Grey’s Anatomy fans --there’s good news and there’s bad news with the announcement that Eric Dane, who plays Callie and Arizona’s baby daddy Mark Sloane on the long-running series, is officially leaving Seattle Grace, according to TVLine.  The bad news is that another long-standing cast member is out the door in the wake of Chyler Leigh’s and Kim Raver’s departures at the end of this past season. But on the upside, it’s looking good that Arizona (Jessica Capshaw), one half of the most adorable girl/girl doc couple ever, will survive the season-ender plane crash and live to happily grow old with Callie (Sara Ramirez) and the baby. That is to say, as happy and settled as Shonda Rhimes  allows any of her characters to be.

Dane’s exit came after much consideration, Rhimes told TVLine, calling Mark –better known as McSteamy—“one of the most beloved characters on Grey’s Anatomy.” She said that Dane, Dane “did not come to this decision lightly, but after much consideration and conversations, he and I have decided that this is the right time for his storyline to end.”

The 8^th season finale, which killed off the love of Mark’s life Lexie (Chyler Leigh) in an plane crash left him suffering badly after cardiac arrest and Arizona with a mean injury that likely only her wife Callie could really fix. While it might seem like Mark could go as a result of injuries sustained in the crash TVLine reports that he will appear in a few episodes at the beginning of the season to wrap up his storyline.

Grey’s Anatomy premieres Sept. 27 on ABC. 

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