Grey's Anatomy executive producer Shonda Rhimes tells me exclusively that a beloved character will die in the ABC drama's May 17 season finale. There's some really shocking, horrible moments, " she says. It can't be worse than two years ago when a gunman hunted the doctors like animals, can it? "Yeah it is. It scares me how fans are going to react."
The heart stopping drama begins in the May 10 episode, with a "big case that takes a group of our people out of the hospital. Its sort of the medical case of their lives", says Shonda who hints that the patient could be one of their own.
That episode will also give the first glimpse of Derek and Meredith's completed dream house, which Shonda planned to burn down in the finale before deciding, "I was not ready to do that. I hope we can use it next season".
More juicy finale deets: Look forward to some "extraordinarily romantic Ben and Dr Bailey stuff "with Bailey making a decision that will fundamentally change her life." Mark and Lexie...will have some very beautiful moments that I hope fans are going to really love".
Cristina continues to struggle with the fact that she is a "gifted, talented surgeon first before being Owen's wife." Shonda wouldn't reveal anything about Callie and Arizona, which, frankly has me worried. And what of Meredith and Derek? After repeatedly saying she didn't know the status of Ellen Pompeo's and Patrick Dempsey's contracts, Shonda now says she's not allowed to discuss it.
And even by the end of the finale, viewers may not be clear as to who will return next fall. "We sort of end with our breaths held, " she teases. "We were joking that if this was the series finale, we'd be good. But we've been told very clearly it's not."
Credit: RysenSun/TWOP (Thanks to Ann for the heads up.)
A longer interview will be published tomorrow on TV Guide.com
