Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 Just Teased The Show’s Next Great Couple

Spoilers are ahead for Grey’s Anatomy season 20, episode 4.

Like so many other surgeons in Grey’s Anatomy, Dr. Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) has struggled with long-term romantic relationships, but season 20, episode 4 of the series hints at an exciting romance between Amelia and one of the new doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial. On the spin-off Private Practice, Amelia and her ex weathered the loss of a child together, but ultimately split. Unable to work things out with Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) and hesitant to marry her co-parent Atticus Lincoln (Chris Carmack), Amelia finally found a relationship that clicked with Kai Bartley (E.R. Fightmaster).

When Amelia first guest stars on Grey’s Anatomy, it’s clear her older brother and fellow neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) has some reservations about Amelia’s ability to commit to anything — or anyone — in a long-term way. From navigating substance-use disorder (SUD) and the resulting trauma to surviving a life-threatening brain tumor, Amelia weathers more than her fair share of difficult moments. Even so, Amelia Shepherd struggles to find a partner who wants the same future (or present) as she does, leaving her romantic prospects rather up in the air.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 Gives Amelia & Monica The Perfect Enemies-To-Lovers Setup

Amelia & Monica Are At Odds In Episode 4

Introduced in Grey’s Anatomy season 20, Monica Beltran (Natalie Morales) is one of Grey Sloan’s newest attendings. The accomplished pediatric surgeon knows she’s at the top of her field and isn’t afraid to show it. This causes something of a personality clash between Monica the equally confident Amelia. When the two meet on Monica’s first day, Amelia takes the parking spot Dr. Beltran had been patiently eyeing. As fate would have it, the doctors are assigned to the same case. While Amelia wants to forge ahead with her plan, Monica tells her to reconsider what the pediatric patient’s parent wants.

Taking a beat, Amelia finds a way to operate more safely, and Monica can’t help but tell the neurosurgeon that she’s “better” when she’s more considerate. Over the course of the episode, Amelia and Monica have a slightly more at-ease report. When Monica overhears Amelia complaining about her nephew in episode 4, she offers the neurosurgeon a ride home. Although Amelia dismisses her, she can’t miss Monica’s compliment about it being hard for Amelia’s intern nephew to live in her remarkable shadow. In just two episodes, Grey’s Anatomy has set up an exciting slow-burn romance.

Amelia’s Relationship With Kai Was One Of Grey’s Anatomy’s Better LGBTQ+ Pairings

Kai & Amelia’s Breakup Was A Rough One

A neurosurgeon who briefly worked with Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) in Minnesota, Kai specializes in stem cell research. All of this eventually leads to Amelia and Kai becoming co-workers. Both doctors are equally passionate about their work: while Amelia is more of the hands-on type, Kai is dedicated to their research and lab work. The duo make a compelling, cerebral pair, and, soon enough, their workplace chemistry becomes a romantic one. At the start of their relationship, Amelia and Kai see each other every so often, but things change when Kai visits Seattle.

At a party, Kai meets Amelia and Link’s kid, Scout. Although they spend most of the day playing with the various Grey-Shepherd kids, Kai confesses that they don’t see a future with children. While they and Amelia were long-distance, Scout didn’t seem so real, but the visit shifted things. Although Kai and Amelia try to stay together, Amelia and Kai break up when Kai receives a London job offer. Instead of being supportive, Amelia makes the situation all about herself. Even so, the pair’s chemistry and mature relationship touchstones make them one of Grey’s Anatomy‘s most well-written queer couples.

An Amelia & Monica Relationship May Not Last Into Grey’s Anatomy Season 21

Natalie Morales May Not Return For Another Outing

Although Natalie Morales is a newcomer to the Grey’s Anatomy cast, there’s no assurance that she will stay on the show for any set length of time. While guest stars have evolved into reoccurring and even main cast members in the past, the soon-to-be 21-season show is a huge time commitment. Morales has guest acted in plenty of other beloved series, from Parks & Rec to Dead to Me, all while pursuing film-making projects, like her directorial debut, Plan B. However, since Alex Karev left Grey’s Anatomy, there’s been a substantial void in the peds department.

While other characters have tried out the specialty, no one has made quite the impact as Karev (Justin Chambers) and his long-time mentor, Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw). It would make sense for Grey’s Anatomy to find a replacement pediatric surgeon — one who sticks around for more than a handful of episodes. Still, that doesn’t mean Morales will renew her contract going into Grey’s Anatomy season 21. With real-world logistics at play, it’s hard to bank on a long-term romance between Monica Beltran and Amelia Shepherd.

Amelia’s Character Could Benefit From A More Casual Romance Story

Amelia Shepherd Has Struggled With Long-Term Romantic Relationships

Considering Amelia’s track record with long-term relationships, an exciting fling or casual romance might be the best thing for the character. In season 19, Amelia deals with several blows: she and Kai break up, and her sister, Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary), leaves town. Even Meredith seemed to be moving on from Grey Sloan. Some of that has shifted in season 20; Meredith has not only appeared pretty consistently, but Grey’s Anatomy season 20, episode 4, ended with Meredith and Amelia’s joint Alzheimer’s research receiving funding. Still, Amelia has expressed her loneliness — to Owen and her cat.

Clearly, Amelia has a lot going on in her professional life. The head of neuro at Grey Sloan, the accomplished surgeon isn’t just completing groundbreaking surgeries, but adding her expertise to Meredith’s landmark Alzheimer’s research. In her personal life, she’s juggling co-parenting and dating. That said, in order to reconnect with herself, assess what she wants (and needs), and find a new lease on life, it might be best that Amelia doesn’t jump into a new long-term relationship. If Monica’s future on Grey’s Anatomy isn’t a guarantee, the potential romance could at least be a lot of fun.