It was just one of those days when it seemed like the whole world was against you, or at least it was for the firefighters at Station 19.
Our favorite first responders couldn’t seem to catch a break on Station 19 Season 3 Episode 8.
It was just one thing after another, with no end in sight.
Fortunately, things weren’t completely bleak, as there was light at the end of the tunnel.
Dean has been dealt more than a few curveballs since JJ re-entered his life on Station 19 Season 3 Episode 4.
He went from wrapping his head around being an expectant father to raising his daughter singlehandedly in a matter of weeks.
Dean: Now she’s gone, and I’m left with this creature who knows her mom is gone. She does. She looks at me, and she knows.
Pruitt: Dean, sincerely, she can’t distinguish you from that chair. Having a perfect family unit doesn’t make you a parent; loving your kid makes you a parent.
Dean: But what if she grows up to hate me?
Pruitt: Oh, she’ll definitely hate you. All teenage girls hate their fathers.
Dean: Ah, that’s comforting. I am glad you came.
Pruitt: But they always come back around.
That would be enough to screw with anyone’s head.
It was only natural that Dean would consider giving his daughter, who he named Prue, up for adoption, after everything that happened.
JJ bailed, essentially leaving Dean alone with his newborn daughter.
His relationship with his parents is strained, to say the least, so he may not feel comfortable reaching out to them for help.
He is in way over his head, and that’s OK.
Fortunately, Pruitt was there to give Dean some advice.
I was sort of expecting the pair to talk about the struggles of single parenthood, as Pruitt was forced to raise Andy on his own after her mother died when she was young.
Instead, they stuck to the basics, such as how all teenage girls hate their fathers, before getting into the heavier topics, such as whether or not Dean would keep Prue.
Travis: It does get easier, a little.
Emmett: I don’t need you to baby me,
Travis: OK, then, enjoy the carnage.
Pruitt couldn’t tell Dean what to do, but the former captain reminded the new father about the first time they met, which happened over 10 years ago.
As revealed via flashbacks, in 2009 Dean was stuck working for his father and pretty miserable where his life was headed, which isn’t surprising for longtime viewers of the series.
Fans have known that Dean’s parents were unhappy when he shifted careers, but this episode revealed what sparked that change.
After one of Dean’s coworkers got high and fell into the water, Dean performed CPR and successfully resuscitated his non-friend.
And who should happen to be one of the responding paramedics? Why none other than Pruitt.
This revelation adds a deeper level to their relationship, somewhat shifting their boss-employee relationship to something more akin to father and son.
Dean had no problem calling Pruitt out for not exploring other medical options, something no but Andy has dared to do.
If not for the flashbacks, it would have felt as if Dean crossed a line.
And maybe he did, but it was more acceptable given this new piece of information.
Pruitt: I don’t know which is worse: the dying or having to hear everybody’s opinion about how I should do it.
Dean: I’m sorry, sir. Your decision about your treatment, it’s none of my business.
Pruitt: You have no idea what it’s like to hold that baby in there, knowing that I will never meet my grandchildren. I’m not gonna be at my daughter’s wedding. I’m not gonna see her make captain. And I’m not gonna see that damn fool Dixon fall on his face, which I know is the least important of all those things, but it still pisses me off. And your big problem is you have a healthy baby and your whole life in front of you? Oh, you haven’t decided whether or not you’re keeping her, have you?
In return, Pruitt gave Dean some fatherly advice about what it means to be a parent and to commit to your child.
It’s never going to be easy, but once you’re all in, things change. And things will change in spades.
Not just because Dean will be juggling a demanding job with raising a newborn, but because Vic is his latest roommate.
After things fell apart with Jackson, which was somewhat expected, Vic was in search of a new place to live.
Having Vic move in with Andy and Jack seemed more probable at first, especially if one of them decided to move out to uncomplicate their roommates-with-benefits situation.
However, with no decisions made on that living front, Vic took the next best option: living on a boathouse with a newborn.
Maybe not the smartest play, but she did need a place to stay, and the pickings were slim.
I have to wonder if this latest living arrangement will lead to something romantic between Vic and Dean.
Vic: Um, well, it’s possible that I may be somewhat living at your place.
Jackson: At my place?
Vic: Yeah, just in like a habitat way, not in a relationship way.
Jackson: What does that even mean?
Vic: Well, a relationship way is like, ‘Where is this going?’ And a habitat way is, you know, ‘I lost my lease, and I sleep at the station three nights a week anyway,’ so what is the difference really between that and sexy sleepovers, which I know you like.
Jackson: OK, you do realize that you can’t move into my apartment and not tell me, right?
Vic: No? I know, I know this looks bad, and I’m sorry, and I should’ve said something, but it’s only a few nights a week, and you know, I did not, I didn’t think you’d find out.
Jackson: How are you making it worse? I, um, I really like you.
Vic: I really like you too.
Jackson: This is just a lot. It’s kind of too much.
They’ve always been weirdly comfortable around each other, but with no sign of any romantic intention.
Small living quarters and a crying baby could change that, especially if they get swept up by playing house.
And on this series, two singles are just a heated encounter away from hooking up, as evidence by the episode’s final moments.
It may be a polarizing development among fans, but Andy and Sullivan finally gave in to their feelings and wasted no time in heading straight to the bedroom.
This, of course, happened only an episode after Andy rebuffed Sullivan’s declaration of love on Station 19 Season 3 Episode 7.
As satisfying at this moment is for Andy/Sullivan ‘shippers — do we know what their ‘ship name is? — it came at the worst possible time.
Andy is still reeling from the news about Pruitt’s prognosis and dealing with the lingering grief of losing Ryan.
Sullivan has barely acknowledged his drug addiction and is still experiencing pain his leg.
Amelia: OK.
Sullivan: OK, you are going to write me another prescription?
Amelia: There is a meeting in an hour.
Sullivan: A meeting?
Amelia: Right downstairs.
Sullivan: Oh, 12 steps, huh? Yeah, I got to get back to work.
Amelia: You came here because you wanted my help.
Sullivan: For my pain. I was hoping you could help me treat my pain before it becomes a problem.
Amelia: Becomes a problem?
Sullivan: I’m not an addict.
Amelia: You are using drugs just to get through the morning. You are stealing. You OD’d. I’ve been where you are Robert.
Sullivan: I doubt it.
Amelia: Which story do you want to hear? The one where I stole my brother’s prescription pad so that I could get high? Or the one about the man I loved OD’ing in bed next to me while I was too high to notice? Take a sick morning, because you’re sick Robert, because you almost died because you do not want to live the way you are living. Because you went from one problem — pain — to two problems — pain and drugs — to three problems — pains and drugs and lies. And this road is long, and it is terrible, and it ends with the people that you love hurt and you dead. And you are the only person who can stop that from happening.
It’s unclear if he’ll be attending meetings regularly and getting professional help, or if he only pretended to agree.
Also, both Andy and Sullivan work together, and based on the promos for Station 19 Season 3 Episode 9, Andy may get that promotion to captain, after all, something that was one of the “reasons” Andy and Sullivan couldn’t be together at the start of Station 19 Season 3.
They have all these obstacles in front of them, and any sort of relationship right now is likely to implode.
Neither of them is in the right headspace to make a real go at things.
They’re going to burn hot and fast before things inevitably fall apart.
The fallout could be worse than the aftermath of their almost hookup on Station 19 Season 2 Episode 17.
The smart thing to do would be to admit they’re both not in a place where they can make a romantic relationship work at this time.
And even though they have feelings for each other, they should hold off for now, and maybe they can try again later on.
I don’t want to fight anymore. I don’t want to fight my dad. I don’t want to fight you. I am so tired and sad and sick of being angry. And I just want to feel and to be in a safe place. And I don’t know why or how, and I can’t explain it, but you’re the safest place I have. And everything would be OK for the first time in a really long time if you would just start kissing me now.
Andy
With this being a TV show in the Grey’s Anatomy’s universe, that is very unlikely to happen.
After all common sense and reasoning don’t make for very good entertainment.
Fire, drama, and lots of carnage, well, that’s more like it.
Emmett got to experience that first hand when Station 19 was called to a multi-victim accident.
He was thrown right into the deep end by Maya and wasn’t too pleased to learn about her motivations.
While I can’t blame Emmett for being upset, I was mostly on Maya’s side.
Emmett is a probie, and the best way to learn is on the job.
It may not have been fun, but it’s better he learns when there aren’t lives on the line.
Emmett: How are you guys able to make jokes about that? I mean people died.
Andy: People always die. People die every day, and a lot of the time, they do it right in front of us.
Jack: Look, a thing they don’t tell you in the academy: you lose more than you win. Even on the days you’re doing everything right, a lot of the time you still lose.
Emmett: So you just, uh, what, you drink?
Andy: Mm-hmm. You drink a little and you make inappropriate jokes with your friends. then you go home, get some sleep. Next shift you go back to work and do everything right again, and you have a better day, hopefully.
Emmett: And what if you don’t always do the right thing? What if you screw it up?
Jack: Pretty much the same thing.
These are skills he needs to know, and the sooner Emmett gets up to speed, the better.
Also, Maya could have been putting him through the wringer to make sure he has what it takes to be a firefighter.
Given what viewers know about Dixon, it’s possible that Emmett only made it through the academy because his father was the new fire chief.
Emmett may be a competent probie, but at this point, Maya has no way of knowing that.
As a leader, she needs to know that she can count on her team, so she was just making sure that Emmett was up to the task.
While her breakdown in front of Carina seemed a little out of place, given the events of this episode, it’s understandable given everything that’s happened since she made captain.
Maya has received nothing but pushback and hostility from her fellow firefighters since her promotion and has been at odds with her best friend since she broke the news to Andy.
It’s a lot for anyone to handle, and everyone can only take so much before they break.
Maya: I’m the truck.
Carina: I’m sorry. I’m not very good at American idioms.
Maya: I’m the truck. I’m the truck that drunkenly plowed into Station 19 and destroyed an entire family.
Carina: Hey, hey.
Maya: I’m the truck.
And at the end of the episode, Maya reached her breaking point.
But instead of pushing through, it seems like Maya is ready to relinquish her role as captain.
Regardless of the circumstances of her promotion, Maya stepping down only proves that she wasn’t ready for it in the first place.
The position may have been earmarked for Andy, but Maya got it.
By giving up, Maya is only proving all the naysayers right.
She’s essentially reaffirming all the hateful things they said to and about her, which is something the old Maya would never have done.
Lastly, the dilemma Ben and Bailey found themselves facing was a tough one.
On the one hand, not reporting Sullivan’s drug use could put both the firefighters’ and victims’ lives in danger.
Ben: Hey, um, when Webber was caught drinking on the job, how did you…did you ever consider not turning him in?
Bailey: Who’s drinking on the job?
Ben: I didn’t say.
Bailey: Did you not think I would crack your master code?
Ben: I’m not sure it even happened.
Bailey: But if it did happen, is…is that how Vasquez got hurt?
Ben: What? What? No, no. OK, look, it’s not anyone all right. Just it’s probably a counting error.
Bailey: Counting error, as in drugs?
Ben: I didn’t say drugs.
Bailey: Well, what else would you be counting?
Ben: OK, OK, you know what? Never mind. Never mind. I’m probably wrong about the whole thing. I shouldn’t have mentioned it.
Bailey: No, you shouldn’t have, but if whatever it is that you know puts you in a bed like Vasquez, so help me god Ben Warren.
On the other, Dixon would not hesitate to shut down the Physician Response Unit after finding out Sullivan stole drugs from the rig, which could hinder the Seattle Fire Department’s ability to save lives.
As viewers saw this episode, the biker may not have made it, but his organs helped save seven other lives. Without the PRT, that wouldn’t have been possible.
It’s a tricky situation, but reporting Sullivan is the best call.
Ben has no idea how impaired Sullivan is and putting dozens of lives on the line just to save one or two victims doesn’t equate for me.
Also, the PRT is relatively new, and the first responders can still do their job pretty effectively without it.
In addition, there’s the slight chance Dixon may not shut down the PRT, though that’s more wishful thinking.
Some stray thoughts:
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Amelia Shepherd is my spirit animal. Having her counsel Sullivan on his drug addiction was the right call, and I hope Sullivan heeds her advice. I don’t know how many more deaths I can handle.
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Travis and Emmett are cute together, but I’m not interested in any of the games Emmett may be playing. There’s enough drama on this series without needing to add more unnecessary fluff to the episodes.
So what did you think Station 19 Fanatics?
What are your thoughts on a Dean/Vic pairing?
Do Andy and Sullivan have what it takes to make it?
Will Maya truly step down as captain?
Don’t forget to hit the comments below to let me know your thoughts. If you happened to miss the latest episode, remember you can watch Station 19 online at TV Fanatic.
Jessica Lerner is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.