The several Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 crossovers offered a lot of fun for the fans of the medical drama and the firefighter show, but only a few of them had a massive impact on both shows. Ben Warren’s career move from doctor to firefighter proved the perfect occasion to introduce the Station 19 team, with Grey’s Anatomy season 14, episode 13 functioning as a backdoor pilot. However, not all crossovers between the two shows were life-altering for the characters involved, but a few of them introduced storylines that deeply affected Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19.
Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 crossovers cover major incidents in Seattle that involve both Station 19, Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, and the main characters of both shows. While some crossover episodes simply set up compelling storylines for the two shows to share, there are also ones that threaten to unsettle the team’s foundation at Station 19 or imperil individual characters in Grey’s Anatomy. Eight episodes have been particularly impactful in that they upset the natural order of things at Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy, setting up storylines that took center stage for some time.
Grey’s Anatomy season 14, episode 13, “You Really Got a Hold on Me” worked as a backdoor pilot for Station 19, introducing both Ben in his new role as a firefighter, and Andy as the heart of Station 19, but more importantly, the firefighter who helped out with a patient. Drawing from Grey’s Anatomy’s history with the medical storyline, having Meredith and Andy meet like that easily established a close bond between them.
With Meredith having Andy participate in the OR and Andy covering Meredith by answering the call for the medical advancement contest, their meeting looked like the passing of the baton from Grey’s Anatomy’s protagonist to the new Station 19 character. By working as a backdoor pilot, Grey’s Anatomy season 14, episode 13 essentially set up the world and dynamics that would be seen in Station 19, even just by focusing on Andy and Ben.
In particular, Ben’s journey highlighted his restlessness in being at his old place of work but, as a firefighter, having the knowledge to treat the patients he brought in but not being there in that role, finally showing the difficulties of his career shift. By setting up the world, the tone, and the main players, Grey’s Anatomy season 14, episode 13 created the perfect setting for Station 19 to continue to build on.
Station 19 season 1 premiere set up the show’s ensemble, but it also introduced the biggest threats to the fire station’s natural state. Bailey and Meredith appear in the episode as Pruitt’s doctor, further connecting the two shows in an organic way, while the doctors also helped Station 19’s main character Andy through a personal crisis.
However, “Stuck” also introduced Pruitt’s cancer in the most dramatic way possible, with his collapse during a fire. It also explored how the news would impact the larger story and the changes the fire station would have gone through as a result of his diagnosis being made public. With Station 19 season 1 just kicking off its story and characters, this introduced a dramatic element that was character-based rather than just relying on the latest disaster of the week.
There have been several key character deaths in Station 19, but it was unexpected to include one as part of a crossover episode. Ripley’s inhalation of hydrofluoric acid sent Grey Sloan Memorial into a frenzy, with Maggie Pierce sending Station 19 firefighters to look for him after he left the hospital as he was determined to propose to Vic.
The crossover element was small, with Maggie popping up as Ripley’s doctor. However, season 2, episode 15, “Always Ready” was a heartbreaking episode that saw Ripley, one of the pivotal characters on the show, die. Seeing the reaction from the others, especially Vic, makes it all the more tragic. The matter’s time sensitivity also meant Lucas and Vic’s actions outed their relationship with the department, leading to firefighters badmouthing Vic and landing Travis in jail for assaulting one of them who offended Vic to his face.
