For us Grey’s Anatomy fans, we can all agree that throughout the past few seasons, there have been a lot of changes. These changes include new characters being introduced to the show, and also other characters leaving, to help keep Seattle Grace Hospital (now Grey / Sloan Memorial Hospital) interesting for Grey’s Anatomy viewers. With this in mind, Sandra Oh (who plays Dr. Christina Yang) will be leaving at the end of this season (10).
Oh has been involved with Grey’s Anatomy since the first season’s premiere in 2005. Her character (Dr. Yang) has lived through the show’s traumatic events, such as: George O’Malley’s death (Season 6), the hospital shooting (Season 6), and the recent plane crash (Season 9). Yang has also been involved in two serious relationships, such as with Dr. Preston Burke and Dr. Owen Hunt.
To help explain her resignation from the show better, Oh was interviewed by Katie Couric, and Couric asked Oh why she was leaving the cast of Grey’s Anatomy. Oh’s response was “I felt like all the avenues that a character that could possibly be explored. I feel like we have done that.”
During the interview with Couric, it was explained that Oh has been planning to leave the show for some time due to renegotiating contracts. Couric asked Oh if it would be hard to leave the cast, and Oh’s response was “It makes my heart full and heavy at the same time. [There are] so many long-term relationships that I have there. I will be really, really sad.” At the conclusion of Couric’s interview, she states that Oh will be pursuing “different mediums,” such as film and theatre.
Shonda Rhimes, the creator and writer for Grey’s Anatomy, was interviewed by E! Online about Oh’s exit from the show. Rhimes exclaimed the following statement:
“Right now I’m not going to miss her at all, because we have her for the entire season. But when the time comes, I’m sure it’s going to be hard. We’re not writing her off yet because we still have 22 episodes to go, but when we get there, I’m sure it’s going to be a difficult thing and I think it’s going to be really moving and I’m looking forward to writing it myself.”
Since the news of Oh’s departure has spread through the internet, various Twitter users have expressed their sadness of Oh leaving Grey’s:
Sandra Oh is leaving Grey's Anatomy?! That is NOT acceptable.
— Anna Cross (@AnnaAnnahhh) October 15, 2013
P.S I still haven't got over the fact Sandra Oh is leaving Grey's Anatomy, #cristinayangismyspiritanimal
— Jade Saint (@JadeKSaint) October 15, 2013
i can't stop thinking that grey's anatomy without sandra oh won't be grey's anatomy anymore.
— ✖ (@afraidtofallx) October 15, 2013
Sandra Oh is leaving Grey's Anatomy. Just not gonna be the same anymore
— Fahad Aslam (@Faslam30) October 15, 2013
[Image source: YouTube (0:55)]