Grey’s Anatomy has many beloved characters in its 20 seasons. But what made Denny Duquette so special and what happened to him?
Grey’s Anatomy’s 18-year-long history is filled to the brim with traumatizing character deaths. Despite the show being about saving lives, the characters themselves are always on the verge of being killed off. However, the characters who mostly get the short end of the stick are obviously the patients. Grey’s Anatomy has had countless popular names that made cameos in its 20-season run, and although these characters don’t always stay long, some of them manage to create a special place in the viewers’ hearts.
For instance, Denny Duquette was one such character who almost immediately became a fan-favorite “patient” everyone cheered on and hoped to see come out on top. But, it seemed that Denny’s character was doomed from the beginning, and the ripple effect of his death would change things in the then-Seattle Grace Hospital forever.
Denny Duquette Quickly Became A Fan-Favorite Character
- Denny Duquette quickly became a fan-favorite character as Izzie’s love interest.
- His character suffered from a heart disease that was life-threatening.
- Denny was initially Doctor Bailey and Burke’s patient.
Denny was introduced quite early in the medical drama, making the fans believe he might be in it for the long run. Duquette came into the picture in Season 2 and starred in several episodes until his death later in the same season. Denny’s character was extremely significant to the plotline, especially to Izzie Stevens’s character growth. His death shifted the dynamics of several characters for better or for worse, but his demise also gave others a way of hope. It’s a known fact that no one is safe in Grey’s Anatomy, including the main characters. From George O’Malley to everyone’s favorite McDreamy, the medical drama is down to only a few of its original characters, as they have been laid to rest despite the fandom’s disapproval. Denny Duquette’s death was extremely upsetting for the fans, but what really happened to him from the moment he walked through the doors of the hospital?
Denny Duquette, played by the infinitely talented Jeffrey Dean Morgan, was first introduced as Preston Burke’s long-standing patient in Grey’s AnatomySeason 2, Episode 13. Denny was diagnosed with viral Cardiomyopathy, a condition that results in heart failure. Suffering from the disease, Denny’s only option was to get another healthy heart, and that’s how he ended up at Seattle Grace in the first place. This is where he met Izzie Stevens as he waited for the news of a heart being available for him. The handsome patient immediately took a liking to Izzie, and they started flirting during the time he was hospitalized. Then on, Denny’s storyline continued as he hopped in and out of the hospital for different heart complications and the excruciating wait for a new heart before his time ran out. Of course, Grey’s Anatomy fans immediately became infatuated with Denny’s rugged looks and his undeniable charm.
The most intriguing thing about Denny’s character was the mysteriousness surrounding his life story. While almost all Grey’s Anatomy patients are given some time in the limelight to share their life stories, Denny’s wasn’t given a chance until quite later. It was also refreshing for the audience to see an interesting “outsider” character who wasn’t an ex or a doctor. That’s why the fans particularly rooted for Denny since he was a nice addition against the hospital’s backdrop who presented an outside perspective. Since almost no character outside of medicine survives the onslaught of the famed drama, Denny’s addition to the storyline was much welcomed by the fans and maybe that’s why the audience was more devastated by his death than any other non-regular character; at least before Derek’s death.
Denny’s Death Significantly Affected the Storyline
- Denny became a key character in Izzie’s life as they decided to get married.
- Izzie broke several rules for Denny’s heart transplant.
- Izzie tried to uplift Denny’s spirits after disappointing surgical results.
Denny Duquette became a crucial part of the Grey’s Anatomy storyline in a short time. He entered the scene when Izzie was in a weird relationship dynamic with George and Alex, and Denny seemed like a far less complicated choice, minus the life-threatening prognosis. Nonetheless, his suffering and pain became more than an add-on that came along with a patient for Izzie, and the duo developed a good relationship. The more time Denny spent in the hospital, the more he became dependent on Izzie’s emotional support to fight for his life until a heart became available to him. Denny’s character depicted several real-life issues that someone in his place would go through as a young person wanting to push forward while also feeling tired of being poked into. It seemed that Denny thought about giving up a few times, but if it wasn’t for Izzie, he might never have tried to discover as many options as possible, including high-risk surgeries and being in a hospital for basically forever.
One of the reasons why Denny became a fan-favorite Grey’s Anatomy character is because he brought a romance that the viewers craved. Almost everyone is always rooting for the guy who has the odds stacked against him, and Denny became that guy, but he was also someone that the audience wanted to see thrive. After having dozens of near-death experiences, from throwing a pulmonary embolism to having flash pulmonary edema, Denny was finally hooked on the LVAD, which he also agreed to because of Izzie. The show then focused for a time on Denny’s days on the LVAD and his efforts to move on to a portable LVAD so he could at least leave the hospital room.
However, with his device’s battery running out one time, Denny was permanently back on the bed against his wishes until a heart became available for him. As Denny reached the end of his rope, his relationship with Izzie became rocky, and it was too late for the surgeon to turn back. Izzie Stevens had hopelessly fallen for Denny, and she wanted to marry him. Izzie’s acceptance of her feelings became the pathway for her downward spiral as the lines between her responsibilities as a surgeon blurred.
Denny’s Demise Caused Izzie to Spiral Down
- Izzie grieved Denny’s death and suffered the consequences of her actions.
- She was barred from surgeries and having contact with patients for cutting Denny’s LVAD wire.
- Despite receiving a great fortune, Izzie took some time before realizing how to appreciate Denny’s gift.
A doctor falling for a terminally ill patient is perhaps the saddest situation in a medical drama. Izzie’s character was put through the worst both when Denny died and its after-effects when she developed cancer. Denny’s love made Izzie desperate, and she defied all her responsibilities as a doctor, pushing herself to dire consequences. When a heart became available after Denny was put on the LVAD, the audience rejoiced and hoped that they’d be seeing more of Denny. However, when Preston flew to Mercy West for the heart, Denny’s heart needed to be in the worst condition for him to receive the transplant. Izzie took extreme measures to ensure that Denny got the heart and took an illegal step to cut his LVAD wire. Despite Denny begging her not to do it, Izzie sort of emotionally coils him into letting her make the decision by blaming Denny for making her love him.
It was a long, excruciating wait from the moment Izzie cut Denny’s LVAD wire to him actually receiving the heart. That’s because Grey’s Anatomy isn’t in the habit of making it easier on the audience. Just when everyone thought that the worst had passed, Burke got shot while on his way with Denny’s heart. From then on, the other interns were forced to intervene and became accomplices in Izzie’s transplant plan. Fortunately, with Doctor Webber in the loop, Denny finally receives the heart, and the scene is incredibly emotionally heavy as he feels the warmth of his hand for the first time in a great while. Denny’s heartbeat evoked a newfound love in the viewers’ hearts as the fandom was ready to put Denny and Izzie as the ultimate ship next to Derek and Meredith on the board.
It’s safe to say that Denny’s was one of the saddest deaths in television history, and that’s coming from a show that has pretty much written off most of its main cast. After getting his new heart and proposing to Izzie, fans thought they were going to be treated to a Grey’s Anatomy-styled wedding, with Izzie walking down the aisle and Richard Webber giving her away. However, in Losing My Religion, just when Izzie is about to walk in on Denny with her Cinderella-like prom dress, she and the fandom are traumatized by the most heartbreaking death in Grey’s Anatomy. Later, the night of his transplant, Denny threw a clot and instantly flat-lined after suffering a stroke. As he lay colorless on the hospital bed, Izzie clung to him like a child unable to reciprocate the situation. After Denny’s death, Izzie’s life came to a halt, and she pretty much spent most of her time in the show making up for her actions. Thankfully, she wasn’t fired for cutting Denny’s LVAD, but she was put on a tight leash in the program, and it wasn’t until a while before she was allowed near a patient. Fortunately for Izzie, she found a way to respect Denny’s memories and make a difference, if not as a doctor. Denny left a great chunk of money to Izzie in his will, and she used most of it to fund Bailey’s idea for a free clinic, and that’s how the Denny Duquette Memorial Clinic came to be.
Shonda Rhimes Didn’t Like Denny’s Death Either
- Denny Duquette appeared in later seasons of Grey’s Anatomy.
- Shonda Rhimes didn’t like writing Denny’s death scene.
- Katherine Heigl put in an extra effort to make Denny’s death seem more heartbreaking.
Katherine Heigl, who played Doctor Izzie on the show, said in an interview that she had to muster a lot of courage and emotion for that particular scene. She wanted it to be as “heart-wrenching” as possible, and she succeeded in her attempt because that scene also reminded her of an unpleasant childhood memory. The actress revealed that the scene reminded her of the pain of losing her brother when she was only seven years old. While the actress didn’t like reliving that memory, she did so for the sake of the scene, and it’s safe to say that she might have made most of the viewers cry. As for Shonda Rhimes, she stated in an interview that she was absolutely gutted while writing about Denny’s death and was absolutely heartbroken about the whole predicament.
Despite knowing that Denny’s character was introduced to eventually be killed off, it was not easy for her to do since she had grown attached to the character like the entire fandom. Denny Duquette’s character was memorable and one of the best who made a significant contribution to the show’s success in its initial days. Despite officially dying in the storyline, Jeffrey Dean reprised his role twice in the later season for a short span. When Meredith drowned in Season 3, she saw Denny in what seemed like a pseudo-reality between life and death. Although he didn’t have a meaningful relationship with Meredith, he seemed like the best person to encourage someone to fight for their life. After Meredith’s successful resurrection, Denny came back to haunt Izzie’s reality as he became part of her hallucinations while she struggled to diagnose her cancer.
Of course, fans didn’t want Denny to go out like that, especially the way he did, and then he came back to tease them for a few episodes. Despite Denny’s death being instrumental to the plot, Shonda Rhimes could’ve made him throw a clot, at least after a few seasons. Although it seemed that Izzie did always belong with Alex, her love story with Denny could’ve been the real highlight of the show. Grey’s Anatomy makes it a point that no non-doctor candidate stands a chance at love with a Seattle Grace/ Grey Sloan hospital surgeon. But Denny could’ve been that character, a new McDreamy that the audience could’ve drooled over for at least a dozen seasons.
