The super storm during the ninth season finale of Grey's Anatomy packed quite a punch on the ABC drama's core couples, with Callie learning of Arizona's infidelity and Cristina and Owen parting ways.
Children continued to be at the heart of the on-again, off-again couple's struggles after Cristina (Sandra Oh) realized that her relationship with Owen (Kevin McKidd) was the one thing likely standing in the way of him becoming a father.
"She did walk away and he didn't walk after her, which I thought was very interesting," showrunner Shonda Rhimes told reporters at a TV Academy event honoring Scandal. "I love that last shot where he's like, 'This isn't over,' which is what he was saying but he was not following her and Owen is always sort of following her."
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The split came after a season that saw the couple survive Cristina's PTSD and brief tenure in Minnesota as well as the lawsuit against the hospital when the couple divorced so she could earn a rich pay-out and ultimately buy the facility.
"I feel like that was a very definite moment for them," Rhimes says of the fact that Owen didn't run after Cristina despite professing his love for her. "Do they still love each other? Absolutely. Is that love ever going to die? I don't know."
After everything the couple has endured, it was Owen's growing love for his patient's young son Ethan that brought up one thing that has proven to be their biggest obstacle.
"I know a lot of fans just want us to end everything by giving Cristina a baby [as if that's] going to make everyone happy, which infuriates me as a woman, as a human being and as someone who loves babies -- it drives me nuts," she says. "I adamantly stand by Cristina's ability and desire to not have a baby and to be happy about that. There's something great about this struggle and what's going to make her happy and see where they go next."
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"As writers, that's a journey we're still struggling with," Rhimes says, noting Oh and McKidd are adjusting as well. "We're still searching through it. I like where we're going with the next season and I like what we've talked about and what we have planned. It's going to be really interesting."
What would you like to see for Cristina and Owen in season 10? Hit the comments below with your thoughts.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit
