Grey’s Anatomy reunites Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo’s Derek and Meredith; actors reflect on what it was like shooting together after five years

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

November 13, 2020 - 4:22 PM IST

Popular medical drama Grey's Anatomy returned with season 17 that was coronavirus centric episode. The premiere had quite a few interesting moments including the final few seconds that were shocking. For those who haven't watched the episode - this is a spoiler - but Patrick Dempsey made his return as McDreamy!

Grey’s Anatomy reunites Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo’s Derek and Meredith; actors reflect on what it was like shooting together after five years

The episode revolved around Meredith Grey working so much during the COVID-19 outbreak that she collapsed and was found unconscious by McWidow (Richard Flood) at the parking lot of the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The scene then transported to what seemed like a dream scene where she was on the beach when she noticed someone calling her name and waving at her. She got up to see it was Derek smiling at her. She said "Oh my god" as the episode ended.

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"We hadn’t spoken or been together for a while. It was a great opportunity to catch up and say, OK, what can we do for all the frontline responders?" said Patrick Dempsey to Deadline Hollywood. "I’ve been tracking what Grey’s had been doing with giving masks, and making sure that people had the right equipment, and it came from that place — OK, what can we do to make people feel better, to give some comfort in this time of uncertainty, and that’s how it began. And it was really a wonderful experience to go back, to work with [director/EP] Debbie [Allen]."

He further said, "I think the whole atmosphere has changed, certainly working at the beach, and seeing everybody again was really a very healing process, and really rewarding, and a lot of fun. And hopefully, that feeling translates, and the fans enjoy it. I know that they’ve been wanting us to get back together, and I think this will satisfy a lot of people, and surprise a lot of people, hopefully."

Ellen reflected similar sentiments on reuniting with Dempsey and told Deadline, "It felt great. Patrick and I have this chemistry, where I think, even from when we first met, for some reason, it just felt like we’ve known each other for a hundred years, and it’s just the same feeling. It’s like riding a bike, we just have a chemistry and a dynamic that’s always served us well, and I think we have a genuine affection for each other."

"And it was very healing to come back, and know that we’re doing something good, putting out a positive story, a healing story, going to make people smile, and I think, for me, I’m really grateful for the opportunity to be able to be at this place in the show where we can do this. We constantly get to rewrite, I don’t want to say the ending, but we get to keep the rewrites going, which, I guess, you writers love, right?" Ellen further added.

Reunited ❤️ | ???? @KristaVernoff pic.twitter.com/EhHLZy2nuy
— Greys Anatomy (@GreysABC) November 13, 2020

Speaking of how 17 years have asked as his character died in season 11, Patrick added, "It was really special. It’s really hard to believe, 17 years, that’s remarkable. I mean, a lot of us didn’t have children at that point, right? So, our kids have grown up, they’re now in school. It’s crazy how much time has passed, but it really was so comforting, and lovely, and inspiring to go back, and to work together, to see everybody. It really was so open, too, that was the thing, really, people were very, I think, vulnerable in a positive way, where we were all grateful to be there and to be together."

The premiere episode of Grey's Anatomy season 17 was directed by Kevin McKidd.