Patrick Dempsey reprises his role as McDreamy on Grey’s Anatomy: ‘It was a beautiful ending to this story’

Spoilers Ahead:

Patrick Dempsey, who played Derek ‘McDreamy’ Shepherd in Grey’s Anatomy, has been a delight for fans from the very first scene. This medical drama series is on its 17th season now and the audience is just as hooked as it was when the series started airing in 2005. Dempsey’s character, who was killed off in season 11, is back to leave many fans teary-eyed with a special appearance in the two-part premiere episode of season 17.

In the current season, Derek Shepherd returns in a dream sequence where he is on the beach with his beloved Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) for their wedding. The actor was delighted to be back on sets. He will also feature in more episodes this season.

“I thought it was a beautiful way to close it,” Dempsey told Variety.

Elaborating that the intention was to really give people some hope, the actor elaborated, “We’ve lost so many people this year. The thought that we’d have angels hovering around us taking care of us is a good message to send out in such a bleak world that we’re living in. I’m so grateful that I did it and happy that the fans really loved it.”

Commenting on his emotional reunion with his colleagues in the midst of a pandemic, he explained that wearing a mask was mandatory at all times. "Ellen and I were like, 'What can we do together to make some impact here?' That was in the spring around this time last year. It just was a positive action that reverberates into more positive action," he recalled.

Grey’s Anatomy can be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.