Just when we thought we couldn’t love another Shondaland team more, the crew at Station 19 is back for a fifth season. Station 19 not only brings us cases that pull on our heartstrings and tap into topical social commentary, but we are also fully engaged and invested in the romantic relationships and friendships of Seattle’s bravest. Especially as many of those relationships have taken a turn toward the more complicated as the seasons have gone on.
If you’re like us and impatiently waiting for the Station 19 season five premiere on Sept. 30, you’re probably itching to find out how the multiple cliffhangers from season four are going to end up. If nothing else, season five is guaranteed to shake up how the team (which was already holding on by a string) is functioning.
While we’ve grown to love the firefighters who actively blur the lines of their personal and professional lives, season five is gearing up to have fans on the edge of their seats. To get you prepped for the new season, here’s a refresher on what happens at the close of season four — there’s a lot to unpack here.
Conquering Childhood Battles in the Name of Love
The emotionally charged season four finale, titled “Forever and Ever, Again,” ends with the team at the wedding of Maya Bishop and Carina DeLuca. And while this should set the scene of absolute romance and doves flying in the air (because seriously, who thought the free-spirited Carina would ever get married?), it ends up being the dramatic climax for a few of the other couples in attendance, namely newlyweds Andy Herrera and Robert Sullivan.
Before we discuss Andy’s frustration with Robert (which is pulled through the entire episode), we have to discuss the most touching moment of the one-hour episode, and potentially the season: Maya confronting her abusive father. Though Maya has a difficult relationship with her parents, going to her childhood home to offer her mother asylum from her father is not only empowering for anyone who has had a complicated relationship with their guardians (which tends to have remnants that trickle into adult relationships), but it also allows her to fully enjoy her big day, which, thankfully, her mother does end up attending.
Andy and Robert, though romantic in their initial union, provide a look into communication styles in romantic relationships as a whole. Throughout the season, we witness them finding their groove one way or another. However, in the finale, we see more of Andy screaming at and giving the cold shoulder to Robert, along with his attempts to explain himself. About what, you may ask? Don’t worry, it’s revealed in the very last seconds of the hour after multiple flashbacks to a fire two days prior.
A Love Triangle in the Works
It only took 16 episodes (and multiple persuasive conversations from literally everyone), but we finally get to the point where Dean Miller has fully realized that he is in love with teammate and once-housemate Victoria “Vic” Hughes. Unfortunately, he realizes this while he is casually dating an ex-girlfriend who is also his lawyer in his case against the local police department on racially charged accusations. After telling his ex that he’s “just in love with someone else,” she tells him, “You should tell her. If it was me, I would want to know.”
However, it’s not quite that simple. Vic has her eye on Theo, a firefighter from another station, who happens to be the person responsible for the death of her best friend Travis’s husband. Although earlier in the season, Vic and Theo agreed to stay away from each other, their chemistry and desire for one another are inescapable. After a private conversation between Travis and Theo, where they make amends finally, Vic and Theo reunite and have a makeout session outside of the wedding. And guess who catches them right when he wants to confess his true feels? Yes, Dean! Now he’ll have to decide if he wants to confess his feelings anyway or let Vic have her happily ever after with Theo.
As far as awkward situations go, Travis may have taken the cake this season after finding his presumably homophobic father on a gay dating app. After many episodes of his father lying about his true identity — and doing a helluva job attempting to convince Travis otherwise — they finally have an honest conversation during the finale. Travis’s dad confesses that he is in love with someone for the first time in his life (sorry, Mom).
His dad even encourages Travis to share his true feelings with whomever he has feelings for, which the viewers know to be Emmett Dixon, with whom Travis has an on-again-off-again situationship. But don’t worry; as soon as Travis lets his guard down and opens his heart to Emmett at the roller coaster of a wedding, Emmett does the most courageous thing he’s done all season and pulls Travis in for a kiss! Took them long enough to get it together, but how long will it last before Travis clams up (again)?
Life Decisions Hanging in the Balance
For a bit of Grey’s Anatomy crossover — which will also be an element of the season five premiere — Ben Warren and his wife, the incomparable Miranda Bailey, discuss Ben going to another doctor for a third (and potentially fourth) opinion on if he should get chemotherapy six weeks after his surgery for testicular cancer. Can’t blame the man for wanting to be sure, right? Though he leaves the episode saying he won’t take on another doctor, that may not be the entire truth?
Elsewhere, Jack Gibson is deciding what to do about his (very hesitant) relationship with Inara, who is moving to California with her son, Marcus. Though Jack’s friend Marsha encourages him to take the leap and “marry the girl! Make her your own! Move to California if you have to!,” Inara actually makes the decision for him, as she realizes, “You don’t love me, Jack. You love our family.” What will this do to Jack, who is no stranger to feelings of abandonment?
A Phoenix Growing From the Ashes, but at What Cost?
Finally, at the end of the finale, we are caught up on all the flashbacks and learn that Maya disobeyed a direct order from her superior. After telling them that there will be repercussions, Andy leaves the room, and the chief and Robert make a deal of sorts. Robert — who had a rocky season after becoming dependent on fentanyl, which resulted in him losing his battalion chief position — convinces the captain that it’s a better PR move to take the captain position from Maya. He proposes that the chief give it to him instead of dismantling Station 19 over their heroic, albeit reckless, rescue of a child. So now we understand why Andy was furious with her husband, and as we know, they’ve been through a lot since their nuptials. Will their marriage survive another betrayal?
We’re left with everyone, except Maya and her blushing bride, learning about her demotion through an alert on everyone’s phone. “This is you,” Andy spats at Robert. “You did this.” Awkward.
We don’t know about you, but we’re ready for everything to hit the fan in season five. New couples, potential breakups, and Robert starting right back where he began when his character was introduced in season two: on everyone’s bad side.