‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Creator Shonda Rhimes Spills Secrets About Season 12
With Season 12 of Grey’s Anatomy getting ready to premiere, many are anxiously waiting to learn what direction Shonda Rhimes is planning on taking the series. While the tragic death of Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) really shook things up last season, what can fans expect for the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial?
For starters, Rhimes recently told Variety that she has no plans to introduce a new romance for Meredith (Ellen Pompeo). “I have not planned to [bring in a love interest for Meredith], and that’s not really the focus of what we’re doing with her right now.”
Although Meredith certainly went through a lot last season with the death of Derek and the birth of a new child, Rhimes promised that Meredith will going through a lot of changes in the coming season.
“I think Meredith is in a rebirth and she’s evolving. I’m watching the character do what the character’s doing and I’ll see where it goes,” she explained. “I’m not going to say we’re definitely not doing it, because I could be wrong, but that’s not my plan right now. You can’t just drop a guy in and be like, ‘There he is!'”
Meanwhile, aside from relationship issues, Rhimes revealed that one of the biggest questions that will be answered right away centers on whether or not Bailey (Chandra Wilson) will become chief of surgery.
“I think that’s going to be one of the best, most interesting things that we’re going to watch at the beginning of the season,” Rhimes explained.
With so many things changing for the show as it enters Season 12, Rhimes looked back at previous challenges and explained how they have helped her through the more difficult times in the show.
“Christina (Sandra Oh) left, and for me, that was the most profound change. I thought to myself, If I can figure out what to without Christina in there, then I will be okay,” Rhimes related. “The beginning of last season was the most challenging for me, and once I knew that we could do that, I felt like we could do anything.”
At the same time, one aspect of Grey’s Anatomy that has made it so successful is its inclusion of female leads, which is not something that is going to change anytime soon. With that in mind, Kerry Washington, who works with Rimes on Scandal, recently told People that Rhimes pulls a lot from her personal experiences when writing for her shows.
“Her identity as a woman – and the fact that she is a mother – lends to an understanding of people’s range of experiences in life,” Washington stated.
Season 12 of Grey’s Anatomy premieres September 24 on ABC.
[Image Courtesy: ABC]
