Shonda Rhimes confirms that one major character will die in the upcoming May 17 outing, claiming that it will be worse than the bloodshed in the season 6 finale.
- Apr 26, 2012
AceShowbiz - Prepare to shed tears when watching "Grey's Anatomy" season 8 finale. Executive producer/creator Shonda Rhimes reveals that the upcoming May 17 episode will feature the death of one beloved character.
"There's some really shocking, horrible moments," so she gushes about the scenes, which she claims to have made the show's writers cry. Asked if the tragic moment is worse than the hospital shooting in the season 6 finale, she tells TV Guide, "Yeah, it is. People's mettle is going to be tested."
Rhimes herself admits writing the big death plot was a "torture." She shares, "I've been sitting with my head in my hands for days. I understand the choice I made, but it scares me how fans are going to react."
Without mentioning who will die, the "Scandal" creator dishes that the drama will begin in the May 10 episode where "a big case that takes a group of our people out of the hospital." She goes on teasing, "It's sort of the medical case of their lives."
Also in the episode, fans can finally see Derek and Meredith's completed dream house, which she describes as being "quite beautiful." While she initially planned to end the season with the new house being burned, she now admits, "I was not ready to do that."
The tragic death aside, fans can anticipate some "extraordinarily romantic" stuff between Ben and Dr. Bailey, with Bailey making a decision "that will fundamentally change her life." Meanwhile, Alex has "a really lovely moment where we discover how much he's grown up this season."
Rhimes also reveals that the finale will leave viewers guessing about who will and won't return for a possible new season. "We sort of end with our breaths held," she teases. "It's a great moment. We were joking in the writers' room that if this was the series finale we'd be good to go. But we've been told very clearly it's not."
