Grey's Anatomy Is Losing Two Major Stars After The Season 22 Finale - And It's Amazing News For The Series

"Grey's Anatomy" fans, go ahead and "put the word out that we back up" (yes, I'm quoting "The Wire" right now). Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver are officially leaving the long-running medical series, per a report by Variety ... which means that their characters, Owen Hunt and Teddy Altman, will be bidding the fictional Seattle hospital farewell.

McKidd, Raver, current showrunner Meg Marinis, and the show's creator, Shonda Rhimes, all provided statements to the outlet. McKidd, who has directed several episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" since joining the show in its fifth season, thanked Rhimes and the show's creative team for giving him the chance to step behind the camera, while Raver noted that she's been playing the cardiothoracic surgeon and Army veteran Teddy (on and off) for an astonishing 16 years. Marinis stated the two will "always be cherished members of the 'Grey's Anatomy' family," with Rhimes, who has largely stepped back from the show over the years, adding:

"Kevin and Kim bring extraordinary talent, nuance, and heart to their roles as Owen and Teddy. Their contributions leave an indelible mark on 'Grey's Anatomy,' both in front of and behind the camera. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with them both and to see them shine. While we will all miss seeing them in the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial each day, I am excited to witness where Kim's and Kevin's journeys will take them in the future."

If you're not a "Grey's Anatomy" fan, this means very little to you. If you, like me, are a "Grey's Anatomy" fan? This is the best news we've gotten about the series in years. "Grey's Anatomy" is showing its age, but now that it's ditching two of its worst characters, there's a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

With all due respect to Kim Raver and Kevin McKidd, who seem like very nice people and are both very talented actors, good riddance. Raver's Teddy Altman, who first appeared in season 6 of "Grey's Anatomy" before leaving in season 8 (and then returning in season 14 before regaining her regular status in season 15), is generally fine. In fact, across Teddy's seasons of "Grey's Anatomy," I think the show has done an admirable job of giving us insight into Teddy's past and trauma; over the past few seasons, she's even been exploring her identity as a bisexual woman. The problem here is Owen Hunt.

Owen is, without question, one of the most infuriating characters in television history, and yes, I am including Lily Collins' cultural terrorist Emily Cooper from "Emily in Paris" in that mental ranking. From the way he treats his girlfriends and wives throughout the show (I will personally never forgive how badly and consistently he wronged Sandra Oh's Dr. Cristina Yang, the show's best-ever character) to the fact that he has rage issues and hangups that make him sort of terrible at his job, Owen is a menace who has been a blight on the Seattle hospital now called Grey Sloan Memorial for literal decades. Nearly all of Owen's storylines center around his selfishness and the cruddy way he treats women, whether he's resentful towards Cristina for exercising her legal right to choose or forcing Teddy to give up her wants and needs for his sake. Owen is horrible, he's infuriating, and if I were President, I would pass an executive order mandating that "Grey's Anatomy" kill him off in the most imaginative way possible.

In Shonda Rhimes' statement in that aforementioned Variety article, the creator and former showrunner gave us a hint about how Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver's Owen Hunt and Teddy Altman will be written off of the show during its season 22 finale. "It is both bittersweet and joyful to give this couple the happy ending their story deserves," Rhimes said.

I've been watching "Grey's Anatomy" since it premiered in 2005, and I know better than anyone that Rhimes is a vengeful god ... so, what I am about to say should not be misconstrued as me trying to cross this formidable writer. Still? Come on, Shonda. You are the reigning expert when it comes to killing off "Grey's Anatomy" characters in absolutely wild ways, and the doctors on this show seem to die quite a lot. This is all to say that I think Rhimes and Meg Marinis should consider getting a little creative ... in the darkest possible way.

Kill Owen Hunt, "Grey's Anatomy." Kill him with fire, actually. Kill him in a plane crash, kill him in a hospital bombing, kill him with a sinkhole that opens in the middle of Seattle for no reason. I know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that Rhimes — the woman who once shoved one of the series' original interns, T.R. Knight's Dr. George O'Malley, under a literal bus — can come up with a heightened and gonzo way to kill Owen, and, personally, I would like to see that. Give it a whole episode! Teddy can live, though. She's cool.

"Grey's Anatomy" airs new episodes on Thursdays, and Owen and Teddy's final episode premieres on May 7, 2026, on ABC.