Derek Who? Grey’s Anatomy Just Brought Back a Forgotten Element Fans Have Been Begging For

The hints of a Derek Shepherd replacement finally being revealed in Grey’s Anatomy season 21 make the return of one sidelined feature of the medical drama possible in season 22. Derek’s relationship with Meredith in Grey’s Anatomy made him a key character, propelling him to the forefront because of their connection, despite his not being an intern at Seattle Grace.

The sharp turns of Meredith and Derek’s epic relationship set the tone for the romance in the medical drama’s first 11 seasons, with Derek’s death in Grey’s Anatomy season 11 working as the end of an era that made appearances connected to him difficult. However, Grey’s Anatomy season 21 hinting at Lucas being his replacement can make those happen again.

Lucas’s Similarities With Derek Call For The Shepherd Family’s Return (Even New Characters)

Grey’s Anatomy season 21’s focus on Lucas Adams centered on his relationship with Simone and the immovable certainty he would have had to repeat his intern year after he chose to operate on Sam Sutton without an attending’s presence in the OR. However, glimpses of other parts of Lucas’s life highlighted his similarities with Derek in Grey’s Anatomy season 21.

Lucas finding himself at the right place and time with Ndugu and Webber in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 2 revealed how good he was at playing golf, even prompting Richard to compare Lucas to his uncle Derek because of that.

Unrelatedly, Lucas’s attempts to make a young patient feel at ease despite her tricky condition in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, episode 15 revealed his being “good at girl talk” because he had four sisters, directly mirroring Derek, who was also a brother to four sisters. These glimpses couldn’t develop into bigger storylines, but they established Lucas’s parallels with Derek.

Grey’s Anatomy seasons 20 and 21 showed the other interns in Lucas’s group receiving different kinds of visits from their families, but the Shepherds’ involvement in Lucas’s life wasn’t shown, except for Amelia revealing the truth about his family. Their absence warrants their return in Grey’s Anatomy season 22, even if it’s Lucas’s sisters, thus new Shepherds, making an appearance.

Why Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 Is The Best Time For The Shepherds To Return

The ups and downs in Simone and Lucas’s relationship and Lucas’s remediation problems took over Grey’s Anatomy season 21 completely when Lucas’s story was concerned. Coupled with Mika’s family and Blue’s past dominating so much of the interns’ storylines, it makes sense that the Shepherds have yet to appear, despite Lucas having been almost in mortal danger in season 21.

However, the focus on Jules and Simone’s families in Grey’s Anatomy seasons 19 and 20 makes season 22 the time for the Shepherds to return. Indeed, despite revealing from the beginning Lucas’s close connection to Amelia and Meredith, Grey’s Anatomy has yet to disclose which of Amelia and Derek’s sisters is Lucas’s mother.

Even if to reap chaos in Amelia and Lucas’s lives, Grey’s Anatomy season 22 can bring back the Shepherds and continue building Derek’s family’s complicated bonds, picking up where season 15 left off. Lucas sailing off into his residency’s second year and the impending breakup of his and Simone’s relationship make their return that easier in Grey’s Anatomy season 22.