'Station 19' Season 3 Episode 8 Review: Blood, drugs and some renewed romance make this a bittersweet watch
Blood, lies, drugs and never-ending problems — 'Station 19' isn't holding back from upping the emotional stakes with each episode. The show seems to be striking the intense emotional chords that 'Grey's Anatomy' once did. In fact, even the 'Grey's actors in the crossover come across as fleshed-out characters than they do on their own show. Who knew that this day would come? Just one small problem: stop trying to make Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) and Vic a thing. Don't force that couple on us. It's as stale as Jackson and Maggie Pierce.
After last week's action-packed episode, 'Station 19' returned with another tense one that involves a horrific motorbike accident. While trying to solve their own burning dilemmas, the team scrambles to save the riders. Sullivan steps up and tries to seek help from Dr Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) and Dean Miller (Okieriete Onaodowan) wonders how to bring up a child on his own, as JJ left (Brenda Song). The episode is interspersed with flashbacks from Dean's past, where we see him as a more rigid and less relaxed person and among friends who are a little too carefree. Yet, a near-death accident had changed his career around.
Amid all the action and chaos, several moments stood out in the episode.
For starters, Maya is really not messing around on the field and lays into the tough-boss-attitude thick. In order to give poor newbie Probie some hands-on experience on the field, she made him intubate a dead man, thinking that he's alive. How does one work under pressure? That's something that Probie learns, and he is not exactly happy about this test that comes his way.
Probie actually seems like a character that can be fleshed out, as he adds more to the story, considering that he was the one who saved Sullivan last week. Dean comes clean to Pruitt about his inexplicable emotions regarding his new daughter, and the lack of confidence he feels about looking after her. This conversation brings out unbridled anger in Pruitt, who is broken over the fact that he will never see his grandchildren, or even Andy Herrera (Jaina Lee Ortiz) getting married. Pruitt and Andy's father-daughter relationship has been portrayed rather realistically, with all its bittersweet complications.
There is pain, loss and grudging acceptance in this episode. Feelings that were buried within the team come bubbling to the surface, especially Andy, when one of the riders dies on her watch. A tearful Andy talks about a life when there's nothing left to live for and this is obviously in regard to her dying father. Andy finally realizes that Sullivan is her 'safe space', and for now that story is happy.
'Station 19' is going at a reasonable pace and hopefully some of the problems and messy conflicts are resolved soon.
The show airs on ABC at 8 pm.