Station 19 Season 7 Episode 2 Review: Good Grief
Jasmine Blu
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An undeniable observation about this series is that it has so much heart.
Various aspects of Station 19 Season 7 Episode 2
But at its essence, the series and the characters may benefit from this. And the emotional journey the series can take viewers on within an hour remains intact.
Essentially, it speaks to life itself. No matter what's happening around us, life has a funny way of still going on, and time waits for no mortal.
The trick to pulling this off is managing to do so organically, where the development of the character and the respective plot's payoff is enough to wave away how rapidly things are coming into play.
This hour had that on multiple fronts as we moved very quickly with the Marina adoption plot, with baby Liam coming home to them by the hour's end.
We also saw how quickly things have changed for Jack Gibson as, like him, we're thrust into grieving what he represented as a firefighter at Station 19.
Alice: Being a nanny is like the strongest form of birth control. I'm not having one.
Maya: That's what I said.
Grief was the hour's theme; we saw it play out in various forms.
But while some arcs are moving relatively quickly, it's one of those things where you can chalk it up to the truncated season, pacing being a casualty of the dual strikes.
That said, a shortened season also means tighter storytelling, and with such focus, the series has to make every single moment count while telling the stories it desires in a meaningful way.
We may have to suspend belief a little or check our own preferences for story-building and telling. However, compared to many series returning from the strikes facing similar issues, Station 19 may have a handle on this issue.
Not a moment was wasted during this hour.
And sometimes storylines benefit most from that. The crisis call with Ben Warren and Theo was a great example.
Staton 19 never shies away from its social commentary and reflects on the times we're living in. However, sometimes, they can be so heavy-handed that their message could be clearer, or their lack of subtlety is more offputting and provocative than reflective and informative.
We saw that a lot during Station 19 Season 4, for example. But in this instance, Theo Ruiz and Ben were taking on a Crisis One case that pointedly was to address Red Flag laws regarding guns.
It was a realistic call that they had, and they walked the fine line of showing us the story and what they desired to explore rather than talking us through every bit of it, which is what makes those plot points more effective.
Warren does a fantastic job trying to appeal to Connie by reassuring her that he isn't judging her or Sam or even trying to take away Sam's freedoms.
He wasn't trying to engage in some political debate with her or her son about their stance on guns. His and Theo's objectives were to ensure that Sam didn't continue to escalate matters and end up hurting her, their neighbor and his dog, or Sam himself.
Ben urgently wanted to relay the message of how serious things were for Sam and that without proper help, he could be a risk to himself and others.
He already was attacking his mother during his explosive moments. And at the rate he went, things weren't getting any better, only worse.
The situation felt realistic, and there was no easy solution or fix. Connie initiating the Red Flag paperwork isn't even a "fix" for the problem.
Sadly, if Sam finds other means to access guns, they aren't stopping him from anything. However, making it harder for him to simply maim or kill someone or something is a start.
And as customary on Station 19, since Ryan's tragic death, the cops are useless.
It wasn't the least bit surprising when the responding officer said there was nothing else they could do other than write Sam a ticket for discharging his weapon in a residential area.
And it sadly wasn't surprising that his own bias prevented him from taking Weevil Navarro (Ahem, I mean Francis Capra, my beloved, you will always be Weevil to me!) seriously. Because his (equally as subjected to prejudices) dog "looked scary."
They didn't browbeat the point home; even the microaggressive statements were the casual, offhanded remarks people make and are subjected to every day.
And there's this possibility that the call may be something they revisit down the road if Sam doesn't get help and no authority does anything to curb his impulses.
But there's also the possibility that we may never know if anything comes from this call, and that's as realistic as it is scary, too. But that reflects the world we're living in, which makes the storyline so impactful.
Regardless of who they are and what they believe, you sympathize with Connie and that she's essentially grieving the son she used to have before he became this.
And despite this mysterious woman's intentions regarding her daughter, Nina, you can also sympathize with her.
No, we don't like to see characters we love, like Carina DeLuca, under attack.
She and Maya have worked so hard to get to a place where they're content in life, and it appeared they were getting everything they desired. But now, just as things were falling into place, a former patient is suing Carina.
I doubt it's the last that we've seen of this mother; after all, A Million Little Things' Christina Moses is playing her, and it would be a pity only to have her guest star for a single installment.
You want to be angry about this woman suing Carina when we know she most likely did nothing wrong. Of course, we don't know the full parameters of this suit and why she's naming Carina.
We have an idea that it has to do with her child's prognosis, though.
From her interactions with Sullivan, it sounds like this woman is a single mother who has devoted her entire life to caring for her disabled daughter.
And they're essentially hinting at the type of caretaker burnout and strain of looking after someone. It's a complicated conversation to explore when you must ensure it doesn't veer into ableism and other things.
But if she's a single mother, the financial and emotional strain of taking care of the daughter she loves is realistic, and if her avenue for seeking help, services, or relief is through this lawsuit, it's fascinating to explore.
The potential of this storyline feels true to form what many doctors face within their ca. Still; it's also something that can be covered without this woman immediately appearing as a villain. And that's an interesting prospect.
But after a harrowing day of locking down the station before determining, thanks to the badass Natasha Ross, that Alice, the nanny, had Dengue and learning about a lawsuit, Marina got great news.
They got to bring Liam home.
It seems very fast, but for the sake of the storyline progressing, I'm okay with that. And they both looked so happy about it.
I also loved that Maya Bishop, who joked with Alice about how she changed her mind regarding kids, was the one to bring baby Liam into the station and show him off to everyone.
It's a great next stop for these two as they're now on the fast track, embarking on this journey into motherhood. Station 19 takes a lot, but they give a lot, too.
Even with what they face, from motherhood and the ups and downs that come with this process with Liam to Carina's impending lawsuit, there's confidence that Maya and Carina are solid enough to face these things together.
I love that they're not serving as each other's antagonists in their relationship, but instead, they're facing the latest conflicts as a united team.
Sullivan and Natasha have the potential to do that, too.
While this girl has always been indifferent to Tully, the "random proposal" via one of the kids was the cutest thing ever.
And I love that Ross is making Sullivan work for it. What better way to ensure that this is legitimately something they both want and deem feasible than putting in the work rather than rushing into it?
Both had a great installment overall. Natasha's dengue save was great, and she and Andy handled the whole scare well.
And Sullivan was good in a crisis and did great work at the clinic, so it's not surprising that Andy followed his condescending, mansplainy (but I'll ignore it) advice and put him on clinic duty.
It shakes up the dynamics in interesting ways and hits home that regardless of the past tensions between people, they are a family.
Sullivan would end up working with Carina directly more often, but despite some of their tensions, they make a formidable team, so I look forward to that.
I'm also excited about Beckett joining Vic Hughes for Crisis One.
Judge me all you want, but I'm all in on this Grumpy/Sunshine Dynamic, and this duo is one of the most compelling to arise from the past couple of seasons.
No one can resist Vic's appeal and charm, and Beckett is no exception.
It was great to catch up with him after he went to rehab, and we got to see the fruits of his labor and Vic's genuine concern for him during Station 19, Season 6, Episode 17.
The storyline was one of the greatest during Station 19 Season 6, and the stunning work from that installment begged to be revisited, and this didn't disappoint.
It felt right that Vic was the first person Beckett reached out to after rehab, and he sought her out to support him in attending his uncle's Irish Wake.
Vic: Are you okay?
Beckett: I thought I could still be part of my family, but I don't know.
Vic: You know, sometimes giving up addictions means you got to give up people. Psychologists call it ambiguous loss, that feeling of grief from giving up relationships.
Beckett: Thank you, Dr. Phil.
Vic: Why don't you join Crisis One? I need a right hand.
Beckett: I see what you're doing. You're trying to make poor old Beckett feel like part of the team.
Vic: Do it or don't.
Josh Randall and Barrett Doss have such unexpected but delightful chemistry that it was exciting to see the two in sync during their scenes together.
Somehow, Beckett quietly became one of the most compelling characters in this series, as they succeeded in humanizing him in such a way despite how polarizing he was from his introduction.
And now we're at a point where you genuinely root for Beckett and his well-being, which made every trial he faced at that wake against his family disheartening.
I wonder if he would've been as strong if he hadn't had Vic for support. Once you see his family, you get a better perspective of how Beckett became the man he is.
His entire family has an issue with alcoholism and treats drinking as if it's their whole personality. The casual way they laughed at each other and tossed out names like "Shawnie Blackout" and "Good Time Gracie" was unfortunate.
They're all politically incorrect and brass broods who don't know how to support each other but rather enable the worst in each other.
Beckett's uncle successfully talked his son into cauterizing his nosebleed around the time it was abundantly clear that no good could ever come from Beckett hanging out with most of his family regularly.
The entire scene was gnarly and gory.
Related: Station 19 Round Table: Marina Adoption & Jack's Fate
Fitting with the theme, Vic helped Beckett realize that his relationship with his own family will never be the same, and thus, he'll be grieving the bond he had with them before he was sober.
But sometimes you must cut out people you love if they don't benefit you.
And because this series' center is the station serving as a found family, it's nice that Beckett realizes that the family can and does even include him despite everything he's done.
Beckett brought into the fold more, mainly through this special bond he has with Vic, is an enjoyable turn of events, and it made you appreciate little moments, like him playing with baby Liam at the group dinner and being part of Jack's emotional moment with the fire family rather than isolating himself.
He's ready to become part of Station 19, so he'll take Vic up on the offer to co-run Crisis One with her. And we know that despite his disposition, he's excellent at it.
We're seeing how Beckett is becoming a better man, but it's also fascinating that Travis Montgomery is facing his own doubts about what it means for him to be a good man.
I can forgive them for pushing the infidelity narrative again, especially with his and Emmett's hot hookup yet again in the pantry this time, if it means they intend to address the issues.
For once, when it comes to all of this with Travis, they intend to explore the issues, prompting him to self-reflect, and that's a promising direction to take with this beloved character.
Emmett: I feel like there's a bad joke here, like how you forced me out of the closet just to force me back in.
Travis: Well, it's a pantry, though.
Emmett: And now I feel like I'm corrupting you.
Travis: Corrupting me?
Emmett: When we met, I was cheating on Alicia, and you were really upset. And --
Travis: Yeah, I mean, but this is different. Emmett: Is it, though?
He was SHOOK when Emmett brought up that Travis was guilty of cheating for all his sanctimony when Emmett did it.
And it rattled him to his core when Kitty, during one of those endearing moments of clarity she can have, told him he was a "good man" and reiterated how much Dixon liked him.
When Andy mentioned that Travis was a better man than all of him, his head was reeling, and he didn't feel good about himself.
Interestingly, these types of storylines are only as good as what they intend to do with them, and with progress on the horizon, I'm willing to extend some grace now. We may experience some real forward movement and growth for Travis, and he's been long overdue.
However, as promising as many of these arcs are, Jack Gibson's signing off as an active firefighter remains heartbreaking.
I can appreciate the series willingly exploring what happens when an active duty firefighter reaches their expiration date. But it's tough to witness as a Jack fan because the guy never seems to have peace!
His half-hearted attempts to fight Andy and Ross on it when he knew it was a losing battle were gutwrenching. Then, he packed up his locker while the others tried to extend some support, which was like a punch to the gut.
Jack is a man who is always willing to run into the line of fire and toward someone to help however he can.
His face crumpled, and his body was heavy with the feeling of uselessness and not knowing what to do with himself or where to go when he had to leave the clinic with Carina's reassurances that they would honor his intentions there.
With Jack, the question of "What's next?" weighs heavily on him, and there's not enough clarity as to what this means for him for viewers either.
Does CTE mean he can't even work at the clinic anymore? Does this mean he can no longer work the desk at the station? Can he gravitate to other areas that are less physically strenuous, or does he have to pursue a different career?
Ben prattling on about his various career changes was amusing and quintessentially Ben, but everything is moving so fast, and Jack has no time to find his footing.
Related: Station 19 Season 7 Episode 1 Review: This Woman's Work
Sure, he can serve his community and people in various ways and do some real good, but in what ways?
He's terrific with kids and has a background that could lend itself to use with foster kids, whether running a community center or pursuing social work.
He can still cross paths with his colleagues in so many ways, but it was gutwrenching how "final" things felt for him during this installment.
Andy seemed the most affected by losing his presence, noting that she always envisioned him by her side when she finally made captain.
It's no secret that they've always been each other's consummate support in that way, so it makes sense.
Jack: So I'm not a firefighter anymore? Then what, I mean--
Andy: Nineteen will still be here for you, just in a different way.
But she was also so "business" when it came to ripping the band-aid, which made witnessing it even harder.
And if things weren't emotional enough, he had to sign his name under the table, and we were left with the standard Station 19 cuddle huddle as everyone joined him under the table, piled up on each other and providing each other comfort.
These earlier installments were likely done before the series knew about its fate, but I'm so happy to have one of the most meaningful callbacks on our screens.
The group cuddle was emotional when it was with Vic on top of the firetruck after Ripley died; it was emotional when they were supporting Andy after her assault, and it was no less emotional here.
Station 19's Grey Damon on Jack's Shocking Cliffhanger
Marsha and his entire Station 19 family support him regardless of where Jack lands.
I hope he doesn't pull away and isolate himself. He feared they were sending him off because of obligation, not because they genuinely loved him.
Even all these years later, his default is to still question his worth and lovability in the eyes of those who genuinely care.
He also got to see how happy Marina was with Liam, Andy getting captain, and things seemingly falling in line around the house, so it makes you wonder how he's processing that with something so terrible happening to him.
Maya: Hey, are you okay?
Andy: Yeah. I just always imagined Jack here. Whenever I've seen myself as captain, he was always here. Part of the family, but now he won't be.
Maya: Nineteen is still a family.
My heart aches for Jack Gibson.
But I had the absolute privilege of speaking to the wonderful man who plays him about what the future holds for his character.
So stay tuned for our exclusive interview with Grey Damon.
Over to you, Station 19 Fanatics.
Are you heartbroken for Jack? Are you excited about Marina and Liam? What do you think about this lawsuit? Are you a Vic and Beckett fan? Sound off!
The Station 19 fandom is still making some noise about the cancelation, so if you want to sign the petition, click Save Station 19 and make your voice heard.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
