Season 12 of "Grey's Anatomy" will be set one year after the shocking events of last season wherein fans witnessed the death of Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) appeared to be inconsolable as she begins to live a life without the man she has loved for the past 11 years.
In an interview with TVLine, show creator Shonda Rhimes explained the 12-month time jump, saying that she wanted to give Meredith enough time to grieve and heal from her loss.
"I couldn't imagine a world in which Meredith could go a month and be able to speak or breathe — or [even] six months," said Rhimes. "I needed time to pass for her to even be in a place where I felt like she can have a conversation."
The show creator said that even she had a hard time dealing with the loss of the beloved character. Rhimes told the website that she chose not to go to the set while they were filming the last few episodes of season 11 because she feared that she would just cry there.
And while she may have had a difficult time killing off the beloved character, Rhimes stands by her decision and said that Derek dying was the only way to keep the love between him and Meredith, as their relationship has been a major cornerstone of the series since season 1.
At the TCA summer press tour, Rhimes said that had Derek lived, the other option would be for him to leave Meredith.
"And what was that going to mean? That was going to suggest that the love was not true, the thing we had for 11 years was a lie," she said.
And although Meredith may appear to be doing better in season 12, she won't be dating anyone soon as Rhimes said that the character "has never been defined by her relationship with a man."
"Grey's Anatomy" season 12 premieres on Sept. 24 on ABC.
