We are still set in the past in the back half of the season. New Grey's Anatomy episodes stream next day on Hulu! I very much did not want to kill DeLuca last season because he'd been through a mental health crisis and he'd come through it. As far as the mental health storyline, it was an honor and privilege to tell that story. AdChoices Was this supposed to be the season finale last year? Gianniotti: It's tough to say because you think of the dream and what happened at the end of the episode and wonder if Meredith would correlate that with the metaphor: if he's joining his mother that must mean he's leaving me and passing on. It's a powerful image to help people remember why they're staying home. Make it make sense [Grey's Anatomy]," wrote another. My reaction to [the story idea] was, "What?! Maybe that would translate to her waking up? in 'Bittersweet' Post, 'Grey's Anatomy' Adds TV Legend to Cast Alongside Sister for Season 17 Episode, 'The Talk': Sharon Osbourne's Piers Morgan Debate Sparks Cast Response After Show, 'The Masked Singer' Ratings Underwhelm in Season Premiere. No!" It's been amazing how when we thought when we were breaking the show, we thought we were going home for two weeks and now it's a year later and we're looking at this in this way. We've done a lot of near-deaths and saved them since I took over the show. To be able to shoot on a beach was amazing. It's a direct representation and reflection of that. I thank Giacomo for playing this character so beautifully and powerfully that through the death of DeLuca I believe there is an opportunity for us all to release our collective grief. First, there was Ellen Pompeo's massive $20 million deal. Entertainment Tonight/TV Guide Network. Giacomo Gianniotti's Dr. Andrew DeLuca was killed off following a heroic battle to stop a sex trafficker in a storyline that stretched back to last season and ultimately capped the actor's seven-season run on the Shondaland favorite. Need a Grey’s Anatomy catch-up guide before jumping into the show’s 16th season? No! Meredith considers dating again, and Andrew insists on not receiving special treatment after he and Maggie go public. © 2021 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) appeared to have a full meltdown on Thursday's episode of Grey's Anatomy when he tried to stop a patient from going home with her … More Episodes . Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 finally resume their seasons Thursday, March 11, with a two-hour crossover event. Krista running Station 19 as well had the idea to make it a crossover so we could tell it over two episodes and spend time with DeLuca. If this thing can hit Meredith Grey, it can hit anybody. SPOILERS AHEAD for the midseason premiere of Grey's Anatomy: Medical drama Grey's Anatomy returned on Thursday night for its season seventeen midseason premiere, and the crossover event with Station 19 left fans in tears. The other part is that so many people, especially now because the show has been on for 17 seasons, the amount of people that have told me that they started in the medical profession because of Grey’s Anatomy is tremendous.". Just as it looked like Andrew DeLuca would catch up with the trafficker, a … 1. She's still on the vent in the midseason return. We weren't prescient; we were telling a story that happened in the early stage of the pandemic. Of the 33 total series regulars in 17 seasons of Grey's, 13 characters have left alive. The “Grey’s Anatomy” showrunner explains how they pulled off that season-opening shocker — and why Katherine Heigl didn’t get the sendoff fans wanted. there was no need," tweeted one viewer. "So, that’s what I’m also going to be missing, being a part of that, being a small part of how many people’s lives are changed because of the show. Fuck! 03:09. Grey's Anatomy's 15th season is making history. And I don't want to take that away. Who knows? Isn't COVID enough?" Vernoff: More will be revealed as you watch the show. GREY'S ANATOMY - "Back in the Saddle" - The Grey Sloan doctors operate on a man who crashed into Maggie's car as Owen, back from paternity leave, struggles with Tom's new position. Ultimately, it's about representation and for people to see someone who is bipolar can be an attending and command a whole department at a hospital is huge. So now people are expecting that. A Hard Day's Night 43m. The grim reaper once again arrived at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital when after being stabbed by a sex trafficker trying to escape the hospital, Dr. Andrew Deluca (Giacomo Gianniotti) died. Knowing ahead of time that this season would tackle the coronavirus pandemic and the toll it … 7:30pm PT And it's of course worth noting that several other characters have been killed off of Grey's, though those actors have either been guest stars or recurring players. [This story contains spoilers from the March 5 episode of Grey's Anatomy.]. Catch Up. This story of DeLuca seeing that sex trafficker again and following her out of the hospital and refusing to let up and it becoming a part of Station 19 and following it and right when you think he's got her, somebody punches him. It was like, "What?! | EU Privacy Preferences. The Alexandria House, a charity I support in L.A. that shelters battered women and their children — so people who have already been traumatized — the first week of the shutdown, the Alexandria House caught on fire. There is a very obvious, glaring comparison with reality in that so many health care professionals have lost their own due to COVID. According to Bustle, Wilson (Miranda Bailey), Debbie … And it's fucking awful. It was nice that DeLuca got to at least thank her for everything she'd given him. What was filming on that beach like given how much those scenes have meant to viewers? Harry & Meghan Interview - Biggest Bombshells, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Deluca Shocker: Fans Hearts Broken Again in Midseason Premiere, 'The Masked Singer' Fans Can't Believe Kermit the Frog Was the Snail, Chip Gaines Reveals 'Sad' Struggle With 'Fixer Upper' Fame in Oprah Interview, 'Grey's Anatomy' Star Speaks out About Heartbreaking Shocker, 'E.R.' "I don’t know what happens from here,” he told Meredith, "but no matter what happens, I want you to know I’ve never felt seen like you saw me.". We are still in like May/June of 2020 creatively. "This is unforgivable Shonda [Rhimes]. But if you sat down to watch the show at its normal time of 9 p.m., you might be sorely disappointed. Interviews edited for length and clarity. Really!? Release year: 2005. Gianniotti: Ellen and I kept pinching ourselves. We're not jumping forward so we don't have to try and keep up with what's happening now; we're looking at what was happening then. ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Showrunner Talks Why [SPOILER] Was Killed Off Krista Vernoff is opening up about the shocking mid-season premiere of Grey's Anatomy. That was one of the decisions when we decided that Meredith has COVID and that that would span a fair amount of the season. Without spoiling anything, how would you describe who else will visit Meredith on that magical beach? Guided by a skillful team of dedicated doctors, Meredith Grey and her fellow interns struggle with life-and-death decisions at Seattle Grace Hospital. 02.16.2021. News. Can you confirm there will be others who appear on that beach who viewers haven't seen there yet this season? Vernoff: There are some really fun surprises coming up. I thought him walking away with his mom was the most powerful closure for that character. Teddy Altman the woman who trained Christina Yang??? Grey's Anatomy may have just taken one of its longest ever midseason breaks, but the team at Grey Sloan is returning to ABC very soon. It's one of the things that I have enjoyed as rays of light in the darkness of the storytelling necessitated by COVID. Deluca was introduced in Season 11 as a medical intern and was a significant love interest for Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) following the death of Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). That's about all I can say. It was the culmination of a “Grey’s Anatomy” story that had been cut short by the COVID-19 production shutdown in March. More Clips . WTF #GreysAnatomy pic.twitter.com/iStv12pTAz, I know damn well they didn’t just kill deluca #GreysAnatomy pic.twitter.com/llyZi7JP9A, Derek appearing after watching us all cry over DeLuca #GreysAnatomy pic.twitter.com/R0c8uWKlFQ, nobody contact me for the next five to ten business days, i'm too busy crying over deluca's death #GreysAnatomy pic.twitter.com/L5mHWt5z1d, Gianniotti gave an exit interview with Deadline, expressing his gratitude for his time on the show and what he plans to do next. Grey's Anatomy has never pulled its punches with killing off fan-favorite characters, and the grim reaper once again arrived at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. 'Station 19': Is Major Cast Member Leaving Series. Lesley Goldberg, [This story contains spoilers from the March 11, "Helplessly Hoping," episode of Grey's Anatomy.]. More News . Gianniotti: Definitely investing a ton of time in directing and hoping to continue to do that here and abroad. Latest Clips. I got to have an action movie told on Station 19 chasing a perpetrator and not wearing scrubs. Viewers now want to know why … That was fun and not something I'd gotten to do on Grey's for obvious reasons. If … [There are spoilers ahead for last night’s Grey’s Anatomy.If you’re not fully caught up yet, feel free to come back to this post once you are!] This is what I'm doing?! In a season exploring COVID, why was the first major character death of the season unrelated? Maybe there's flashbacks or other scenarios where we can see DeLuca. More Episodes . I've been on the show for seven seasons and thought it was a great way to exit. DeLuca, who was stabbed and ultimately died in surgery, became only the fifth series regular in Grey's Anatomy history to have their storyline end in a fatality and the first since Patrick Dempsey's shocking exit nearly six years ago. They rolled everything I wanted to do into two episodes, they wrote my dream exit storyline. WATCH NOW > WATCH NOW. We didn't want Meredith in a bed with COVID for 11 months. - March 12, 2021 08:00 am EST. Gianniotti: This felt like a gift. I'm seeking a lot of opportunities in Italy and Canada as a director and actor and have a few things coming on the horizon that I'm excited to share. Meredith is on a vent and that was the last beat until the show's return tonight. How does the COVID story that you're telling impact the different finales that you're crafting considering the show's uncertain future? All these people are going to die of COVID but also sometimes other people just die. "Can we save him?! What's next for you? You think he's been punched but you come back and realize he's been stabbed and then he's on the beach with Meredith. It's still staggering to me. Latest Clips. George Clooney on Grey's Anatomy Beating ER Record: ... "I did know that," he said when asked about Grey's breaking the record after the Catch-22 … Patrick Dempsey, who played Dr. Derek Shepherd a.k.a. FANS of Grey's Anatomy were left shocked when season 17 returned and saw much loved character Andrew DeLuca suddenly killed off. Sometimes stories tell themselves and things happen in very powerful ways. (Laughs.). Grey's Anatomy. Giacomo, what was your reaction when you got the call that Andrew was being killed off? They saw an opportunity to tell a beautiful story that highlighted human trafficking and for DeLuca to go down as a hero and make this really noble act to stop this perpetrator but that would unfortunately cost him his life. We are not jumping forward to some imaginary future where COVID is a thing of the past. Why was it important for that to be the image viewers had of this iconic character for three months? Spoilers ahead for Grey's Anatomy Season 16. Grey’s Anatomy is finally back after their midseason break. Vernoff: What's so interesting about it being prescient is that we were telling the truth in that episode of what was happening in May 2020 in Washington state and it was happening again in Los Angeles in December, when the episode aired. There was a lot of unfinished business between them. All the scenes where we got to take our time and be together with Ellen and Meredith on the beach was a good way to tie up the loose ends. I'm a storyteller and the best story always wins and I thought this was the best story. | California Privacy Rights I look forward to tell some other stories in those ways. But everything else didn't stop because of COVID and we were all having to process other things, too, and horrible tragedies that come with life. By Alyssa Fikse Terms of Use | [Spoiler's] departure marks only the fifth time (and first since Patrick Dempsey) that the ABC medical drama has said farewell to a series regular via character death. DeLuca joins George (T.R. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER is a registered trademark of The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. After a winter finale episode last week, ABC will not air a new 'Grey's Anatomy' season 17 episode on Thursday night. Maybe I'll go steal my stethoscope next time I'm there! It's helping people in the industry feel seen as well. Vernoff: That happened to be the midseason finale. It was nice to be a part of that and have DeLuca have his moment and say his piece with Meredith. "Grey’s Anatomy is so much more than a television show, it has a really big global impact," Gianniotti explained. ABC’s lineup is expected to be pushed back tonight, along with the Thursday night lineup from several other stations. But circumstances didn't allow for that. The landmark 15th season is longer than usual. But it's not a drill; he's definitely died. Many times after I pitched it to the writers and we designed the season around this story, I started to chicken out and second-guess myself. Maggie Tells Amelia Why She's So Frustrated 12.17.2020. Clips. Giacomo, you got to make your directorial debut on Grey's this season. In a fitting end to his storyline, DeLuca winds up on Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo) magical beach and is able to have a farewell with his former love interest before walking into the sunset. This season has put COVID-19 at the top of the call sheet, with realistic portrayals of everything from infected doctors, others struggling with the emotional gravity and, in the midseason finale, hospitals reached capacity. Vernoff: I was processing [grief] myself when this story came. Jackson learns about April's pregnancy, while Alex and the team of doctors handle an hours-long triple-organ transplant surgery. Meredith Grey is passing the baton to a new Shondaland heroine. As an image, that works on people's psyche and helps them understand that this pandemic is ongoing and profound and impacting communities in really painful ways. Or it will be a massive surprise when she wakes up. | Do Not Sell My Personal Information McDreamy, was killed off on season 11 of Grey's Anatomy. When it aired, that episode was sadly prescient. Meredith is still in a COVID-19 coma, and Deluca appeared on her mind beach before passing into the afterlife. What was the larger point you wanted to make with DeLuca's storyline? EXCLUSIVE: A former resident of Shondaland is checking back in. See All. Any plans on returning to Grey's as a director? Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey in "Grey's Anatomy." Well, it wasn't the season finale that ABC had originally planned, but finding out Richard Webber's diagnosis in Grey's Anatomy's April … In the accompanying photos from the untitled Grey’s Anatomy firefighter spinoff, Ellen Pompeo’s surgeon is seen chatting … That storyline played out during Station 19, but the ending would push the story into Grey’s Anatomy. Vernoff: There was no plan to kill him at the end of last season. Since then, the actor has opened up about why he left the show to … Fans on Twitter were devastated by this development and made their displeasure known. Alex Karev has officially left the building. Available on My5. Grey's Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff revealed in a new interview that she is planning a possible series finale as the future of the show is unclear. SPOILERS AHEAD for the midseason premiere of Grey's Anatomy. Copyright 2020 PopCulture.com. Knowing Meredith is battling COVID, it feels like there's one of two outcomes there. Grey’s Anatomy JUST came back for season 17, and wow—what a comeback. The storyline was so highly received, and because of that, they knew they had to continue to explore it. Grey's Anatomy said parted ways with a beloved member of its cast during Thursday's midseason premiere and it did so in a relatively rare fashion … Below, showrunner Krista Vernoff and star Gianniotti talk with The Hollywood Reporter about how DeLuca's death factors into a season that has put COVID-19 at the top of the show's call sheet and what's next. As we were going through this shared trauma of COVID together and quarantine and being away from the people we love, I wanted all the other tragedies in the world to just stop. Grey's Anatomy season 16 spoilers follow.. Grey's Anatomy fans have backed Andrew DeLuca after the latest episode saw no-one believe him over a human trafficking case.. 00:30 'Grey's Anatomy' Returns THURSDAY MARCH 11 With a Crossover Event! "You’re trying to tell me that two military surgeons and general surgeon with 30 years plus in the game couldn’t repair a stab wound?? Grey's Anatomy's crossover event with Station 19 left fans in tears when the medical drama's Season 17 midseason finale killed off a beloved fan-favorite character. Sitemap | Available on My5 Upcoming Episodes Clips News Characters Competition About. Grey's Anatomy. Why Sara Ramirez (Dr. Callie Torres) Left Grey's Anatomy. Season 17, Episode 7 … How do you think Meredith will respond to DeLuca's death? Grey's Anatomy parted ways with a beloved member of its cast during Thursday's midseason premiere and it did so in a relatively rare fashion for the ABC medical drama: with a character death. After Grey's Anatomy's stunning spring premiere revealed that Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) died from a stab wound, showrunner Krista Vernoff … It was as shocking to me as it was to you. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Knight Is Back in Shondaland — Watch Him in Action on The Catch this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Will DeLuca re-appear on that beach again this season? It didn't seem fair. Gianniotti: Even though his life has come to an end, there's many ways to show our characters who have passed. Some of the stars have also directed episodes. Vernoff: No. Maybe if Meredith hadn't gotten COVID, the first part of this season could have been them picking up the pieces of where they left off in their romance. Alum Announces Exit From 'Chicago P.D.' After seven seasons, was there anything you wanted to do on the show but never had the chance? ABC And now, millions of fans are on pins and needles waiting to see if Dr. Grey – and her namesake show – lives or dies. "SOMEBODY FROM GREYS ANATOMY PRODUCTION TEAM NEED TO TELL ME WHY DELUCA DIED BUT YET TEDDY IS STILL ALIVE," tweet-shouted another. This was the story. Upcoming Episodes. Warning: If you’ve yet to watch Thursday’s Grey’s Anatomy, you may wanna go ahead and do that before reading the spoiler-filled interview that follows.. Gianniotti: I didn't! One Twitter user best summed up being a Grey's fan with one tweet: "People who are still checking in to watch Grey's Anatomy are the strongest soldiers...", THEY REALLY DONT CARE ABOUT OUR FEELINGS!! That's part of where this story was born. How does the rest of the season play out in terms of how close it has been to what's happening in the world now? He dies a hero, which is a bit of the ultimate for a Grey's death. That beach is a ray of light and the surprises of who you see there are rays of light. Here's why the hit medical show is … Part of DeLuca dying in this way…watching this episode, watching his mom greet him on the beach and feeling that grief, I cried harder watching this episode than I cried since George O'Malley died. I wanted to show that a person can go through a mental health crisis and come out the other side and be a functional, contributing member of the hospital staff.