Grey's Anatomy's Newest Intern Casts A Completely Different Light On Derek
Turns out, even 17 years later, a new character can make fans remember one of the very first characters in Grey's Anatomy and change the way we see him.
Grey's Anatomy Season 19 is shaping up to be a trip down memory lane for the show's long-time fans. Between the return of beloved characters Kate Walsh's Addison Montgomery and Jesse Williams' Jackson Avery and heartwarming homages to the early cast of the show, it is easy to overlook the new characters and their role in the nostalgic journey.
However, the showrunner Krista Vernoff explained to Variety how one of the new interns provides a new perspective on fan-favorite Derek Shepherd who died in a car crash in season 11.
At the end of season 18, we meet a group of Grey Sloan's new interns played by Midori Francis, Harry Shum Jr., Alexis Floyd, Adelaide Kane, and Niko Terho. Meredith Grey takes "the new blood" under her wing.
While the interns with their jokes and group dynamics were definitely created to remind fans of the original season 1 gang, the presence of one of them serves as the most obvious nod to Grey's Anatomy past.
One of the newbies, Niko Terho's Lucas Adams, turns out to be Derek Shepherd's nephew, which is not so shocking considering how great Lucas' hair is.
Long-time fans know that Derek had many sisters and even more nieces and nephews. Actually, already in Episode 2 of the show, Derek tells Meredith that his sisters have "tons of kids." Later on, he mentions that he has exactly nine nieces and five nephews.
Besides the recurring character of Amelia, Derek's other sisters — Nancy, Kathleen, and Lizzie — have also appeared in the show over its 19 seasons. Since all of them are doctors, it is not surprising that one of their kids decided to go the family route and become a surgeon.
However, Krista Vernoff sees Lucas' appearance not only as a pleasant link to the past but also as a way to take a new look at Derek and his sister Amelia.
Lucas obviously has the features of both uncle and aunt, and it means that while other new interns act as reminders of season 1 interns, Lucas shows how Derek and Amelia behaved when they were surgical interns. Since we never saw Derek as an intern, Lucas' story arc could definitely throw new light on his character and background.