Sumith Prasad
Patrick Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd is a renowned neurosurgeon in ABC’s medical series ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ Derek and Meredith Grey form an endearing relationship, which forms one of the most remarkable storylines of the show’s history. They eventually get married and form a family with their children Zola, Derek Bailey, and Ellis. Derek gradually becomes one of the most integral parts of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital as he raises through the ranks to be the board director of the hospital. In the eleventh season, Derek’s life gets threatened, opening a gateway for Dempsey to leave the series. If you are wondering what really happened to “McDreamy,” here’s what we can share! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Derek’s Robotic Limb Breakthrough
Derek Shepherd’s life turns around when he sets out to create robotic limbs that can operate through mind control. He develops special sensors that can help in the movement of the limbs once inserted in the skull. Derek and Callie’s project garners the attention of the President, who reaches out to the former for adding him to the latter’s brain-mapping initiative. Derek eventually joins the same and travels to Washington, D.C. several times for the initiative. During one such trip, he encounters a car crash in the middle of the road. He saves four people from the wreckage and helps the emergency officials to transport them to Dillard Medical Center.
Derek then returns to his car to continue his journey, only to notice that his phone is ringing. He tries to find his phone when his car is stopped in the middle of the road, only for a semi-trailer truck to crash into the vehicle. He gets transported to Dillard, where doctors take time to find what exactly is threatening the neurosurgeon’s life. Although Derek is conscious and realizes what’s slowly killing him, he fails to speak to guide the doctors. Rather than taking a head CT, the senior doctor focuses on abdominal bleeding. Even though the doctors eventually realize that Derek needs the intervention of a neurosurgeon, one takes over an hour after getting paged to consult him.
By that time, the doctors fail to save Derek and pronounce him brain-dead. His wife Meredith arrives at Dillard and signs the papers to take him off life-support. She tells him, “You can go,” as he dies. Although Derek dies, a part of the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ fandom believes that McDreamy has faked his death and he is still alive. Is there any truth to the same? Let’s find out.
Shocking Exit: Derek Shepherd’s Dramatic Departure
Derek Shepherd’s death is one of the most shocking narrative developments in the nineteen seasons of ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ As Meredith’s partner, Derek has captivated the show’s fandom and it isn’t a surprise that the ardent admirers of the character haven’t yet outrightly digested his death. One of the most prominent theories about Derek’s death is that he was forced to fake his own death as per the instructions of the White House. When Derek initially says no to the President’s brain mapping initiative, the latter insists on having the neurosurgeon on his team. A part of the fandom believes that the government forced him to put an end to his regular life to be a part of the apparent secret assignments associated with the initiative.
Other theories that try to suggest Derek is alive include the neurosurgeon trying to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease secretly to save his wife Meredith from the same in case she gets diagnosed with the disease like her mother Ellis. However, the medical drama hasn’t given any explicit indication to suggest that Derek is alive. After his death, Derek appears in Meredith’s vision when she gets diagnosed with coronavirus disease. They spend some time together on a beach in the vision and even end up having a wedding. Derek asks her to return to be there for their kids. Even if Derek returns to the series’ narrative in the future, it must be through Meredith’s dream or vision rather than from a secret government project.
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