ABC promoted Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy’s fall finale crossover event as an intense episode in which “tragedy strikes one of our own,” but, as it turns out, that “one” was Meredith Grey’s beloved house and not firefighter Maya DeLuca-Bishop. Maya’s potential rock bottom remained a self-contained story for Station 19 instead of carrying over to Grey’s Anatomy. This decision wasted an opportunity to improve the two shows’ ability to interact cohesively.
A lightning storm hit Seattle during Station 19 Season 6, Episode 6, “Everybody Says Don’t,” but no one from Grey’s Anatomy visited the firefighting drama. Instead, in Grey’s Anatomy Season 19, Episode 6, “Thunderstruck,” the firefighters arrived at Grey Sloan Memorial with a man from the helicopter accident on Station 19. They only reappeared in the episode’s final minutes to put out the fire at Meredith’s house. The most consistent character in the crossover event was Carina DeLuca-Bishop, who mentioned Miranda Bailey’s clinic opening on Station 19 and saw that through on Grey’s Anatomy. But what about Carina’s wife Maya?
What Is Station 19’s Concerning Cliffhanger with Maya Bishop?
Maya’s mental health is at the forefront of Station 19 — especially in Season 6. Her struggles took a shocking turn in the final minutes of “Everybody Says Don’t” when she fell off a treadmill and hit her head on the station’s gym floor, knocking herself unconscious. All season, Maya has pushed away Carina, dismissed help in the form of friendly advice or professional therapy, and self-medicated with excessive exercise. It has been a delicate and impactful arc that impacts Maya’s whole life, both professional and personal.
Andy Herrera rightfully benched Maya on a call, and the distance between Maya and Carina became palpable. With that buildup, it wasn’t surprising that a sharp turn — like her fall — occurred during the fall finale. But simultaneous with Maya’s fall, a call took the team from the firehouse. On Grey’s Anatomy, that call revealed itself to be the fire at Meredith’s house in a subtle crossover that didn’t allow the characters to interact substantially. Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy could have corrected that by involving Maya.
Carina was already at and around Grey Sloan Memorial during “Thunderstruck,” meaning she would have been present if someone found Maya and had her transported to the hospital. That crossover would have created an even deeper connection between the shows and allowed their characters to interact with more than a few passing lines. And it wouldn’t have sacrificed either cliffhanger. Like the outcome of the fire at Meredith’s house, Maya’s well-being could still have remained a mystery until Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy return in 2023.
Maya Bishop Could’ve Enhanced Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy’s Crossover
Maya’s story continuing on Grey’s Anatomy could have constructively enhanced the shows’ crossover by skewing them away from their deadly track record. Station 19’s earlier seasons briefly pulled this off with Jackson Avery assisting Ben Warren in the PRT that Addison Montgomery now uses. Station 19 Season 6, Episode 2, “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey,” took more small steps to boost the shared universe by following Jack Gibson to Grey Sloan Memorial, where he encountered Carina and Lucas Adams at work.
The last three crossovers with similar contexts resulted in the deaths of Station 19 characters. Lucas Ripley got bad news about his health in Grey’s Anatomy Season 15, Episode 13, “What I Did for Love” and passed away in Station 19 Season 2, Episode 15, “Always Ready.” Rigo Vasquez — whose wife Eva recently returned — was supposed to leave the hospital after an injury in Station 19 Season 3, Episode 9, “Poor Wandering One,” but Grey’s Anatomy revealed that he died in Season 16, Episode 18, “Give a Little Bit.” Most recently, Dean Miller suffered life-threatening injuries in Station 19 Season 5, Episode 5, “Things We Lost in the Fire” and died in Grey’s Anatomy Season 18, Episode 5, “Bottle Up and Explode!”
This crossover could have embraced change and let Maya live. Ahead of Meredith Grey’s departure, “Thunderstruck” discussed the duality of energy in its creation and destruction; Maya’s injury would have exemplified that, too. This destructive chapter of Maya’s life could’ve hit rock bottom with her injury, giving her the opportunity to create a new one. Station 19 can still follow that closely in the rest of Season 6, but Grey’s Anatomy could’ve given Maya the medical attention she will need after a head injury of that magnitude. While keeping the character alive, the effects of Maya’s injury could have remained a question to the doctors and a mystery to her team — and most importantly, her wife — until February. But by not fully utilizing Maya, the crossover event didn’t reach its entire potential.
