Grey's Anatomy Made a Mistake By Calling Derek Shepherd McDreamy

Updated on July 30, 2022 13:45 PM by Dhinesh

Introduction

Patrick Dempsey played brain surgeon, Dr. Derek Shepherd, on Grey's Anatomy for 11 weeks of the season, but his moniker "McDreamy" was not earned. Derek was dubbed "McDreamy" from the start due to his great looks and charm, but he didn't every time stay true to the nickname.

About Derek Shepherd

Derek Christopher Shepherd, M.D., F.A.C.S., also known as "McDreamy," is a fictional surgeon on Grey's Anatomy, played by actor Patrick Dempsey. He first appeared in the pilot episode, "A Hard Day's Night," which aired on March 27, 2005.

Derek also known as "MerDer"

His treatment of Meredith Grey and the other women in his life demonstrated that he was not the perfect man or love interest that he was commonly portrayed to be.

Derek Shepherd first appeared as Meredith's host inside the Grey's Anatomy pilot, but it was evident that he had been going to have to stick around when it was revealed that he was an attending brain surgeon at Seattle Forgiveness Hospital, where Meredith was just starting her internship.

There was a power imbalance between the couple due to their age difference and the hospital's hierarchy, which posed some challenges, but Derek pursued Meredith despite her booking, and she couldn't resist his charms. Thus began the epic love story of Meredith and Derek.

At the end of Grey's Anatomy

The big twist at the end of Grey's Anatomy season 1 finale, that Derek was still married to Addison Montgomery and hadn't told Meredith, called Derek's McDreamy character into question.

Hurt by Addison's affair with his closest buddy Mark Sloan, Derek was never shy about criticizing his first wife, even as they were continuing to work around each other.

His disrespect didn't stop with Addison

Derek's resentment of Meredith's relationship with Finn drove him to be mean-spirited, even will go so far as to shame her for being sexually active. His dislike for women who own and are not ashamed of their sexual identity proceeded with Derek's youngest sister in Grey's Anatomy, Amelia Shepherd, who, despite her successes, was always viewed as a troubled child by her brother.

Each of the women most important to Derek

Each of Derek's most important women recognized the many ways he was McDreamy while also suffering from his sometimes nightmare behavior.

Derek Shepherd rarely had to face the consequences

Derek Shepherd rarely faced the consequences of his actions on Grey's Anatomy. Despite his cocky, patronizing attitude and bad behavior, Derek stayed an up-and-coming surgeon who could seemingly do no wrong inside or outside the surgery room.

Despite this

Derek Shepherd's flaws helped shape him into a more grounded, human, relatable, and likable character. McDreamy was only one aspect of his personality, and Patrick Dempsey's portrayal of Derek on Grey's Anatomy made him endearing even when he was at his most irritating.

Up until his death

Derek Shepherd demonstrated why he earned the McDreamy moniker and fell short of it up until he died in Grey's Human biology 12-game finale. He had selfish reasons for putting his aspirations ahead of Meredith's and their family in the lead-up to the finale, but in his dying minutes, he managed to unselfishly save a family after a car crash that also finally cost him his life.

His death shocked and dismayed audiences, and his loss to Meredith's dream seaside in season 17 only confirmed how much Derek Shepherd/McDreamy is missed on Grey's Anatomy, flaws and all.