Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-24979796-20141003111126/@comment-4287993-20141005205636

Just for the record, what you call 'original ending' is the one you made up, right? I don't think Cristina's absence would have that big of an impact on the major events from the series. Maybe Callie and Owen becoming a couple could've happened, seeing they also befriended more in season 9 when their spouses where depresssed/moved out of town, but Alex and Meredith's love lives have nothing to do with Cristina. She often was their sounding board, but they found their partners on their own. The shooting would've happened anyway, as Cristina wasn't involved in Alison Clark's case. The only difference is that Derek would have died, which would make Meredith even more dark and twisty and uninterested in accepting Richard. Both George and Izzie's departures had nothing to do with Cristina, albeit that Izzie may have chosen not to fight the cancer without Cristina being there to push her. The plane would've crashed as well, so Lexie would die too.

Sandra Oh is not the kind to burn bridges. She knew every single crew member by name and talked to them on a regular basis, also offering each and every one of them a gift when she left. Plus, she has been described as the most dedicated and genuine actress by basically every co-star.