Grey's Anatomy Completely Replaces Derek & Meredith In Season 23

Published Sep 19, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT Antonella Gugliersi (she/them) has been a feature writer for Screen Rant since 2021. While studying for her bachelor’s in Economics & Management, they started writing about movies and TV shows for Turin-based The Unconventional Mag. After a brief internship at TPI, she decided she wanted to pursue journalism and graduated with a degree in International Journalism from Brunel University. Grey’s Anatomy season 23’s trailer points to one pairing in particular having what it takes to continue Meredith and Derek’s legacy as the ABC medical drama’s most iconically tumultuous couple. Indeed, Meredith and Derek’s relationship drama was so ever-present in Grey’s Anatomy’s earlier seasons and indicative of what the show always did best that several of the pivotal moments in their relationship have reached well beyond the fans of the medical drama. The place they held within pop culture made it difficult to replace Meredith and Derek’s relationship in Grey’s Anatomy, even if the show originated plenty of memorable couples. While this might have been impossible to consider shortly after Derek’s death in Grey’s Anatomy season 11, it has become easier to do so with the medical drama itself changing and introducing new characters over the years. It also helped that Meredith not only found a new love worthy of following her epic romance with Derek but also mostly disappeared from the day-to-day of Grey Sloan. Trying to reproduce the magic of early days MerDer, as Meredith and Derek’s pairing is known, thus feels less like a betrayal and more like channeling the drama that always made Grey’s Anatomy great. New first-year residents in Grey’s Anatomy season 19 meant new characters and thus new dynamics, making that reality easier. Lucas and Simone’s connection already had all the markings to make them Meredith and Derek’s successors, and Grey’s Anatomy season 23’s trailer pushed that even further by teasing their relationship taking a central place again in the upcoming season’s story. Grey's Anatomy Season 23 Trailer Moves Lucas & Simone's Romance Forward Grey’s Anatomy season 23’s teaser trailer could only briefly touch upon the many storylines the season premiere will feature. However, looking at the ones it chose to spotlight and how, it is clear that Lucas and Simone’s romantic endeavors are far from over. After all, their steamy chance encounter simultaneously reminds viewers of where Grey’s Anatomy previously left them and establishes the context in which Lucas and Simone will interact in season 23, with Lucas’s sassy attitude being on show just like it was in Grey’s Anatomy season 22’s finale. Lucas and Simone immediately connected when they first joined Grey Sloan Memorial in Grey’s Anatomy season 19, and they shortly after became romantically entangled. Their staying in one another’s orbit even after Simone had decided to marry her ex-fiancé Trey made ignoring their feelings incredibly difficult, lending their romance an aura of inevitability, which made their romantic relationship progress exceptionally fast once they got together. In contrast, Grey’s Anatomy season 22 saw Simone and Lucas intently apart, despite Simone and Wes Bryant’s involvement remaining a fling by design. Grey’s Anatomy season 23’s trailer hinting at Lucas actively pursuing Simone is a result of their hooking up in season 22, episode 17. More importantly, the emotional turmoil of losing Katie and seeing Simone open her home to give Katie palliative care rearranged Lucas’s priorities, at least once he realized how Simone had supported him. That Lucas only decided to do so after Wes attempted to turn his and Simone’s fling into a more stable relationship is unfortunate timing, which can stir the type of trouble that pushes Lucas and Simone’s relationship to the forefront in Grey’s Anatomy season 23. Lucas & Simone's Story Follows Meredith & Derek's Arc Image via ABC Simone seemingly accepting Wes’s proposal to officially date despite being unable to stay away from Lucas is reminiscent of where Meredith and Derek’s relationship was in Grey’s Anatomy season 2. As Derek chose to make his marriage to Addison work and Meredith tried to move on with Finn, they still had feelings for one another, which inevitably interfered with their respective relationships. Unlike Derek, Lucas seemed to know what he wanted in Grey’s Anatomy season 22’s finale, and his certainty is unlikely to disappear in season 23. Even before their time apart, Lucas and Simone’s bond mirrored Meredith and Derek’s. From their inability to be just friends whenever they found themselves spending time together to their relationship feeling meant to be, Lucas and Simone’s pairing had plenty in common with MerDer, down to the unexpected confessions at the hospital. However, unlike Meredith and Derek, Lucas and Simone’s relationship didn’t come to a stop temporarily because of external factors. Instead, Lucas and Simone’s expectations from their relationship differed at Grey’s Anatomy season 22’s beginning, with Lucas already planning for their future and Simone living in the moment. Their problems being different doesn’t erase the fact that Simone and Lucas feel at times direct heirs to Meredith and Derek. Indeed, Simone having a complicated history with Grey Sloan Memorial because of the family tragedies that happened there makes her a perfect Meredith replacement. Lucas being a Shepherd and trying to live up to the expectations connected to it makes it difficult not to think of Derek, especially at times when Lucas is most impulsive. With Grey’s Anatomy season 23 possibly rekindling Simone and Lucas’s romance while she is dating someone else, the similarities to MerDer can be endless. Why It's Time For Grey's Anatomy To Move On From MerDer MovieStillsDB It’s impossible for Meredith and Derek’s relationship not to be synonymous with Grey’s Anatomy. Not only did the medical drama’s series premiere intensely focus on it and the conundrum it caused since Meredith was an intern at Seattle Grace, but their relationship also continued to be at the center of the story, influencing several characters beyond the couple. At the same time, two decades have passed. As a result, viewers’ sensibilities have also changed, to the point that it’s easier to perceive Derek’s actions in Grey’s Anatomy negatively, especially as he relentlessly pursued Meredith while being her superior. Meredith and Derek’s relationship made Grey’s Anatomy history, and it would be unfair to diminish what their worst decisions contributed to the medical drama positively. At the same time, it’s also time to move on from them. MerDer will always remain a fixture of Grey’s Anatomy, but as Meredith’s path forward after Derek’s death proved, there is no point in remaining stuck in the past, as there are other stories that can be told. In resembling Meredith and Derek while also being their own characters, Lucas and Simone can do just that. After all, while their spur-of-the-moment decisions can cause just as much drama as MerDer did in the past, they also bring different points of view. This can lead to Grey’s Anatomy season 23 taking the most entertaining aspects of Meredith and Derek’s relationship while also doing something new with Lucas and Simone, bringing the medical drama into a new era. Enjoy ScreenRant's primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for my weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check "Network TV" in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series. Release Date March 27, 2005 Network ABC Directors Rob Corn, Kevin McKidd, Debbie Allen, Chandra Wilson, Allison Liddi-Brown, Jeannot Szwarc, Tony Phelan Cast Ellen Pompeo Dr. Meredith Grey Chandra Wilson Dr. Miranda Bailey Writers Shonda Rhimes, Julie Wong, Jen Klein, Tameson Duffy, Meg Marinis Creator(s) Shonda Rhimes, Michelle Lirtzman