Grey’s Anatomy missed the perfect opportunity to keep its beloved doctor, Andrew DeLuca, alive. DeLuca was first introduced in season 11 of Grey’s Anatomy, as a young intern eager to prove himself at Grey Sloan. He eventually finds himself falling in love with Meredith Grey, as well as blossoming into a respected surgeon with a strong moral compass. Because of how much personal growth he displayed throughout his six years on Grey’s Anatomy, DeLuca became a character that audiences empathized with and rooted for.
His death in season 17 was both shocking and devastating, as it marked the definitive conclusion of his time on Grey’s Anatomy. While there have been certain moments in Grey’s Anatomy history where killing off a character made sense for the overall story, this was not one of those. DeLuca only left Grey’s Anatomy for the sake of story progression, which indicates that his chapter on the show didn’t need to be closed in such a definitive way. His death could have been easily avoided, and there was a clear path the story could have taken to keep the beloved character alive for the rest of the show’s run.
Andrew DeLuca’s Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Death Was Unnecessary
Andrew DeLuca was a fan-favorite character on Grey’s Anatomy, which made his gruesome death both startling and unnecessary. During Grey’s Anatomy, season 17, episode 17, “Helplessly Hoping”, DeLuca was violently stabbed by an accomplice of a human trafficker that he had previously been investigating. While Grey’s Anatomy is known for its dramatic moments and this was certainly one of them, there was no need for the show to take this route.
Rather than choosing to end DeLuca’s story in such a brutal way, there were other avenues that Grey’s Anatomy could have taken. With the significant number of deaths Grey’s Anatomy has had over the past 20 seasons, viewers have already faced enough heartbreak and sadness. DeLuca’s exit could have been an opportunity for a more joyful storyline and sendoff, rather than yet another painful death.
Andrew DeLuca Should Have Reunited With Grey’s Anatomy Season 14 Love Interest
Meredith and DeLuca had an on-again-off-again relationship and killing off DeLuca’s character allowed for Grey’s Anatomy to permanently close the door on the couple. However, there was an easier and less heartbreaking way for the show to go about doing this. DeLuca could have moved to Switzerland to reunite with his ex-girlfriend, Sam Bello. This still would have ended his and Meredith’s relationship for good but would have given viewers peace knowing that he was alive and well.
DeLuca and Sam were great together, so it would have made perfect sense to take this opportunity to have them reunite. The couple did not end on bad terms, allowing for a reconciliation to feel natural. Their storyline on Grey’s Anatomy felt unsettled and a bit rushed, given that Jeanine Mason (who played Sam) left the show to headline Roswell, New Mexico. With the couple getting back together, audiences would have finally gotten closure on the relationship and DeLuca would have gotten a more satisfying ending to his story.
Giacomo Gianniotti Deserved A Better Goodbye In Grey’s Anatomy
Giacomo Gianniotti played Andrew DeLuca for six years on Grey’s Anatomy and did a fantastic job doing so. Besides being someone who helped Meredith learn to love again after the loss of Derek, DeLuca was involved in major storylines that proved his strength as a doctor and person. Some examples include when Alex beat him up and he decided to drop the charges against him and when he saved Richard Webber’s life by recognizing that he had cobalt poisoning. DeLuca also served as a reminder of the importance of mental health treatment, as the show depicted his struggles and his experiences with therapy.
Within the 20 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, DeLuca has certainly been one of the most memorable and important characters. He deserved a much better ending than what he got after being a crucial member of the show for six years. His untimely death didn’t feel like a necessary storyline or something that made sense in the grand scheme of things. Instead, it felt like a moment crafted purely for shock value. When a character is as beloved and important to a show as DeLuca was to Grey’s Anatomy, it does the show and its viewers a great diservice by employing such an unnecessary and violent plot line.