The hints of a Derek Shepherd replacement finally being revealed inGrey’s Anatomyseason 21 make the return of one sidelined feature of the medical drama possible in season 22.Derek’s relationship with Meredith inGrey’s Anatomymade 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, withDerek’s death inGrey’s Anatomyseason 11working as the end of an era that made appearances connected to him difficult. However,Grey’s Anatomyseason 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 Anatomyseason 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 DerekinGrey’s Anatomyseason 21.
Lucas finding himself at the right place and time with Ndugu and Webber inGrey’s Anatomyseason 21, episode 2 revealed how good he was at playing golf, evenprompting Richard to compare Lucas to his uncle Derekbecause of that.
Grey’s Anatomyseason 22 premieres on ABC at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 01, 2025.
Unrelatedly, Lucas’s attempts to make a young patient feel at ease despite her tricky condition inGrey’s Anatomyseason 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 Anatomyseasons 20 and 21 showed the other interns in Lucas’s group receiving different kinds of visits from their families, butthe Shepherds’ involvement in Lucas’s life wasn’t shown, except for Amelia revealing the truth about his family. Their absence warrants their return inGrey’s Anatomyseason 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 overGrey’s Anatomyseason 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 inGrey’s Anatomyseasons 19 and 20 makesseason 22 the time for the Shepherds to return. Indeed, despite revealing from the beginning Lucas’s close connection to Amelia and Meredith,Grey’s Anatomyhas yet to disclose which ofAmelia and Derek’s sisters is Lucas’s mother.
Even if to reap chaos in Amelia and Lucas’s lives,Grey’s Anatomyseason 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 inGrey’s Anatomyseason 22.
