Never doubt the power of the Grey's Anatomy fandom.
While we're all still trying to get over the surprise return of Patrick Dempsey in the season 17 premiere, Ellen Pompeo won Female TV Star of 2020 at the E! People's Choice Awards and took the stage to thank the people for the award—and to suggest that it might be the people who actually deserve the praise.
"If it weren't for all of you who support us and watch us every week, we would never get to have the fun that we get to have and touch the lives that we get to touch and just live out our dreams," she said. "So I should be giving all of you this award."
Grey's Anatomy is "about love and acceptance," she said, which made the award all the better.
"Winning this award is confirmation that people respond to those ideas, they respond to the idea of love, they respond to the idea of acceptance," she said. "They respond to the idea of us pulling on another up."
Like nearly every other star who has given a speech during any 2020 award show, Ellen acknowledged the difficulty of the year and once again encouraged love.
"2020 has been a year where we have been tested, time and time again," she said. "And we have also proven that when we do that, when we look out for each other, and we pull up, anything as possible. So, let's kick the rest of 2020's ass and let's look out for each other, be responsible for one another, and love."
Ellen's message tonight echoes the message she posted on Instagram after McDreamy's return: "Let's love, let's heal, let's wear a mask."
We will do as you say, Meredith Grey.
Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.