'Grey's Anatomy' Season 17 Episode 3 Preview: How long will Derek be present in this segment? Here's the answer

While there was a chance of him being saved at a clinic, the doctors fumbled and wasted time...leading to Derek's death
(ABC)
(ABC)

The premiere of 'Grey's Anatomy' left fans sobbing. The doctors of Grey-Sloane memorial are struggling to save lives during the Covid-19 pandemic that crippled the world. People are dying, and there is chaos as most of them don't have access to healthcare. Everyone's trying to keep their temper under control, relationships are frayed, and the doctors are panicking Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) are trying to get back to where they were, while Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) and Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) broke up, hopefully for good.

However, the ending left everyone in shock, as Meredith collapsed. In her limbo-like state, she saw her dead husband Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). Derek died in Season 11 in a heart-stopping car crash. While there was a chance of him being saved at a clinic, the doctors fumbled and wasted time...leading to Derek's death. The truth is that there were rumours of Dempsey leaving the show on a bad note, so fans were not sure if they would ever see him again.

It turns out, he's going to be there for most of Season 17, and that is good news for fans. On the Ellen DeGenres show, he teased about how many episodes he could be seen in. "I'm not sure how many. I know I'm throughout this season. He comes back to visit," he said.

In an interview to Deadline, Dempsey said, "It was really enjoyable. It was really exciting, and fun, and it was great to see everybody. Kevin (McKidd, who directs Episode 3) was there as well, so there was a lot of familiar faces, a lot of new faces. The dynamic behind the camera had changed. There's much more diversity within the crew. There was a nice balance, too, of equality that I was seeing. So, culturally, there was a lot of things that were different, that I thought were very positive and very inspiring, actually."

The synopsis for Episode 3 reads: "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."

'Grey's Anatomy' airs on Thursdays at 9 pm on ABC.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

A shocking twist looms as 'NCIS' season 23 heads to its finale, with a returning figure hinting at danger that could reshape everything for the team.
1 hour ago
Fans were soon disappointed when they tuned in on April 30 for a new 'Matlock' Season 2 episode but found that it did not air.
4 hours ago
A former colleague returns as the season nears its conclusion, hinting at an unresolved threat that could push the team into a high-stakes showdown.
4 hours ago
A surprise move from 'The Pitt' fan-favorite star has left all the fans wondering as to why he decided to switch categories.
5 hours ago
The move comes after ABC announced that the stars would be exiting the show in the upcoming May 7 'Grey's Anatomy' Season 22 finale.
6 hours ago
'Hacks' Season 5 sees some marquee names playing themselves in the hit Emmy-winning dramedy, including Jesse McCartney and Tony Kushner.
6 hours ago
2024 shark thriller 'Under Paris' was a smash hit on Netflix and starred Bérénice Bejo as the lead, and now we finally have an update on the sequel.
7 hours ago
After uncovering a political conspiracy in Rio, John Creasy is ready to deal with his past in Mexico City, but will 'Man on Fire' return for Season 2?
7 hours ago
The latest episode saw Kate Brody compete with Greg Shahade, who rose to prominence after beating Jamie Ding
8 hours ago
Fans will have to wait to see what happens after William and Jamie finally reunite
9 hours ago