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Actor Patrick Dempsey departed Grey’s Anatomy almost seven years ago, but some are unclear about what episode his character died in and why he left.
Grey’s Anatomy has never been shy to kill off a main character, either for story purposes or the actor’s wish to disband from the show, but the death that is still resonating in everyone’s minds is that of Derek Shepherd. His death marked a milestone in the medical drama, reminding audiences that no one is safe in the eyes of creator Shonda Rhimes.
Derek’s death commenced what may have been the downfall of Grey’s Anatomy. After all, the series did focus heavily on the relationship between Meredith and Derek, and without the latter, that drama disappears and leaves an empty hole that the remaining characters are forced to fill. Many people have wondered for years who could be to blame for his departure, but multiple sources differ on the reasoning.
How Derek Died in Grey’s Anatomy Season 11
Derek’s death episode is Season 11, Episode 21, “How to Save a Life,” after he was involved in a devastating car crash. But the impact isn’t what killed him; it was a small mistake made by the doctors that operated on him. At the Dillard Medical Center — noticeably with no trauma center — Derek subconsciously begins to report his injuries, which includes loss of verbal skills. His resident, Dr. Penelope Blake, has taken the reins of the incoming trauma and Derek even compliments her intelligence, but it wasn’t enough to save him.
Penelope suggests to her attending that he get a C.T. scan, but the attending believes that the bleeding in his belly is of more importance and skips the C.T. scan. Derek, in his mind, fights the attending and backs up Penelope who eventually gives up. In surgery, the doctors find Derek’s right pupil blown, and at this point Derek knows he is going to die. After the neurosurgeon arrives late, he’s declared brain dead.
Why Star Patrick Dempsey Wanted to Leave Grey’s Anatomy
The infamous episode is still widely talked about because of the show’s handling of Derek’s death. Many fans believed that his death was used as pure shock value, but once Dempsey spoke out about his departure, it made sense why the character left so suddenly. The unauthorized book, How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy, written by Entertainment Weekly’s editor at large, Lynette Rice, dedicates an entire chapter to Dempsey’s departure in which two executive producers justify because of Dempsey’s “terrorizing” behavior that left feuds between the crew and actors on set — specifically with Meredith’s actress Ellen Pompeo.
Pompeo and Dempsey’s off-screen compatibility began to decline when he started complaining about his long hours, even when others had been there longer. He was even described as a kid who just wanted to go to recess, comparing it to his love for race car driving and impatience on the show. The writers and producers even went as far as to create different scenarios that would separate the actors, such as having Derek stay in Washington, that way him and Pompeo would never have to work together. The interviews with James D. Parriott and Jeannine Renshaw claim that after Rhimes witnessed Dempsey’s alleged behavior on set, she pulled the plug on his time and even came back to write the episode of his death.
And even though other sources claim that it was Dempsey’s behavior that led to his exit, the actor himself asserts it was the inconsistent schedule that put a strain on his family life. With the supposed strained relationship between the onscreen lovers, it was surprising to hear of Dempsey’s unexpected return to the series in Season 17. But his past behavior may account for his time in the recent season being short-lived.
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