‘Station 19’: Why Fans Hate the Carina and Maya Storyline in Season 5
In Station 19 Season 5, Carina DeLuca (Stefania Spampinato) and Maya (Danielle Savre) decide they want to have a baby. However, things become complicated when they discuss who might be their sperm donor. In ABC‘s Station 19 Season 5 Episode 15, Maya and Carina asked Jack (Grey Damon) to be their sperm donor. However, fans hate the storyline — here’s a breakdown of why.
On April 27, Editor and Director of Station 19, David Greenspan, replied to a tweet from a fan about Marina. The viewer wanted to know his opinion of his favorite Marina — Carina and Maya — episode in season 5.
“My other season 5 favorite Marina episode is coming up soon… 516,” Greenspan tweeted. “But I have a feeling the fandom won’t agree.”
The director indicated that Station 19 Season 5 Episode 16 holds some of his favorite scenes between Maya and Carina. However, the “fandom” probably won’t like the episode because many fans do not want Jack to become Marina’s sperm donor.
Maya cheated on Carina with Jack in Station 19 Season 3 Episode 15. However, Carina agreed to use Jack’s sperm for their Marina baby two seasons later. The show glossed over the cheating but discussed sperm donation for several episodes.
Viewers hated the cheating storyline, but they disliked the Jack-as-a-sperm-donor storyline even more (if that’s even possible). Fans do not like the negative bisexual representation. Many viewers on Reddit agree with one specific tweet to describe their feelings.
“S19 has written a story about two queer women having a baby together that is somehow not about two queer women having a baby together at all,” the tweet read.
Instead, the writers pulled a man into the mix of this beautiful story between two women. Additionally, the thread of tweets cited many examples where this same harmful stereotype happened in other TV shows. Fans wanted more for their favorite couple in Station 19.
Many fans also noted that the problem is not with the known sperm donation for Carina and Maya in Station 19. The root of the issue is that Maya has a history with Jack, like Teddy has a history with Tom in Grey’s Anatomy.
“Think of it in terms of a straight couple, and they were having fertility issues,” one Redditor wrote. “Teddy cheated on Owen with Tom. Would Owen & Teddy go and ask Tom for his sperm and welcome him to the family as a third parent?”
Viewers who watch both Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 understand the reference. There’s no way that Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) would agree to a sperm donation from Tom Koracick (Greg Germann after finding out that Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) cheated with Tom.
Many viewers hope that Marina does not follow through with their choice to involve Jack in their baby plans.
Station 19 Season 5 Episode 16 returns on Thursday, May 5, at 8 p.m. ET, on ABC.
