While Lucas may initially seem to be an innocuous surgical intern, the conclusion of the "Grey's Anatomy" Season 19 premiere reveals he has a jaw-dropping connection to another current main character, as well as a character fans dearly miss. As Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) reveals, Lucas is actually the nephew of both her and Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), who tragically dies in Season 11. Apparently, Lucas was Derek's favorite nephew and the young intern looked up to him, even inheriting his trademark catchphrase: "It's a beautiful day to save lives."
"I loved the fact that Lucas is Amelia and Derek's nephew," @amandaa_marsh tweeted. "That was a beautiful tribute to Derek"
Other fans said that the twist completely recontextualized Lucas as a character for them. "Why did I hate Lucas the whole episode but now that I know he's Derek's nephew I love him" @ageese35 tweeted.
According to showrunner Krista Vernoff, making Lucas a Shepherd relative is another way that the "Grey's Anatomy" Season 19 premiere nods to the pilot, when Derek is introduced as an attending physician. "The decision to bring another Shepherd into the fold, it was an early idea as we looked at who this new class was going to be," she told Deadline. "We wanted to wink at the roots of the show without trying to reinvent any of those original characters, and the fun of having a Shepherd who we meet when he's an intern felt like, money."
