Grey's Anatomy: Another Major Character Exits the Show

[Warning: This post contains spoilers from Episode 5 of Grey's Anatomy, "Danger Zone." Read at your own risk.]

If Thursday's night's Grey's Anatomyfelt like a happy ending for Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson) and Megan Hunt (Abigail Spencer), that's probably because it was. Emphasis on "ending." TV Guide has learned that Henderson is exiting after three years with the Shondaland series, making the final moments of "Danger Zone" all the more sentimental.

"I loved that we were able to give Riggs a happy ending worthy of his character and talent," creator Shonda Rhimes said in a statement to TV Guide of his departure. "As for Martin, this is not an ending for our relationship. He has been part of the Shondaland family since the pilot of Inside the Box and he will always be family. I can't wait to find a new project to work with him on in the future."

The flashback-filled episode finally unveiled the truth about the events leading up to Hunt's kidnapping, including the big reveal that she cheated on Riggs before their hasty engagement. She later learned that he not only cheated as well, he also proposed to her with another woman's necklace and the two had a major spat. In an effort to avoid him, Hunt decided to ride along with an injured patient who turned out to be a terrorist and she ended up in captivity for a decade.

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Despite that drama-filled last meeting, Riggs and Hunt decided to leave it all in the past and give their relationship another shot. The episode's closing shots find Riggs, Hunt and her adopted son Farouk in a tear-filled embrace as they prepare for their new journey together in Los Angeles, closing the book on their time at Grey Sloan in Seattle -- but maybe not forever.

Henderson told Deadline there is always the chance that he'll return Grey's Anatomy down the line. "I would never close the door. In my mind it's been left open-ended enough," Henderson said. "I think providing an exit for the character where there's a possibility for him to return is always nice... If the opportunity came in the future with an interesting storyline, I'd be happy to explore."

However, we don't know how happy Meredith would be to see Riggs return.

Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.