Antonella Gugliersi 
Warning: SPOILERS for Grey’s Anatomy season 18 episode 16 ahead.
Grey’s Anatomy season 18 might be less similar to previous seasons, but one storyline regarding Teddy Altman and Owen Hunt’s child Leo (Kellen Enriquez) proved that the medical drama didn’t forget his secret weapon. The long-running ABC drama never shied away from dealing with themes and storylines that could’ve highly resonated with the public while simultaneously being highly polarizing for a portion of its viewers. Grey’s Anatomy’s tendency to explore with nuance topics highly debated by its contemporary society always separated it from other TV shows, especially as, through the years, the show explored many timely topics with care.
Leo’s gender nonconformity was already subtly introduced in Grey’s Anatomy season 18 episode 1, in the dresses Owen and Teddy’s child chose to wear that prompted meddlesome comments from Evelyn Hunt (Debra Mooney), Owen’s mother. Grey’s Anatomy season 18 episode 2 went on to show Teddy (Kim Raver) starting to fear how the world would react to Leo after a fellow parent started staring at her child, only to learn that his staring was due to the costume Leo was wearing, as it was something he and his wife had long searched for their children. Only Grey’s Anatomy season 18 episode 16 explored the storyline further, as right at the beginning, Leo ended up correcting Owen (Kevin McKidd) after he called Leo a cowboy, effectively coming out to Owen as a girl. The revelation prompted Teddy to correct Leo and say it was just a costume, effectively denying Leo’s self-determination at that moment.
The conflict Teddy’s reaction caused between her and Owen let Grey’s Anatomy explore yet another timely topic, especially considering the anti-trans bill criminalizing gender-affirming care for trans youth passed in Idaho in March 2022. Likewise, Texas Governor Abbott’s order in February 2022 allows for parents to be investigated on charges of child abuse for providing certain medical treatments for their trans children. The fact that Grey’s Anatomy season 18 let Teddy and Owen debate how to approach Leo’s gender nonconformity in a way that put Leo first—where Owen clearly specified they would need a therapist, but for him and Teddy rather than for Leo—proved the long-running series dealt with the topic with the due care and the consideration it needed. Having worry-driven Teddy misgender Leo as a result of her ignorance in the matter led to Owen and Teddy’s beautiful conversation where there was no doubt Leo’s wellbeing was put first.
Grey’s Anatomy season 18 remembered its secret weapon with Leo’s storyline, as in the past, ABC’s medical drama explored polarizing themes such as the inequity of the US healthcare system in Grey’s Anatomy season 16 or the death penalty in season 5. Death row inmate William Dunn (Eric Stoltz) might have appeared only in three episodes in Grey’s Anatomy season 5, but the impact his situation had on Meredith was monumental, especially as it put her on opposite sides to Derek, who wanted to save Dunn only because he believed he should have been executed. Grey’s Anatomy season 16 had Meredith risking her medical license and doing community service because of the insurance fraud she committed to provide life-saving surgery for a little girl who wouldn’t have had access to it. It was Meredith’s main storyline in Grey’s Anatomy season 16, and it gave Meredith – and, through her, the viewers – a closer look and experience of the inequity of the US healthcare system. In both instances, just like with Leo’s storyline in season 18, Grey’s Anatomy handled the topic with care, humanity, and balance.
Considering how long it took for Grey’s Anatomy to properly introduce Leo’s storyline, it’s unlikely we’ve seen the last of Teddy and Owen’s family and their support. Whether Leo’s storyline will be further explored in Grey’s Anatomy season 18’s last five episodes or season 19 is unknown. As the series has proven that it can still handle layered stories with nuance and care, though, Grey’s Anatomy will surely be able to do justice to Leo’s story.
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