Station 19‘s Vic Hughes and Jack Gibson shared a grief-ridden kiss, but that doesn’t mean that they should end up together. After a brief hiatus, Station 19 season 5 returned with even more drama surrounding the show’s team of Seattle firefighters. As the others dealt with an apartment fire and their own interpersonal relationships, Vic (Barrett Doss) and Jack (Grey Damon) were left alone to deal with their grief.
Following the death of their best friend Dean Miller in Station 19′s crossover with Grey’s Anatomy, Vic and Jack were both struggling with the loss. Wanting to help both of his friends, Travis suggested that Vic invite Jack over so they could keep each other company. The two eventually found themselves drunk on the bathroom floor having completely demolished Travis’s bathroom. They admit to each other that they sometimes use romantic partners to forget their troubles and turn their brains off, which prompts Vic to go in for the kiss. The moment, full of emotion and tears, ends with Jack wordlessly leaving the house, leaving Vic to sit with her decisions on the floor.
Station 19’s Vic and Jack kiss sets up a possible romantic ending, but this wouldn’t be the best option for either of them. One of the major reasons the two can’t end up together is because of Theo. Vic has been in a loving relationship with Theo from Station 23 since Maya and Carina’s wedding, and their will-they-won’t-they storyline in Station 19 season 4 was well-crafted and engaging. Having Vic cheat on or break up with Theo for a fling with Jack that comes out of nowhere would be an unsatisfying romantic ending for Vic’s character. For Jack, his last relationship ended when Mara decided to up and move her son to another state, leaving the lieutenant alone. Having him move on without exploring the aftermath of the end of that relationship would be just as unsatisfying emotionally.
The couple would feel unsatisfying because they don’t truly have feelings for each other, similar to Grey’s Anatomy‘s Alex Karev’s exit from the show. While lamenting on the bathroom floor, both Vic and Jack admit to each other that sometimes they seek romance with others for no other reason than to shut their brains off and to feel something other than grief and sadness. Their mutual coping mechanism was the catalyst for their kiss, but this doesn’t mean they want to be with each other. Additionally, if Vic and Jack end up together, it would be an uncomfortable pairing given Dean’s crush on Vic before his death. Jack viewed Dean like a brother, and attempting to deal with his grief through Vic would only make things worse.
As Station 19 approaches the season 5 winter finale, it’s clear the two are simply grieving the loss of their friend, and grief is a bad foundation to build a relationship. Both were deeply affected by the loss, but Vic has tried to deal with it by pretending to be fine while Jack has been self-isolating. Neither are working on their emotions. While finding comfort in each other is good, even recommended, allowing that to blossom into a romantic relationship is at best shaky, and at worst deeply unethical. It’s best for the show if the Station 19 Vic and Jack kiss was just a one-time thing.
