Tonight we say good-bye to Derek Shepherd. Watch two sneak peeks from the two-hour Grey’s Anatomy “She’s Leaving Home”, airing at 8:00pm ET|PT on ABC.
In all honesty, I’ve gone back and forth about how to write this recap/sneak peek post. After last week’s Grey’s Anatomy, I still haven’t come to terms with the fact that Derek (Patrick Dempsey) is gone. It seemed like one moment, Mer (Ellen Pompeo) and Der had reaffirmed their love and they were talking about having another baby. He was headed to Washington DC to finalize his project… and series of horrific events led to his death.
When Derek mentioned taking a short-cut to the airport, I was so nervous! (Did anyone else scream at the TV for him to steer clear of that back road?!) And there was an accident involving two other cars…but Derek was OK. He was better than OK. This was Derek’s element…he was able to keep everyone calm, reassure a young girl (Winnie, Savannah Paige Rae) that everyone would be fine. He got Winnie’s mom out of her SUV and fix her dislocated leg. Derek was able to help the two joy-riding teenagers, rescuing them from their sports car before it caught on fire, patching up Charlie’s (Robby Rasmussen) head injury and Alana’s (Allie Grant) intestinal wounds. Derek held it together until help could come…after all, it was a great day to save lives.
But the terrible, unfortunate, and heartbreaking irony was that, even though he was able to save four other lives, that was the day he lost his own. Derek was hit by a truck while trying to get on the road to the airport. He was taken to a hospital where the doctors were ill-prepared to handle the situation. And we essentially listened to Derek Shepherd narrate his own death. It was awful. And as if that wasn’t enough, poor, darling Meredith was brought to the hospital by the police, children in tow, and had to remove her now brain-dead husband from life support.
I can’t even express how devastated this episode left me. Derek has one of my absolute favorite characters on television and Patrick Dempsey was sensational in the role. I mean, throughout the season, there was clearly trouble in paradise. Derek had left and Mer was getting on without him. There was a concern that Der maybe cheated…but they were on the same page now! And to watch that hope the ripped away from us was painful. Derek survived the the first car crash, but was later hit by a truck. He was taken to the sub-par hospital and left for dead, but when the doctors realized who he was, they struggled to save him. The neurosurgeon was coming, but was late. Then they flashed to a scene of Mer reuniting and hugging a battered, but very much alive Der…only to then find out that was a dream. So wretched. And in my opinion, the ramifications of Derek’s death are even more distressing. As Kristin Dos Santos eloquently expressed, a HEA is *impossible* for Meredith at this point. So what are we fans supposed to do now?
How did you feel about “How to Save a Life”?
In tonight’s special two-hour episode “She’s Leaving Home” written by Stacy McKee and directed by Chris Hayden:
THE DOCTORS LEARN ABOUT DEREK’S DEATH—We see how Meredith and the doctors cope after they learn the news of Derek’s death. Meanwhile, April makes a shocking decision that Jackson cannot understand, and Bailey and Ben argue over their future. (via ABC)
Take a look at two clips from the upcoming show. In the first video, it’s business as usual at Grey-Sloan Memorial—Owen (Kevin McKidd), Maggie (Kelly McCreary), Karev (Justin Chambers), Callie (Sara Ramirez), and Chief (James Pickens Jr.) are discussing their surgeries for the day—then Mer has to share the bad news about Derek’s passing. And in the second, Owen tells Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) the devastating news:
*SIGH* Well, judging from the episode trailer (below), the episode will feature Derek’s funeral, several Derek flashbacks, and (perhaps) Mer taking the kids on an extended trip out of town. From all accounts, it will be a tearful one. *passes out tissues and tequila*
Tune in when “She’s Leaving Home” airs on ABC at 8:00pm ET|PT tonight.
What’s next for Meredith? Next Thursday, don’t miss an unforgettable 2-hour #TearsOfGreys, #GreysAnatomy. https://t.co/YuQzaMZVyR
— Greys Anatomy (@GreysABC) April 24, 2015
[Featured Image Source/Credit: ABC/Ron Tom]