The fictional hospital on “Grey’s Anatomy” sees a lot of turnover, which makes a ton of sense when you consider that the series has been airing steadily since 2005. Even characters (and their actors) who weren’t part of Shonda Rhimes’ medical drama since the very beginning have ended up coming and going — and that includes one of the most progressive and vital members of the show’s ensemble. After a decade of playing pediatric and fetal surgeon Dr. Arizona Robbins on “Grey’s Anatomy,” actor Jessica Capshaw ended up departing the series after its season 14 finale so that her character could move from Seattle to New York City and reunite with her ex-wife, Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez, who left the show in the season 12 finale), to ensure that their daughter is happy with both of her moms in the same place. (In a piece about Capshaw’s exit in The Hollywood Reporter, sources stressed that the departure was based on creative decisions, not financial reasons.)
When news broke before the season 14 finale, “All of Me,” that Capshaw would leave the show, the actor took to X (then called Twitter) and posted a tribute to Arizona. “For the past 10 years I have had the rare privilege of not only playing Arizona Robbins but also being madly in love with playing her,” Capshaw — whose mother is Kate Capshaw, making Steven Spielberg her stepfather — wrote. “Arizona Robbins is kind, intelligent, funny, insightful, bold, playful, fierce, and really good at her job.”
Capshaw also, understandably, spoke to the importance of a character like Arizona — a proud queer woman — and the representation she provided. “She was one of the first members of the LGBTQ community to be represented as a series-regular role on network television,” the actor continued. “Her impact on the world is permanent and forever. Forever.”
Ultimately, Capshaw was incredibly gracious about the entire thing, writing, “I am grateful that I have gotten to bring her to life and for the life that she has brought to me. I am sad to see her go, but I am consoled by the idea that she will continue to live on and on in all of our consciences and our imaginations. Shonda, thank you for the ride on this incredible rollercoaster.” So, who was Arizona Robbins on “Grey’s Anatomy,” and what are the specifics of her exit?
Introduced in season 5 of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Dr. Arizona Robbins, a new attending pediatric surgeon at what was then called Seattle Grace Hospital, seems a little too bubbly and perky to be taken seriously — but she’s a genuinely incredible physician and surgeon. After winning over the stern Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) when they procure a life-saving organ for a young boy, Arizona is fully accepted by the gang at Seattle Grace … leading to a relationship with Dr. Callie Torres.
To say Callie and Arizona experience a lot of ups and downs is a massive understatement. In season 6, they briefly split because Callie wants children and Arizona doesn’t; they reunite in the season finale, but in season 7, Arizona wins a grant that allows her to travel to Africa to help underserved communities in need of vital medical care. Because of this, the two break up for a second time. During their time apart, Callie has a dalliance with her best friend — and friend-with-benefits — Dr. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), and when Arizona comes home early hoping to reconcile with Callie, Callie reveals that she’s pregnant with Mark’s baby.
Even though Arizona is extremely hesitant about raising a baby with Callie and Mark, she comes around … and after Sofia Robbin Sloan Torres is born prematurely in the wake of Callie and Arizona’s car accident later in season 7, the three adapt to co-parenting without a problem. Arizona and Callie also get married towards the end of season 7. Tragically, in the season 8 finale, Arizona and Mark are in a plane crash with several other doctors; in the aftermath, Arizona loses a leg and Mark dies from his injuries, with Dane leaving the show in the season 9 premiere. (That’s not even the most absurd way a doctor dies on “Grey’s Anatomy,” believe it or not.) It’s safe to say that, from there, Callie and Arizona’s relationship never fully recovers.
When a storm hits the hospital in the season 9 finale, Arizona — still adjusting to her new life as an amputee and working with a prosthetic — has a one-night stand, betraying Callie; despite attempts to get back together, this undoes their marriage. They split and live in relative peace until season 12, when Callie decides to move to New York with her new girlfriend Dr. Penny Blake (Samantha Sloyan) … and after a bitter custody battle, Arizona, who legally adopted Sofia, retains full custody of their daughter. Sofia is supposed to split her time between her mothers, but this is, ultimately, what paves the way for Arizona’s exit.
Towards the end of season 14, Arizona seems a little listless and without purpose. Despite a romantic connection with the hospital’s gorgeous new Italian OB-GYN Dr. Carina DeLuca (Stefania Spampinato), Arizona knows that Sofia is unhappy, especially after she steals money to buy a plane ticket to go and see Callie. Thankfully, a chance reunion with Dr. Nicole Herman (Geena Davis), a former mentor of Arizona’s who had a brain tumor and went blind after a surgery to remove it, changes everything for the pediatric surgeon. See, Dr. Herman is the one who taught Arizona the intricacies of fetal surgery during a fellowship in season 11, and because she’s no longer able to perform surgery, she wants to start a center where she’ll teach and Arizona will perform fetal surgeries, considering that they’re two of the only doctors with this specific training. Arizona suggests that they open the groundbreaking center in New York, and when she texts Callie just before she and Sofia head across the country, it’s heavily implied that the two reconcile.
Honestly, as a longtime fan of “Grey’s Anatomy,” I loved Arizona and Jessica Capshaw’s performance, but this was the right time for her to go. Similar to T.R. Knight’s exit as Dr. George O’Malley in the season 5 finale, Arizona was just … left without a whole lot to do, and the logistics of splitting custody on opposite coasts of the United States was honestly stressful to consider as a viewer, even though the arrangement is purely fictional. Arizona (and Capshaw) briefly return in season 20, and it’s good to see her … but her story concluded really nicely in season 14.
“Grey’s Anatomy” is available to stream on Netflix and Hulu.