Few shows have been so long-running and consistently captivating as ABC’s medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. Through the series’ 12 season run, we’ve followed the lives and careers of surgeons in Seattle, although their personal lives have always been more of the focus of the show. As such, Grey’s fans have grown especially attached to these fictional couples, the most popular being Meredith Grey and McDreamy aka Derek Shepherd. Unfortunately, this couple had to end when actor Patrick Dempsey departed in Season 11, and McDreamy was killed off.
Most recently, Meredith has been dipping her toes into the dating and horizontal mambo world again, leading fans to wonder if her new boo will be the next McDreamy. Actress Ellen Pompeo recently responded to TV Line, saying:
There will only be one McDreamy ever. You know, he’s not replaceable.
Derek Shepherd fans can now breathe a sigh of relief. No character is going to replace him or ever take the mantle of McDreamy.
The question of the new McDreamy began earlier on this season of Grey’s Anatomy. After mourning her husband for a few years, Meredith is finally opening herself up to the idea of dating another man. And since it’s Grey’s Anatomy, both suitors have been medical professionals (because those are apparently the only residents of Seattle). Considering that the gentlemen who have helped Meredith get her groove back were both doctors and dreamy, it seemed that the title could be passed on.
Season 12 of Grey’s Anatomy saw Meredith slowly warming up to the idea of a new man in her life. We saw her first open up to Major Will Thorpe, who she met when the surgeons of Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital assisted a surgery in a nearby army hospital. After he flirted with her for an episode, she eventually gave him her number and the two briefly dated. Unfortunately, when Meredith woke up with Will in her bed after their third date, she totally freaked out and kicked him out of the house.
Then the big kicker of Meredith’s back season happened when she randomly had vehicular sex with Owen’s frenemy Nathan Riggs. Despite her initial disdain for the new doctor, Meredith decided to have a no-strings-attached sexual relationship, which seemed to give her the companionship she needed, without actually having to invest emotionally. Unfortunately for her, her sister Maggie is totally crushing on him, and there is sure to be a big conflict between the two of them when Maggie figures it out.
Personally, I’m glad that Grey’s Anatomy dumped the first guy and went with Riggs. This is a much more exciting and complicated plot line, because of Meredith’s relationship with both Maggie and Owen. And Cristina trusted Meredith with her ex-husband, so it might be a betrayal to not only Owen, but Cristina as well. Although we’d need Sandra Oh to come back for a guest appearance for that to matter.
What do you think of Meredith getting her groove back? Are you ready for a “new” McDreamy, or should she be a lone wolf for a while more? Sound off in the comments below.
