Although the last episode of ABC's Grey's Anatomy was titled "Bend And Break" (presumably after that Keane song we were all obsessed with ten years ago), Calzona unfortunately ended up doing a lot less bending and a lot more breaking. Season 11's fifth episode ended with Callie declaring that, after a therapist-imposed trial separation, she had realized she is happier alone than with her wife, Arizona. Uh oh. So is that it? After five seasons of joy (marriage, babies) and heartache (car accidents, plane crashes, amputations, infidelities), is Calzona officially calling it quits?
Frustrated fans were left hanging for longer than usual, when the Shonda Rhimes show took a week off last Thursday so ABC could air It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown instead. But now that Grey's is back in full force this week, what Calzona developments can we look forward to? Is there any hope for the couple? Or is it all downhill from here?
Given its title, "Don't Let's Start," this week's episode sounds rife for more relationship drama. Curious, then, that the brief synopsis mentions nothing about Callie and only a little bit about Arizona's professional life:
Owen bonds with a patient who may have been in the military. Meanwhile, April's mom visits her and Jackson; Bailey takes a closer look at her own health; Derek arranges a family meal; and Dr. Herman has shocking news for Arizona.
OK. Episode 5 was admittedly very heavy in the Calzona department. It makes sense that Episode 6 would back off that plotline for a bit in order to let other members of the show's ensemble cast to shine. What about next week's episode? It's called "Can We Start Again, Please?," so it must contain some good news for Calzona fans, right? Not so fast:
Amelia's past addictions don't stay hidden and result in trouble for her at work. Meanwhile, Jo performs her first solo surgery; Arizona must make a tough call when Dr. Herman is away; and a couple who were caught in a fire arrive at the ER.
Wait. Nothing about Callie again? Only work drama for Arizona? What's going on here? ABC just announced the fall finale dates for all its shows; Episode 8, titled "Risk" and airing on Nov. 20, will be the last hour of Grey's before the show goes on its midseason hiatus until sometime in 2015. So there must be some earthshaking Calzona developments in that episode, surely:
Maggie and Meredith disagree with Derek about the best way to approach a patient’s case, which leads to a bigger argument between the couple. Meanwhile Callie feels responsible when one of her veterans is pushed too far and one doctor’s routine procedure results in a devastating diagnosis.
Of course. Callie is finally mentioned and now there's no Arizona in sight. What gives?
Granted, these network-approved snippets don't spoil everything that's going to happen in each episode. There's bound to be at least some Calzona interaction in the coming weeks that isn't being teased. But the snyopses' distinct lack of focus on the couple certainly seems to imply that Callie's decision will stick and the spouses will remain separated — at least for the foreseeable future. And maybe that's OK! Part of the reason Callie and Arizona found themselves on the rocks (yet again) is because they moved too fast after their last fight. They moved back in together, they bought a house, they decided to have another child... all without actually addressing any of their underlying issues.
Perhaps some time to themselves, in their own individual storylines, focusing on their professional lives, is exactly what Calzona needs to heal — though whether that healing leads to them getting back together is a different matter. Sometimes in life people do get divorced and they don't end up getting back together. There's no such thing as "endgame" in the real world, and it would be refreshing to see a show as popular as Grey's acknowledge that hard truth. For fans of Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins, seeing these characters — who have been through so much — finally happy again, whether together or apart... that should be enough.
Images: Adam Taylor/ABC; Giphy
