Patrick says off the cuff things all the time, but in the end he knows he would be abandoning the show, Ellen, and the fans. He doesn't play the Derek/Meredith scenes the way he does without realizing how this couple is the center of the show. There's no way around that. At all. He's a smart enough guy to realize that situation. Castle and Vampire Diaries are not as iconic of shows as Greys. ETA: I've seen some pretty unkind things said about Stana on my timeline over the past few days. So let's hope there are no similarities here. ETA 2: The big difference about those departures is that they're happening during a contract negotiation year. The big thing about Patrick is that he has already announced he's signed through season 12.

And The Vampire Diaries is going on without Nina Dobrev.

Yeah, it can be done, it has been done. OTH went on without Lucas and Peyton, 7th Heaven went on without Matt and Mary and eventually Simon. None of those characters died, though... I do wonder how they're going to handle Nina's exit on TVD, though. Death means nothing on that show, as Nina said herself, since people are resurrected left and right, so it wouldn't be as felt if she died anyway. Death on Grey's is more permanent, with the exception of Denny's ghost and that storyline was not well received.

But what else can you do? No one is going to believe MerDer would get divorced. And SR said that if they ever broke up, one of them would have to die.

personally, this situation reminds me the most of desperate housewives when they killed off mike in their last season: it was totally unexpected especially since of all the 3 main couples, mike/susan was the most stable (tom/lynette were separated and gabby/carlos had to deal with her ex stepdad's murder). Anyway, i had stopped watching the show for awhile and i remember being so shocked about it (and tom and lynette break up), i definitely wasn't that excited to see the finale

Patrick says off the cuff things all the time, but in the end he knows he would be abandoning the show, Ellen, and the fans. He doesn't play the Derek/Meredith scenes the way he does without realizing how this couple is the center of the show.

There's no way around that. At all. He's a smart enough guy to realize that situation.

Castle and Vampire Diaries are not as iconic of shows as Greys.

ETA: I've seen some pretty unkind things said about Stana on my timeline over the past few days. So let's hope there are no similarities here.

ETA 2: The big difference about those departures is that they're happening during a contract negotiation year. The big thing about Patrick is that he has already announced he's signed through season 12.

Personally the Desperate Housewives election of killing Mike so close to series finale was stupid. It was the last season after all. Why couldnt they just end in a good place? Sometimes I hate writers and network logic...

I never really understood why they did it made kind sad they were bettter ways for then to end cause susan kinda ended up back where she was at start

Yes, it was awful.