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It’s time to reflect on all the highs and lows of Station 19.
For the most part, Station 19 Season 6 was an incredibly strong season with some solid storylines and developments for many characters.
But that’s not to say it was without flaws and confounding moments.
Did it make the grade? We break down the season to determine just that, including the Best and Worst episodes, the best performances, the most improved character, and much more.
Join us as we rehash it all below.
Best Episodes – Tied
Station 19 Season 6 Episode 15 – What Are You Willing to Lose?
The back half of the season was much stronger than the first, and What Are You Willing to Lose was evidence of this.
With a 4.8 score on our part, this particular installment was a standout because there was a lot of forward movement for many of the characters.
The controversy with Ross and Sullivan came to a head, and we had a great show of united solidarity among Andy, Maya, and Ross when the former two brought the blackmail photos to Ross’ attention rather than using them for their own gain.
For a series that often explores sexism in the field, there’s been a noticeable absence of female solidarity and friendships, and we got a bit of that at the forefront with this development, which was refreshing.
After so much secrecy, Ross taking control of her own narrative by coming clean about her relationship and calling out the hypocrisy of the FD was another formidable Ross moment. We got a clear outline of Ross and Sullivan’s positions in this matter, which gave us a fair assessment from both perspectives.
We also got that incredibly intense but heroic save for Ben at the sober house, leading to his commendation, and some great Andy and Warren moments and Pruitt callbacks.
The hour also, pleasantly enough, didn’t result in a fallout from the Andy, Eli, and Travis love triangle, instead leading to Andy stepping aside for Eli and Travis, the much better-suited pair, to pursue each other.
And let’s not forget that SCORCHING HOT Marina shower scene that still has us fanning ourselves.
Station 19 Season 6 Episode 17 -All These Things That I’ve Done
Also scoring a 4.8, we have the hour in which Barrett Doss and Josh Randall deserved all the flowers and recognition for their phenomenal work.
For a season and a half, most were wondering what the Beckett drama would result in, and the payoff was devastatingly beautiful and completely changed the game and perception of this character.
We watched Vic use her skills and knowledge to save Beckett’s life in a remarkably raw hour that could easily dominate the installment.
The mayoral race finally reached the hoped-for conclusion while Eli and Travis reconciled and heated things up.
Meanwhile, Ben had the much-needed boost he needed with the return of a man he saved, Reggie, that provided the heartwarming sentimentality.
Jack reunited with Marsha and his foster sister, Lila, whom he hadn’t seen since he was pre-pubescent, in a brief but moving scene.
Maya showed how much she had genuinely grown by putting her marriage ahead of the captaincy, leading to Carina’s official return home in a wonderfully sweet series of moments for the pairing.
And while the race for captaincy was a mess with Theo, Sullivan, and Andy all competing like children in equal parts hilarious and annoying parts, Maya versus the car wash was pure comedic gold.
Worst Episodes – Tied
Station 19 Season 6 Episode 1 – Twist and Shout
The season premiere wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t the most interesting opener.
It laid down some groundwork for the rest of the season, but it was mostly an hour that was like a slog to get through.
Given how things ended for Jack in Station 19 Season 5 Episode 18 , it was underwhelming to see him return in such poor shape and fall down the same rabbit hole, among other holes, literally burying himself in problematic women and spiraling, without us even getting to see what prompted the latest depression spiral for him.
At the time, Maya’s headspace was incredibly bleak and offputting; the fractures in her marriage with Carina started to splinter something fierce. And we didn’t have any signs of forward movement with the Beckett situation.
And the tornado emergency was anti-climactic.
Station 19 Season 6 Episode 7 – We Build Then We Break
Station 19 premieres were rough, as the series’ return after winter break was a tough installment with too many tonal shifts that were hard to chew.
My take of the hour pertaining to the exploitation of Black Trauma was controversial to some. Still, I’m certainly entitled to my opinion on the matter, especially as a WOC.
The Crisis One call involving the series’ three WOC that mirrored the Elijah McClain case “with a happier ending” felt distasteful despite the incredible performances.
The hour exposed how the series can often struggle with keeping an even tone because we had the highly triggering and traumatic standoff between Vic, Ross, and Andy with Dixon and the Seattle PD, the disturbing breakdown with Maya with Carina, and Jack her bedside, and the rest of the house goofing off in the firehouse.
It didn’t work.
Savre, Spampinato, Doss, Ortiz, and Dandridge were exceptional with their performances, but the material was frustrating on many levels. The race-based Crisis One call felt exceedingly triggering to squeeze out as much drama as possible with no regard for some of the audience who had to witness it.
And then they repeated their constant mistake of inserting Jack into the Marina relationship where he doesn’t fit, putting much of the reaction to Maya’s breakdown on him more than her actual wife.
And the guys posing shirtless for some senior-aged ladies in the firehouse felt like tasteless filler in an episode that dealt with two weighty, important topics.
Most Improved – Natasha Ross
We didn’t have much to go on when Natasha Ross was introduced in Station 19 Season 5, but this season did a fantastic job of fleshing out the character and showing her complexities.
She had more dimension than ever, having some incredibly standout moments and some fantastic speeches and quotes. Given the material, Merle Dandridge absolutely slayed this season, portraying this complex character, and it finally felt like we had a better read on Ross.
Unfortunately, she had a few moments where they reverted back to reducing her to Sullivan’s love interest.
Overall, Natasha Ross became a fan-favorite character this season and solidified her spot as someone integral to the series and team, and it was great to gain a better impression of her.
Most Compelling Character Arc – Maya
Of all the character arcs this season, Maya’s feels the most developed, well-thought-out, and thorough.
It was raw, brutal, messy, enraging, impressive, heartrending, and stunning.
Maya took us on a journey. For most of the season, we kept thinking she’d hit rock bottom, only for her to find a trap door and continue to descend. It perfectly encapsulated the ugliness and discomfort of mental illness and trauma. It was unbearable in the best possible way.
And then we had such a remarkable turning point with Station 19 Season 6 Episode 8, the climax of Maya’s arc and Savre’s best work on the series to date.
It was a mind-blowing performance, the necessary movement for the character, and a fantastic, thorough display of tools and therapy used in these situations.
From that point forward, we saw a Maya who unpacked some of her childhood trauma, started her healing journey, took accountability for her actions, and improved her life overall.
After clinging to captaincy with a vice-like grip, Maya learned to let go of that, at least for now, and focus on where she is in her life now, reshifting her priorities and not associating winning with certain milestones or things to tick off. She’s much happier for it.
Most Confounding Character Arc – Theo
What the hell happened to Theo this season? What is this character assassination?
What’s frustrating is that, given how they explored mental health this season, the setup was there to do the same for Theo. Still, it was either too subtle, inconsistent, or dropped altogether, so we weren’t sure what was happening with Theo by the end of the season.
We can speculate that he’s harboring some unresolved issues from losing Michael on his watch the last time he was captain. We can assume that the destruction of his old neighborhood in a primarily unexplored arc impacted him.
We can guess many things, but without any followthrough, we’re left speculating about his sudden personality change and loathing a character we used to love.
As it stands now, Theo has had a total personality change, an invasion of the body snatchers, and we’ve watched the mild-mannered, kind, supportive, rational, funny, charming man become a raging asshole to everyone around him, especially Vic.
And we have yet to have a concrete explanation for any of it. It’s such a disappointment.
Character Who Deserves Better and More – Jack
We’re on, what, three seasons of stating this?
Why is it so challenging to give Jack a meaningful storyline? He has so many potential things they can explore, and the series routinely fails to address them.
Jack’s storyline regarding his biological family was dropped. His burgeoning bond with his biological sister Brooke was mostly offscreen and fell into the background.
His reunion with Lila, this pivotal person in his life, was a blink-and-you-miss-it scene that they didn’t mention or do anything with again.
Jack’s mental health issues, depression, and trauma got shoved into the background after the first couple of installments, much like the character himself, which was downright odd.
Andy was one of the only characters who checked in with the man, and Jack was background fodder and the occasional comedic relief for most of the season.
We then got that disturbing cliffhanger of him collapsing after multiple moments of him hitting his head and sustaining concussions this season with little attention from any of the others.
Jack is the most criminally underused and misused character in this series, and it’s baffling as Grey Damon is such an incredible, eager talent. Something we experienced firsthand when speaking with him.
So many potential things are left to explore with this character when they aren’t rehashing the same stuff or pushing him to the background. Can next season be the season of Jack? He more than deserves it!
Best Couples
Ben and Bailey
In a sea of couples and relationship woes, specific stability comes with Ben and Bailey, making them all the goals.
They weren’t often at the forefront of the season, but when we got a nice blend of them, it was funny, heartwarming, and emotional.
Considering their storyline in conjunction with things happening on Grey’s Anatomy Season 19, their support level for one another during some trying moments was downright endearing.
One of their standout installments was Station 19 Season 6 Episode 13, where they, along with Carina, embroiled themselves with a politically motivated birthing center that was an affront against women’s healthcare.
And if they didn’t utterly melt your heart during Station 19 Season 6 Episode 18 when Bailey introduced Ben to get his award, then it must be made of stone.
Given Bailey’s struggles to accept Ben’s job and the dangers of it for so long, it was beautiful to see how supportive she had become and how solid they’ve been as a couple this season.
Maya and Carina
It would be an understatement to say these two have gone through it this season.
But there is beauty in the breakdown, and what cannot be understated is the importance of seeing a realistic depiction of a queer couple who faces the same type of marital issues as anyone else.
It was refreshing, albeit gutwrenching, to see them confront problems in their marriage due to their respective traumas, triggers, and pasts and to see at least one of them have to unpack all of that for a stronger marriage.
No relationship is perfect or happy all of the time, and this one broke out of their honeymoon phase with some tough developments that didn’t always feel like they could make it out of it on the other side.
But they did, and it made every bump and trial worthwhile, and they’re a much stronger couple for it. Sometimes the consensus is that married couples are boring, but seeing a series showcase how that’s not the case AT ALL was great.
Worst Couples
Natasha and Sullivan
They’re up; they’re down; they’re all around.
The secret affair they were having invoked a lot of mixed feelings as sometimes there was something special and sweet about them, while at other moments, it was a hot mess all around.
It seemed like neither of them could fully understand the other’s perspective, and they took us on a ride, but not of the fun variety as by the end of the season, this couple felt more like one that shouldn’t work than one that should.
The longer things went on with them, the harder it was to root for them to be together, and by the finale, their reunion didn’t feel earned in the least and left a sour taste in the mouth.
Vic and Theo
They used to be a stable couple who could see each other through difficult times.
But now, it’s hard to root for this pairing, either. If Theo is going through something that genuinely requires therapy, that’s fine, but maybe he and Vic need to be apart until that happens.
We saw Vic constantly reaching out and trying to communicate with Theo as she slowly discovered more things and sides to him she didn’t know.
And Theo constantly pushed her away, shut down, cut her down, and gaslit her. It was disturbing to watch their relationship decline as the season progressed, as it took a turn towards verbally and emotionally abusive and toxic.
There was no hope for this pairing when we got to the two fighting during the finale and Theo making out with Kate.
Plot That Needs To End – Captain Drama
With Ross naming Andy captain, one can hope we can put the captaincy storyline to bed, at least for a bit.
It’s been something that they’ve been exploring for multiple seasons now, and by this season, the race for captain had become almost unbearable. Looking back on our Station 19 Reviews, it feels like all we talked about was the captaincy race.
It didn’t help that the people up for the role kept showing why they weren’t cut out for it so that by the time Andy was named captain, it felt by default.
Yes, her having the coveted role was seasons in the making in many ways, but in a season where we mostly saw her making impulsive decisions and defying orders, it made her win a bit meh.
Best Performance – Danielle Savre
Maya essentially had the season’s best, most consistent, and long-arching plot, and it was challenging to navigate all around.
We saw many sides of Maya during this season, from the dark days of her descent into an incredibly dark place that required a 51/50 hold to her incredible work with Diane and the lighter, unburdened version of her from that point forward.
Savre’s raw work during “I Know A Place” was award-worthy, and you can sense the actress poured her absolute all into that performance, completely unafraid of getting vulnerable, messy, and putting her own self out there for the sake of her character.
It was mesmerizing, commendable work.
Most Underrated Performance – Josh Randall
Barrett Doss is a boss; the woman is routinely and consistently one of the strongest performers on this series, so much so that it’s become a staple.
Josh Randall matches her bit by bit during “All These Things That I Have Done” and deserves all the recognition in the world.
It doesn’t hit until that installment how difficult of a task Randall had with this character, capturing Beckett’s quiet descent as a character most didn’t particularly enjoy, leading into such a heartrending breakdown, and perfectly capturing a man with severe depression and suicide ideation.
Until then, Beckett was just this problem and conflict for the other characters.
But all along the season, we’d catch glimpses of his vulnerability and his different sides via the introduction of his estranged uncle who also battled alcoholism, how surprisingly good he was at interacting with civilians, the impact he had on those who worked with him, and worrisome moments during Station 19 Season 6 Episode 16.
Everything came to a head as he broke down in his garage and finally accepted help from Vic; checking himself back into rehab was exceptional.
The emotionally exhaustive work of that installment from Randall resonated with the audience, whom he kept on a needle’s edge with breaths that held the entire installment.
By the end of that hour, he completely shifted one’s thoughts of the character and even had some of us wishing for his return.
Plot that Dragged – Mayoral Run
It was a slow arc that consumed much of the season but wasn’t particularly interesting.
Travis didn’t want to be mayor in the first place. He only wanted Dixon to lose. Despite the high stakes of the mayoral run, the interest in the arc overall was relatively low, and it mainly served as filler and busywork for Travis.
It was genuinely surprising that it took up most of the season, and it was a relief when it came to an end.
Worst New Addition – Kate
Initially, the idea of someone from Theo and Travis’ past joining the house seemed interesting.
But Kate has been nothing more than an offputting plot device, which is just unfortunate all around.
She’s abrasive, doesn’t gel well with the other characters, and easily rubs people the wrong way, and that was before we found her straddling Theo in the coat room and making out with him.
It sucks that she’s come across as not playing well with others or the “I’m not like the other girls” type. Her bizarre treatment of Jack was offputting, and thanks to her actions with Theo, she seems like she’s been plotting to be with him since her arrival. And now she’s part of a big cliffhanger and more friction for Vic and Theo.
Best New Addition – Eli
Eli had a rough start. He was great as Travis’ campaign manager, but it was hard to invest in him when it was evident he had to drag Travis kicking and screaming through every facet of the gig.
And his initial connection with Andy felt forced. But his chemistry with Travis is some of the best Travis has had in some time, and the prospect of this new pairing evolving is promising.
Eli is a decent guy who would be nice to get to know more about outside of his gig as a campaign manager. And it’s genuinely nice to have more bisexual male representation onscreen.
Best New Dynamic – Andy and Natasha
The connection between Andy and Ross has become one of the most underrated new dynamics of the season.
We rarely get many female dynamics pushed to the center of this series anymore, so it was genuinely refreshing to see Ross and Andy forge a solid working relationship and even a friendship.
Andy’s constant advocation for Ross was lovely, and you could tell that Ross saw some of herself in Andy and genuinely regarded her as the future of SFD.
It was fascinating to see that their respective relationships with Sullivan didn’t interfere with the bond they formed, especially as women of color in their field.
Conclusion
It was a solid season of the series. The season’s theme of centering mental health made this series a compelling, emotional, and raw season. And for the most part, they handled the subject matter incredibly well and arguably better than previous attempts at other topics.
The only caveat to exploring mental health was how they dropped the ball with some of the other characters.
Maya and Beckett’s storylines dominated the season. They were handled remarkably well; while Jack’s PTSD and other issues were dropped somewhere around Station 19 Season 6 Episode 4, Theo’s problems were too subtle and went unexplored, and Ben’s were limited.
The season truly belonged to the female characters, with all of them delivering some incredible performances episode in and out, especially as they tackled some weighty and dark topics.
The more personal turns to the storylines were strong and didn’t entirely detract from the great calls and emergencies they presented to us, making a great balance.
Station 19 Season 7 Wishlist
We’re a long way out for this, but we still have some things in mind for next season.
Hopefully, the series will spend more time on Andy as she navigates her new gig as captain.
She was supportive for most of season six, and the series could benefit from centering her a tad more. Her relationship with her mother hasn’t been delved into nearly enough, and they also haven’t allowed her to unpack things like her sexual assault either.
Jack deserves a much stronger story arc.
We’re left waiting in the wind about many aspects of his story, from reconnecting with his foster sister, to whether or not he’ll meet his biological parents. So much of Jack’s story appears to happen offscreen, and it’s been a disservice to the character and the viewers.
Whether or not Theo and Vic will be a couple come season seven remains to be seen, but the fallout from the coatroom kiss should hopefully prompt some deeper exploration of Theo as we get to the bottom of his personality shift.
Hopefully, Vic will devote more time to running Crisis One calls and explore more avenues in her career through that and other things.
And hey, if we have a Beckett return, and they become the new Sunshine/Grouch, Hufflepuff/Slytherin dynamic of the series, then we won’t complain one bit; just throwing that out there!
It would also be nice to see Carina and Maya explore starting their family again, and hopefully, the pairing will be on solid ground after an emotionally tumultuous season.
Carina could also use some individual exploration and similar work Maya was afforded, unpacking some of the issues from her past and other things.
Over to you, Station 19 Fanatics. What were your thoughts on this season? Sound off below with all of your thoughts!
If you want to relive the season all over again, you can watch Station 19 online here via TV Fanatic.
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 Twitter.