14 Major Arizona Moments On ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ That You Totally Forgot About
Arizona Robbins rolled onto Grey’s Anatomy fans’ screens in a unique way — literally, she had wheels in her sneakers. As a spunky and sweet pediatric surgeon, she quickly stole the hearts of plenty of fans, and star Jessica Capshaw pulled off even some of Arizona’s darker twists and turns with a warmth that made her hard to dislike — even when her character was clearly in the wrong. As she unfortunately leaves the medical drama at the end of this season, below are some of the best Arizona moments on Grey’s Anatomy that you might have forgotten about.
It’s truly staggering to think of all the intense storylines Arizona has shouldered during her years on the show, especially when she entered on such a whimsical note. She was present for the plane crash, plenty of her colleagues’ weddings, and of course the tumultuous but passionate relationship with Callie. The situation with Callie’s decision to amputate Arizona’s leg led to some of the most heart-wrenching scenes of the entire show, and Capshaw brought such raw emotion to an unimaginable struggle. Arizona’s departure is a blow to fans everywhere who connected with her on a deep level, and who were eager to see where her story would go from here. While us fans can’t change the inevitable, we can honor our good man in a storm, and take a look at some of the most memorable of Arizona’s scenes.
April’s roller-skating Heelies aren’t always as front and center as they were when she first appeared on the show, but they’ve made some glorious reappearances over the years, and they always perfectly embody Arizona’s quirky energy.
Her And Callie’s First Kiss
The beginning of an era, albeit one with a pretty unhappy ending. It happened in a bathroom at a bar, where magic truly happens, and though it didn’t immediately lead to a lasting relationship, it’s definitely going to go down as a Grey’s Anatomy legend.
The Origin Of Her Name
Arizona was given some grief over her unusual name when she first appeared on the scene, but there’s a good story behind it, and she was never afraid to share it.
“Most people think I was named for the state, but it’s not true. I was named for a battle ship. The U.S.S. Arizona. My grandfather was serving on the Arizona when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and he saved 19 men before he drowned,” she told Callie’s dad in one episode. “Pretty much everything my father did his whole life was about honoring that sacrifice. I was raised to be a good man in a storm. Raised me to love my country. To love my family. To protect the things I love.”
Standing Up To Callie’s Dad
Callie’s dad, after out that she and Arizona were dating, showed up in Seattle trying to “pray the gay away,” leading to a blow up between the two of them. Arizona wasn’t afraid, though, to approach Callie’s dad with warmth and compassion, just like she approaches every other difficult decision. She told him the origin of her name and said that it helped make her what she was raised to be — a good man in a storm, and one who was worthy of his daughter’s love.
Arizona was awarded a super prestigious grant that would take her to Malawi for three years, and that immediately put a strain on her and Callie’s relationship. Neither of them handled it particularly gracefully, but Arizona wanted to be free to enjoy her success without feeling like she was dragging Callie down in the process. So, in true dramatic Grey’s fashion, she tearfully ended their relationship at the airport, just minutes before they were set to board a plane as a couple.
Callie Rejected Her
And then, even when Arizona came back from Africa early to bury the hatchet with Callie and get back together, things still didn’t go as planned. Arizona delivered a heartfelt speech right outside Callie’s front door about missing her and being unhappy without her in Malawi, but Callie was having none of it, and slammed the door in her face. The two went on to have a relationship after this conflict, although one that didn’t end well, so that was far from the end of their story.
Her Breakdown Over Her Leg
This was one arc where Capshaw kicked ass even more than usual. Losing a limb, especially when that decision was made by a loved one whom you trusted, is a situation most people can’t even imagine themselves in. She presented the feelings of betrayal, disbelief, futility, and heartbreak in such a meaningful way that even when you didn’t necessarily agree with what Arizona was saying during this time (Callie was only trying to save her, after all), you felt the hurt she was experiencing.
The Dr. Herman Storyline
Geena Davis is a treasure and it is truly a tragedy that Grey’s Anatomy didn’t feature her for longer than it did. As Dr. Herman, she butted heads with Arizona at nearly every turn while Arizona worked under her during her fellowship, and struggled to keep up. Things only got more dramatic when Dr. Herman revealed to Arizona that she had a brain tumor, and the two became closer through that journey.
She Had A Miscarriage
As a show of some serious character development, the once-averse to having children Arizona wanted to continue their family with Callie after they already were parenting Sofia together. They went through the stressful process of facilitating a pregnancy, only to have Arizona learn that there was no longer a heartbeat, and they’d lost the baby. I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Cheating On Callie
Reeling from the miscarriage, Arizona made plenty of mistakes, including getting way too close to one Lauren Boswell. They grew closer over the course of an episode or so and eventually hooked up. Callie found out, and eventually told everyone that Arizona was a cheater, making things incredibly uncomfortable around the hospital, though Arizona did try to make it right.
The Fling With Leah
OK, where is Leah? I thought she came back to the hospital — has she already been written out again? I need answers. But anyway, yeah, Arizona and Leah the then-intern had a strange pseudo-fling that ended with Leah being way more into Arizona than Arizona was into Leah, and it was also clear that Callie was more important to her during this time, so the relationship didn’t end up going anywhere.
What two characters on Grey’s Anatomy haven’t lived under the same roof at this point? Deluca and Arizona didn’t ever really even work together much, so this was an odd pairing for sure, but it was also short-lived. Deluca moved out shortly after Arizona began sleeping with his sister, Carina, which makes sense — that set-up would be a little bit awkward.
Her Nights With Richard At A Bar
I don’t know about you, but I’d watch a Grey’s Anatomy spinoff of Richard and Arizona playing wingmen for each other for the next 40 years. They frequented some hot spots together for a while, and Richard also was one of Arizona’s main shoulders to lean on during her final split from Callie and the ensuing custody battle.
Her Speech About Magic & Kids
Arizona’s passion for pediatrics was always apparent, but this speech showed just how much she cared about the tiny humans she was treating, and how much she expected the other doctors to care as well. “This is not general surgery on a miniature scale. These are the tiny humans. These are children. They believe in magic. They play pretend,” she said. “There is fairy dust in their IV bags. They hope, and they cross their fingers, and they make wishes, and that makes them more resilient than adults. They recover faster, survive worse. They believe.”
All of these moments built Arizona up to the character Grey’s Anatomy viewers know and love, and though the show will feel emptier without her, fans can always look back fondly at the woman who was a good man in a storm.