Owen and Teddy’s relationship problems were already hinted at by Grey’s Anatomy season 20, but their return in Grey’s Anatomy season 21 can actually lead to more interesting storylines in the characters’ future. Teddy and Owen’s friendship has been a staple of Grey’s Anatomy for the better part of the show, made more intriguing by unrequited love as Teddy pined for Owen when she was first introduced to Grey Sloan. Their friendship, Teddy’s mentorship of Cristina, and Cristina and Owen’s romantic relationship imbued their storylines with chaos, even more so as Owen’s occasional jealousy of Teddy made everything more turbulent.
Teddy’s return in Grey’s Anatomy season 14 made her and Owen’s relationship far more stable, although their upcoming marriage caused enough mayhem after Teddy cheated on him with Koracick. Despite their tumultuous relationship since Teddy’s return, Owen and Teddy eventually tied the knot in Grey’s Anatomy season 18, and their marriage showed their unwavering support for each other even in their worst times, as running from the law together proved. However, Owen highlighting their disconnection in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 4 teases a potential breakup, which would ruin the couple but could mean a better future for the characters.
Teddy & Owen Separating Would Shake Up Their Grey’s Anatomy Storylines In A Good Way
Owen’s Were Always Linked To Teddy & He Doesn’t Have Something Driving Him Since S18
Nothing has shocked Owen and Teddy drastically since they married in Grey’s Anatomy season 18. Although they risked their livelihoods and freedom by choosing to provide life-ending drugs to veterans suffering from pulmonary fibrosis and Owen almost died in Grey’s Anatomy season 18’s midseason finale after his car fell down a ravine, their lives have been relatively calm in the last three seasons. Owen and Teddy’s crime story in Grey’s Anatomy season 18 eventually forced them to run from the law and do everything in their power so that Owen could regain his medical license in Grey’s Anatomy season 19.
Even then, all of Owen’s storylines since the one about the veterans’ pulmonary fibrosis had always included Teddy. That was evident from Owen’s work to regain his license including Teddy nagging at him for their legal expenses to his fears of losing Teddy and complaints about being on autopilot and not focusing on their marriage. Instead, whether focusing on the hospital management or her health, Teddy’s storylines stood on their own. Owen was of course part of them as Teddy’s husband, but Teddy’s storylines could have easily happened without his involvement and his absence wouldn’t have impacted them.
[Owen and Teddy breaking up] could finally give Owen something that can drive him, as the veterans’ study was the last thing that truly motivated him.
The lack of independent Owen storylines and Teddy’s thriv ing ones thus makes their potential breakup much more tempting. Such a storyline would force Grey’s Anatomy to develop separate storylines for both Owen and Teddy, letting them rediscover themselves and who they are separately from their family, and it could shake up the general lull Owen and Teddy found themselves in since their wedding. Moreover, it could finally give Owen a stronger connection to Grey Sloan independent from Teddy, and something that can drive him, as the veterans’ study was the last thing that truly motivated him.
Teddy & Owen’s Relationship Has Long Lost Its Meaning
Their Relationship Thrived On Their Inability To Be Together & It’s Staler Since They Married
The core of Owen and Teddy’s relationship had always been their timing issues and their wish not to ruin their friendship. If Teddy’s unrequited love presented itself at a moment when Owen was in love with Cristina in Grey’s Anatomy season 6, Owen’s potential interest in her romantically emerged as she grieved Henry. Even after Owen went to Germany and they unintentionally conceived Allison, they only really got together after Teddy dated Koracick, making the one constant in Owen and Teddy’s relationship only how the timing was never right.
Owen and Teddy went through their fair share of problems, making the relatively calm moment they’ve been in since Grey’s Anatomy season 18 well-deserved. However, given how their storylines recently focused only on them as a unit, thus letting Owen’s autonomy wane, and the core characteristics of their relationship disappeared, a break-up would make the most sense. Separating would be the final step of their relationship and the most consequential, as Owen and Teddy had already realized twice to be going on autopilot and not making time for their relationship but only for their jobs and their family.
Owen’s Relationship Complains Are Dragging Teddy Down
Teddy’s Storylines Are More Interesting & Suffering From His Interference
Ever since her arrival at Grey Sloan, Teddy had impactful storylines in the medical drama. That was the case for seasons 6 to 8, when her mentorship of Cristina was meaningful for both and her heartbreaking romance with Henry also took center stage, but it continued being true even after she returned in Grey’s Anatomy season 14. Ever since becoming chief of surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial, Teddy made major changes to the residency program and even secretly funded Meredith’s research, proving one of the most innovative among the chiefs. Owen’s input instead unintentionally tended to drag Teddy down.
While Teddy willfully returned to her demanding job with little complaints, Owen has seemingly become the one who wants to slow her down. Between his fears of losing her in Grey’s Anatomy season 20, episode 7 and his complaints about their disconnection in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 4, Owen only seems to distract Teddy from her duties and interests. Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s new character might give Owen an autonomous storyline away from Teddy, but even if that were to work, Owen and Teddy possibly separating in Grey’s Anatomy would still be successful in shaking up their story.
Grey’s Anatomy airs new episodes every Thursday at 10pm on ABC.