‘Grey’s Anatomy’ kills off major character

Editor’s Note: The following story contains spoilers. If you’d rather not know what happened on Thursday’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” stop reading now.

You’ll see him in your McDreams.

On Thursday night’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” Dr. Derek Shepherd – the hunky character played by Patrick Dempsey – died.

He wasn’t shot down over the Sea of Japan, nor did a helicopter fall on his head.

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Instead, he died following a car crash – after helping victims of another accident.

“Derek Shepherd is and will always be an incredibly important character – for Meredith (Grey), for me and for the fans,” show creator Shonda Rhimes said in a statement, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I absolutely never imagined saying goodbye to our ‘McDreamy.’ Patrick Dempsey’s performance shaped Derek in a way that I know we both hope became a meaningful example – happy, sad, romantic, painful and always true – of what young women should demand from modern love. His loss will be felt by all.”

Intriguingly, Dempsey still has a year left on his contract. His character’s death leaves his TV wife, Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), as the show’s mainstay as it concludes its 11th season in May.

“It’s been a remarkable ride,” Dempsey told TVLine. “The worldwide impact has been extraordinary. It is incredible how devoted and passionate the fans are, and I will forever be grateful and humbled by the experience.”

TV can be a cruel, cruel place, and we're not even talking about the writers' rooms. Here are some of the small-screen deaths that shocked us the most (stop here if spoilers aren't your thing).

Tom Keen (played by actor Ryan Eggold) died on the fall finale of the NBC drama "The Blacklist" after he was stabbed. Despite fan theories to the contrary, the show's creator insisted that the character really did die.

Michael Cordero, played by Brett Dier, was killed off in season three of "Jane the Virgin." The character had survived being shot in the season two finale, but succumbed to complications from that shooting.

Anika (Grace Gealey), left, and Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday) ended season 2 of "Empire" with a fight on a balcony which ended with one of them falling off. The season 3 premiere revealed it was Rhonda who fell to her death.

Hearts broke in May 2016 when "Game of Thrones" killed off beloved character Hodor, who perished gallantly while saving his companion Bran.

Abbie Mills, the law-enforcement-officer-turned-demon-fighter portrayed by actress Nicole Beharie, died in the season three finale of Fox's "Sleepy Hollow."

Lexa, a fan favorite played by actress Alycia Debnam-Carey on the post-apocalyptic CW series "The 100," was killed by a stray bullet.

Laurel Lance/Black Canary, the district attorney and Green Arrow sidekick played by actress Katie Cassidy, died in a season four episode of the CW's "Arrow" series.

"Doctor Who" fans had a heads up that Jenna Coleman, the Doctor's companion for nearly three years, was departing the series, but still the tragic death of her character Clara was like a punch to the gut.

It's still fair to call the character deaths on "Game of Thrones" shocking because not everyone has read the books. And in the case of the demise of Jon Snow in the Season 5 finale, there are some theories that he may not actually be dead.

The brutal death of the young and innocent Shireen during Season 5 of "Game of Thrones" did not sit well with some fans. The series seems to have a knack for disturbing viewers, though it is not the first.

"Grey's Anatomy" star Patrick Dempsey's character Derek Shepherd -- aka Dr. McDreamy -- died in a car wreck.

"The Walking Dead" kicked off the second half of its season by killing off Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman), a moral center of the show. It's not the first time "Walking Dead" has surprised viewers.

"The Walking Dead's" midseason finale in November was a heartbreaker. Emily Kinney's Beth got into an altercation with Dawn (Christine Woods) that led to her death. Several fans turned to Twitter to admit that Beth's tragic ending left them in tears.

FX's "Sons of Anarchy" didn't hold back as it ended its run after seven seasons. In the penultimate episode, the show's main character, Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam), fatally shot his mother, Gemma (Katey Sagal). That jaw-dropping moment was followed by the death of Jax himself in the series finale.

Fan favorite Trip (B.J. Britt) on "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." met a disastrous end on the show's midseason finale in December. In an attempt to rescue Skye just as the mysterious Obelisk was activated, Trip was turned into stone.

"Chicago Fire" started off its third season with a gut punch. We knew to expect casualties after season 2's building explosion, but that didn't make it any easier to say goodbye to paramedic Leslie Shay (Lauren German). She didn't die in vain, though: Executive producer Matt Olmstead told Entertainment Weekly that the intent is to have her death shake up the storylines for the coming season.

"Pretty Little Liars" fans were ready for a death in the fifth midseason finale, but that didn't make it any easier. In the August 26 episode, one-time "A" Mona Vanderwaal (Janel Parrish, left) was killed off. Or so it seemed; "Pretty Little Liars" is famous for also bringing people back from the presumed dead. (We're looking at you, Ali.)

When "True Blood" met its true death in its series finale last August, it dragged one of its main characters down with it. In a surprising twist, the writers actually killed off Stephen Moyer's Bill Compton. The toughest part to stomach? They had his one love, Sookie (Anna Paquin), do the staking.

Not that "True Blood's" seventh season hadn't been breaking hearts left and right. After kicking off the final stretch of episodes with a surprising death (which you'll hear about next), the HBO staple axed Joe Manganiello's beloved werewolf, Alcide, in the third episode.

During "True Blood's" June season premiere, Rutina Wesley's vampire Tara met her final death while protecting her mother. Viewers were caught off-guard by Tara's sudden demise, but Wesley wasn't, and she supported the decision. "I think it's great," she told Entertainment Weekly of her character's death. "I think somebody had to go."

It seemed almost poetic that Tywin Lannister (portrayed by Charles Dance) was killed by his son Tyrion on an episode of "Game of Thrones" that aired on Father's Day 2014. It was a less than dignified end for the Lord of Casterly Rock, who bought it while on the commode.

On the April 17 season finale of "Scandal," creator Shonda Rhimes threw out a death-murder plot that stunned fans and altered the fate of one of the drama's main characters, President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn).

No one lives long in the world of HBO's "Game of Thrones," but for a while it seemed that only the good were sentenced to be written off the show. Thankfully, season 4's Purple Wedding proved that death comes for the wicked just the same -- even when that person is the king of the realm. So long, King Joffrey!

Josh Charles' turn as lawyer Will Gardner on "The Good Wife" came to an end last spring. The character was killed off in the 15th episode of the fifth season. "We've all experienced the sudden death of a loved one in our lives," the showrunners said in an explanatory letter. "Television, in our opinion, doesn't deal with this enough: the irredeemability of death."

The death of the wise doctor, Hershel, during "The Walking Dead's" fourth season broke some hearts.

On a 2013 episode of Seth MacFarlane's long-running "Family Guy," fans were stunned to watch one of the animated comedy's central characters bite the dust. The family dog, Brian, lost his life after being hit by a car.

Author Helen Fielding killed off Mark Darcy in her latest Bridget Jones novel, "Mad About the Boy." Fans are reportedly not happy about the loss of Darcy, played by actor Colin Firth in the films.

Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies) didn't have a chance to live happily ever after on "The Walking Dead," as she died in childbirth.

The character of medical student Lucy Knight (played by Kellie Martin) was stabbed to death by a mentally disturbed patient on "ER."

Heath Ledger starred as the Joker and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes in "The Dark Knight." The death of Rachel hit Bruce Wayne/Batman hard.

The birth of her daughter should have been a joyous time for Lady Sybil Branson (Jessica Brown Findlay) and her husband, Tom (Allen Leech), on "Downton Abbey," but fans were shocked when tragedy struck.

The death of Kevin Spacey's character, Lester Burnham, in the 1999 movie "American Beauty" is accompanied by poignant words at the end of the film.

The revival of John Travolta's career via playing hit man Vincent Vega in the 1994 film "Pulp Fiction" was almost as surprising as the way his character gets taken out in that film. Toaster pastries, anyone?

Killing off a popular character early on has almost become a trademark of HBO shows (remember Stringer Bell on "The Wire"?) so fans really shouldn't have been stunned when Sean Bean as Eddard "Ned" Stark lost his life during the first season of "Game of Thrones."

Viewers didn't actually witness the death of Gwyneth Paltrow's character Tracy in the 1995 film "Se7en," but "The Box" was enough to shock Detective David Mills, played by Brad Pitt -- and us viewers.

Tara Maclay (Amber Benson) and Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) were a happy couple on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" until a bullet felled Tara, which led to much outrage from fans. (But what else is new?)

"The Sopranos" offered up plenty of killing, but the murder of Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo) struck a nerve with fans.

Michael K. Williams played Omar Little, who was a bit of a Robin Hood on the critically acclaimed series "The Wire." His death in season 5 was more shocking for the manner in which it happened than that it happened in the first place.

Peter Krause starred as Nate Fisher, who was expected to survive after a brain hemorrhage but ultimately died -- like the rest of the cast -- on "Six Feet Under."

Is there any character on TV who's died as often as poor Kenny on "South Park"? The hooded kid has met his maker via death by tree, chicken pox, mosh pit and even giant bird. By some counts, Kenny has bid farewell roughly 89 or 90 times.

Shocking character deaths

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Of course there were tears, lots of tears

“Grey’s” fans are still in shock.

People magazine ran an obituary for the character. #McDreamyForever was a trending hashtag on Twitter. Tweets from “Grey’s Anatomy’s” official account were filled with emoji of crying faces and broken hearts, as well as tearful images from the show.

Some chose to remember the good times, but for others, there was a big sense of betrayal.

Say goodnight Dr. McDreamy

But the show will very much continue – not only does it have a few weeks before the 11th season is over, Pompeo is also signed through season 12.

The theme of this season, Rhimes had said, was Grey’s ability to stand on her own. Now without her husband – who was already devoting his life to separate concerns as a presidential aide – she’ll truly have to do so.

“Grey’s Anatomy,” though not the powerhouse it was when it premiered in 2005, still does well in the ratings. For the week ending April 19, the most recent available, it was 20th in overall viewers and 12th among the desirable adults 18-49 demographic.

And Dempsey, who also races cars, isn’t going anywhere. He has a development deal with ABC Studios, “Grey’s” producers.