Can Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Owen (Kevin McKidd) make it work as friends on ABC's Grey's Anatomy?
During the season 10 premiere, the on-again, off-again couple split for what seems like for good this time, when Cris tells her ex-husband that this time is different. After a few rounds of sexytime, Cris started to detach herself from Owen, the man with whom she stands at a fundamental impasse with as the duo share differing views on children.
"You'll see how certain things change and certain consequences for Cristina," Oh told The Hollywood Reporter during the show's 200th episode cast party in Hollywood. "In the 200th episode, she gets a glimpse of the impact of her decision. She'll get a glimpse of what it is and have to continue on holding fast to that decision and being supportive of each other."
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McKidd, meanwhile, is charged with overseeing Sloan Grace Memorial Hospital literally put its pieces back together again following what appears to be a tremendous amount of damage following the super storm.
"For a few episodes, they're going to try and stay away from each other and be really clear-cut and professional. How long that lasts, I don't know," McKidd told THR. "She keeps pushing him to meet other people, and I think they're going to try that eventually. I still think Owen is reluctant; he doesn't want this. They're not really saying that in the script, but I feel like Owen can't quite handle it yet. But he's trying to be a guy about it and is being all chiefly about it and cool."
Eventually, McKidd warns, Owen might have to work to appease Cristina and take her request to move on romantically -- but it doesn't mean the process will be a smooth one.
"It's going to be fun to explore that when he eventually decides that she keeps telling him he has to go explore this," he previews. "What I hope is we'll see Owen have some fun and fall flat on his face and it be disastrous. The awkwardness of suddenly being in the dating scene again, it's awkward! For a middle-age guy like Owen, there's a lot of comedy potential for that. I'm hoping that we go down that line."
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As for how Cristina could respond when -- and if -- that happens, McKidd said Cristina's response could go either way.
"With Cristina, you never quite know which way she's going to take -- you think she'll react one way and she reacts in exactly the opposite way. It's hard to tell," he says. "Cristina will have strong feelings about it but she'll do her thing and try and squash them with humor, but something will come out."
How long do you think Owen and Cristina can stay just friends and colleagues? Hit the comments below with your thoughts. Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.
E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
