Grey’s Anatomy
WARNING : The following contains SPOILERS for theGrey ’s AnatomyandStation 19crossover , " Things We Lost in the Fire . "
The shocking death in the 2021Station 19andGrey ’s Anatomycrossover make out as an unwished-for surprise , but it may have hold launch the character from an unsatisfying termination . post 19 , the popularGrey ’s Anatomyspinoff , returned with its fifth season in September and took a short three - week breach towards the end of October . During the break , the show teased a major loss , but few were ready to say farewell to Dean Miller , who expire in " Things We lose in the Fire . "
The crossover , Station 19,season 5 , episode 5 , follow the crew as they dole out with a accelerator telephone circuit burst in a neighborhood near the station . During the emergency , Vic and Dean also have to do by their open feeling . After realizing he was proceed to Oakland , Vic confronts Dean about his decision to leave the station to follow out Crisis One across the nation , and Dean asks her to add up with him . She winnow out the offering , formally ending the possibility of them ending up together . While at the scene , Vic is electrocuted by rogue top executive demarcation , and Dean gets caught in a house detonation . Vic survives , and Dean go bad on his fashion to Grey Sloan .
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While the expiry come in as a surprise to many , it avoid a plebeian Shondaland problem : keep favorite characters too long and chance anexit that does n’t turn , like Alex Karev ’s . By the end of season 4 , Dean had complete his major character arcs , and he had few loose ends with the elision of Vic . The first episodes this season did n’t progress any tension for Dean either — Crisis One was plump well , and his family life was stable . To keep it interesting , the writers would have been force to produce more drama for a character that had already completed their lifespan on the show . force storylines to keep a eccentric around is always difficult , and it would have made Dean less likable . Additionally , the thespian that play Dean Miller , Okieriete Onaodowan , asked to go out the show at the end of the last time of year . keep Dean around was n’t an option .
This gaveStation 19two options in saying auf wiedersehen to Dean - it could either pop the eccentric or have him move on from the post like a few other luckycharacters who leftGrey ’s Anatomy . If Dean moved to Oakland , he could potentially return in a cameo or guest role down the route . This selection is a pop Shondaland staple fibre ; one of the best - known examples is Cristina Yang fromGrey ’s Anatomy , who left Grey Sloan Memorial in favour of enquiry in Switzerland in time of year 10 . While this seems like an idyllic ending for the character , it caused problems for the show ’s continuity . In the fount of Cristina Yang , viewers expected to still see her around , which result in half - hearted try at observe Cristina alive in the show without bringing Sandra Oh back .
Given how close Vic and Dean were , they would ’ve had the same unsatisfying dynamical once he provide . This bequeath one possibility for Dean , and that ’s his decease . The tragedy of the loss and the solid resolve to his story in season 4 solidifies Dean as a tragic Italian sandwich . It also sets up an emotional plot line for Vic as she grapples with her good supporter ’s death and Theo ’s jealousy . Dean ’s decease was also a reminder to the audience that the wager are high-pitched . place 19season 4 make too well-off , and the character did n’t sense like they were in peril . Here , the tragical and unexpected decease was a peachy narration choice for both his character and the show . Dean ’s death onStation 19saved his character from an unsatisfying good-bye likeCristina Yang after Sandra Oh leftGrey ’s Anatomy ; now , his legacy can live on in the series without the baggage of a possible yield .
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