Game of Thrones spoilers ahead!
He’s alive! Jon Snow’s resurrection did more than just shock Game of Thrones fans. The news of his long-awaited fate also gave the Grey’s Anatomy writing team the idea to bring Dr. Derek Shepherd back — at least, according to Jimmy Kimmel.
The late-night host, 48, joked about the latest GoT episode during his show on Monday, May 2. He shared with viewers a fake ABC commercial that showed Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) waking up from a coma.
“[Jon’s death] resonated in the Game of Thrones community and now, as is the custom, other television shows are following suit,” Kimmel quipped.
In the parody, McDreamy is surrounded by his coworkers and longtime love Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). The JKL team clipped footage from past episodes to create the fake promo.
“It’s been a year since we said goodbye. But a new face in the hospital is about to change everything,” the ad says. “McDreamy is back!”
The gag is a scenario Grey’s fans could only hope for. Grey Sloan Memorial’s resident hottie died in season 11 in the episode “How to Save a Life,” which aired in April 2015. Months later, Larry Wilmore asked show creator Shonda Rhimes if she’d ever killed off one of her TV characters because she didn’t like the actor. “Yes, and I’m not naming names,” she said that November.
More recently, Pompeo, 46, joked about Dempsey’s departure on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “It’s amazing how much you get done without a penis,” she said in April. “I think a lot of people were really upset about his departure, which is super-understandable, but I think the change is part of the reason why the show goes on so long. I think people tune in to see, ‘What does the show look like now?’ What is Meredith going to do without Derek? I think they get so upset about the change, but change is precisely what everyone always needs to sort of get to the next place.”
Watch Kimmel’s funny parody in the video above!
