The original cast of Grey’s Anatomy remains beloved even years after their exits, with Derek Shephard one of the most popular characters. Derek lived up to his McDreamy nickname many times over the course of his time on the show, making the moments he went against this status truly surprising.
Some of these actions can very well be considered as the worst things he did, while others were decisions he made that fans didn’t expect. Since Derek returned as a guest character in Season 17, it’s also worth looking into the times where McDreamy left viewers shocked in more ways than one.
Throwing Addison Out Of The House
Derek and Addison were always shown having a frosty relationship and it didn’t seem as if he really cared much for her. However, a flashback showed his reaction to learning of her affair with Mark, during which Derek was uncharacteristically livid.
Not only did he yell at Addison, but he also proceeded to take all of her clothes and fling them out into the rain. Moreover, Derek then pushed Addison out and shut the door. While he did let her in a few moments later, seeing Derek’s personality go up in flames is still unsettling to watch.
Punching Mark Just For Talking To Meredith
Although Meredith usually mentions their friendship in a positive light by now, Derek and Mark were at odds for much of the earlier seasons. What was so shocking about their first exchange was that Mark had merely spoken to Meredith when Derek punched him.
According to Addison, Derek had simply left when he found out about her affair but chose to punch Mark when he hadn’t even attempted to make a move on Meredith. This left all the doctors astounded at this sudden burst from Derek over a non-issue.
Laughing At Addison For Hooking Up With Mark
By Season 3, there was nothing more to salvage from Addison and Derek’s marriage and the latter confessed to her that he wanted to get a divorce but felt guilty about the part that he played in the lead-up to their breakup.
Just then, Mark emerged from the bathroom and it was evident that he and Addison had hooked up. Rather than flare up as expected, Derek instead had a good laugh about the incident, took a sip out of Addison’s champagne, and claimed he felt much better before walking out looking highly amused.
Turning Down The Role Of Chief Of Surgery
Derek, Mark, Addison, and Preston Burke all vied for the position of Chief of Surgery for much of the third season, with each of them shown cutting corners in places. In the Season 3 finale, Derek was finally offered the role by Richard, only to turn it down.
Since this was the season finale, it seemed as if it would usher in a new arc for Derek. However, he instead suggested that Richard start over and keep the position while being happy with remaining where he was. Since Derek was so adamant to become Chief prior to this, it came as a big surprise that he would be so at peace with turning it down.
Giving Up On Being A Doctor
Derek had claimed he had lost a patient on his watch back in the first season, making it appear as if he had the strength of character to withstand something similar. However, Season 5 saw him become extremely depressed after losing a patient in his care.
This went to the point where he stopped being a doctor altogether while spending his time drinking his sorrows away. Since Derek had been presented as such a consummate professional before this, his decision to quit his job and his passion represented a huge turn of events.
Cheating On Addison With Meredith
Derek was adamant that he would make his marriage with Addison work and it appeared as if both he and Meredith had moved on from their relationship when she began dating Finn. However, the two became drawn to one another at the prom held in the hospital.
While the scene made it appear as if they were only going to have a talk, Meredith and Derek ended up cheating on their respective love interests. With Derek having shown such restraint throughout the season, him giving in at an event such as this was the last thing to expect.
Attacking Mark For Hooking Up With Lexie
Derek had next to nothing to do with Lexie but was told by Meredith to keep Mark away from her little sister. Thinking he could trust Mark, Derek asked him to honor his request, only to learn that Mark was in a relationship with Lexie, which infuriated Derek.
While his anger was understandable to an extent, his act of walking up to Mark in the middle of the hospital to begin an all-out brawl was not. Derek didn’t hold back either as he seemed to be out for blood when he kept attacking Mark and disregarding the scene he was creating.
Shaming Meredith For Her Dating Life
Meredith’s way of coping with the sudden end of her relationship with Derek was to hook up with other men. After finding out about this, a jealous Derek went on to shame her, which was entirely uncalled for since he was the one who had hidden the fact that he had a wife.
What’s so surprising about Derek shaming her in such an ugly way is that he’d been made out to be the stereotypical nice guy character before this. It was an entirely different and more vicious version of Derek, who was nothing like the person viewers had gotten used to.
Hitting Meredith’s Engagement Ring With A Bat
During Derek’s depression, he became inconsolable and every attempt made by his loved ones to get him out of his doldrums failed. However, a downright act of malice didn’t seem to be in the cards until he lashed out at Meredith.
Meredith genuinely cared and wanted to help her fiancé, only for Derek to take her engagement ring and hit it with a baseball bat. It established that Derek’s depression was manifesting in dangerous ways and the shock of seeing this happen cemented the change in his persona.
Narrating His Own Demise
There have been several times that Grey’s Anatomy doctors have become patients and many have even died. Derek was also at death’s door in his final episode, but no one expected to actually hear him narrate his own demise.
As it happened, Derek’s conscience realized that he was about to die and was helpless to do anything but watch as his final moments arrived. Moreover, his conscience didn’t fade even after he had passed away, as his narration was still heard, which left it ambiguous if he was now speaking as a spirit.