Arizona Robbins, Grey’s Anatomy

Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw)

Arizona was introduced in Season 5 as an attending surgeon and the new chief of pediatric surgery. She was established as a love-interest for Dr. Callie Torres after the storyline with Erica Hahn was cut short due to what series creator Shonda Rhimes called “a lack of chemistry”. Callie and Arizona started an on-and-off relationship in Season 5. When Callie’s father showed up and rejected Callie’s sexuality, Arizona was the one that convinced him to reconsider, talking about her own father being accepting. Callie and Arizona broke up and reconciled several times: first due to Arizona not wanting to have children, then when Arizona was given a grant to go to Malawi. She returned, hoping to rekindle her relationship with Callie, but was initially rejected.

Callie revealed she had sex with Mark Sloan while she and Arizona were “on a break,” and became pregnant with his baby. Callie and Arizona eventually got back together, agreed to raise the baby together (with Mark’s help), and got married.

Season 8

At the end of Season 8, Arizona was hurt badly in a plane crash (in which Mark Sloan was also killed), resulting in her left leg being amputated. Arizona was initially cold towards Callie because she was the one who decided for an amputation. She also struggled with body image issues, but they slowly reconciled. Callie and Arizona decided to try again for a second child and Arizona became pregnant via a sperm donor but miscarried.

Seasons 9-10

In Season 9, when guest character Dr. Lauren Boswell arrived at the hospital to reconstruct the face of a baby and flirted with Arizona, she was flattered that a stranger still found her attractive despite knowing about her injury and the two had a one-night stand. After finding out that Arizona cheated on her with Lauren, Callie kicked Arizona out of their apartment.

Arizona pursued a sexual relationship with Leah Murphy in Season 10, but cut ties with her when Callie asked her to come back home.

Season 11

In Season 11, they decided to have another baby by surrogate but got into an argument at the surrogacy agency and put the idea on hold. After the argument, they choose to go to therapy together, resulting in a 30-day break. Arizona believed that the break strengthened their relationship. Callie on the other hand declared it gave her a taste of freedom, walked away and the two got a divorce.

Season 12

In Season 12, Callie began dating another doctor, Penny, and wanted to take Sofia and move to New York with her, but Arizona hired a lawyer and they went to court for a custody battle. After a long case, Arizona won sole custody of Sofia. In the end she ended up sharing Sofia with Callie because she thought that ‘both of Sofia’s moms deserve to be happy’.

Season 13

In the current Season, Callie left the show, and Arizona has a new love interest, Dr. Eliza Minnick, introduced in episode 13×07. Eliza is a consultant hired by Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital to revamp their surgical residency program. Eliza butted heads with other attendings at the hospital, who all conspired to work against her and shut her out of surgeries.

Eliza flirted with Arizona, who was initially cold towards her. She came out to Arizona in 13×09 (“I like girls. I mean. I feel like you can’t tell, or something, that I like women, that I’m flirting with you, you’re not getting it and I’m really good at this, I have game”). Arizona admitted that she was interested, but she didn’t like that Eliza talked like she owned the place. Eliza persisted, asked her to get a drink with her, and Arizona ended up agreeing.

At the hospital, Arizona joined the resistance against Eliza’s policies, and the two continued to disagree and argue but eventually bonded over a case. They continued to pretend they didn’t get along in public, until Arizona told her she didn’t want to pretend anymore, and Eliza kissed her (episode 13×14).

In episode 13×15, Eliza offered to cook for Arizona, but both were tired, and fell asleep together at the hospital. They woke up, leaned in for a kiss and Richard Webber walked in on them. The following episodes (13×16 – 13×18) dealt with the aftermath: when Bailey hired Eliza, she took Webber’s job, and he felt betrayed by Arizona.

Arizona and Eliza continued to have short scenes together – in episode 13×22, Arizona told her she couldn’t stop thinking about her:

“I look for you, all day. When I turn a corner or I pass by on the scan rooms or getting on an elevator, I hope that maybe I’ll just get a glimpse of you and when I see you, every time it makes me catch my breath, just a little; and my heart speeds up, my palms sweat. Seeing you, talking to you, and touching you, is all I can think about.”

They got an on screen sex scene in the same episode and in 13×23 another short scene waking up together.

In the season finale, Bailey fired Dr Minnick for clinging to procedures and protocols too much. Arizona found out when she asked Eliza back to her place for sex, and Eliza replied that she needed to pack.

The show has been renewed for season 14, but no announcement has been made on whether Marika Dominczyk comes back in the 2017-2018 season.

Female love interests:

• Callie Torres (Sara Ramírez, bisexual, main cast, ex-wife)
• Lauren Boswell (Hilarie Burton, lesbian, guest S9, 3 episodes)
• Leah Murphy (Tessa Ferrer, bisexual, recurring S9, main cast S10, 39 episodes)
• Dr. Eliza Minnick (Marika Dominczyk, lesbian, recurring S13)

Relationship story arc with a woman: Yes

No male love interests

Relationship story arc with a man: No

Male love interest after being identified as a lesbian? No

Filter Relationship Arc:

• Female (Regular)

Storyline during sweeps? No

[1] A relationship story arc is defined as explicit, developed on screen, and lasting more than 3 episodes. It is listed as questionable or subtext if romance is only implied, mentioned instead of shown on screen, part of a dream sequence, or otherwise not explicit for the viewer.
[2] Sweeps episodes air in February, May, July and November, the periods when advertising rates are set. A character is marked as "sweeps" when there is a very limited number of episodes that address their sexuality, all air during sweeps period, and the storyline is otherwise ignore/dropped.