Callie and Arizona will go to battle in episode 22 of “Grey’s Anatomy.” And according to actor Kevin McKidd, who stars on the hit ABC series as Owen, the former couple won’t just be fighting for custody of their daughter — they’ll also be fighting for their lives “in a sense” as they go head-to-head in the courtroom.

“It was intense to shoot and I think it’s going to be really intense to watch,” McKidd, who directed the upcoming Season 12 installment, titled “Mama Tried,” told to TVLine. “It’s very emotional, very powerful.”

One reason audiences will find the forthcoming episode uneasy to watch is that it will pit Callie (Sara Ramirez) against Arizona (Jessica Capshaw). “The audience loves Callie. The audience loves Arizona. We want them both to be okay,” he said.

But according to a sneak-peek video of episode 22, neither of Sofia’s (Eva Ariel Binder) mothers will come out of this chaos unscathed. A promo video shows Sofia’s parents fighting with one another through their lawyers, which adds fuel to the fire.

“They do try to connect at a certain point,” McKidd teases of a potential reconciliation. “But the lawyers get in there and do their lawyering thing and cause damage ... They try to stay civil, but it’s hard when things get thrown at you by a lawyer. Arizona especially, I think, really feels hard done in the courtroom.”

Fans get a glimpse at the drama set to go down in court when Callie’s lawyer suggests Arizona is less qualified to receive custody because she’s not Sofia’s biological mother.

“I’m going to have to stop you before you continue for your own sake. You’re not going to imply that I am any less Sofia’s mother because we don’t share the same DNA,” Arizona says in the trailer. “Because that would be offensive. It would be offensive to anyone in the room who has an adopted child or is an adopted child.”

Although McKidd didn’t reveal who he thinks will be granted custody, he did unveil to TVLine that the aftermath of the episode “plays out in a really interesting way in the lead-up to the finale.”

The actor dished that while episode 22 will be intense, there’s a “beautiful payoff in the finale” that’s connected to the custody drama.

“Grey’s Anatomy” airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.

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