After eleven seasons, fans said good-bye to Derek Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy. Such a hard blow was difficult coming so close after the departure of Cristina Yang. With her best friend in Switzerland and her husband deceased, Meredith latched herself even more to long-time best friend, Alex Karev. Alex had become Meredith's person after Cristina left, and he remained in the role until Karev's abrupt removal from Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
The conclusions of Derek Shepherd and Alex Karev were not only difficult for their family and friends, but also for longtime fans of the show. With each departure, viewers had their own opinions about the way the characters were written off the series. As emotional as each good-bye may have been, neither character had a happy conclusion.
Alex Karev: Left His Friends Behind
Throughout sixteen seasons, Alex had made strong bonds with several doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Most of all, Meredith Grey was Alex's best and closest friend. Alex's choice to leave separated him from Meredith, and the rest of his close friends in Seattle. To explain his departure, Alex wrote four letters.
One to his wife, Jo, and three more to Meredith, Richard Webber, and Miranda Bailey. While Karev does describe why he had left, he did not give his friends the chance to wish him well either. Alex's letter to Meredith included telling her that while Cristina and then Alex were her "person" that Meredith was always her own.
Derek Shepherd: Narrated His Death
It was difficult enough for fans to watch Derek Shepherd die, however, Grey's Anatomy found a way to twist the knife even more. After Derek gets hit by a truck, the audience gets to listen to Derek's voice over. Derek talks about what is wrong with him and even tells the viewers the moment that Derek would be officially lost.
No other character on Grey's Anatomy had gotten that treatment before, and he remains the only one to receive one afterward. It was difficult enough to say good-bye to such an impactful character, but listening to him realize that he will die was an emotional punch beyond what viewers expected to get.
Alex Karev: Left Jo Behind
Alex Karev left his wife with no word of his whereabouts before finally sending her a letter explaining everything. However, this comes unfortunately soon after having a second wedding to Jo and telling her that he does not want a way out.
While Alex wrote that if it was just between Jo and Izzie that he would have gone back to Jo, that did not take away the hurt that came with knowing that their marriage was over. Jo was left with a half-empty apartment and the uncertainty of what name to go by. Many fans rioted, stating that Alex leaving Jo for Izzie was unrealistic and against his character.
Derek Shepherd: Recent Marital Issues
Derek's desire to continue to strengthen his research caused several marital problems between him and Meredith. Meredith did not want Derek to work so far away, nor did she want to leave with him.
While they could work it out occasionally, Derek's death came just in time to prevent his plan to go back to work at Grey Sloan. Meredith and Derek did not get a lot of chances to work through many of their issues. Yet, Derek had given Meredith one last gift before he died. Meredith had discovered shortly after Derek's death that she was pregnant with her and Derek's third child, Ellis.
Alex Karev: Wrote Letters
To his credit, Karev does admit that revealing his disappearance through letters was cowardly. Perhaps beyond any other characters, Jo Karev, Meredith Grey, Richard Webber, and Miranda Bailey deserved an in-person good-bye. Webber explains that he wishes Karev had stuck around so that he could have wished his student farewell rather than only receiving one.
The letters only come after a long time of unanswered text messages and phone calls, leaving several of those who cared about Alex worried about his whereabouts. Those closest to Alex deserved to see him and hear directly from him what had happened.
Derek Shepherd: Incompetence Of Others
Derek Shepherd's accident may have been because he was paying attention to his phone instead of the road, but he dies because of the incompetence of other doctors. The hospital that Derek is taken to is not a trauma center and the doctors do not take Derek for a CT, which is what they would have needed to do to know what was wrong.
In addition to that, the neurosurgeon that was having dinner instead of rushing to the hospital, arrived too late to save Derek's life. Derek was a brilliant surgeon, and regardless of loving or hating him, Derek did not deserve to die due to the mistakes of others.
Alex Karev: Had Been Missing For Weeks
When Alex left, he had told Jo that he was going to visit his mother. However, when Alex stopped returning messages, Jo discovered that Alex had not gone to see his mother at all. Meredith also knew that Alex was not in Iowa and asked where he was, to which she did not get an answer.
Alex had left his loved ones asking questions for weeks about his location and had them all worried sick. While Alex may have thought it was the easiest way to leave, it was not fair of him to disappear without a trace, leaving those who loved them blindly trying to figure out what happened.
Derek Shepherd: Looking At His Phone
Derek's death in a way works as a public service announcement to not look at your cell phone in the middle of the street. Derek had just saved several people without hospital supplies, keeping them alive until an ambulance showed up. It may have been some of Derek's best single-handed work.
However, Derek's adrenaline did not protect him when he decided to look at his phone in the middle of the street. His choice and a semi-truck barreling in his direction was the mistake that ended his life.
Alex Karev: Character Regression
The official reveal of Alex's conclusion during "Leave a Light On" sent fans into an angry rage. Many claimed that they wished the Grey's Anatomy writes would have killed off Alex Karev, as it would not have undone his sixteen season-long character development.
Alex's actions were more reminiscent of the old Alex Karev than the reformed one. The Alex of more recent seasons would not have left his wife without a word and explained his actions through letters that declared how he was already gone. Numerous fans of Grey's Anatomy went on to say how this choice was a character assassination for the long time fan-favorite Alex Karev.
Derek Shepherd: Wishes Were Ignored
Derek had once mentioned that when the time came, he wanted all of his sisters to say good-bye. Although Meredith had known that, she does not follow through on Derek's wishes. Instead, Meredith says good-bye to Derek and tells the doctors to pull the plug. Shortly afterward, Meredith runs away with the kids for about a year.
Later, Amelia confronts Meredith about her choice to leave Amelia and her sisters out of Derek's passing. Even though Meredith was devastated that was no excuse to ignore Derek's wishes to have his family see him before he died.