Grey's Anatomy Gives Derek One Final Bittersweet Send-Off

Well, here we are: At the end of another long, emotionally taxing season of Grey's Anatomy- which wrapped up with a finale that felt a bit rushed to me.

The season-ender is the conclusion of the two-parter we began last week, with a horrifying tunnel collapse resulting in the hospital being flooded with patients - two of whom are new parents Keith, who's trapped in a car so severely that the entire vehicle gets brought to the hospital on a flatbed; and Joan, who is having a postpartum hemorrhage moments after delivering their baby boy.

Of course, the doctors aren't letting these pesky cases stand in the way of their personal issues. (This is Grey Sloan, after all.) As Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) have an awkward conversation about Amelia moving out of the house before Meredith sells it, Maggie (Kelly McCreary) sounds like she's playing mediator over the phone with her parents. And Richard (James Pickens Jr.) and Catherine (Debbie Allen) get into a shouting match about Catherine appointing a new chief of surgery (Richard wants the job to go to Bailey), and she gives him back her engagement ring.

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Keith, impaled by a door, is not doing well to say the least and, with most of the ORs occupied, the doctors try to figure out a plan how to transport him through the hospital safely.

While Callie (Sara Ramirez) tries to encourage Amelia to date the hot doctor intern from last week, she gives us a hilarious monologue about how awkward it is to have budget meetings with someone she's seen naked before. (Read: Owen.) At least literally every single one of her co-workers, save for Maggie, can relate to this.

When Meredith realizes that Keith's about to give up the fight, she convinces Alex (Justin Chambers) to let him meet his newborn son for one minute (and, during the elevator ride that ensues, asks if he and Jo - who's mad at him for reasons that aren't entirely clear - would be willing to let Amelia move in with them, in addition to Meredith and the kids). That gives him the motivation he needs to hold on for a bit longer - and tell Meredith he'll be "really pissed" if she and the other doctors don't manage to save him.

When Alex pitches Meredith moving in to Jo (Camilla Luddington), she snaps at him that she's sick of being told what to do and feels like she can't say no to the "sad widow and her kids." (Side note: I loved Alex saying, "No, she decided to sell the kids with the house" in this scene. Perfect delivery, Justin Chambers.)

Is this the last season for Grey's Anatomy?

A few doctors start surgery on Keith outside in the car, with more standing by in an OR to finish the job. And the new interns are tasked with getting him from Point A to Point B in less than three minutes. I'm sure this will go swimmingly. Of course, the one with the easiest task - holding an elevator - effs it up but manages to fix her mistake in the last seconds. But Keith, who's looking like a human pincushion at this point, codes in the elevator, and April (Sarah Drew) and the rest of the team try to resuscitate him and begin operating at the same time.

Joan is doing pretty well, however, and Amelia and Owen (Kevin McKidd) have a flirty conversation that, frankly, sets them up perfectly to get back together in Season 12.

Elsewhere, Alex tells Jo he can't say no to Meredith about moving in, even though he wants to set down roots with Jo. She tells him she needs some time to think it over. In this scenario, I'm torn. I understand Alex's desire to help Meredith, but also sympathize with Jo not wanting roommates - three of whom are under the age of 6.

Jackson (Jesse Williams) gripes about the head-butting going on between his mother and Bailey and, based on Maggie's reaction, it's obvious that her parents are indeed talking about divorce. And Meredith gives Amelia a present - her old cell phone, with a voicemail (presumably from Derek) on it.

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Meanwhile, my Joan premonition comes true when, against Callie's orders, Stephanie (Jerrika Hinton) goes to visit her with all the interns with her. She immediately crashes, and Stephanie is forced to - oh my God, she's cutting her throat open!!!!!! Good lord, I'm once again reminded that I could never be a doctor. I can't say what happens next because I had to look away at this point. Later, as Callie is working to repair the damage, Bailey (Chandra Wilson) gives Stephanie a lecture in the observation deck about how to properly "raise her ducklings." (The surgery works, by the way, as does Keith's, and the next we see of the new parents is them talking in adjacent beds.)

Noticing that Catherine and Richard are giving each other the silent treatment, Meredith plays the "my husband is dead" card and tells them to figure their sh-- out. "You yell and argue and fight, and you both should be thrilled to be able to do those things," she tells them. "I would give anything to be able to do those things."

Outside by the wreckage that formerly housed Keith, April tells Jackson that she wants to go back for another Army rotation, which she feels is her calling. Jackson tells her to go, saying that her Army training re-lit the light in her that went out when they lost their baby.

But, there's a catch. Jackson says he can't wait for her again. Apparently April was so consumed overseas that she didn't even bother to ask Jackson how he was doing with her gone.

Catherine and Richard hash out a plan for running the hospital, point by point, and compromise on the board voting between Bailey and an outside candidate for chief of surgery. And the next thing you know, they're getting married after all! No clue how far in the future this is. Not long, by the looks of things.

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At the reception, at Meredith's house, Richard informs Bailey that she'll be up against another candidate for the chief position, and she says there's no doubt she'll wipe the floor with them. Jo pulls Alex away from the party to a loft space that she purchased for them - not unlike Cristina and Owen's loft from yesteryear. She tells Alex to sell the house back to Meredith, and after hearing her say "I love you" for the first time, he agrees.

April's presumably telling Arizona about her Army vs. Hubby dilemma, and sobbing. And Owen walks in on Amelia in the bedroom just as she's about to listen to Derek's message.

And then we get one final - presumably THE final - shot of Patrick Dempsey, a flashback to him on the docks on what would be the last day of his life. And we finally get the full message that he left for Meredith, which ends with: "I love you. I love our family, and we're gonna keep doing this. I'll see you when I get home. Love you." Sob.

Maggie tells Meredith that her parents are getting divorced because her mom has been having an affair with their mechanic for years. ("He serviced the cars, and serviced my mom," she explains wryly.) She's been keeping the news from Meredith because she felt it paled in comparison to Meredith's loss, and Maggie's life has been pretty charmed compared to Meredith's.

As the episode draws to a close, Meredith (after noting that Derek would have loved the wedding party) dances it out with her sisters and colleagues, telling us in voiceover that "What's broken can be mended. What's hurt can be healed. No matter how dark it gets, the sun's gonna rise again." Guess she's not reverted back to being dark and twisty after all.

And there you have it. What did you think, Grey's fans? What do you think April will decide? Were you happy to see Derek one more time? Where would you like to see the show go in Season 12 - and, more importantly, will you be watching?

Sound off in the comments, and see you in the fall!

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