Grey’s Anatomy: 10 Cool Facts About Meredith & Derek’s Relationship Fans Didn’t Know

Season 19 has introduced a new character in intern Lucas Adams, who is Derek Shepherd’s nephew. This has made Grey’s Anatomy fans nostalgic for the days when Derek and Meredith Grey fell in love while working at the hospital. Derek’s death in the season 11 episode “How to Save a Life” is still one of the saddest parts of the whole series, and while Meredith has found a way to move forward, she can never forget this epic love story.

From the famous post-it note wedding to how Patrick Dempsey returned for that sweet season 17 beach scene, there are many fun behind-the-scenes facts about Meredith and Derek’s romance that fans will want to know about.

Patrick Dempsey Wrote Vows On The Post-It Note

Some of Meredith and Derek’s famous Grey’s Anatomy quotes include when they get married via Post-it note in season 5. They promise to love each other forever and to make sure that they always look out for each other, and it’s generally considered one of the most swoonworthy moments from the show.

According to a Buzzfeed article from 2013, the propmaster, Angela Whiting, said “The marriage Post-it is unusual, because it’s something they actually built on camera. Which is rare.” and “He’s writing the dialogue down as they’re saying it.”

Meredith And Derek Weren’t Always Going To Have Kids

Meredith and Derek have three children named Ellis, Derek, and Zola, and watching the couple build a family was moving and beautiful. Meredith gave birth to her third baby after Derek’s death, which was heartbreaking.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly after the season 6 finale, Shonda Rhimes was asked about originally not wanting the couple to become parents. Rhimes said, “Yes. I’ve written my way out of that I think” and added “this is the beginning of the baby story.”

Ellen Pompeo Doesn’t Like Meredith’s “Pick Me” Speech

It’s intense when Meredith finds out that Derek is married to Addison Montgomery in the season 1 finale. In season 2, Meredith tells Derek that he should “choose me, pick me, love me” over Addison. While this is thought of as a romantic scene, Ellen Pompeo doesn’t like Meredith’s words here.

In 2020, Pompeo told Variety that while she liked that Meredith is “a female lead — with a career,” she wasn’t a fan of Meredith telling Derek to choose her over Addison. Pompeo said, “I was like, ‘Why am I begging a man to love me?’ To me, that’s not empowering.”

Pompeo Wanted Patrick Dempsey To Return In Season 17

Some of the best Grey’s Anatomy season 17 scenes are when Meredith sees the people who she cares about on the beach, including Derek. It’s awe-inspiring to see the couple getting the chance to be together again, even if in a dream sequence.

Showrunner Krista Vernoff said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, she wanted to “bring joy, and escape, and fan candy, and all the things that at Grey’s Anatomy we give people,” according to a Deadline article from 2020. Pompeo suggested having Derek and Meredith see each other on the beach and shared that she and Patrick Dempsey live in Malibu and went for a beach walk and the idea came together.

Pompeo Wished Meredith Was The Only Character On Posters

While Derek and Meredith’s romance is a big part of the show and spans many episodes, the series has always been mainly about Meredith’s ambition and journey. According to TV Line, in 2015 Pompeo said that fans being upset that Derek was off the show was “difficult for my ego.”

Pompeo compared her character to the leads in How To Get Away With Murder and Scandal and asked, “Why can’t I just be the lead of the show the way Annalise and Olivia can? Why can’t I be on that poster by myself?”

Shonda Rhimes Chose Derek’s Death Over Him Breaking Up With Meredith

Meredith and Derek will always be a favorite Grey’s Anatomy couple, which made the end of Derek’s story even more dramatic and meaningful. Shonda Rhimes knew that Derek and Meredith’s relationship had to conclude because she and Dempsey talked about ending his contract. Rhimes knew that if Derek broke up with Meredith, that would change everything about their romance, and she didn’t want to do.

Rhimes explained at the TCA press tour in the summer of 2015. “That was going to suggest that the love was not true, the thing we had said for 11 years was a lie and McDreamy wasn’t McDreamy. For me, that was untenable,” according to E! News.

Executives Didn’t Like How Meredith And Derek’s Love Story Started

After Meredith and Derek sleep together for the first time, Meredith goes to her internship the next morning and sees Derek, realizing that he’s a surgeon at the hospital, where she is starting her career.

According to Yahoo! News, Rhimes appeared on the 9 to 5ish With the Skimm podcast in 2022 and explained that executives were upset about this storyline. Rhimes said that they told her, “nobody was gonna watch a show about a woman who would sleep with a man the night before her first day of work.”

Not Every Writer Liked Derek And Meredith’s Season 11 Fights About Work

Meredith and Derek’s season 11 relationship takes a turn when they begin arguing all the time about finding a balance between their work and family time. While Meredith explains to Derek that her career matters too, Derek has gotten the chance to work for the President and wants to explore that.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2014, Rhimes explained that this storyline led to a lot of discussion among the writers. Rhimes said, “There was a lot of blowback from the guys in the writers’ room and that was really fun to fight. It was really interesting to have those arguments.”

Dempsey Knew The Post-It Wedding Was The Right Storyline

Meredith and Derek’s post-it note marriage is the Grey’s Anatomy couple’s most iconic scene. It makes sense because the characters have always done things their own way and in their own time. It’s sweet that Meredith wants to get married to Derek today as she explains that there are problems every day and there is never a moment to stop and breathe and relax.

In 2012, when asked by TV Line if he would have been happy with a “traditional wedding,” Dempsey explained that wouldn’t be part of the couple’s storyline. The actor said, “I would’ve liked that, but that’s not going to happen. I think probably when there’s a real [Mer-Der] wedding it’s the end [of the series].”

Rhimes Knew She Wanted To Introducing Addison Early On

The creative decision to have Derek be married to Addison, who comes to the hospital at the end of season 1, was a clever one as it sets up tension and drama. Meredith can’t fathom that Derek would keep this secret and neither can viewers, who are now wondering what’s going to happen to this beloved couple.

Rhimes explained in an interview published in the December 2006 O Magazine issue that since season 1 was filmed before the show aired, she wanted to really go for it and make sure that she was telling a compelling story. Rhimes said, “I thought, ‘If I’m going to write a series, I’m putting in everything I can think of.’ Why not have McDreamy’s wife show up in the ninth episode and see what happens?”

Fans can stream Grey’s Anatomy on Hulu and Netflix.

Grey’s Anatomy will return on February 23rd, 2023 with season 19 episode 7 “I’ll Follow The Sun.”

NEXT: The 10 Best TV Shows To Watch On Netflix This Month