In the long-running story of Grey’s Anatomy, character Teddy Altman navigates the pitfalls of an open marriage. This fight grows even deeper when she discovers a traumatic secret about her fiancé, Owen Hunt. After making a pact to explore an open relationship, Teddy learns that Owen has been unfaithful, prompting a range of emotions that threaten their already fragile bond. This twist not only deepens their bond but lays the groundwork for important character development and later arcs.
Teddy, played here by Kim Raver, opened up to Cass Beckman at first, but then retreated. She knew that getting into a new relationship wouldn’t solve the issue with her and Owen. This ruling reaffirms that she wants to repair her marriage, not make it worse. Yet the emotional fallout of Owen’s cheating has Teddy unable to get past it.
In response to Teddy’s pain, Owen reassures her with a heartfelt declaration: “I love you. Only you. That night meant nothing.” Indeed, while reaffirming his strong commitment, this statement serves to underscore the troubling complexity of their predicament. What this means for her character Teddy’s feelings for Owen are deep, and she sees their love as a central defining feature of her character.
As the storyline unfolds, Teddy’s experiences reveal her growth and resilience. Raver spoke to the need to highlight Teddy’s transformation during this chaotic process. I just wanted to make sure that we established that Teddy had changed and it wasn’t kind of like, oh, just a cheating thing… because I felt like Teddy had fucked up so many times that I wanted to make sure that we saw [that] she had changed,” Raver added.
The show’s story, led by showrunner Meg Marinis, intends to show the complexities of these kinds of relationships in a true-to-life way. Raver lauded Marinis for her collaborative style. He continued, “Meg [Marinis] was just amazing at sort of absorbing all that, going back to the writers and helping work it through.”
Teddy’s storyline, in particular, will be on the forefront in the coming weeks. We’re going to get into her complex and intense love for Owen and the roadblocks there as a couple. Raver was enthusiastic about the route forward, saying, “I think we have to keep that open. No pun intended. How the show continues to unfold the complexity of Teddy’s character and her relationship with Owen will be key as they play out their shared future waywardly together.