Spoiler Alert!
As most of us know (even non-Grey’s fans), this past episode of Grey’s Anatomy (GA) was a real downer. One of the main characters, neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd, passed away making this one of the hottest television topics as of late. After 11 years of him being on the show, it hit fans pretty hard to see that the McDreamy they once knew is now gone. I, myself, was heartbroken after the episode, and I have mixed feelings on the topic.
First, I have a strong feeling that since Shonda Rhimes, the creator of GA, killed off fans’ eye candy that it may lose some of its viewers. If I wasn’t so deeply immersed in the show myself, I would probably discard it from my Thursday schedule. Derek Shepherd was a crucial character of the show, and he has been his wife, Meredith Grey’s, rock. Though I do look forward to how she is going to cope with the situation, as in the past she has struggled with much smaller issues. This may further develop her character in ways that the show never has before, so I am expecting big things with Meredith Grey.
However, the way his character went out was very clever. As much as I hated that Derek was killed off of the show, the way it happened was well thought out. Derek saved 4 people on scene while being off the clock from a car accident early in the day, but directly afterward his car was hit by a semi-truck. It was unfortunate, but he went out how he should have- saving lives.
As a fan, I admired Derek for his compassion to everyone, so I was not disappointed in his character during this episode. Since he was so far away from Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, he was taken to a hospital that wasn’t specialized in trauma. There, he was in the hands of less-educated and less-dedicated doctors and surgeons, and during the scene, the audience could hear his thoughts. He was trying to tell the staff what to do and trying to teach them, but he could not speak. This eventually led to the staff not doing the right thing, and letting his brain injury worsen, and McDreamy died. I think the whole point of him being in a different, lesser hospital was to highlight how great of a hospital that Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital is and how great of a surgeon Derek was. I think that Shonda wanted Derek to go out with his knowledge, but it was also ironic that a brain injury is what killed him when he is a neurosurgeon himself. This is why I think the whole situation of his death is so clever.
Looking back at all of season 11, Derek was in a select few episodes. This may have been foreshadowing his departure and opening it up for Meredith to change. Yes, the episode was tear-jerking and upsetting, but I cannot deny the fact that it was well thought out. I feel as though if Derek had to go out in any way, I’m glad it happened how it did.
