Meredith's Love Story In 'Grey's Anatomy' Season 15 Will Be "Very Relatable"

Dr. Meredith Grey is almost back in practice. When Grey's Anatomy returns for Season 15 on Sept. 27, our favorite medical guru will obviously throw herself back into work, but there's even more in store for her this year. Billed as the season of love, Season 15 symbolizes Meredith's official return to the dating game, but like with anything at Grey Sloan Memorial, it won't be easy. According to the drama's showrunner, Meredith's love story in Grey's Anatomy Season 15 will be "relatable." Well, seeing as we could only dream to live our own versions of the Meredith-Derek saga, it's about time we see ourselves in her love life.

The fifteenth season's trailer has already teased Meredith's surprise hookup with DeLuca, but based on what showrunner Krista Vernoff has spilled, we probably shouldn't expect him to become her one-and-done Prince Charming. Speaking to TVLine, Vernoff promised a complicated dating experience for Meredith, saying:

It’s hard, and everybody has to do it, so it’s very human and very relatable. I was really interested in seeing someone as beautiful and smart and funny and complex as Meredith actually have to put herself out there. That’s what she’s doing this season, and it’s something that somehow we’ve never really seen in 15 seasons of this show.

Vernoff shared that she and her writing staff looked to real-life equivalents of Meredith's situation for inspiration of how to tailor her story. They discovered that the common factor among women who are suddenly single after happy, fulfilling marriages was that finding their next great love is a horribly real struggle. While DeLuca might help Meredith out of a sexual rut, it sounds like they're not exactly compatible for a long-term relationship. TBH, DeLuca looks like he's shaping up to be her "rebound relationship," as Vernoff said:

One has to grieve, and then one has to move forward and then try a rebound relationship. Then one has to go out into the world with an open heart, and without jadedness or fear, and say, ‘OK, universe. I’m looking. I’m available.’ And they have to dip their toe back into the dating pool.

We could always expect a brand new character to capture Meredith's heart, and the fact that her Season 14 flirtation with Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman) likely won't be explored again only emphasizes that possibility. Vernoff confirmed earlier this summer that Speedman's role was only intended for a single episode, despite Meredith's growing interest in him and a strong response among fans to his character. You need to try out an old car before driving it on the road, so perhaps Nick Marsh was just meant as Meredith's test run before leaping back into the land of love.

If Meredith's search for love becomes a little too painfully relatable, we have the juicy drama of Season 15's love triangles and on-and-off again relationships to distract us. We can't let Shondaland get too realistic, right?

Season 15 of Grey's Anatomy premieres on Thursday, Sept. 27, at 8 p.m. ET in a two-hour episode on ABC.