Meredith & DeLuca's First Date On 'Grey's Anatomy' Could Mean That MerLuca Is For Real

Giacomo Gianniotti is a romantic. That's obvious from the actor's suggestion for Meredith and DeLuca's ideal first date on Grey's Anatomy, which will get them out of their scrubs and into something a little more comfortable. And who knows, maybe Gianniotti's dream date could come true on Thursday's (Feb. 7) episode of Grey's Anatomy, which will feature Meredith and DeLuca's actual first date. Just another reason to say T.G.I.T., right?

Talking to Entertainment Tonight about how he thinks DeLuca's first date with Meredith should go, Gianniotti laid out a plan for the whole night. “I don’t think you want to sell it too big on the first date," he said. "You kind of want to go to a place that’s quiet and intimate, where you can talk."

His suggestion for the date's locale? Well, Grey's favorite watering hole, of course. "There are a lot of Joe’s Bar on Grey’s, the classic bar we all go to," he said before hinting, "I wouldn’t be surprised if that was their first date."

Gianniotti offered that teaser for fans, but wouldn't give any spoilers. Instead he told ET about what else he thinks would make this date a good one for MerLuca. It would definitely include an obvious wardrobe change after a day at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

"I think that’s what he’s eager to do," Gianniotti explained about having them get out of their scrubs. "When you get out of work, that hierarchy is gone and you can connect to each other as people and he’s eager to get himself in a position where she can see him in that way and not in the light blue scrubs, which makes him a resident and makes him less than you.”

The two characters were able to find some common ground when they were both trapped in that elevator on last week's episode. This malfunction gave them time to get to know each other and to find out that Meredith knows a little Italian and that they might really want to kiss again after that drunken one they shared in Season 14. Spoiler alert, they didn't. But maybe this first date could end with one?

But, hello, since this is Grey's, dating is a bit more complicated than that — and a heck of a lot more love triangle-y. While Meredith might have a flirtation with DeLuca, she's also a bit smitten with Link (Chris Carmack) and that's making DeLuca very jealous. In a sneak peek of the new episode via E! News, DeLuca even chides Meredith for giving Link false hope.

"Who says it's false?" Meredith asks. "Oh please, we both know it is," DeLuca replies before locking down plans for their New Year's Eve date. Though, is it just me, or does he seem a little concerned that maybe this is his only shot to win Mer's heart?

Maybe that's because Gianniotti doesn't actually know where this love triangle is headed. All he'll say is he thinks both DeLuca and Link are viable options for Meredith. "Because [Link's] so different from DeLuca, I feel like it’s not really a competition," Gianniotti told ET. "He’s sort of in another league, as DeLuca is to him. They bring very different choices [for Meredith]."

Will DeLuca ending up being the ultimate choice? Gianniotti thinks it's too early to tell. In fact, he's a little uncomfortable with fans asking if MerLuca are endgame before they've even seen how their first date plays out. "Let’s not get ahead of ourselves," he added. "Let’s see how things play out and then we can get to that after."

It's just too soon to tell whether Meredith and DeLuca will be together forever. Heck, we don't even know if they'll want to see each again after this first date. But, it definitely seems like maybe the Grey's writers should think about asking Gianniotti for tips on how the two could spend their second date.