Unique formatting, an enjoyable character, and some focus on Vic made for an emotional hour.
The long overdue breakdown and breakthrough for Vic occurred on Station 19 Season 7 Episode 6, and we also got to fill in some of the cracks between seasons via flashbacks.
Also, Vic has to keep her job, and Crisis One will live to see multiple days.
Station 19 Fans and Fanatics, Ellie MV, Heather M, Haley Whitmire White, and Sara Trimble convened to discuss the episode’s best, worst, and most confusing moments.
Join the discussion below.
What’s your opinion on the flashback formatting used for this episode? Did you need clarification on the timeline?
Ellie: My opinion on the flashbacks is that they were poorly used.
Following the episode’s timeline was confusing and hard, so I was completely lost. And if they were supposed to be flashbacks, why have they not done some details like Maya’s hair just like they did with Vic?
I knew it was a flashback thanks to Vic’s long hair, but otherwise, they were so badly used in the episode.
Haley: I didn’t find it difficult to follow, and I understand why they used this format to tell Morris’s story. They managed to make me love a character I’d never met before. Each flashback started with a card telling us when the next scene took place, so that setup helped me stay engaged.
Heather: I enjoyed the flashbacks and getting to know Arlo and Morris, but some things didn’t line up correctly, like Sullivan’s behavior and how he acted at the time in previous seasons.
They were a little hard to follow because I was expecting to go back and forth between past and present, and the Marina scenes were what threw me off. I kept thinking those were present.
Also, the fighting between Natasha Ross and Osman made the flashback part confusing because we knew those scenes were present. Once I did a rewatch, it all made sense.
Sara: I really struggled with the flashback scenes. I missed the first card that clued me in that we would be in the past, so it took a good minute to orient myself.
I even had to double-check that I was on the same episode. It was quite jarring. I enjoy flashback scenes, and it’s an easy way to draw parallels between scenes. But they chose some weird spots to throw us back, so it all felt jumbled and out of sync.
Was Morris a great way to address how effective Crisis One was and the impact on the community, or did you expect more?
Ellie: Absolutely! It was a great example of how much necessary Crisis One was. And I’m glad Crisis One & Vic got saved because she is so good at this job.
Haley: Yeah, for sure. They developed Morris’s character so well in the hour that I was emotional at the end. It was a tremendous loss, especially considering we had never met Morris before this episode. It was a great way to highlight how great Crisis One (and Vic) are.
Heather: I think Morris’s story was more than about showing how effective Crisis One is.
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Over the last two years, we have seen how great Crisis One is and how great a job Vic has done with the program since losing Dean. I felt Morris’s story was more about how this one patient really affected everyone in that firehouse.
Everyone was affected in some way by his story and what he was going through. It was a way to bring everyone together in a way we had never really seen.
Sara: Sadly, I connected more with Morris this season than any of the regulars.
He was a great character, and it was an excellent idea to once again shed light on the disgusting way our veterans are treated once they’ve fulfilled their duty. It was awesome seeing how everyone connected with him and his story.
They showed the man the respect he wasn’t given on the streets, which really captured the purpose of Crisis One.
Crisis One is the type of supportive program every city should have because many police calls have zero to do with the law and everything to do with someone struggling with a mental illness.
Did the episode do an excellent job of touching on topical issues like homelessness, mental health, and the mistreatment of veterans?
Ellie: I can’t say much about those topics because I’m from Europe, and I don’t know how it is in America with veterans, but they did a good job of touching on these topics in the episode.
Haley: I thought so. It’s a complicated and horrible situation that leaves so many veterans with no resources. They did a good job showing the reality of homeless encampments and how quickly the government destroys them with no regard for the people living there.
Station 19 is also handling mental health issues well. They’ve done it before with Maya and other characters, and they’ve always done it well. It seems to be a theme for Shonda shows lately!
Heather: I thought so, too. It is a real issue in the US and is often overlooked. Homeless people are treated in cities like an unwanted burden.
Even in my city, public signs tell us not to help the homeless. It’s terrible. Homeless veterans are something that shouldn’t even happen. Whether or not we agree with the world views on politics and wars, these people use their one life to protect us.
The VA, I have heard and seen in a previous job, is difficult for many veterans to work with. Healthcare is another issue. Look at what happened to Arlo, rationing his insulin and dying from that.
The conversation about how expensive and inaccessible insulin is another issue that Station 19 mentioned in this episode. It’s why I love this show and these characters.
Sara: Station 19 has always done a great job of approaching real-life situations that are often uncomfortable for people to talk about because no one seems to understand that it’s okay not to agree except regarding the treatment of military veterans. There should never be any disagreement on how we show respect and thanks for their service.
Nineteen perfectly demonstrates the reality many of our heroes live with daily. So many are homeless due to mental illnesses caused by their time in the military.
And if you’re homeless, you likely don’t have a job or money, meaning zero insurance or the ability to take care of yourself. I loved watching all of Station 19 give these people back their humanity.
Just because they’re outside society doesn’t mean they aren’t human. And maybe if more people and communities did more to help, fewer people would struggle on the streets.
Vic finally had a breakdown and subsequent breakthrough. What did you think of her monologue and how they handled this arc? Were you happy to finally have a decent Travic scene?
Ellie: Victoria is the most underrated character on the show, and Barrett Doss deserves more recognition for her talent because she absolutely KILLED it on that scene !!!
It was an amazing scene; the monologue was great, and I loved that Travis was there for her after her breakdown because I missed them so much. I’m finally happy to have a decent Travic scene, and I hope to see them in the last episodes.
Haley: I totally agree with Ellie. The monologue was an incredible bit of acting from Barrett Doss.
I’m glad she was finally able to feel the heaviness of everything that had been weighing on her. I was so happy to see the tender moment between her and Travis at the end. I have always loved their friendship; seeing him hold her and comfort her was heartwarming.
Heather: Ellie and Haley, I agree with both of y’all. This episode made me feel so emotional because of that scene and the Travic scene.
Barrett Doss is always amazing, but she knocked that monologue out of the park. I truly was so happy to see this scene and her have that breakdown. She really needed that release. She needed everyone to see her like that because I think she convinced herself that no one cared or could see her pain or that she wasn’t allowed to let anyone see her in that state.
I really loved how this scene went from Vic doing what she always does, being there for everyone, to her instantly melting down. I loved what Travis Montgomery had to say when he talked about how they didn’t do anything right because Vic wasn’t allowed to go on that call. That was him telling her how much he needs her.
And oh, that scene in the bunk room… God, I just loved it. I missed seeing that deep side of their friendship. The way Travis used the newborn analogy with a little humor and then got real with Vic to tell her they were all relieved to see Vic break down, and how they joked about even the “good ones” love seeing a strong woman cry.
Vic: I’m the baby.
Travis: Yeah, sometimes you get to be the baby, and other people take care of you. Oh, I love you, and I will always take care of you.
The “I love you, and I will always take care of you.” If it’s not obvious, that friendship is my favorite relationship on the show, and my heart was bursting after that scene.
Sara: Totally in agreement with everyone else.
We could all see she was on the verge of snapping, and I’m glad it happened in the firehouse rather than when they were on a call. Seeing no one make a big deal of her outburst was also relieving. I think everyone thought she was okay because she’s so strong.
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But finally, letting her fall apart reminded them everyone needed to be checked on. And it was great to see the real Travis back and there to support his best friend. No one else would have done during that scene. She wouldn’t have been able to be vulnerable with anyone else.
Sullivan was very passionate about helping Morris. Did you appreciate seeing this version of him and more of his relationship with Ross?
Ellie: I very much enjoyed that version of him; it changes a lot of the Sullivan we know. It was nice to see him helping Morris.
And I didn’t care that much about his relationship with Ross.
Haley: Yeah! I love seeing the softer side of Sullivan. He can be a tough nut to crack, but when he cares, he cares deeply. His compassion for Morris was lovely.
His and Ross’s relationship is interesting to me because their dynamic together is often so different than what we see of them apart. Ross is much more vulnerable with Sullivan than she allows herself to be in any other aspect of her life. I like that she has a soft place to land.
Heather: I enjoy that silly/goofy side of Sullivan. We don’t see it often, but we know it’s there, and it was nice to see him put so much effort into helping Morris.
His little dance was funny. After this episode, I’m buying into Ross’s and his relationship a little more. If we had seen more of that in the previous two seasons, we could be more accepting of their relationship.
Sara: This episode was Sullivan’s time to shine. I would have been disappointed if they hadn’t let Sullivan and Ross care so much about Morris. Both of them served, so it’s stark in your face that either of them could have ended up in Morris’ situation had things been different.
The military always supports the military, former and current. It was a great bonding moment for the couple, and it helped remind them how lucky they were to have each other. And it was a reminder to relax and have fun because life’s too short to be serious all the time.
Is Warren taking testosterone unexpected?
Ellie: Very much! I was surprised he takes testosterone, and it still does not make sense to me that storyline… I still don’t understand why Ben, an ex-doc, is taking some drugs just to feel stronger…
Haley: I actually wasn’t surprised! Testosterone can’t be purchased over the counter, so I assume Ben has been to his doctor and found that he could benefit from hormone treatments.
It’s unfortunate that he hasn’t told Miranda, mainly because taking testosterone can have side effects, and his partner should be aware, but I don’t think this is necessarily as sinister as it first seemed.
Heather: At first, I had to laugh because the fan base was trying to figure out what he was doing and if this was headed in a Sullivan-type storyline. I don’t think anyone guessed testosterone.
So when he told Sullivan that’s what he was taking (who says “T”?) I felt like I had a duh moment. It made sense to me. Men his age do experience a drop-off of testosterone.
Now that we know that’s what it is, my first thought was, “Is he putting himself at risk for more cancer?” He’s already survived testicular cancer, and I don’t know how testosterone works, but it’s still a concern for me. I hope we get to see Miranda find out and that conversation.
Haley: Just chiming in to add that’s how testosterone is commonly referred to in the queer community (transmasculine people often take testosterone during their transition). I’m not in the medical field so I’m not sure if it’s a common nickname there, but Ben does have a trans sister so maybe he’s familiar with LGBTQ terms because of that!
Sara: Surprise, Heather, but I predicted T as soon as I saw him giving himself injections.
Given that he had testicular cancer, I’m actually surprised he hasn’t needed to be on hormone treatments before now. Testosterone affects several aspects of a man’s life, much like estrogen.
They even have a male version of PMS.
If your body can’t go through those normal actions, you’ll notice side effects that could be compromising to a firefighter, such as easier-to-get injuries, slower healing, reduced energy and stamina, mood swings, and a loss of physical strength.
Given how close Ben is to everyone at Grey’s, it’s easy to assume he talked about his condition to someone who gave him a prescription vial. It’s going to be a good episode when Miranda finds out if they do it right.
How hilarious was Maya’s reaction to hormones? Also, what are your thoughts on the Marina flashbacks?
Ellie: Maya’s reaction to hormones reminded me of Carina’s reaction in season 5, and let me say this: I HATED IT. Some will find those scenes funny, but it was cringeworthy for me.
The problem with Station 19 is that the writers want some funny scenes, but the writing makes the scenes cringe. And also, if Station 19 is a show about women, then why are we seeing women as “hysterical” during their hormones? I’m tired of the stereotype “women are emotional, hysterical, etc…” so I hated that scene with Maya despite the fact Danielle Savre’s acting was great.
As I said in my answer to the first question, the flashbacks were so confusing, so I was confused with Maya being flirty with Carina at the clinic and that they weren’t pregnant, but it didn’t surprise me to learn they weren’t pregnant because that storyline is just too predictable.
Haley: My take on this is personal because I went through IVF to have my son! I always like to see fertility struggles and treatments represented on television. Maya actually described how it feels to take fertility drugs pretty accurately. It can feel like you’re losing it, and the strange sensations in the ovaries are pretty much exactly how Maya explained it.
The Marina flashbacks were great because we saw a little more of the background between them as they worked through fertility struggles. I feel like it’s been a common complaint that we didn’t get to see enough of that, so it was nice to get a bit more of that story.
Maya: Oh, I get it, whereas mine, my shots, and shots, and shots, make me feel terrible. We’re doing IVF, my eggs, her oven, and it’s awful! It’s awful! It’s like I can feel my own follicles growing my eggs, it’s like grape jelly. It’s like grape jelly just sloshing around inside of me! I love how your shots make you feel incredible, while mine make me feel like a bloated chicken coop!
Beckett: Chicken coop?
Maya: Because I am a freaking egg factory, Beckett! IVF, keep up!
Heather: To go on what Ellie said, I found some humor in it because Danielle’s acting made it funny. She did a great job with that scene, which we had never seen in Maya. The dialogue was a little weird to me, too, and I didn’t like Sullivan’s little comments.
I also found it more extreme than how Carina was presented on hormones. No matter what the writers were trying to do with that scene, I see Maya and Carina, and you too, Haley, as women who are strong and badass for even going through that process and being affected by the hormones.
That is an emotional journey, and I can’t even imagine the strength it takes to get through every hour of every day of that process, especially when no part of it is guaranteed.
I enjoyed seeing their flashbacks. I loved seeing how giddy Maya was during the clinic and Carina having to keep her feet on the ground. The conversation in Joe’s was important for us to see because we hadn’t heard mention of Mason since their wedding day, so it was good for us to see that Maya was concerned about it. And now that we know he will be in this week’s episode, it was a good build-up.
Sara: The scene with Maya flipping out from the hormone injections was super predictable. Every movie and series that had ever featured a woman taking injections has the woman have heightened emotions as a reaction.
Often, it’s over the top. But I’ve seen it in person, so I fully believed the scene. Seeing her so emotional and girly was hilarious since she’s usually such a hardass. Their flashbacks really caught me off guard, and it took me a minute to adjust to the change in time.
They mentioned Mason again after seeing him during the Pride parade episode earlier. Is there hope that they’ll reunite before the season ends?
Are you disappointed in how they’re utilizing Jack (or rather not utilizing him) in these final episodes?
Ellie: Oh, absolutely ! Jack is a great and underrated character who could be a great character with a great storyline IF the writers knew how to write him better, other than the punching bag, the lost puppy, and the orphan. Jack (& Grey) deserves SO much better than this shitty storyline in the last season.
Haley: For sure. I really miss Jack (and Grey Damon) ‘s presence. It was nice to see him in a flashback, but as Ellie said, there’s no good reason they couldn’t have written something great for him for this last season. It’s a bummer that he’s been pushed to the side.
Heather: Exactly what Ellie and Haley said. We love Jack, and they have just done him dirty.
Every time we lose a character, the show feels so different. Jack was always such a huge part of this show because of the endless dirt the writers have continued to dump on him. But he is a great guy with such a huge heart, and it sucks that we don’t get to see any of it in this last season.
Sara: It has been extremely disappointing how they’re doing one of the best characters on the show. Jack has been there for everyone and the show has repeatedly done him dirty. It would have been great to see him more throughout the season.
I would love to see Crisis One become available for Jack to run despite him no longer doing rescue missions. He has too much experience to waste not contributing to the FD.
What was your favorite moment from the episode, and do you have anything else you’d like to add?
Ellie: This is maybe a little off-topic, but NCIS: Hawai’i is a show with a woman lead, POC characters, and a WLW couple that got canceled after three seasons despite being one of the best CBS shows with great ratings (better than the show SWAT that CBS uncancelled) so the fans have launched a petition since it’s in the same boat as Station 19.
Haley: My two favorite moments were when Vic and Morris were on the park bench and the final moment when Vic and Travis were in the bunk.
Vic is an incredible character; her relationships on the show have always been so good.
Seeing Travis finally step up and be the best friend Vic has needed him to be lately was a relief. He really gave her a safe space to be vulnerable and reminded her that he loved her and would take care of her, and it was a really special moment between them.
Heather: of course, the Travic scene was my favorite. Also, I really can’t complain about the writing of this episode like I have past ones this season.
This episode was just so heartfelt and full of compassion from these people we love. Another thing I wanted to say is what I really loved about this crisis intervention debriefing: they did it as a group instead of individually, as they’ve done with Diane.
It was really good for everyone to hear how each other felt and that they all had each other. I wished Sullivan had spoken because he was very compassionate about helping Morris.
Sara: I agree with Heather on this episode’s writing. I’ve been a big critic of previous episodes, which have been poorly written with too much going on.
This episode had a great pace and strong writing. I loved meeting Morris, first when he came in with Arlo and then again after Arlo died, and he had a flashback.
Seeing Vic in her element was great when she brought him back to reality. And finding out that Vic and Crisis One are both staying was a huge highlight.
Over to you, Station 19 Fanatics. What do you think? Sound off below!
Station 19 returns with an all-new episode Thursday on ABC. You can stream the following day on Hulu.
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.