As upset as we may be that Station 19 is being forcibly ended by ABC, we can’t say that new showrunners Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige aren’t sending the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff out with a spectacular bang. Take Thursday’s harrowing episode, for example. In “My Way,” a fire at the Space Needle nearly — but thankfully only nearly — did in Ben and Sullivan, who then wasted no time proposing to Ross. (Once he promised never to make her “play or feel small,” she said yes.)
In other developments, Andy received her late father’s captain’s badge, Beckett and Bishop buried the hatchet, as did Travis and Warren, who started secretly injecting himself with painkillers, Jack began working as a dispatcher, and Carina learned that she couldn’t get pregnant. But what if, Maya suggested, they used her eggs? Finally, off being told that Crisis One was being cancelled, Vic read Mayor Osman for filth in front of a throng of reporters.
If that sounds like a lot, it was. Here to break it down for TVLine, bit by bit, are the dynamic duo of Clack and Paige.
TVLINE | Bailey would take Ben all the way out if she knew he was dosing himself with what I assume were painkillers. Should we be worried?
PAIGE | Any time Ben is keeping something from his friends and family, we have reason to be concerned.
TVLINE | I’ve seen fans complain about Ross going soft since she’s been with Sullivan. Was her asking him to say aloud that he’d never make her play small a kind of reassurance that she’s still the same badass we know and love?
PAIGE | I hate to admit this, but I do read a lot of fan comments. I’ve actually never seen that. So no, it wasn’t [meant to appease anyone]. She had been putting him off in this fun, playful way, then we thought it was interesting subtext, kind of a “What was that?” realization for herself after almost losing him. “What’s in my way? Why am I not saying yes to this incredible man?” So she has this epiphany that “Oh, I have this work I need to do, and I need assurance from the man I’m going to be vulnerable to that that’s OK.”
TVLINE | For the record, I am not opposed to strong people being romantic and cute!
PAIGE | Same. I’m such a fan of them together. I’m a fan of Sullivan’s brightness and humor this season, and the playfulness that Ross has manifested in him. And vice versa. I love seeing these two people who found each other during the hardest of times who reserve their softness, their lightness, their joy for each other.
CLACK | You’re going to see a lot of that in Episode 6 and moving forward. Light, playful moments with these very intense characters.
TVLINE | Maya seems to have gone from being all about her career to being all about her family. What’s behind her doing such a 180?
CLACK | Mostly Season 6 — all of her therapy, all that she went through, pushing herself to the limit. She’s in a profession where she could die at any moment. But to put that on yourself and be the one that has almost caused you to die and lose everything that is precious to you and not care about it? And to come out of that? It was a lot of work we did last season that we feel we’re paying off this season.
TVLINE | Basically, she’s trying to check herself before she wrecks herself.
PAIGE | That is exactly right.
CLACK | Play the song in your article!
TVLINE | God knows Vic’s meltdown was well-earned. But what’s up with Theo reaching out to her? Are you trying to make us forget how much of a d—k Season 6 made him? This Theo reminds me of the Theo of old.
PAIGE | He should. That is exactly right.
CLACK | We want that Theo to come back. He’s realized a lot of things. He’s been fighting for Vic and doing anything he can to kind of, not wheedle his way back in, but anything he can do to make himself available, to sort of unravel what he kind of put himself into last season. He’s just being there, and they’ll have some resolution also. They have scenes coming up that will help answer these questions a bit more.
PAIGE | They have an amazing moment in Episode 8 that is just… mmm! I would say we’re not trying to make you forget what happened, but Theo would like to make Vic forget what happened.
CLACK | Also, having him trying to be this person with her and then, in his mind, being rejected and going to this other [job] and having this outside view of it now, it’s really hitting him how much he lost.
TVLINE | People are going to be so excited to see Jack again. Will we get to see more of him before the finale?
PAIGE | Hey, it’s a fire show. Somebody’s gotta work dispatch!
CLACK | He’s always part of the family, as we like to say.
TVLINE | I was surprised we didn’t get to see him working the switchboard.
PAIGE | We couldn’t afford to borrow the one from 9-1-1.
CLACK | Oh, stop it Peter!
TVLINE | The episode felt like it was a turning point for Andy in that she realized that it’s OK to be unsure as captain and move forward despite that. Did I read that right?
CLACK | I’m glad you picked that up. We feel as if it’s sort of the pinnacle of her captain journey this year. She’s been going up, up, up, and this is where she clinches it and moves forward from there. She’s got the confidence, she knows she can do it — she’s always known — but she really takes it in and can try to maneuver [that newfound awareness] into exactly how she’s going to captain. This is where she just starts trying to finesse it from here.
PAIGE | She finally finds her footing. [Before, it was] like getting up out of the chair when you’ve been armchair quarterbacking, and you’re like, “Oh, s—t, I didn’t realize the ball was going to be like this!” Now, she’s got her footing and she’s ready to start throwing spirals. That’s right — sports metaphors!
CLACK | I was like, “Sportsball!”
TVLINE | Have we seen the last of Eli and Emmett?
PAIGE | [Chuckles] Who knows? I will say that I don’t think Travis was ready for or getting his needs met in either of those relationships. He had some work to do on himself. He wasn’t ready for one boyfriend, much less two.
TVLINE | Do we have enough time left for him to get to a place where we feel like he’s going to be all right or at least on his way to all right?
PAIGE | I think “on his way to” is beautifully stated. I certainly hope so.
