Grey’s Anatomy pulled off a very jaw-dropping shock within the Season 17 premiere, which ended with Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) collapsing after an extended shift within the COVID-19 ward on the hospital and escaping to a dream seashore scene the place her lifeless husband, Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), was ready for her. Followers noticed the previous couple change “I miss you”s to one another from throughout the seashore, however the nature of their reunion and what it means for Meredith’s situation again within the land of the acutely aware stays to be seen.
TV Information spoke with Kevin McKidd, who directed this Thursday’s episode, about what to anticipate from this stunning reunion and what it was prefer to get to movie Derek and Meredith again collectively once more.
“it’s a nice episode. Meg Marinis wrote it, and I really like engaged on Meg’s scripts. She’s such an important author,” McKidd mentioned. “It is an important follow-up to the place we left off within the season premiere. It is only a actually cool payoff to the place we left that sensible premiere episode, directed by Debbie [Allen].”
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Gray’s showrunner Krista Vernoff has promised that Derek will seem thrice within the early a part of the season, and whereas McKidd could not verify precisely when these instances might be, he did say that the couple will certainly be interacting extra going ahead.
“The scenes [between Meredith and Derek] are actually enjoyable. It feels very nostalgic, taking pictures them. It appears like yesterday. It appears like a well-known, very acquainted factor, and it was lovely to be there and shoot these scenes on the seashore,” he mentioned. “That nice chemistry between Meredith and Derek is, as you may see, very a lot alive.”
“COVID has made all people actually zoom out on their lives and actually check out the place they’re, and what’s essential,” McKidd continued. “And I believe that tone is what the Meredith and Derek scenes are about — that type of reassessment and a letting go, and a closure, you understand, and a celebration all on the similar time.”
Whereas the seashore dream with Derek could also be an escape, particularly for longtime Gray’s followers, it won’t be as stress-free for everybody within the hospital, the place Meredith is preventing for her life.
“It actually impacts all people emotionally,” McKidd mentioned of Meredith’s situation. “She’s the spine, and the inspiration, the emotional heart and the non secular heart of the hospital. So, when that goes away, it’s extremely disconcerting for folks. Everyone’s vitality is about getting her effectively once more. But it surely’s thrilling too, within the sense that we get to inform totally different tales, and we get to really feel that jeopardy.”
“COVID would not have favorites,” mentioned McKidd. “All of us love Meredith Gray, and the followers love Meredith Gray. COVID would not have that very same sensibility. It is gonna take anybody down that is affected by it. I am unable to actually say far more than that, but it surely’s positively going to be a stunning and really thrilling, scary experience.”
Gray’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.
Ellen Pompeo, Gray’s Anatomy