For 11 seasons, Patrick Dempsey starred as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy, but his nickname of "McDreamy" wasn't earned. From the beginning, Derek was labeled "McDreamy" in reference to his good looks and charm, but he didn't always live up to the moniker. While he was certainly charming, Derek's treatment of Meredith Grey and the other women in his life proved that he wasn't the perfect man or love interest he was frequently painted out to be.
Derek Shepherd first appeared in the Grey's Anatomy pilot as a one-night-stand of Meredith's, but it was clear that he was going to stick around when it was revealed he was an attending neurosurgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital where Meredith was just starting her internship. Due to their age gap and the hospital's hierarchy, there was a power imbalance between the couple that posed some challenges, yet Derek pursued Meredith in spite of her reservations and she couldn't resist his charms. Thus began the great love story of Meredith and Derek, or "MerDer."
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At the end of the Grey's Anatomy season 1 finale, the big twist that Derek was still married to Addison Montgomery, and that he hadn't told Meredith, put his McDreamy persona into question. Hurt over Addison cheating on him with his best friend Mark Sloan, Derek never held back in his criticism of his first wife, even when they were working together. His disrespect didn't stop with Addison, as Derek's jealousy of Meredith moving on with Finn caused him to be spiteful, going as far as to shame her for being sexually active. His distaste for women who own and are not ashamed of their sexuality continued with Derek's youngest sister in Grey's Anatomy, Amelia Shepherd, who, despite her own accomplishments, was always seen by her brother as a troubled child. Each of the women most important to Derek saw the many ways he was actually McDreamy but also suffered through his sometimes nightmarish behavior.
Derek’s Flaws Make Him A Better Character (But Not McDreamy)
It wasn't often that Derek Shepherd faced the consequences of his actions in Grey's Anatomy. Though characters would occasionally call him out on his cocky, condescending attitude or bad behavior, Derek remained a hotshot surgeon who could seemingly do no wrong inside or outside the operating room. Yet, it was all of his flaws that formed Derek Shepherd into a more grounded, human, relatable, and likable character. McDreamy was just one facet of his character and Patrick Dempsey's portrayal of Derek in Grey's Anatomy made him endlessly charming, even in the moments when he was at his most frustrating.
All the way up until his death in the Grey's Anatomy season 11 finale, Derek Shepherd showed why he both earned the McDreamy nickname and failed to live up to it. In the lead-up to the finale, he had been selfishly putting his own ambitions over Meredith's and their family, but in his final moments, managed to selflessly save a family after a car accident, which ultimately cost him his own life. His death shocked and saddened viewers, and his return to Meredith's dream beach in season 17 only reminded viewers just how missed Derek Shepherd/McDreamy is on Grey's Anatomy, flaws and all.