Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Premiers with a Shock
*Spoiler Warning*
The long awaited season 17 of Grey’s Anatomy premiered on November 12, 2020. The season started off with a 2 hour long premiere of 2 episodes, following the Coronavirus outbreak. The characters are seen throughout the episode wearing masks and treating Covid patients. The last few minutes of the episode left fans shocked, crying and ready for the new season.
In the final minutes of the episode, Meredith Grey is found unconscious in the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital parking lot by Cormac Hayes. It then cuts to a dream sequence. Meredith was pictured on a beach surrounded by bright lights. It circled her and followed off into the distance where the beloved Derek Shepard stood shouting her name. Fans were shocked to see Patrick Dempsey, the actor who plays Shepard, return after his character died in season 11.
Ellen Pompeo who plays Meredith Grey said, “Patrick and I both have homes in Malibu, and we went for a hike one day... And the idea just struck me so I just said to him, would you ever consider coming and being a part of the storytelling this season? I know that Patrick has his foundation in Maine where he helps cancer patients and cancer survivors, and that’s a huge effort of his, and I know that it’s important to him, also, to give people hope, and give people joy, and we wanted to bring something to this moment.”
Krista Vernoff, a writer for the show, hinted this may not be the last time we see Derek Shepard. Many fans are thinking other characters are coming back this season. Some actors who used to be on the show were listed under Grey’s Anatomy’s IMDb. It’s possible however, that they are only listed on the cast because there will be flashbacks of their characters but obviously fans would love to see them return.
Fans are already speculating what is going to happen to Meredith. In the trailer for the next episode, Meredith is seen getting a scan with doctors Maggie Pierce and Teddy Altman, 2 cardiac surgeons. Fans are speculating that Christina Yang will return since she is also a cardiac surgeon. Fans doubt that Meredith will get COVID-19. If she does get it, fans believe she won’t die from it because she has survived through so many traumatic events throughout the show such as a bombing, drowning, a shooting, and the list goes on.
Others are thinking Meredith might have cancer. Fans noticed parallels between Meredith and Derek and when Izzie Stevens had cancer and hallucinated her dead lover, Denny Duquette. When Izzie hallucinated Denny, they were on a beach as were Meredith and Derek. There were other small similar details between Izzie and Meredith such as the elevator scenes when Meredith went to see Derek in season 11 and when Izzie saw George O’Malley in the elevator. Also the scenes of them lying their heads on their lovers in hospital beds. While this could just be a major coincidence, some think it could have a deeper meaning.
Episode 3 airs November 19, 2020. IMBd’s summary of the episode states, “The doctors continue to face their new COVID-19 reality and deal with a familiar and stubborn patient; Koracick is put in charge of the interns; Link operates on a sex therapist; Maggie finds comfort in Winston's virtual presence.”