ABC/Bob D’Amico
It has been a couple of months since Grey’s Anatomy fans were forced to say goodbye to Patrick Dempsey’s iconic character Derek Shepherd a.k.a “McDreamy”, but the shock is definitely still there.
While many are uncertain how the show can continue on without one of it’s major characters, creator Shonda Rhimes is still defending her decision to hill him off while at the 2015 Summer Press Tour on Tuesday, August 4.
“The decision to have the character die the way that he did was not a difficult one in the sense of what were the options? Either Derek was going to walk out on Meredith, and leave her high and dry, and what was that going to mean? That was going to suggest that the love was not true, the thing we had said for 11 years was a lie and McDreamy wasn’t McDreamy. For me, that was untenable.”
She continued her defense by remaining adamant that his death was the only thing that could keep their love the solid truth that it was presented as throughout the entire show for all 11 seasons.
“Meredith and Derek’s love had to remain Meredith and Derek’s love. As painful as it was for me as a storyteller, because I had never really thought that was going to happen, it preserved what felt true to me, was that Derek was going to have to die in order for that love to remain honest. Because I really couldn’t have the idea that he just turned out to be a bad guy who walked out on his wife and kids be a true story. To me, it felt like that was the only way to make Meredith and Derek’s magic remain true and forever frozen in time.”
Rhimes went on to reveal that the theme of season 12 will be “rebirth” as Meredith adjusts to life as a single woman and a widow, “surrounded by women who are dating and having a whole life and she’s not interested in any of that…You start to wonder if there’s a second life… or are those years behind you?”
Also Check Out: The 8 Most Upsetting Deaths On Grey’s Anatomy
Telisa Carter
Telisa enjoys learning and writing about all things entertainment in the world of Hollywood. When she isn't catching up on her favorite TV shows, she likes to read, and obsess over all things football.