'Grey's Anatomy' Fans Are in Complete Shock After the Sudden Death of a Major Character
Warning: Grey's Anatomy season 17 spoilers below.
We may truly never get over the events of this week's Grey's Anatomy episode. Shocking literally everyone during the crossover season 17 midseason premiere of Station 19 and Grey's Anatomy, fans had to say goodbye to one of the most beloved doctors on the show, Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti).
In a tragic turn of events, DeLuca was stabbed while trying to track down Opal (Stephanie Kurtzuba), a human trafficker kingpin. Though it looked like Owen (Kevin McKidd) and Teddy (Kim Raver) might be able to save DeLuca, he ultimately succumbed to his injuries and joined the ranks of other beloved Grey's characters who died while trying to help others.
Of course, the death absolutely devastated fans, who have watched DeLuca's journey throughout the last six years on Grey's Anatomy. Some said their hearts were "shattered," while others declared that he "deserved more" than last night's tragic ending. And then there were fans who wondered, above everything else, why the show decided this was the right time to bid farewell to DeLuca.
So, why did Grey's Anatomy kill off DeLuca?
Thankfully, Giacomo has swiftly provided fans with the reason for his imminent departure in season 17. On Thursday, Giacomo's interview with Deadline was published, where the actor explained that he knew that DeLuca was going to be killed off a few episodes into season 17. That's when showrunner Krista Vernoff and director Debbie Allen approached him about the idea.
"They said, 'Hey, we’ve been doing a lot of thinking about it, and we feel there’s an opportunity to tell a really, really beautiful story that is going to help a lot of people,'" Giacomo recalled to the outlet. And so, when the cast got back to set to film the rest of season 17, they decided to close the storyline and DeLuca's time on the show.
"What if we could catch that woman that trafficked that young girl, and what if DeLuca was to save the day but to lose his life in the process, to die a hero saving all these people and all these children who potentially could’ve been trafficked, but now will not be because the traffickers were stopped?," Giacomo said. "And I just thought it was a beautiful storyline, I thought it was a beautiful way for the character to exit as a hero."
He added: "I’ve been on the show for six years, seven seasons. It’s definitely been a long time, and I’m a young guy. So, I think this was a good time to depart, and I’m happy that Krista and Debbie and all the writers did such a great job with telling the story. I think it’s going to do justice to a lot of people and help a lot of people."
On social media, Giacomo thanked the Grey's cast and crew for his time on the series in an emotional post.
"So much I could say... but all that comes to mind is thank you. Thank you to all the fans who loved Deluca as much as I did. Telling his story was and will be one of the great honors of my life. Thank you. @GreysAbc," Giacomo wrote.
Meanwhile, Krista told Variety that while she knows she's "the worst" for killing off DeLuca, she hopes that his final episode will show the world how great of a character he really was.
"I think he went out a hero," she said. "I think that he went out fighting for what he believed in. And he was through his mental health crisis. He’d become a very productive member of the hospital staff. And he wasn’t going to let this woman walk away again."
Krista also confirmed to the outlet that although DeLuca is dead, he will appear in a "couple more episodes this season." At least in that way, fans can know that he's not truly gone forever.
You Might Also Like
