'Grey's Anatomy' season 13 air date, spoilers news: Arizona gets new love interest; April, Jackson navigate divorced life
Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) and Callie (Sara Ramirez) have been divorced for a while now, and it's just as long since the last time Arizona dated. Fortunately, "Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes confirmed that fans of the ABC medical drama will see the bubbly doctor finding romantic bliss once again in season 13.
The news of Arizona's new love interest comes after Ramirez, a long-time cast member, announced her exit from "Grey's Anatomy" after the season 12 finale. In the long-running series, Callie left Seattle to be with her new girlfriend, Penny (Samantha Sloyan), leaving Arizona to finally, truly move on.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rhimes revealed that "Grey's Anatomy" season 13 will find Arizona entering a new romantic relationship.
"We're absolutely going to see it," Rhimes said, adding that Capshaw will not be in the new season's first two episodes as she was pregnant and was spending time with family while the season 13 opener was being filmed. After the first two season 13 episodes, however, the cheerful doctor will be back onscreen.
"I'm very excited to introduce a love interest for her, and to get to tell a story with her that lets her be who she is, and to see who she is post the relationships that she's had," Rhimes added.
This does not mean, however, that Callie is being written out of the series completely, according to Rhimes.
"We're playing that Arizona gets to go visit her daughter and her daughter gets to come see her," the "Grey's Anatomy" boss explained.
Meanwhile, April (Sarah Drew) and Jackson (Jesse Williams), who recently welcomed their baby daughter, will learn what its like to raise a child together while staying divorced and uncoupled.
In another interview with EW, Rhimes said, "They're going to really try to do this in a healthy way, and is that healthy way going to feel so healthy when they still have feelings for each other?"
"Grey's Anatomy" season 13 premieres on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.