Callie Torres is loved by many, but there are Grey's Anatomy fans out there who have some unconventional ideas and a few unpopular opinions about this empowering ortho Chief. Callie might have been an inspiring figure in many ways, but like most Shondaland characters, she was flawed.
Callie had storylines that brought out the dynamic parts of her character, especially when it came to her self-exploration. Generally accepted as a strong female character, there are some opinions about her that aren't that flattering, or go against the majority.
She Was Manipulative About The Pregnancy
User jokerjoel1 on Reddit feels that Callie's manipulation of Arizona when it came to having babies doesn't get as much flak as Owen's or Burke's, both of whom were also controlling in nature. The user states, "We see people call Burke and Owen manipulative for what they did to Cristina ... I barely see any about Callie and Arizona."
Fans will, however, recall that Callie wanted Arizona to be a part of her future plans involving the baby but she also gave her a choice to be in or out. She also didn't pressure Arizona to think about a second baby, if anything having another baby was Arizona's idea. But the latter changed her mind after suffering a miscarriage, and Callie simply wasn't aware of her change of heart.
She Took Advantage Of George
Callie's behavior with the gentle George O'Malley was also far from ideal, as far as some fans are concerned. As angel spawn notes, Callie took advantage of George's vulnerability, even though she knew that he didn't feel strongly for her. The Redditor goes as far as to say that, "She used a moment of vulnerability and weakness to tie herself to him ..." and their whirlwind Vegas marriage that was Callie's brainwave made no sense whatsoever.
While Grey's Anatomy fans most certainly didn't see that particular romance coming, it is usually George who comes under heat for having cheated on Callie with Izzie. For the majority of fans at the time, nothing justified George's sudden fall from grace, and Callie Torres was elevated in their eyes.
Callie Got Obnoxious On The Relationship Front
Reddit user shevrolet is vocal about how Callie is insufferable when it comes to how she handles relationships. According to them, "Work-Callie is tough, upbeat, innovative and interesting. Relationship-Callie is an obnoxious trainwreck." And this could be said to be true: for someone who was smart and innovative when it came to cutting-edge surgery, she messed up her personal life pretty spectacularly.
But this opinion stands out as controversial since, as one of the lead couples on the show, fans adored Calzona, and Callie especially. The latter was relatable and audiences connected with her from very early on. In fact, it was Arizona whom fans commonly blamed for cheating on Callie and pushing their relationship over that precarious edge it was already hanging on.
Shipping Callie & Mark
Japril<3 on Reddit wonders why these two never ended up together, seeing how they were the only constants in each other's lives and "the only two people who fundamentally understand each other in a way Lexie and Arizona didn't."
The mainstream opinion, of course, is that Callie and Mark's relationship represented a pure friendship. While there were other friendships on the show that never turned into a romance, like famously seen between Alex Karev and Meredith Grey, what Callie and Mark's had was complex, yet fundamentally simple. They loved each other, but not romantically, and that was what made it special.
Calzona Never Worked
A thoroughly unpopular opinion, Reddit user mercy_death comments that Callie and Arizona were a dreadful couple who never really worked. The fan states that "Callie is life's eternal victim." What they mean here is that she perpetually played the victim card ever since the arc involving Arizona moving to Africa, which ended up hurting their relationship.
But seeing how Calzona was one of the most beloved couples on the show, this is definitely one against the trend. Of course, Callie and Arizona had a journey that was far from smooth, but they were one of the couples on Grey's Anatomy who should never have worked, but did. Fans were deeply disappointed when life dealt such raw deals to this lovely couple.
Callie & Bailey Were Fun
In a fun but unpopular opinion, Redditor annalanay suggests that Callie and Bailey are an overlooked pair who often helped each other out. The user even calls their relationship, "One of the most hilarious and also heart-warming scenes in Grey’s." The way these two unconventional women encouraged one another was iconic, yet underrated.
But Callie and Bailey are only ever mentioned when discussing Bailey's pettiness regarding the whole Chief Resident incident when Callie was chosen over Bailey and the latter took every opportunity to demean her. Their camaraderie doesn't get as much popular attention and isn't rated as one of the more fun friendships on the show, thus making this user's perspective quite unpopular.
She Made Everything About Herself
Redditor redbenoit has a bone to pick with Callie for what they see as her perpetual selfishness: "Callie acts as though she was on that plane," the user points out, noting that she somehow behaved as if the plane crash had affected her the worst when she had, after all, not even been on the plane.
Yet, this is yet another opinion that goes against the grain since Callie was loved for having an admirable side to her character. She was smart and independent, determined, and one of the few characters on the show who exuded body positivity. Sure, she wasn't perfect, but the general idea is that her strength far surpassed any chinks in her character. And although she wasn’t on the plane, the crash did affect her as Mark (her best friend) died, while she also looked after Arizona and their daughter while Arizona recovered.
The Decision To Amputate Wasn't Wrong
Another not-so-popular opinion on Reddit is that Callie made the right decision when she gave Karev the green signal to amputate Arizona's leg. Holly_Golightly39 categorically states that "She made a medical decision, as the most qualified in the field there." While Callie didn't have enough time to ponder on the best solution being in surgery at the time, it could be said that it was the best thing to do to save Arizona's life.
Arizona's devastating arc as she dealt with the aftermath of the plane crash in one of the most shocking Grey's Anatomy finales in season 8 left fans reeling. She was, justifiably, bitter and took her frustrations out on Callie, blaming her for making the decision to amputate without her consent. The harrowing situation polarized fans, although most felt for Arizona at this time and not for Callie, even if she was only doing what she thought was right.
Callie Was Rude To Erica
Fans have hated the stoic Erica Hahn for decades with a sort of frenzied determination. Yet, in probably one of the most unpopular opinions about Callie Torres, twirlingparasol states that Callie could have behaved better, especially during that beautiful coming-out speech after Erica discovers her true sexual orientation. The way Callie made her uncomfortable, "was just freaking sad," says the Redditor.
But what this user believes is highly controversial, as Hahn is disliked for being obnoxious to Cristina Yang, and more importantly for leaving Callie without any intimation. More importantly, it is difficult to pass judgment on Callie's behavior since she too was only just discovering a new side to her and didn't mean to hurt Erica on purpose.
Callie & Owen Shippers
A very unpopular opinion from trashpup suggests that Callie should have ended up with Owen Hunt. According to them, one of the reasons they would have made an ideal couple was that "they both want big families and have/had partners who didn't or were hesitant."
While this is controversial, Owen and Callie were definitely similar in more ways than one. They also both had partners who were involved in the plane crash and were similarly controlling in their relationships. Fans might recall that Callie and Owen were shown as a couple in season 8's alternate universe episode, "If/Then," complete with kids. This probably means that writers did think along similar lines, if only for an episode.