A Full Timeline of Teddy & Owen’s Rocky ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Romance
The saga of Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) and Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) on Grey’s Anatomy has been one for the ages — literally, ages. (Cue the “It’s been 84 years…” Titanic GIF.)
The off-and-on-and-off-and-on-in-perpetuity pair has truly given fans whiplash ever since she first arrived at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital (then-called Seattle Grace Mercy West), and now all eyes are on the Season 22 finale to see how the two are being written off the show.
Shonda Rhimes has hinted there’s a “happy ending” in store for the two, but after all the drama they’ve been party to and/or caused over the years, it’s hard to know how this chapter will close for them.
Here’s a look back at the many, many twists and turns these two have been through over the years, for better and for worse.
Grey’s Anatomy, Season 22, Thursdays, 10/9c, ABC
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Teddy makes a dramatic splash (Season 6 Episode 9)
When Teddy Altman first arrived at the hospital, Owen was in a serious romantic relationship with Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), and he wanted to please her by giving her a “Cardio God.” Though Cristina was skeptical at first, she realized Teddy’s talents were true, and she welcomed her with open arms.
Cristina offers Owen to Teddy (Season 6 Episode 11)
Not only did Cristina realize that Teddy was a brilliant surgeon and teacher, but she also noticed Teddy had a shine for her so-called “best friend,” Owen. In a moment of desperation, Cristina begged Teddy to stay in the program, and when Teddy said what she wanted was Owen, Cristina said, “Done. Take him.” The very next episode, Teddy drunkenly told Owen about Cristina’s offer, and his reaction was to run to Cristina and insist “we matter.”
Owen marries Cristina (Season 7 Episode 1)
Though their relationship was already fraught with baggage, including him choking her in a PTSD-induced sleepwalking session, Owen and Cristina wed in Meredith’s (Ellen Pompeo) living room in a cozy ceremony.
Teddy marries Henry (Season 7 Episode 11)
Though Teddy had no emotional attachment to Henry Burton (Scott Foley) at first, she married him to ensure he had the insurance coverage to get the procedure(s) he needed. Soon, the two became close friends and then lovers, and everyone was happy … but not forever after.
Henry dies on Cristina's table and Owen lies about it (Season 8 Episode 9)
After Henry needed emergency heart surgery, and Teddy was unable to perform it due to hospital policy, she arranged for Cristina to operate on him without knowing who the patient was, in hopes that it would lessen the pressure on her protege. Things took a devastating turn, though, when he died on the table while Teddy herself was performing another surgery. Not only was Cristina upset that she’d been misled about the patient, but Teddy was furious that Owen lied to her about Henry’s condition until she was through with her procedure. Their friendship was deeply fractured as a result.
Owen and Cristina divorce (Season 9 Episode 10)
Thanks in part to Owen’s incessant beration of Cristina for opting to have an abortion against his wishes, and his decision to have a one-night stand with another woman, the two called it quits. After a few passionate post-divorce hookups, Cristina moved to Switzerland for a cushy new job leading the hospital for her ex, Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington).
Owen marries Amelia (Season 12 Episode 24)
It didn’t take long for Owen to rebound from Cristina, as he kicked off a whirlwind romance with Derek Shepherd’s (Patrick Dempsey) little sister Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) that resulted in a chaotic wedding.
Teddy returns with Owen's sister (Season 14 Episode 1)
Owen and Amelia ultimately had the same problem that he did with Cristina, since she didn’t want to try for children, and they started living apart as a result of the strain. Though Amelia was initially by his side when he went to see his sister, Megan (Abigail Spencer), his family noticed the tensions between them. Instead, it was Teddy whose return really comforted Owen through his very big feelings about his sis.
First kiss is the worst kiss (Season 14 Episode 2)
As Owen explained the struggles he and Amelia were having at home, he and Teddy shared their first kiss in this moment, but Teddy declined to take it any further since he was still married to Amelia. Instead of going there, she insisted they just stay each other’s “favorite person” for now.
Owen flies to Germany to declare himself to Teddy (Season 14 Episode 17)
The fact that Amelia had a brain tumor became something of a scapegoat for the two, and they agreed to call their marriage off and remain cordial colleagues instead of lovers. The separation didn’t last long, though; the two soon became friends with benefits. After his “no strings attached” romance with Amelia flamed out, Amelia told Owen he should run to Teddy and confess his true feelings for her, and that’s exactly what he did. Things were beautiful between them, too, with both making grand plans for forever until the moment Owen admitted what prompted his visit. She then kicked him out of her apartment.
Owen fosters a kid with Amelia (Season 14 Episode 20)
After Owen decided to take his desire to become a father into his own hands by fostering a kid named Leo, Amelia stepped up to help him with the baby — and his drug-addicted mother, Betty (Peyton Kennedy). With that, the two began sharing a home again and acted as a quasi-family.
Teddy returns to Seattle with a bun in the oven (Season 15 Episode 1)
Teddy got a souvenir from Owen’s Germany trip: a baby on the way. She returned to Seattle to share the news with Owen, but was despondent to learn of his living situation with Amelia. She tried to take right off back to Europe but was held back by a DVT. Meanwhile, Owen and Amelia got back down to business without knowing the truth of Teddy’s condition.
Teddy falls for Koracick (Season 15 Episode 12)
Though Tom Koracick (Greg Germann) isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, he was deeply charming to the then-pregnant Teddy, and the two struck up a semi-serious relationship, just as Owen and Amelia’s sexcapades came to a halt once again.
Baby makes three (Season 15 Episode 25)
Though Koracick had secured Teddy the apartment of her dreams and dutifully assembled a crib for her, he knew the second he walked into the hospital and met little Allison that it was over. Indeed, Teddy and Owen had decided just moments before to get back together at last. As Amelia warned Tom, the two were “inevitable.”
Time to make it official… (Season 16 Episode 10)
First comes baby, then comes marriage… at least, for these two. It wasn’t the most romantic setting to ask in the hospital, but she said yes with a kiss.
… Or not! (Season 16 Episode 21)
Talk about cold feet. The night before Owen and Teddy were supposed to get married, she decided to have a little bachelorette fun with Koracick. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she accidentally recorded the whole thing for Owen to hear on his voicemail and accidentally played it aloud for the whole OR.
Try, try, try again (Season 17 Episode 17)
It took some time and a lot of tears, but Owen and Teddy managed to work things out. Then, as Owen accidentally stole Atticus “Link” Lincoln’s (Chris Carmack) thunder — he was going to ask Amelia to marry him on Christmas — with a grand gesture for Teddy. Owen staged a fake snowstorm like they’d made in Afghanistan once outside and asked Teddy to marry him with a tender speech: “Theodora Grace Altman, now this is not the first time I’ve asked you this. We’ve hurt each other, I know. But we have forgiven each other. We might not make sense to the rest of the world, but we make sense to us.” Merrily, she said yes. Out loud this time.
Finally, they do. (Season 18 Episode 1)
After some hard conversations — including one in which she finally revealed the truth about how 9/11 victim Allison wasn’t just her best friend, but the love of her life — Owen and Teddy finally rekindled their romance again and got hitched. Their wedding was, of course, not without drama. After they tried to marry in the park, and a medical emergency sent them back into doctor mode, they opted for a supremely casual ceremony at Joe’s Bar that night instead.
Open the marriage (and close it again) (Season 21 Episodes 13-18)
Things got even more complicated between Teddy and Owen when he decided to dole out death with dignity pills to veterans who couldn’t get them legally, and the two became fugitives of the law, leaving Seattle. Even when they returned, they grappled with resentments and financial crises that drove a major wedge between them. Soon, Teddy began having a wandering eye when Cass Beckman (Sophia Bush) put some moves on her, and she got Owen to agree to an open marriage. She came to regret that, though, when Owen slipped into bed with his former childhood friend-turned-Teddy’s heart patient, Nora (Floriana Lima). A few episodes later, Teddy broke things off with Owen and said she was choosing herself instead.
Bye, bye, bye (Season 22 Episode 3)
The time finally came for Owen and Teddy to call it off in an official capacity, and, to many viewers’ surprise, they did. They both signed divorce papers, seemingly making their split final.
But not for long (Season 22 Episode 12)
Despite their individual insistences that it was actually over between them, Owen and Teddy just couldn’t help themselves and soon found themselves sneaking into on-call rooms and supply closets like they were interns once again.
Endgame? (Season 22 Episodes 17-18)
We don’t know what’s in store for the final two episodes of Grey’s, but we do know it’ll take Owen and Teddy out of the picture for good. The teaser indicates Owen might be caught in a flooded car during the expected bridge collapse disaster, so how could they have that “happy ending” Rhimes promised? We’ll find out soon enough.
