Grey’s Anatomy’s two-hour season premiere saw Derek make a surprise return to the show in a Covid-induced dream that Meredith was having. The two of them met on the beach and, even though there was a lot of distance between them still, fans were delighted — after all, it was the first time they had seen Derek ‘McDreamy’ Shepherd in years.
Speculation that there could be more surprise visitors to the beach began pretty much right after the premiere, when Kevin McKidd (who plays Owen) promised McDreamy’s appearance was just “the tip of the iceberg”.
Sure enough, in the most recent episode, another person from Meredith’s past arrived on the beach, and it was the return that fans had been hoping for for a long, long time. 12 years after his character was killed off, T.R. Knight’s George O’Malley met Meredith on the beach and the two of them reminisced about their families and their intern class.
Showrunner Krista Vernoff previously revealed that fans will be seeing Derek “three more times” after the premiere, meaning there’s more McDreamy on the way, but she also hinted at some more surprises in store, as she told fans they’d have to tune in to find out who else may show up.
But, at the moment, it’s not clear whether George and Derek are the last of the blasts from the past, or if there are going to be more people coming to the beach in the coming weeks. So, with two more episodes until the show goes on winter break, here are 5 Grey’s Anatomy characters who may join Meredith on the beach.
1. Lexie Grey
If there are going to be more people joining Derek, Meredith and George, Lexie Grey seems to be the frontrunner to take a seat on the beach — at least, according to the fans.
She and Meredith never had a proper chance to say goodbye before her death at the end of season eight, as Meredith was trying to find Derek in the aftermath of the plane crash. And while she made a brief appearance back in season 15 as one of the spirits who visited Meredith on the Day of the Dead, bringing her back would give the half-siblings the chance for closure.
Plus, if there’s anyone who could convince Meredith that it’s time to ‘go back’, it would definitely be Little Grey. While the two of them didn’t get off to the best start when Lexie started working at the hospital in season four, their relationship went from strength to strength for the next few years. Sisterhood and family have been a strong theme throughout the last few seasons, so they could have Lexie appear and, after catching up with Meredith, have her encourage her to go back to her children and her friends at the hospital. And, much like Weber and Bailey appeared, maybe they could have Meredith’s other sisters, Amelia and Maggie, join them.
2. Mark Sloan
But it’s not just Lexie who fans are eager to see again. Many of them want her to return alongside Mark Sloan, the former chief of plastic surgery who passed away in season nine.
From the moment he arrived back in season two, Sloan quickly integrated into the lives of the doctors at the hospital: he was already Derek’s best friend, but he became really close to Meredith, and he was Lexie’s soulmate. Having the four of them back together, even if it was only in a dream and for just a few scenes, would be a wonderful treat for fans.
And since Mark often brought lightness, and even a little humour, to his scenes on the show, it would be a great way to add another layer to the oceanside reunions. They’ve all been heavy, emotional moments so far — like when Meredith realised she couldn’t actually get close to Derek, or when she and George were reminiscing at the lifeguard stand. So it would be great if they brought back someone for a reunion that would be a mix of heartfelt and more humorous moments.
3. Cristina Yang
No, she’s not dead, but that doesn’t mean that she can’t turn up to visit Meredith on the beach. The most recent episode showed that someone doesn’t have to be dead to appear on the beach: both Bailey and Weber were sitting beside George and Meredith at the end of the latest episode.
It seems to be the people who made a big impact on Meredith’s life that are appearing on the beach: Derek, her husband. George, who she says “changed her life”. Bailey and Richard, her mentors and now friends. So, besides Lexie or one of her parents showing up, Cristina is the next closest person that she has to family — her ‘person’, her Twisted Sister — which is why it would make sense for her to be on the beach.
Plus, her name did come up in the most recent episode, when Meredith and George were catching up. He asked her if she still danced it out when she was sad or stressed, to which Mer replied she didn’t — and hadn’t, since Cristina left back in season 10. Could the show be dropping clues as to who Meredith’s next guest on the beach will be?
4. Ellis Grey
Of all people, it would make a lot of sense for Meredith and Ellis to have a beachside reunion. Yes, the two of them had a bit of a strained relationship, but Ellis seems to return whenever her daughter needs her the most. And, considering Meredith currently seems a little unsure whether to ‘go back’ or not, this kind of seems like it’d be that time.
When they saw each other in the afterlife in season three, Ellis told her daughter that she was anything but ordinary before urging her to “keep going” and go back to her life. And while they reached a level of peace already, Meredith is seemingly going through a similar experience at the moment — and it would a great throwback for her mother to reappear and deliver the same kind of message: that she needs to go back to her life and her family; that she needs to keep going; and, as she said at the time, that she is “anything but ordinary.”
5. Doc the Dog
Admittedly, Doc probably shouldn’t be on the list, because, like we said, it’s ‘people’ who could show up on the beach. And as loveable and adorable as he is, Doc is, well, a dog.
Still, though, it would be a really nice nod to early Grey’s Anatomy if fans got to see Meredith and Derek reunited with the dog that they once shared, even if they only split custody of him for a short time.
Plus, it wouldn’t be the first time that Meredith saw Doc when she was having a near death experience. Back in season three, Meredith found herself in an afterlife-like universe after she fell into Elliott Bay — and a healthy Doc was among those who she met while she was there.
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