Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t shy away from big splashy moments. That’s the secret to its success and why the ABC drama is going strong into its season 20 finale.
Although fans said goodbye to most of Meredith Grey’s (Ellen Pompeo) fellow interns a long time ago, some character exits are still pretty surprising. Since Giacomo Gianniotti’s character Andrew DeLuca became a main character in season 12 after appearing in some season 11 episodes, it seemed like he would never leave. Unfortunately for fans, DeLuca left Grey’s Anatomy in season 17.
How did Andrew DeLuca leave Grey’s Anatomy?
Andrew DeLuca died in episode 7 of season 17 of Grey’s Anatomy called “Helplessly Hoping.” Carina (Stefania Spampinato) and DeLuca have been searching for Opal (Stephanie Kurtzuba), who they know is in charge of a sex trafficking ring. After some of the girls she and her accomplices kidnapped are admitted to the hospital, the siblings know what is really going on. After DeLuca finds Opal and makes sure that she is placed under arrest, one of the traffickers stabs him.
When a popular character is badly injured, it’s never clear how the story is going to end. After all, this is the show where Meredith has survived more than a few dark moments and awful injuries. Unfortunately for DeLuca, although he makes it to Grey Sloan, his injuries are too serious and he passes away.
While this episode was memorable because of the intense and serious subject matter, it was also a crossover with the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff Station 19. Although some crossovers can be hit and miss, this one worked since the Grey Sloan doctors live in the same city as the firefighters, and it makes sense that their paths would cross while they try to save as many lives as they can.
Andrew DeLuca’s Grey’s Anatomy death was met with shock and awe from fans. While not everyone agreed that the character should leave the ABC drama, it made more sense than simply saying that DeLuca was moving away for a new job or romance. While other doctors have died on Grey’s Anatomy, including Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), DeLuca was selfless and focused on his goal of saving a lot of people.
It’s fair to argue that DeLuca’s character arc feels more layered than others. There was some criticism of the way that Grey’s Anatomy portrayed his realization that he had bipolar disorder, which his dad had too. Some felt that showing DeLuca acting aggressively and being unable to control his emotions was playing along with a stereotype. While the storylines focused on his mental health struggles weren’t perfect, it was good that Grey’s Anatomy wanted to create more awareness of how difficult this can be.
DeLuca’s death was also particularly upsetting because he helped Meredith make a huge change in her life: becoming open to finding love again. While she has trouble dating after mourning the death of her soulmate Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), aka McDreamy, she feels a true connection with DeLuca. Although she unintentionally devastates him by saying he had a lot in common with his dad, which he never wanted to, she leaves the relationship feeling more hopeful about her potential romantic future. Even though Derek will always be Meredith’s fan-favorite love interest, there’s no denying how much DeLuca teaches her.
Why did Giacomo Gianniotti leave Grey’s Anatomy?
Giacomo Gianniotti stopped playing Andrew DeLuca on Grey’s Anatomy because the writers felt that the character’s time on the show was over. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor explained that executive producer Debbie Allen and showrunner Krista Vernoff talked to him about the plotline in a way that showed a lot of respect and compassion for him and the character.
Vernoff said to him, “As the storyteller I have to tell the story. It’s my responsibility, even though it makes me sad to say goodbye to one of my favorite actors on the show.”
Gianniotti told EW that he was proud to be part of an episode that talked about the devastation of sex trafficking, an incredibly important topic that few shows are willing to delve into. He said, “it’s nice to go telling a beautiful story that hopefully helps a lot of people.”
Giacomo Gianniotti also explained to People that he was satisfied with his final episode. He said he liked looking back on DeLuca’s arc, especially receiving support for his mental health struggles. He also thought it was only logical that the character would pass away in such a selfless manner. Of course it’s not easy for actors to be told that their character is dying since it means grieving the end of a job that they likely love, but it sounds like he found peace with it.
Although we never want to see a great character leave Grey’s Anatomy since everyone is an important part of the Grey Sloan team, we can agree that this exit was one to remember.