Meredith & Derek's Relationship On 'Gray's Anatomy' Would Never Happen Today, According To The Showrunner

Meredith Gray and Derek Shepard's love story is one of the most enduring, heartbreaking loves on television. It's what kept fans coming back to Gray Sloan Memorial Hospital year after year – Meredith and Derek's relationship on 2018 Gray's Anatomy would not have happened.

According to People, showrunner Krista Vernoff revealed that in the 15 years since the show became a cultural phenomenon, the way society views relationships between people who work together has changed drastically. "If you look at, for example, Meredith Gray (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) through the lens of Time 's Up and #MeToo, he was her boss, she was an intern, and she kept saying,' No, walk away from me, '"she said. "And it's still going on, and it's probably not a story we've seen today, and it's a beautiful reflection of the changing times."

In fact, it was this different way of looking at the reality of the world, in which the widowed surgeon finds himself in a love triangle with the handsome resident Andrew DeLuca, played by Giacomo Gianniotti.

"This season, we're doing a little bit of a backlit as we begin to build this love triangle that's emerging with DeLuca as one of the people in that triangle, and he is a resident and Meredith is an attending, and we're having to address it we would never have before, "Vernoff revealed.

She continued, "We're having a conversation about power dynamics, how do we know that we're doing it?"

Of course, the issue of power dynamics and co-workers is one of the first and most important aspects of a conversation about women's issues and empowerment. In January, Pompeo revealed in an interview The Hollywood Reporter that being the star Gray's Anatomy, she had been paid less than Dempsey for much of her run. However, ahead of season 14, the actress managed to negotiate an astounding $ 20 million contract, making her the highest paid actress on a primetime drama.

In that same interview, Pompeo also reflected on the fact that the time is moving towards becoming empowered in Hollywood. "In the last few weeks, a lot of us actresses in town have been having these meetings [as part of the Time’s Up initiative]. We've been sharing stories and trying to figure out how to help other people, "she said." And I'll tell you, sitting in rooms full of Oscar-winning actresses listening to how they 've been preyed upon and badaulted is frightening. And it's confirmed that my path really was the right one for me, because I've chosen to financially empower myself so that I never have to be predators and chasing trophies. "

The rise of the #MeToo movement and the Time's Up Initiatives are just a few examples of how to make a difference in the world of Hollywood and the world around them. By making sure that these changes are reflected onscreen, Gray's Anatomy is showing how it understands the importance of women's voices and opinions now, in a way that feels both exciting and empowering. Even if it does not mean that one of the most iconic couple might have existed.