Does 'Grey's Anatomy' still need Derek Shepherd?

Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) has been missing from "Grey's Anatomy" since the winter premiere. He's only in D.C., working on a top secret project for the president, and no one's forgotten he exists, but it's time to start asking a bigger question -- does "Grey's" need him to come back?

After Amelia Shepherd's (Caterina Scorsone) huge surgery win on Thursday's (March 5) episode, no, it probably doesn't. Amelia reached a terrifying moment during her surgery on Herman's (Geena Davis) brain tumor, where she asked for her brother to come save her. He didn't come back, and she survived. Herman survived. The show goes on.

While Amelia begging for Derek was mostly intended to establish that Amelia as a character doesn't need her big brother to save her, it also serves a metaphor for "Grey's" as a whole. For 10 seasons Derek Shepherd was an anchor of the show. In the early seasons the "will they/won't they" status of his relationship with Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) kept viewers tuning in. Now that the Shepherd family has moved from resident and attending to owning Grey Sloan Memorial -- does "Grey's" still need McDreamy to keep going?

If "Grey's" is willing to tackle a major brain tumor storyline, with one of its most notable guest stars to date, without Derek Shepherd, then it is time for fans to consider that their hospital drama has reached a critical turning point.

This isn't to say that "Grey's" should write Shepherd or Dempsey off all together. It just seems that the writing is on the wall that Derek Shepherd's days of being a "Grey's Anatomy" are over and the most fans can expect is sporadic guest star appearances.

"Grey's Anatomy" fans should prepare for a new era, because it seems it's already here.

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Does 'Grey's Anatomy' still need Derek Shepherd?