Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Grey's Anatomy season 17, episode 7!
Grey's Anatomy killed off a major character in Dr. Andrew DeLuca, and now actor Giacomo Gianniotti reacts to the surprising death. The long-running ABC drama is in the midst of season 17, which has shown Grey-Sloan Memorial hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The real-world event has played a big role in all of this season's storylines. Meredith Grey and Tom Koracick are currently fighting the virus, while the show's other doctors feel the emotional toll of caring for them and the rest of their COVID-19 patients. Meredith's illness has led to Grey's Anatomy's much discussed "beach scenes," which have shown Meredith interacting with dead characters from her past, including her friend George and husband Derek.
Grey's Anatomy returned from a three month hiatus this week and immediately put another character in jeopardy. Station 19, whose episode aired just before Grey's Anatomy, showed DeLuca chasing after the human trafficker he first encountered last season. He was able to help the authorities apprehend her but was stabbed in the process. The crossover showed him nearly surviving but ultimately passing away from his injury. He also joined Meredith on the beach throughout the episode, finally saying goodbye to her in the end.
Gianniotti reacted to DeLuca's death in an interview with ET, calling himself "more than satisfied" with how his character's story ended. He cited the episode's balance of action moments and heartfelt conversations with Andrew's sister, Carina, as well as closure with Meredith.
I'm more than satisfied. I really don't see how they could have done more for DeLuca or explained more with DeLuca, you know what I mean? With the Station 19 episode, we get to dive into a very thrilling episode that feels kind of like an action movie. He's chasing this criminal through the station and hopping on trains. Very exciting and thrilling. With the opposite side of that, which is there's some really amazing moments with his sister where they talk about their family and their childhood and their past, so there's a lot of story and character development there. And then on Grey's Anatomy, we get the drama of our doctors trying to save his life and DeLuca having closure and Meredith's dream and having to be able to address a lot of things and talk to her about how he feels about his life and how he didn't have any regrets and how, even though it cost him his life, he doesn't regret trying to stop that woman. He's always been plagued, if you will, about doing the right thing at all costs. Unfortunately it cost him his life, but looking back, he doesn't regret it.
DeLuca's death came as a shock, considering his injury and death unfolded in the same crossover. Many viewers also assumed if a character were to die this season it would likely be Koracick, as he already came close due to the coronavirus. As it often does, Grey's Anatomy also lulled audiences into a false sense of security by showing DeLuca awake and happy after surgery. His death proved Grey's Anatomy still has the ability to surprise audiences.
As far as Gianniotti's reaction to DeLuca's death, it's nice to hear he feels it was a satisfying ending for his character. He certainly went out a hero. His scenes with Meredith on the beach were some of the most poignant yet this season, especially as it became clear DeLuca was saying goodbye. Though it may be disappointing for some Grey's Anatomy viewers the two didn't get that opportunity in the real world, it fit the themes of this season nicely. As other doctors find out about DeLuca's tragic passing, the farewell to the character will continue into Grey's Anatomy's next episode.
Source: ET