Callie & Arizona: The Untold Story Behind Grey’s Anatomy’s Most Iconic Romance

Grey’s Anatomy is one of Shonda Rhimes’ most beloved creations. The twenty-season-long medical drama takes place in a hospital and spotlights medicine. But the show really thrives on the balance between love, loss, drama, surgery, and groundbreaking medical discoveries. As such, several notable relationships stole fans’ hearts across the years, including one of the first long-term LGBTQ+ romances, Calzona.

Calliope Torres first appeared in Grey’s Anatomy in early 2006 during the Season 2 episode titled “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” Callie joined the group as an ortho goddess, introduced to help fix George O’Malley’s dislocated shoulder. With that said, though, she also showed up as a love interest for George. Callie was a bit of an outcast compared to the rest of the group, but it’s nearly impossible for Grey’s fans not to love her energy. Soon after her relationship with George ended, the show started to explore Callie’s sexuality, pairing her with McSteamy and introducing her to cardiothoracic attending Erica Hahn. Callie and Erica go from friends to lovers to strangers as Callie discovers she’s bisexual. Not long after the harsh and no-nonsense blonde ghosted Callie, a new blonde literally rolled into Callie’s life with a brand new joyful and playful energy.

Updated on July 10, 2024 by Katie Doll: Callie and Arizona have been through it all on Grey’s Anatomy. From a long-distant relationship to affairs, to tragic accidents, the soulmates eventually had to call it quits at the end of their run. This article has been updated with any new information about Calzona since Arizona’s return to Grey’s Anatomy in Season 20.

Callie and Arizona’s Relationship Timeline

Callie and Arizona Met in Season 5

They Weren’t Official, But the Ship Launched

• Notable Episodes: 11, 14, and 20

Arizona Robbins entered Grey’s Anatomy in Season 5 as a peppy pediatric surgeon who rubs Dr. Bailey the wrong way. As such, she rubs everyone the wrong way. But the potential was intense when she showed up alongside the other Seattle Grace surgeons at the Emerald City Bar a few episodes later. Arizona makes a surprising move at the bar as she comforts Callie in the bathroom and kisses her. Their first meeting let sparks fly, but it didn’t last long.

Callie was understandably intrigued by Arizona after their meeting, but the blonde squashed any hopes for a relationship. Essentially, Arizona didn’t want to waste any time or energy on a relationship with Callie because Callie was still discovering her sexuality. Luckily, the apprehension didn’t last very long, as the end of the season featured their first dates.

Callie and Arizona’s Relationship Began in Season 6

It Was a Rocky Start, but Their Chemistry Was Powerful

• Notable Episodes: 1, 3, 5, 6, 12, 17, 18, and 21

Season 6 started with Callie and Arizona in the early stages of their relationship, but they were both happy, and the chemistry was undeniable. There was a bit of a snag early on as Callie had to pick up extra shifts to afford Arizona’s expensive taste during dates, but overall, they got stronger every episode.

Their relationship practically slowed to a stop near the middle of the season as Arizona made a throwaway comment about how she didn’t want kids. In typical Grey’s Anatomy fashion, Callie couldn’t accept that a woman might not want to raise children. Their different stances put them through the wringer as Callie tried to convince her to change her mind until they eventually called it quits a few episodes later. Of course, that didn’t last very long, as the stressful Season 6 finale and Calzona’s brush with death featured Arizona walking back on her no-kids future and moving in with Callie.

Season 7 Featured Calzona’s Cross-Continent Separation

A lot of Milestones Were Stunted By Unexpected Events

• Notable Episodes: 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, and 20

Grey’s Anatomy’s seventh season opens in the aftermath of the mass shooting, which also featured a TV crew filming a piece about Seattle Grace Mercy West’s tragedy. During the documentary, Arizona reveals that she received the Carter Madison Grant to bring pediatric surgery to underdeveloped countries. With her grant, she opened the Namboze Clinic in Africa and left to lead the clinic. Originally, Callie was ecstatic for her girlfriend and even planned to move to Africa with her. But, before they boarded their flight, Arizona admitted that Callie’s mixed feelings about the move soured the experience, and the two split up. Callie takes the breakup hard and hooks up with her best friend, Mark Sloan while trying to heal. Only a few episodes after the breakup, Arizona shows up at Callie’s doorstep, telling her that all she did during her time at Namboze was miss Callie and Seattle. Soon after Arizona’s grand return, Callie reveals she’s pregnant with Mark’s baby.

Despite Arizona’s initial shock and her previous views on raising children, she remains committed to Callie, and they start dating again. Unfortunately, it’s not smooth sailing, as Arizona and Mark frequently bump heads about Callie and the pregnancy. The most significant event in their early relationship happens soon after the baby shower, as Arizona proposes during a car ride that ends with Callie getting thrown through the windshield. The Grey’s Anatomy musical episode spotlights their relationship through various musical numbers and ends with the high-risk birth of their daughter, Sofia Robbin Sloan Torres. Callie and Arizona get married two episodes later.

Callie and Arizona’s Relationship is Strongest in Season 8

Their Love Was Powerful Enough to Overcome the Odds

• Notable Episodes: 4, 6, 14, 18, 23, and 24

Season 8 featured Callie and Arizona’s relationship at its strongest. The two are happily married and perfectly co-parenting their baby girl with Mark. Everything goes extremely well for the family during Season 8 until the finale.

At the end of Season 8, the Seattle Grace Mercy West staff prepare to head to Boise to assist with a conjoined twins’ separation. Originally, Callie and Arizona weren’t on the team. But after a fight with Alex Karev, Arizona takes his spot on the plane along with Lexie and Meredith Grey, Derek Shepherd, Cristina Yang, and Mark. The plane goes down in the final episode and destroys any glimpse of happiness among any of the characters, including Calzona.

Season 9 Put Intense Strain on Calzona’s Marriage

Even the Strongest Relationships Suffer In the Wake of Tragedy

• Notable Episodes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 12, 18, 23, and 24

Grey’s Anatomy Season 9 opens immediately after the heartbreaking tragedy befell Seattle Grace Mercy West’s staff. The first episode of Season 9 featured Derek and Callie pulling the plug on Mark, and the next few episodes keep the focus on the survivors of the plane crash, each dealing with severe trauma. That includes Arizona, whose leg got damaged significantly in the accident. Her condition deteriorates drastically, forcing Callie to make the horrifying decision to amputate Arizona’s leg to save her life.

That decision saved Arizona’s life but destroyed their relationship, as Arizona wanted to keep her leg. Throughout the season, Callie also expresses feelings about the trauma she received from the crash–primarily losing her best friend and the father of her daughter–and Arizona, in particular, resents her for that, believing that since Callie wasn’t on the plane, she couldn’t be affected by it. While Callie tries desperately to support Arizona and mend their marriage throughout the season, the final episode features Arizona cheating on her wife with a visiting surgeon, Lauren Boswell. Callie catches the indiscretion almost immediately after it happens, as she notices Lauren wearing Arizona’s scrubs, her wedding ring still clipped onto the shirt.

Callie and Arizona Try to Make Their Marriage Work in Season 10

No Matter How Hard Some Couples Try, it’s Impossible to Hold On

• Notable Episodes: 1, 2, 3, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 20, and 23

Considering Season 9 ended with Arizona’s infidelity, it’s unsurprising that the first episode of Season 10 features a Calzona fight. The arguing doesn’t last very long, as both surgeons must operate on the same patient. A few episodes into Season 10, Callie kicks Arizona out of the house.

Soon after the split, Callie’s dad reveals that he once cheated on her mom, and they were able to work through their issues. So, Callie lets Arizona move back in, and they keep going to therapy. Despite Arizona’s affair with an intern causing more problems for Calzona and the hospital, the couple tries to move forward, including buying a new house. Season 10 ends with Callie and Arizona deciding to have another baby.

Season 11 Marks the End of Their Marriage

Sometimes There’s No Saving Something Once it’s Broken

• Notable Episodes: 1, 5, 10, 16, 20, and 24

Tragically, every attempt Callie and Arizona make at conceiving a second child ends in disappointment, which puts an even worse strain on an already crumbling marriage. When the tension reached an all-time high, they attempted counseling again, and a few episodes into the season spotlighted their relationship and therapy journey. In the Calzona-centric episode, their therapist suggests a 30-day separation period in the same home to keep things healthy for Sofia. The episode explores the entire month and spotlights the end of their marriage. When their separation ends, Arizona reveals that she needs Callie, and Callie reveals that she was the happiest she’d been in a long time during their split.

The episode is best described by its beginning and end voiceovers, as Arizona and Callie take over. Arizona opens the episode by detailing the triad of death in surgery, “Uncontrollable bleeding. Acidosis. Cold. We all know what the combination means. We call it the triad of death, the point of no return. It’s the moment in the OR where you turn to damage control. You stop. You step back. You let the body rest and see if you can find a solution to the chaos that’s happening inside.” The episode, along with their marriage, ends with Callie’s voiceover. “Once the chaos subsides, we have to go back. Take another look. We have to ask ourselves: can this body be put back together? If we’ve done our jobs right, it can. We stop the bleeding. We sew up the damage. We make the body whole again. But no matter how hard we try, we have to realize some things just can’t be fixed.”

Callie and Arizona Move On and Get Messy in Season 12

There’s No Denying That Moving On Wasn’t Easy For Either of Them

• Notable Episodes: 4, 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24

Season 12 features Callie moving on from Arizona with Penny Blake, who first showed up in Season 11 as the doctor who didn’t order a head CT for Derek following his car accident and the doctor who missed the brain bleed that killed him. Naturally, when Callie brings Penny Blake to Meredith’s dinner party, there is a lot of tension, including the line “Perfect Penny killed my husband.” Luckily, the initial shock Callie felt by the revelation passed, and she found happiness with Penny.

So, when Penny took a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity in New York, Callie decided to go with her. Unfortunately, that led to a nasty custody battle, as both Callie and Arizona wanted Sofia to live with them. The courthouse brawl was as brutal as real-life custody battles can get, with Calzona forcing their friends to take sides and each woman’s lawyers painting the other woman as a bad mother. The judge granted full custody to Arizona, though she agreed to share custody with Callie, allowing Callie to move to New York and actor Sara Ramirez to leave Grey’s Anatomy.

Season 13 Says Goodbye to Callie, and Arizona Follows in Season 14

Their Happily Ever After is Left Open to Interpretation

• Notable Episodes: (Season 14) 4, 7, 16, 21, 22, and 24

Grey’s Anatomy Season 13 shut the chapter on Callie Torres following Ramirez’s exit in the Season 12 finale. As such, there was no progress in their relationship. Instead, Arizona moves on with Grey Sloan’s residency advisor, Eliza Minnick. Season 13 and Season 14 do bring little Sofia back into the picture, as she moves back to Seattle. Unfortunately, after a little while of being in Seattle with Arizona, Sofia starts to miss her home in New York and her other mom.

So, at the end of Season 14, when actor Jessica Capshaw left Grey’s Anatomy, the showrunners decided to give Calzona a happier ending. The Season 14 finale features Arizona and Sofia at Jo and Alex’s wedding, getting ready to leave for New York. Not only do Callie and Arizona end up living in the same state, but it’s implied that Callie and Penny broke up. It’s not totally clear whether Callie and Arizona got back together after Season 14. Arizona returned to Grey’s Anatomy in Season 20, but she didn’t bring up Callie once. However, this doesn’t mean that Calzona is in the past for good.