both actors returned for Grey’s Anatomy season 19 and are slated to appear in the show’s landmark twentieth season. In the past, Grey’s Anatomy has struggled to write out one half of a happy couple: when Alex Karev actor Justin Chambers wanted to leave, the show wrote his character out in a very divisive manner that completely upended Karev’s then-wife’s storyline. That said, if the show is looking to end Teddy’s arc without nixing Owen, Teddy’s apparent cardiac condition presents a perfect out.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 Would Benefit From A Big Character Death
Although Teddy Altman is a beloved Grey’s Anatomy character — and although actor Kim Raver is passionate about the series and its fans — the show is long overdue for a big Grey’s Anatomy character death. In earlier seasons, unexpected deaths were hallmarks of season finales. If an actor was intent on leaving the show, their character often died in a shocking, heart-wrenching way. While that approach wasn’t appreciated by all Grey’s Anatomy viewers, it certainly heightened the show’s stakes. That said, Grey’s Anatomy season 20 would benefit from a big character death.
While the big character death doesn’t have to be Teddy Altman, the season 19 cliffhanger certainly sets up a logical way to end her long-running story. Even if Teddy survives the season 20 premiere — and she probably will in light of the news of Raver’s contract — she might be facing a chronic condition. There’s no doubt that long-time characters provide some much-needed continuity for Grey’s Anatomy, linking the show’s earlier seasons and characters to its latest entries. Still, it might be best for the show’s story if Teddy’s arc is upended in a massive way.