There's Still Hope Derek Won't Die On 'Grey's'

I am having a lot of feelings about Grey's Anatomy right now. Derek Shepherd was missing during last week's episode — well, kind of. He was supposed to be in DC for his final meeting before his permanent return to Seattle, and never showed up. Thanks to the previews for Thursday night's new episode, though, we can see that Derek is still alive, but for how long? He's obviously helping out at the scene of a really scary accident (that he was possibly involved in himself) and that's why he's been incommunicado while Meredith has been trying to reach him. That's good, right? He's still alive! Not so fast, fellow optimists. The preview for Thursday night's episode made the aftermath of the accident look very dangerous for Derek. Still, I'm keeping hope alive that Derek won't die on Grey's Anatomy after all.

Why not? Beyond the fact that I can't imagine we'd lose another major character the season after Cristina Yang made her departure, I just want to believe that Derek's with us 'til the end. I'll admit it: Things aren't looking good for Derek. But there are definitely still reasons to believe he'll be just fine.

Patrick Dempsey's Contract Extends To Season 12

Near the end of last season, Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo both signed on for two more seasons. A pretty big sign he's not going anywhere.

Dempsey's Rep Denied The Concerning Reports

I'm mainly referring to the report from Page Six that claimed Shonda Rhimes is about to fire Dempsey for acting like a "diva," which his rep told the website is simply "not true." An ABC rep declined to comment on the story. Personally, I never even considered the claims as truth, because Dempsey just seems like someone who would always be professional.

Rhimes Has Said He's Not Gone For Good

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in January, so before Derek's DC stint, Rhimes said, “It’s highly possible that we might not see Derek for a while. There will be a time when you see him again, yes, but it’s probable that you won’t see Derek for a while.”

By "see him again" I don't think Rhimes was referring to his very brief return from DC, just to see him leave again (and for good).

He Was Shooting Grey's Earlier This Month

Dempsey posted this shot on Twitter on April 9 when he was in the real Seattle filming for Grey's. If he's going to die on Thursday night's episode, I highly doubt he would have been filming two weeks ago, because his job on set would've been done long before that.

I think it's definitely reasonable to hope that Dempsey's sticking around to at least fulfill the rest of his contract. Don't leave us, Derek! It won't be a beautiful day to save lives without you!

Images: Kelsey McNeal/ABC, Giphy (3)