Spoilers ahead for Episode 5 of Grey's Anatomy Season 17, called "Fight the Power."
The surgeons of Grey's Anatomy continued to struggle with the pandemic in "Fight the Power," with Bailey's mother dying due to COVID and Meredith still having conversations on the beach in her mind rather than waking up. Also, Tom Koracick's case of COVID turned out to be much worse than it seemed for most of the previous episode, which resulted in an emotional outpouring from Teddy that left me wondering... why is Grey's Anatomy seemingly still trying to make them happen as a couple?
Teddy and Tom were one leg of what I dubbed the "love pentagram" of Season 16, consisting of Link, Amelia, Owen, Teddy, and Tom, and it was by far my least favorite part of the romantic mess (once it became clear that Owen and Amelia were done). Despite how Season 16 started out for Teddy and Owen, Teddy's decision to cheat on Owen with Tom at the hospital where all three of them work wasn't something I felt like I could root for, and sleeping with Tom on what was supposed to be her wedding day to Owen only to be recorded on his voicemail made everything worse. And I don't even like Owen!
The way that Grey's Anatomy has painted Teddy, Tom, and their relationship doesn't leave me with any kind of desire to see them reignite their "romance," such as it was. They're not star-crossed lovers who fought for each other out of impossible circumstances, and they're not even an emotionally healthy relationship. Besides, it doesn't speak very well of either of their character that they were willing to hook up while Teddy was still with Owen, especially considering she was still planning on marrying him before he found out and called things off.
She didn't even come clean until she had to! Sure, he kind of entrapped her, but I think that's pretty understandable under the circumstances. If Teddy hadn't gotten caught, she probably would have married Owen, and that doesn't make me want to root for a happily-ever-after with her and the guy she cheated with. Grey's Anatomy hasn't given me good reasons to root for Teddy at this point, and certainly not root for the relationship with Tom. And again, I say this as somebody who doesn't like Owen.
The show isn't presenting the relationship like it's a bad thing, and Teddy's tearful confession by Tom's bedside in "Fight the Power" felt like it was intended to win me over and root for them. I am glad he's not dead, and his survival spares viewers a round of Teddy mourning, but I would be a lot happier with Grey's Anatomy if the show stopped trying to light sparks between them and just let it go before they both look any worse.
I don't understand what the show is doing with Teddy, and that certainly extends to her relationships. This is one that I really don't think needs to be salvaged, at least any time soon. Give me more of Link and Amelia! Of course, considering Tom's health scare with COVID (and the fact that he overheard the tearful monologue that Teddy clearly didn't intend for him to actually hear), I doubt that Grey's Anatomy will drop their will they/won't they dynamic.
Tune in to ABC on Thursday, December 17 at 9 p.m. ET for the fall finale of Grey's Anatomy, following the fall finale of Station 19 at 8 p.m. ET. For what to watch in the new year, be sure to check out our 2021 winter and spring premiere schedule.
