‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 11 Spoilers — Meredith and Derek Separated | TVLine 

Camilla Luddington has a leg up on some East Coast weather forecasters, because her assessment of

‘s upcoming run — “All storm. No calm.” — passes muster with the boss herself.

way of describing it,” Shonda Rhimes says of Luddington’s terse tease. “Good for her.”

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Of course, as the ABC drama returns Thursday at 8/7c, the coldest front is swirling around Meredith and Derek’s home, in the wake of Dr. Shepherd accepting a D.C.-based job offer from the President of the United States — at Meredith’s urging-slash-taunting.

“That, for them, is a very dark moment,” Rhimes tells TVLine. “I said that this was ‘the season of Meredith,’ and she is very much going to be tested by what happens. This will be the first time she’s without Derek

Cristina, without any of those familiar supports, so this will be about her coming into her own, as a person and as a surgeon.”

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won’t take the easy road by affording Drs. Grey and Shepherd frequent cross-country visits, or many on-camera phone/video chats. (As Rhimes told EW.com, “It’s highly possible that we might not see Derek for a while.”) Couple that with the marrieds’ ongoing issues and “their obstacles are very intense,” Rhimes warns. “Things are always difficult when people grow apart, and sometimes they don’t grow back together, which is always the worst. Meredith is having a very difficult time.”

MOMMA DRAMA | “Difficult” can’t begin to describe the dilemma on the horizon for Jackson and April, whose unborn child is presenting with osteogenesis imperfecta (a genetic, fragile bone disorder) — information of which only the Dad-to-be has accidentally become aware. “That’s a really powerful story,” Rhimes says. “Sarah Drew pitched it to us and I at first was like, ‘I don’t want to do this story. It’s going to break my heart,’ but she had such a really beautiful take on it.”

Namely, for Jackson, “who is a man of science,” and April, “a doctor filled with faith,” Rhimes notes, “it is going to be a very interesting struggle” — starting with how Jackson relays the dire diagnosis to his bride. “It is just painful to have to know it, to have to relay it, to have to deal with it,” Rhimes says, “and to have to figure out what to do next.”

SOMETHING ‘WONDERFUL’ | Jackson wasn’t the only Grey+Sloan

doc to get a shocking earful in the midseason finale. Arizona — having duped Dr. Herman’s medical records into her possession – learned from a consult with Amelia that her mentor’s brain tumor is not necessarily fatal. Of course, to share that news with Herman will require Arizona copping to her snooping. “It’s going to be really interesting watch what happens” on that front, Rhimes says, adding that as a result, “We definitely get more of Geena Davis” (as Dr. Herman). “Arizona and Dr. Herman end up having a wonderful journey together in this back half of the season.”

Speaking of Arizona and journeys, estranged wife Callie will be on one of her own, “trying to figure out who she is by herself,” Rhimes previews. “[Finding herself] was sort of her plan, and it’s very charming to watch her try to get back out there and see what it’s like — and how to figure out how to be a friend with Arizona.”

Sturm und Drang. On the romantic front, Owen and Amelia will grow closer, while Alex and Jo will continue to be tested by the latter’s increasing role as Meredith’s new “person” — though “not in a dark way or anything,” Rhimes makes clear. “I find a lot of humor and charm in watching Jo cope with the fact that Meredith is trying to be the middle spoon in their bed in a lot of ways. Her horror at that concept is kind of great.”

As for Alex, he finds his role in Mer’s life alternately “terrible” and “enviable.” “I think he kind of loves it,” Rhimes says, but as a surrogate for Cristina, “it’s not the same for Meredith!”

, or for any other show? Email insideline@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.

I’m gonna be a mess after watching the japril storyline ç__ç

Please give Jo and Alex a decent storyline already! Why do they have to make their entire storyline this season about Meredith? I mean, look what a huge and meaningful storyline Jackson and April are getting. This really seems a bit unfair.

It makes me sad to see what a train wreck this once-great show has become. Patrick Dempsey and Sandra Oh were the reasons I originally started watching. Now Christina is gone and Derek continues to be more and more marginalized (in ways that can’t be wholly attributed to Patrick Dempsey’s personal situation). It’s time to put this show to rest once and for all.

I actually Meredith is stronger without Derek but that’s my opinion.

Excited to see Meredith be her own person, about time they focus on her career.. and for Meredith and Derek’s intense journey! I hope we’ll see them be stronger than ever at the end. Loving their intense, dark storyline this season!

Meredith told Derek to go, yelled at him too. Why is she having a terrible time? Cause now she actually has to parent her kids instead of drinking at Alexs 24/7?

Because he told her the job in DC that he gave up is everything for him? And he throw that in her face over and over.

over exagerate much? It was no where near 24/7. People need friends. And Derek hasn’t been a friend at all this season. He was blaming her. He needed to go to DC.

Maybe because he promised her he would take a back seat in his career to take care of the kids until they were teens for the sake of Meredith’s career and at first opportunity he dropped the hot potato, reasoning that his thingy was more important than hers. More important than his promise and his kids.

FINALLY THE WAIT IS ALMOST OVER. it’s has been a loooooong hiatus, Thank God for netflix & Grey’s Antomy.

Finally we have some Merder drama. Can’t wait to see how Mer is going to deal with everything without Derek.

The Japril baby drama, I think is going to be heartbreaking to watch.

Calzona: It’s going to be heartbreaking to see them maybe date other people but I can’t wait to see how they’re going to find their way back to each other because I still believe they’re MFEO.

I think they both are at fault. I was on team Meredith at first but now I see Derek’s side. She needs to stop pushing him away and he needs to stop throwing D.C in her face.The Japril storyline is heart breaking and I applaud both Shonda Rhimes and Sarah Drew for giving us such a beautiful storyline. I think something big is gonna happen for Jo and Alex. I don’t know good or bad but I feel something coming. Can’t wait for tomorrow!

Yes, I totally agree. They are both at fault in this situation, which I love.. and it makes for more great drama!

I don’t mind if Arizona and Callie never got back together as a couple, they had become too toxic together., now, I ‘d love to watch Callie with a guy again, she was more interesting and SEXier. I believe Arizona may decide leaving with Dr Herman and could serve as one of the season cliffhangers. And a PLEA to Shonda, please, don’t kill Japril’s baby! Mer is the sun!

So because Shonda wants Mer to grow more, we don’t get to see Derek for awhile? I thought she was all whole and healed.

Patrick Dempsey might have asked for some time off with everything happening in his personal life, so they might put it in the storyline.. though I wish he won’t be missing too many episodes.

Great scoop. I can’t wait for the next episode. I hope that Derek is not completely gone for too many episodes as he’s one of my favourite characters.

Shonda should’ve stuck with her instincts and not listened to Sarah Drew. Why can’t there be one birth on this show without any sort of drama?

Really wish they’d be able to do even some sort of Skype call with Cristina at some point in the future.

Thurs: 8 pm: Greys (Flesh and Blood during Midseason Break)

9 pm: Scandal (Flesh and Blood during Midseason Break)

Fri: 8 pm: Last Man Standing (Final Season 13 eps) Replaced with Beyond the Tank midseason

9 pm: Nashville (May be Final Season and Midseason New Show)

10 pm: Revenge (Final Season 13 eps) Replaced with Secrets & Lies Midseason

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