Grave’s anatomical boss Patrick Dempsey speaks of returning to Derek

Grace’s anatomical fans were shocked when a beloved character from last night’s show reappeared.

Now in its 17th season, medical drama is dealing with the corona virus infection in its current storylines, as Grace’s anatomical chauffeur Krista Vernoff wants to “respect the reality” of the health crisis – in particular, how it affected those in the front row.

However, there was also a desire to keep the lighter aspects of the show intact, which is what sparked the visit of the aforementioned person from Meredith Gray’s past.

Read on for more details, but be wary of spoilers.

As some fans are now well aware, Patrick Dempsey is back as Derek Shepherd, reconsidering his role for the first time since leaving the series dramatically in Season 11.

The character was written in tragic circumstances, suffering a serious head injury after a horrific car accident, the devastating loss of his wife Meredith and their three children.

When Meredith experiences her death in the Season 17 premiere, she tells Derek that she has a vision of a beautiful beach where she misses him.

Dempsey returned to film new scenes for the shocking revelation, which Wernoff said was kept secret – even from many who worked on the show.

Most actors don’t know. Some writers do not know. Not everyone knows the good in the studio & network. It’s so much fun to open it all up. ???? # Gray physique pic.twitter.com/LCQj6outeY

– Christa Vernoff (rist Christownernoff) November 13, 2020

In a statement, Vernoff added: “The most important task we have this season is to honor the reality of this global epidemic and its impact – especially on health workers. With that, we had to come up with creative ways to make our show more fun and romantic and provide some escape.

“Enter Patrick Dempsey. The beach theme – which will continue beyond the premiere – gave us a way to live out the plague here and there for even a little while. Derek’s visit gave us, Merit, and the fans pure joy.

“Season 17 is a hard work by our cast, our crew, our writers and our partners at Disney and ABC – we’re proud of that, but our effort is nothing compared to the work of our leading healthcare staff dedicated this season.

“We hope our show inspires each other to wear your masks. As Derek Sheppard says, ‘This is a beautiful day to save lives.’ “

As teased in the trailer below, Dempsey will reappear in Season 17 as Meredith begins to recover:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16_S_Mf2E0A

Grace Anatomy Season 17 is currently airing in the US, but Sky Witness UK flight dates have not yet been confirmed. Season 1-15 is available to stream on Amazon Prime video. Sign up for Amazon Prime 99 for 99.99 per month with 30 days free trial. Check out what else is on our TV guide, or check out our new TV Shows 2020 page to find out what airs this fall and beyond.