Whew, what a plot twist!!
Outside of the fun shenanigans that involved an underrated trio that I had no idea we needed this much in Bailey, Ben, and Carina, most of Station 19 Season 6 Episode 13 was just okay.
But then they threw that Eli and Travis plot twist at us, and that’s how you get a girl’s attention. Oh, this mess is delectable.
The strongest aspect of the hour was Carina and Bailey teaming up to go to an agenda-pushing facility posing as a women’s health clinic.
This season, it feels as if Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy have finally figured out how to work together and have cohesive storylines that interconnect.
Grey’s Anatomy has been on one in tackling the attack on women’s rights and healthcare, and they haven’t stayed off the necks of those in opposition.
It’s made for a very socially conscious season that, for once, doesn’t feel overtly preachy or performative. Some of that has also spilled into Station 19, largely through Carina as the connector.
The storylines that have revolved around abortion and these doctors’ tireless work to preserve women’s rights and fight against the injustices imposed on many have made for a compelling, ongoing arc and placed women like Bailey, Carina, and Addison in grave danger.
They’ve stuck their necks out and assumed some serious risks, and it’s cause for concern. We get hints of that when Maya and Ben are determined to get to their wives after a riot gets ugly and almost deadly.
As a result, it wasn’t surprising that Bailey and Carina were on a mission, and it sure as heck wasn’t a shock that Ben, still shaken from the incident at the hospital, took the day off so he could tag along to ensure that Bailey and Carina were okay.
Ben: You two look like you’re about to get into some trouble.
Bailey: We’re not going to get into trouble. We’re going to cause trouble.
Ben was classic Ben during the ordeal. He fell into the trap of doing casual mansplaining about the current issues as if practicing doctors like Bailey and Carina weren’t well aware of all the warnings and factoids he was sharing.
But his heart was in a good place, and his concern was understandable given the circumstances.
Despite some of the subject’s seriousness, Carina, Ben, and Bailey were such a comedic trio that the show could take full advantage of that dynamic more often.
They were hilarious together, especially when Ben became Ben DeLuca, posing as Carina’s husband while Bailey sat there as “just a friend.”
And their constant bickering as they all tried to figure out how to get Nancy to trip up and admit that she wasn’t a medical professional and it wasn’t a healthcare facility was amusing.
Nancy, however, was insufferable. However, credit where it’s due — the woman knew exactly what to and what not to say. She pivoted direct questions with expert precision, never doled out advice or used terminology that implied she was an actual doctor, and skirted around anything that could nail her down.
She was good, too damn good, and it was sickening.
She went out of her way to impose her thoughts and opinions about having the baby once she learned that Carina was pregnant. She’d only use the term “fetus” and cheerfully chirped on about Carina having this baby.
She was visibly disgusted when Carina mentioned an abortion, then turned to everyone else in the room in search of an ally who would agree that Carina needed to have a child.
Ben: How do you do it? How do you lie to vulnerable people?
Nancy: I care about life.
It was awful all around, so it naturally didn’t take long for all the doctors to snap at some point, exposing themselves and getting escorted out of the building after Nancy taunted them with how the taxpayers were supplying a facility like that.
Carina calling in the pro-choice protestors was a nice touch. They could also spend their time diverting future patrons to an actual clinic where they could get balanced treatment and have their desires and autonomy respected.
But the most emotional moment from that hour was when Carina broke down a bit after she faked the positive pregnancy test.
For someone desperate to have a child of her own, it was heartbreaking that the first time she’d see a positive pregnancy test, it was fake and for something like that.
I felt for her at that moment, and it hit you how much Carina sacrifices for what she feels is right and good and the great personal cost it has on her.
On the Marina front, it was sweet to see them wake up together, even if it was supposed to be casual.
And keeping up with Maya’s genuine progress and growth, she bared her heart out at the station. She’s open to doing whatever Carina needs to reassure her.
I could appreciate Maya’s vulnerability and honesty when she spoke about how she was trying to build something on a foundation for them, even if it was unstable.
My first positive pregnancy test, and it isn’t real.
Carina
She could both acknowledge her wrongdoing and where she messed up and failed while expressing how, at the time, she thought she was doing it for them, meaning it came from a sincere place.
She owned and explained her actions without excusing them. It’s not often people nail that distinction.
Somehow, the show manages to put Marina back into an alluring slow burn. Maya asked to date her wife, take her out on a nice one, and it’s their way of easing back into a safe, loving place in their relationship.
It’s such an underrated move to make, and it’s genuinely sweet. The baby thing still lingers over them, but it’ll be much more satisfying if they’re in the best possible place when that moment comes.
Carina DeLuca, will you go on a date with me?
Maya
Of course, one can only hope that the lure of payback or whatever else doesn’t overtake Maya because of Dixon’s offer.
With the full knowledge that if Maya takes the bait, they will have undone all the good work they’ve been putting in, I want to believe that Maya will not proceed to blackmail Ross or report her to the union.
Maya should be so far past that right now, and it’s just bad form. She already came to grips with how messed up it was that she gave Beckett that booze.
But if Dixon already has this dirt, it’ll likely get out whether Maya is involved or not. The question should be, what does he have to gain from this other than seeking revenge on Ross for daring to call his racist ass out for that stunt he and the officers did with that poor boy.
It will be devastating if Ross’ career is ruined or if she has a fall from grace. Ross is a complicated character and occasionally polarizing, but she’s genuinely good people, and she doesn’t deserve ruin.
Things are already complicated between her and Sullivan. From the sounds of Sullivan’s chat with Andy, he’s still in his feelings about her not naming him interim captain, and Andy was puzzled by it too.
Sullivan could understand why Andy declined the offer because she wanted to get the position more permanently because she earned it and not because she’s a backup plan.
But Sullivan was also decent at extending some advice to Theo as he struggled with their first call with him as interim captain.
It was a mess, and the men they were trying to save were annoying.
Theo was all over the place and wavered between being too cocky and too unsure.
But what exactly is happening with Theo? He used to be a very likable character who was compassionate, thoughtful, wise, intuitive, and so much more.
And this season, he’s become an asshole. It’s been creeping in bit by bit, but the worst parts are when he’s interacting with Vic. Their relationship feels randomly and abruptly rocky, and we don’t know why.
You were chosen to be captain for a reason. Trust that!
Sullivan [to Theo]
But he’s treated her terribly, and she wasn’t wrong when she pointed out that something is going on with him, he’s not letting her in, and she genuinely wants to know how she can help.
Theo has been cold, distant, rude, and bordering on cruel with Vic on multiple occasions. It’s such a drastic change from this man who was one of her biggest support systems and how this gentle way of cracking through her barriers.
It’s like the series needs a steady stream of a character randomly becoming a jerk, and once that person gets on track, they pass the dick virus to someone else.
Maya and Jack are finally back to being bearable, and now Theo is on the verge of being insufferable.
Dixon also extended his villain ways to the debate and his smear campaign against Travis.
By now, it’s so apparent he gets off on bullying Travis, and their contents probably see through all of that too.
Travis keeps finding new ways to navigate the political spectrum while still being himself, and it works out to his advantage, and the debate is no exception.
After all that prep for questions and debates about topics he’s not well-versed in, he managed to win the crowd over by fixing a fire hazard and using that situation to deliver a metaphor that was honest about who he is, his inexperience compared to career politicians, and how he plans to make things better.
His earnestness and honesty won the crowd over instantly, and he probably had them in the palm of his hand the whole time.
It was a celebratory moment, but Travis and Eli’s celebration took a surprising turn.
Andy was too little too late getting back to Eli, and now he’s fallen in bed with his client. And you know what? I don’t hate this.
Andy does deserve fun and romance, whether it’s casual or it evolves into something serious.
Andy: Why didn’t Ross ask you to do the job?
Sullivan: Why didn’t she ask you?
Andy: She did, and I said no. I deserve a real promotion. So the real question is, why didn’t she ask you?
Sullivan: You’ll have to ask her.
She deserves love, flirting, and a good guy taking a genuine interest in her. And she should have someone that she’s compatible with and who can balance her out and make things interesting.
Eli, as a prospective relationship for Andy, always felt forced. They didn’t exactly have romantic chemistry, and they didn’t feel like a good match for each other either.
It also didn’t bode well that all of their back and forth never felt like it amounted to much or would get anywhere.
The messy component of this is not knowing how Andy will feel if she learns the truth about Eli and Travis. And I hope it will not strain her and Travis’ relationship.
Andy doesn’t deserve to be hurt, but we hadn’t gotten far enough into whatever Andy and Eli could have been for one to feel that she’d be immensely hurt beyond moving on quickly.
But the situation is messy nonetheless.
It could also have serious ramifications if Dixon somehow finds out and uses it against Travis. I would think that people wouldn’t care about Travis’ love life, but who knows?
And would it make it harder or more awkward for Eli and Travis to work together after they had sex? I don’t know.
But Eli feels like a much better fit for Travis than Andy, and this plot twist is good.
I can 100% get behind an Eli and Travis pairing, and it’s been a minute since Travis has had some romance or fun. Sign me up!
Over to you, Station 19 Fanatics.
Were you shocked by the Eli/Travis hookup? Which ‘ship do you prefer: Andy and Eli or Eli and Travis? Do you approve of Marina taking things slow and dating again? What’s the deal with Theo?
We’re dying to know your thoughts, so please click that BLUE Show Comments button and Discuss your thoughts below!
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.