Nobody knows where “Grey’s Anatomy” might end up, but we never thought that it’d be here. This Thursday, September 24, the ABC medical drama created by Shonda Rhimes will launch its 12th season without its main male lead, Dr. Derek Shepherd, played by Patrick Dempsey. Fans across the nation mourned the death of the dreamy neurosurgeon last spring after he was fatally hit by a truck and became the victim of malpractice and inadequate medical training. This drastic and traumatic change in Meredith Grey’s life leaves us wondering what else is in store for her, now that one of the most important people in her life is gone, and whether the show will ever be the same without a crucial character .
From the very beginning, there was not a single doubt in anyone’s mind that Meredith and Derek would live happily ever after. Even with the return of Derek’s ex-wife, Adison Montgomery, drownings, shootings, airplane crashes, and natural disasters, it seemed as though the couple was invincible to any troubles that came their way, even death. This heart-wrenching plot twist leads the show to take on an entirely different dynamic, one that Rhimes boldly describes as a “rebirth.”
Though the pain in our hearts may never fully go away, the death of Derek allows us to see a side of Meredith that we may have never realized exists otherwise. Over the past 11 years, she planted her happiness in Derek as they fell in love and eventually made a life together. Now, with no one but herself to lean on, Meredith is forced to realize that what her “person” Cristina Yang told her long ago is true after all: Derek may be dreamy, but she is her own Sun.
Season 12 is anticipated to adapt a lighter tone than the rest of the series, focusing more on the celebration of Meredith’s new 
life rather than her mourning. Ellen Pompeo, the actress who plays Meredith, shared with Us Weekly that the loss of a spouse is a “very important human story to tell,” and that she, along with the rest of the cast and crew, aim to bring hope to those who are suffering in this way.
This brand new season will be airing on ABC Thursday, September 24, at 8/7C. Click here to watch the trailer to see just what’s in store.
