'Station 19' Season 3: Will Ryan Tanner's character suffer the same fate as Jack Pearson from 'This Is Us'?
'Station 19' broke many hearts after the beloved character, Ryan Tanner, played by Alberto Frezza, was killed off in Episode 3 'Eulogy'. Putting the spotlight on gun violence in the US, Ryan lost his life by a gunshot after a three-year-old pulled the trigger, thinking it was a toy.
Ryan was Andy's closest childhood friend and it has been quite a downer as to why he wasn't resurrected after the blood loss. Talking about bidding goodbye to his character, Frezza called it "heartbreaking" in an ET interview. “Not only is he a very important piece of her life but the conversation that he was having with her in the kitchen when they were having a beer together, his heart was completely open. I think that, in her eyes, she was very taken aback by it. I bet she definitely still had feelings for him. It's very sad that they won't be able to explore their relationship.”
However, he confirms that “they'll do some flashback episodes.” Showrunner Krista Vernoff also said in an Entertainment Weekly interview, “We have a flashback motif in nearly every episode this season and I could definitely see Ryan appearing again.” Vernoff explains, “We love Alberto. And he is a painful loss for the show, but he got how powerful his death would be at the hands of a 3-year-old who thinks he’s playing. He was so game for all of it.”
As time progresses and if Ryan's character comes in flashbacks, will he be like Jack Pearson from 'This Is Us'? “These flashbacks are literally breaking my heart into a million little pieces,” one tweet read and another said, “At least we get these flashbacks of Ryan, I will miss his character and what he brought to the show.”
Another fan pointed out: “Yes. Followed by the funeral but... He appears in flashbacks in the episode and maybe more as the season progresses. He Jack Pearson'd everybody.”
If that happens, it will both be good and bad news for Ryan fans. While it will be heartwarming to still have him on the show, wouldn't it kill viewers to have their favorite character dead? No matter what the future holds, fans are pretty irked at Shonda Rhimes for always chopping off the best characters. "So we killed Ryan for absolutely no reason, then we got Vasquez who is awful with his a** wife & an ex racist cop running the show," one viewer wrote.
Another viewer had a piece of advice for the creator. "PSA @shondarhimes you can make a great tv show without killing off the best characters! Andy and Ryan were supposed to end up together!! #Station19 This is as heartbreaking as Lexi being killed off," a tweet read. Another said, "I'm done with @shondarhimes & her shows. #Station19 has suffered enough without taking Ryan from us. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR IT!!!!!! It's an old played out story, find something new to write about."
"Screw the new showrunner. This was not a good decision, and there is no other character on the show like Ryan. This is the SECOND major death in how many shows??? I know there's danger involved, but I don't get involved in these shows to watch deaths and funerals," one fan said.
Many viewers also shed light on Andy's future. "I think Pruitt foreshadowing Andy becoming worse will force Sullivan to face his feelings for her. He will see how much she’s hurting with losing Ryan, her dad, her promotion as captain, which will affect him and will cause him to chose either his job or her."
As upcoming episode of 'Station 19' rolls out next Thursday, it may lend new insight into Andy's future with her best friend, Ryan.