Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-4287993-20150424171702

Since episode 11.21 really is a big one and the whole world is going crazy over Derek Shepherd's death, I'd like to weigh in on the whole discussion. I was never a big fan of Derek, so I am not completely heartbroken by his death.

First of all, I couldn't imagine a better last episode for the character of Derek Shepherd. He got to shine saving lives, with an element of danger right around the corner. It was an hommage to Patrick Dempsey. He's leaving the show to pursue his interest of racing, so what better to offer an actor who's been aching to leave for about two seasons now than an episode that revolves around his passion? Nothing.

People are mad at the way Derek was killed off. He could've been in a coma, or divorce Mer, or whatever other options I've seen on Twitter. Truth is he couldn't, because it'd either be against Patrick Dempsey's wishes, or really out of character. Imagine how tense the crew would get if Patrick showed up for work in season 12 just to film some coma scenes (because other scenes wouldn't be possible if he's not willing to work full time) while he really rather be somewhere else. It'd be annoying and ruining everything for the other cast members. And those complaining that he could've left and stay alive, how would they have reacted to MerDer broken up? MerDer are endgame, Shonda has always said. Due to Patrick's wishes, that end has come sooner than expected, but MerDer has stayed together until their end.

I get how mad people are at Shonda, but they're irrational. There really was no other option. It's hard, but we'll get over it. Grey's Anatomy is still Grey's Anatomy and even though it's not what most of the fandom wanted, Derek's death opens a whole lot of narrative perspectives. There aren't a lot of shows where they kill of a main character in a not-even-a-finale episode, but this is what Grey's does: going where not many shows have gone before. They're pushing boundaries and evolving and changing and even though nobody likes change, it's necessary to keep going. People will always complain about something.

Most importantly, Shonda has stated even before the premiere that this season is going to be Meredith-centric and this episode was a hell of a lot proof for that statement. There was no MerDer music when Mer arrived in the hospital on her way to see her brain dead husband, there was childhood memory score and sound fragments from Meredith's past. It's all about her. She acted as the strong woman we've known her to be. I think that because of all the trauma she's been through, she has prepared herself for situations like this. She went into "trauma mode" to get through this and eventually she'll break down. She did the same thing with George. It took her more than a month to finally break down and cry over her friend.

Like with Cristina's departure, a principal main character leaving gives room for other storylines. While season 11 has gone back and forth between which characters's stories to tell, there have been so many good stories and the writing has been incredibly on point. Derek's death marks the start of a great storyline for Meredith/Ellen Pompeo to work with and it'll give room to other characters's stories. And if these stories continue to be as original and well written as those seen in season 11, I couldn't be more excited for what's to come.

It's all about Meredith Grey's journey, and I'll stick with her till the show ends. 