Station 19, season 6, episode 10 suggested that Beckett might lose his captaincy, giving the series the chance to do what they should have already done: make Andy Herrera captain. Throughout its six seasons, Station 19 has seen many captains, but despite Andy’s best efforts, she has remained a lieutenant. There were multiple prior opportunities in which Andy could have been named captain, but Station 19 season 6 seems to be the perfect time to finally give Andy what she deserves and has earned.
Following a backdoor pilot in Grey’s Anatomy season 14 to set up the spinoff, Andy was promoted to lieutenant in Station 19’s first official episode. After that, it appeared as though captaincy wasn’t far in her future, but six seasons later, Andy is still in the same position as in episode 1. A lot has happened to Andy over those seasons, including a station transfer and having temporarily acted as a captain, and with each passing episode, she only further proves that she should be promoted to captain of Seattle Fire Department Station 19 for several reasons.
Andy’s history with SFD Station 19 predates any other character currently on Station 19. In many ways, particularly in terms of being the main character, Meredith of Grey’s Anatomy and Andy are parallels of each other. Just as Meredith had somewhat grown up at Seattle Grace Hospital because her mother, Ellis Grey, was a successful surgeon at the hospital, Andy grew up at SFD Station 19, where her father, Pruitt Herrera, was a firefighter and captain. Due to their parents, Meredith and Andy have had to grapple with their legacies and the shadows cast on them.
Andy demanding a promotion to lieutenant in the Station 19 pilot was her first big step in getting out from under her father’s shadow, but he never fully allowed her to do that as he kept her from becoming captain in season 3. Like Meredith was able to create her own legacy and take ownership of the Grey’s name by winning a Harper Avery, Andy’s actions and her time as lieutenant made her far more than just Pruitt Herrera’s daughter at SFD Station 19. Still, her long history with the station should be used as an advantage, not a disadvantage as it has in the past, in making her captain.
Partially due to Andy’s aforementioned history, she has a deep love and cares for SFD Station 19 and her fellow firefighters. She has been an integral part of SFD Station 19 throughout Station 19 and has created strong interpersonal relationships with everyone working there. In many ways, Andy is the heart of both SFD Station 19 and Station 19, and it’s best shown through how much she cares for the station. In addition, Andy has consistently fought for SFD Station 19 and those who work there, perhaps most notably in her support of Maya in Station 19 season 5 when she was demoted by Chief Dixon.
When Dixon gave her an ultimatum, Andy made a big sacrifice by transferring to SFD Station 23 to keep SFD Station 19 open. This allowed Andy to step up and was one of many examples of her great leadership potential. When Maya was promoted to captain in Station 19 season 3, she initially didn’t have the team’s support, who had expected Andy to get the promotion. This would not be a problem if Andy were named captain in Station 19 season 6 due to her history and dedication to SFD Station 19 and the family they’ve created there.
Andy’s transfer to SFD Station 23 in Station 19, season 5, was shocking, reminiscent of when Cristina left Seattle for Minnesota following the plane crash in Grey’s Anatomy. Fortunately, Andy and Cristina’s time away from the workplaces they’d made into a home was temporary, but the time away was good for Andy in the long run. While Andy had become accustomed to SFD Station 19 and the team there, SFD Station 23 came with its own issues and a new team. When Captain Pat Aquino was injured, Andy was named acting captain of SDF Station 23 until the station’s closure in the backend of Station 19 season 5.
Andy’s time at SFD Station 23 gave her the greatest chance to show off her strong leadership skills since she ran for captain before Maya was given the position. She has served as acting captain on numerous scenes since then under Captain Beckett, whose problematic story has made him an unfit captain. It has been made clear that Andy not only has the ambition and passion to become captain of SFD Station 19 but that she has the leadership skills necessary for it.
Abusing substances while on the job has been a problem in Station 19. After overdosing on fentanyl, Sullivan was demoted to the lowest rank of probie in Station 19 season 4. Beckett was cleared of his accusations of drinking on the job through a urine test, but he recently started drinking again, which was a potential factor in the death of a probie in Station 19 season 6, episode 10, suggesting his days as captain are numbered. Whoever takes on the leadership position following Beckett must be fit for the job in all aspects, including mental and emotional capacity.
SFD Station 19 has four lieutenants, but Andy is the only one currently fit for the captain job. While Maya ended up being a good captain, she is still recovering emotionally and mentally from her demotion and her recent accident in Station 19. Sullivan was just recently re-promoted, and his relationship with Chief Ross would make a promotion to captaincy inappropriate and lead to potential corruption allegations. Like Maya, Theo has also been a captain but was demoted and moved to SFD Station 23 after an error on his behalf led to Michael’s death, and he likely wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure.Andy Needs To Progress As Station 19’s Main Character
Andy Herrera and Meredith Grey talking in a corridor in Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy made Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital Meredith’s prison until her exit in the season 19 winter premiere, and Station 19 is running a similar risk in making SFD Station 19 Andy’s prison. If someone else were to be named captain following Beckett’s inevitable demotion, it would be an insult to Andy as a character and firefighter. Furthermore, it would leave little reason for her to stay as she needs to grow and progress in Station 19 as the main character.
Over Station 19’s six seasons, Andy has proved time and time again that she deserves to be named captain of SFD Station 19, and much of her storyline has been wrapped up in meeting this goal. Grey’s Anatomy viewers watched Meredith grow professionally from intern to resident to attending to the head of general surgery and finally interim chief of surgery. Station 19 viewers should be able to watch Andy do the same. The promotion to captain would be long overdue, and hopefully, Andy and Station 19 viewers won’t have to wait much longer.
