‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Fans Are Hopeful Teddy Will Finally Get the Redemption Arc She Deserves
As rumors swirl that the long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy may finally be nearing its conclusion, fans are starting to consider the characters left on the set, those who might make a surprise reappearance, and what loose ends they hope get tied.
The series has been something of a punching bag — especially in recent seasons — for fans who are frustrated when their favorite characters are treated unfairly (or, worse, killed off unceremoniously). Still, the show has demonstrated tremendous staying power and the ability to keep viewers tuned in year after year.
As fans consider what they hope will happen before the team hangs up their scrubs for good, many are rooting to see Teddy gets a much-needed redemption arc.
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ has been a long, wild, emotional ride
Grey’s Anatomy — one of the many binge-worthy dramatic series to spring forth from the mind of Shonda Rhimes — has been taking its viewers on an emotional roller coaster ride since its premiere in 2005. The series revolves around the staff of Seattle Grace (later Grey Sloan Memorial) Hospital.
At the core is the titular Meredith Grey, a woman who fans have watched grow from an intern learning the ropes to the leader she has become today. All the while, she’s gone through trauma both personal and professional while fans have followed along with not only her journey but those of the rest of the staff that works around her.
The cast has been notoriously fluid with many of the original characters having made exits both dramatic and mundane over the years. Many characters have also left the series only to return at a later date, and the character landscape after 17 seasons is a complex and multi-faceted one that leaves just about anything open as a possibility.
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ fans have opinions about character development
While Grey’s Anatomy has long been one of the most successful network television dramas, it has also been a target for a lot of anger from fans who hate to see their favorite characters developed or killed off in ways that don’t meet their expectations.
The show has certainly had its fair share of drama both on and off the set, and many fans are particularly upset when their beloved characters don’t get the chance to develop fully before getting the boot from the series. Meanwhile, even those who stick around are sometimes treated in ways that upset their fans.
Teddy is a prime example. First appearing in Season 6, Teddy has been a long-standing member of the Grey’s cast, but many feel like she came back after a long hiatus (exiting in Season 8 and returning in Season 14) as a completely different person. Her behavior has made her one of the show’s most loathed characters, but fans have held out hope that she’ll get a redemption arc.
Teddy may get a redemption arc
A recent episode of Grey’s Anatomy took a deep dive into Teddy’s psyche, and the content may provide a glimmer of hope for fans who want to see Teddy redeemed.
As Vulture explains, the episode had Teddy lost deep in her own mind as she confronts — with the help of a similarly incapacitated and non-corporeal Meredith Grey — her own PTSD and tendency to run from pain. As the episode winds down, “Teddy snaps out of it, gets out of bed, and Owen finds her rocking baby Allison, assuring her daughter that she’s there now and it will all be okay.”
Could this be the start of a redemption for Teddy? Some fans certainly hope so. As a Reddit thread explores, Teddy has become a hated character for many, but she’s still a sympathetic one. “It’s sad how she doesn’t really have anyone atm (I mean it’s all her own fault but still),” the original poster explained. Another added, “[I] don[‘]t feel bad that no one is on her side with the [O]wen/[T]eddy stuff but [I] feel bad she has absolutely no one in her corner.”
Will Teddy be able to get the support she needs to confront her mistakes and make better choices? Viewers hope so, especially if the series really is coming to a close and time is running short.
