In the finale episode of "Grey's Anatomy" season 11, fans bade their ultimate goodbye to McDreamy, who was seen in tons of flashbacks in the episode as the Grey Sloan doctors honored his memory. Fans were also in for a tearjerker moment when they got a chance to listen to Derek's voice one last time in a loving voicemail he sent to Meredith before he died a hero.

"I wish you could see this. Weather's classic Seattle. Oh, the water is so blue. It may be the most perfect ferryboat ride I've ever had in my life. I love you. I love your family. I'll see you when I get home," Derek said in the voicemail.

At this juncture, creator Shonda Rhimes officially sent off the character. Via her Twitter account, Rhimes expressed her sadness over the death of the character and the end of Patrick Dempsey's journey in "Grey's Anatomy." 

"Here come my own personal supply of tissues. Goodbye birthday twin. Can't believe this is his last scene I'll ever see in my editing room," she wrote. 

After the death of a major dearly loved character, which harbored shocks and negative comments from fans, what could happen in "Grey's Anatomy" season 12?  Zap2it suggests that a powerful arc outside of Derek's death and one involving Meredith is upon fans. The media outlet says that the new season will most likely flesh out the doctor's potential Alzheimer's disease. The website believes that this storyline was long set up, from Meredith forgetting small details in the past seasons to Derek gravely worrying about the possibility that his wife would share the same fate as her mother, Ellis.

The signs that "Grey's Anatomy" is close to diving into the Alzheimer's storyline is the emergence of Ellis' other daughter in the early episodes of season 11. Fans were reminded of the possibility of Meredith's acquisition of her mother's condition when she, after getting over the hesitation to show her mother's personals to the person she never knew existed, watched a video that showed Ellis exhibiting the first signs of Alzheimer's.

Rhimes, on the other hand, wouldn't say anything about this story's potential in "Grey's Anatomy" season 12.

When The Hollywood Reporter asked about this, the show creator simply said, "No comment."