‘Grey’s Anatomy:' The Meredith / Derek Affair That Transcended Into A Beautiful Love Story

Ellen Pompeo, who plays Meredith in “Grey’s Anatomy,” and Patrick Dempsey who played Derek, kicked off a romance that held fans on the edge of our seats, just begging for it to finally happen.

This on-again and off-again relationship dragged on for so long that it was literally a hostage situation. However, the pair’s long-running romance began in the first episode of season one.

Their coincidental meeting at a bar led to a one-night stand which caused more than a little bit of friction when Derek came in as the new Chief of surgery and her boss the very next day.

Meredith then received the second dose of shock when she found out that Derek was, in fact, married, as his wife paid him a visit at the hospital in a bid to resolve their tumultuous marriage. This massive development was only but a hitch in their swoon-worthy romance, which persevered throughout the series no matter what they went through.

Theirs is easily the best relationship in the series. From the unconventional start to Derek’s devastating death in season 11, this couple held us transfixed with how beautiful their relationship was and how much chemistry they shared.

One of such moments was when Meredith gave her “Pick me, choose me” speech. This scene was so heartfelt that it was almost painful to watch, and regardless of Derek’s choice after, it will always be a beautiful genuine moment to viewers.

The elevator proposal was another moment that brought smiles to fans' faces. The love, thoughtfulness, and effort put into that proposal were so evident one couldn’t help but fall a little in love with Patrick Dempsey.

We wouldn’t be talking about romantic moments without mentioning the Post-it-note wedding. It is quite fitting that this relationship’s unconventional beginning had a similar end. This wedding made up for what it lacked in decorations and other frivolities with love in its simplest, purest form.

The ‘Merder’ relationship wasn’t short on romantic moments; hence we could go on and on with the gushing and talking and still not be able to go over every moment, but rest assured, they are imprinted quite vividly in fans' memories of the loving couple.

To say this is one unconventional way of getting married is purely an understatement. While everyone loves a good big ol wedding, there’s nothing quite like a private one. The joy they both felt while doing this is further proof of just how perfect for each other they were.

Derek initially introduced the idea of a post-it-note wedding, and the expressions on the notes were as beautiful and romantic as we would have hoped.

They truly showed how a small private union could be as important and loving as a big wedding when they gave up their well-planned wedding in favor of Izzie and Alex’s union.

They were later legally married at City Hall to aid in the adoption of their daughter Zola.

“Grey’s Anatomy” has no shortage of romantic pairings; however, the ‘Merder’ is undoubtedly the most remarkable. From their numerous romantic moments to their fights and resolutions, they never failed to portray a truly loving couple.

The two complemented each other in many ways and made up for what the other lacked. Derek’s firm black and white way of handling and seeing things paired with Meredith’s more flexible gray approach helped their decisions in more ways than one.

Also, while theirs is a marriage of love, it is also a marriage of minds, as evident in the elevator proposal and Meredith’s reaction to it. An analogy of having a sour taste in your mouth and the eventual relief when it is washed out and replaced by something much sweeter can be used in this case when comparing Derek’s previous marriage to his relationship with Meredith.

Okay, ideally, the ‘Merder’ relationship had a somewhat iffy beginning. Starting with Derek leaving his wife in NYC and picking up a random girl from the bar.

Then there was the consistent ‘hitting on’ his intern (Meredith,) despite knowing that as her boss, they weren’t authorized to see each other romantically.

The final icing on the cake was when he purposely omitted the fact that he was still married, and just hurt from the fact that his wife slept with his best friend.

In this situation where the trust was shattered before it was even built, it’s no wonder why most of their fights were on issues of trust. There was also the cheating incident with Nurse Rose and his research fellow, Renee, which he neglected to tell Meredith about, that collectively broke our hearts.

Regardless, this only showed how real and attainable the ‘Merder’ romance was, and we can’t love them less for that.