THE PERFORMER | Jay Hayden
THE SHOW | Station 19
THE EPISODE | “True Colors” (March 28, 2024)
THE PERFORMANCE | Throughout Station 19’s run, Hayden has established himself as an actor who is every bit as reliable as Travis Montgomery is a firefighter. Whether ABC’s egregiously cancelled first-responders drama has thrown at him light comedy or heavy drama, do-or-die action or hot-and-heavy romance, the MVP has responded with performances that have been, as the kids might say, fire.
In Thursday’s fraught “True Colors,” Hayden brought his widowed character to a major crossroads, along the way showcasing a sampler platter of his skills. Early on, he reminded us that Travis is an unusually young curmudgeon when he groused that Seattle’s “Fabruary” parade was one Pride celebration too many. “We’re here, we’re queer, we don’t need to look like a box of Lucky Charms year-round to prove that,” he scoffed.
At the event, as Travis introduced boyfriend Eli to his father and his boyfriend, Hayden displayed an enviable mastery of passive-aggressiveness, seizing the first opportunity to throw in a subtle dig about how Dad had cheated on Mom. And his response to the revelation that the couple was practicing “ethical monogamy” was nothing short of [Chef’s kiss]. “If you have to put ‘ethical’ in front of it… ” he cracked — and look at that expression (below).
As Hayden wound Travis ever more tightly, the two-timer impulsively blurted out to Eli that he’d slept with his ex. Twice. At that point, Hayden teed up a stunning reminder of how big a role reacting plays in acting. All around Travis, Eli detonated one truth bomb after another, in so doing allowing Hayden to demonstrate their impact using nothing but his stricken expression.
Finally, when Travis’ dad shared his regret at “pushing my hang-ups on you,” Hayden brought to the surface all of the pain and resentment and shame that his alter ego had carried for most of his life. Tears welled in his eyes. He shook his head and looked away, as if the honesty was too great to bear. Then at last, he exhaled in a moment of relief that was so profound, words failed him.
Not us, though. We have two words for Hayden’s feat: Well done.
