The cast of Station 19 season 6 expands, as three recurring characters are upped to series regulars. Spinning off from Grey’s Anatomy with a focus on the Seattle-based workers of the Fire Department, Station 19 premiered on ABC in 2018. Over the course of its run, the popular drama has seen a number of new arrivals and exits from the main cast. The show also features a large recurring roster, in addition to crossovers with familiar faces from Grey’s Anatomy. That approach has helped the series to adapt, continuously adjusting to the surprising departures throughout its run.
Station 19 season 5 proved no different. One of the show’s original protagonists, Dean Miller (Okieriete Onaodowan), died early on in the season as a result of a gas explosion while attempting to save the lives of others. Miller was killed off because Onaodowan had asked to leave the ABC hit at the end of season 4, though a deal was reached that gave the character some closure in his final appearance. Ahead of Station 19 season 6, which will debut on October 6, the spinoff has added to its ensemble by promoting some of its recurring players.
As reported by TVLine, ABC announces that Merle Dandridge, Josh Randall, and Pat Healy have all been upped from recurring guests to regular cast members. Dandridge plays Chief Natasha Ross. Healy, who is coming off a memorable guest turn on Better Call Saul as Jeff the Cab Driver, plays Fire Chief Michael Dixon. Randall, meanwhile, portrays Fire Captain Sean Beckett. All three actors made their first Station 19 appearance in the past two seasons.
The trio enter regular status with a full slate. Natasha has her secret relationship with Sullivan (Boris Kodjoe), which Maya (Danielle Savre) threatened to reveal. Maya, of course, wants her old position back in exchange for keeping the secret, but that position has already been taken by the divisive Beckett. Dixon isn’t much better, a corrupt antagonist since his debut in Station 19 season 3 who is currently running for mayor against Travis (Jay Hayden). That’s without mentioning all the other stories the show will look to address when it returns.
More than any other storyline, Station 19 season 6 will likely answer the question of whether Jack (Grey Damon) really did quit and leave his crew behind. When viewers last saw him, Jack learned some difficult truths about his parentage and went ahead with a shocking decision. Many viewers expect that he will be brought back into the fold somehow. But regardless of how the dangling threads shake out, there will be no shortage of turmoil when the spinoff premieres new episodes in October. The cast upgrades will only add to that.
