Grey’s Anatomy is known for many things, and towards the top of that list is the series’ love triangles. Meredith, whose romantic interludes have been filled with loads of drama, certainly has some options on that front between DeLuca and newcomer Cormac Hayes. Ahead of the impending Season 17, Grey’s Anatomy’s showrunner is offering up some insight into Meredith’s latest love conundrum.
DeLuca and Meredith have been a thing for a considerable amount of time. However, Season 16 saw their relationship shift, and the momentum may continue when Grey’s Anatomy returns for Season 17. The series’ showrunner, Krista Vernoff, teased the road ahead between Meredith, DeLuca, and Cormac Hayes, told TVLine:
I’m at the point with that story where I don’t know who I am rooting for. I don’t know if I think that DeLuca is rising to a level of dark and twisty and life experience that makes him somehow a [suitably] mature partner for Meredith. Or if all that Hayes has been through in his life already makes him her equal. I am delighted to have such a conundrum.
It sounds like Grey’s Anatomy’s showrunner does not think either of DeLuca or Hayes are quite on Meredith’s level. DeLuca had a major meltdown in the most recent season, which came to an early end due to Hollywood shutdowns. Now, fans are looking ahead to Meredith’s romantic prospects in Season 17. Well, that, and waiting to see if Grey’s Anatomy can redeem Teddy from her own love triangle behavior.
As for Meredith’s triangle, Grey’s Anatomy’s showrunner has acknowledged that what she wrote on the page and what eventually made it to the screen had a different impact due to the various actors’ portrayals. Speaking to Giacomo Gianniotti and Richard Flood’s performances, Krista Vernoff said:
I thought that both Giacomo and Richard rose so beautifully to the occasion of the storytelling. You write a script and you think it’s one thing and then you see it shot and put it together and it becomes something entirely different… I honestly don’t know how it will end.
It seems that viewers are not the only ones in the dark as to how Grey’s Anatomy will resolve the triangle with Meredith in the middle. Whatever ends up happening, fans undoubtedly hope it will be less controversial than how the medical drama chose to write off Meredith’s BFF, Alex Karev.
If you have been worried about DeLuca, it sounds like he will continue to be a love interest for Meredith, which is good news for fans of the couple. Of course, there is a bit of a downside with that news, since Hayes is still very much a player for Meredith’s heart.
Nicknamed “McWidow,” the character joined Grey’s Anatomy last season to take over Karev’s formerly-held position at the hospital, and his past is tragic. Hayes' wife died of cancer, and he is now a single dad to two kids. Considering that Meredith also lost the love of her life with whom she has children, the connection is pretty palatable between them. They share something in common that Meredith does not have with DeLuca. Not that having deaths in common is the best thing.
This is not the first time that Meredith has had to consider her romantic prospects on Grey’s Anatomy with DeLuca in the running. He did end up winning out in the past, but time will tell if he and Meredith end up working out for the long run, or if Hayes is what the doctor ordered for the future.
Past seasons of Grey’s Anatomy are currently streaming on Netflix, along with new 2020 additions. While you wait to see how Meredith’s love triangle gets resolved in Season 17, check out this summer’s premieres.
