Who wouldn't give everything there is for more time with Victoria Hughes?
While initially, Station 19 Season 7 Episode 6 didn't have the feel of a Vic-centric installment, and it had some unique formatting that frankly made for a rather underwhelming hour, by the end, things aren't always what they seem.
It was deceptively good, so much so that it took me until the 40-minute mark to truly appreciate what they were laying out. And it'll probably be more impactful upon rewatches.
Once the installment clicked, it truly clicked, with a turnaround, yes, but also a realization that the writers were taking us on an understated journey.
But I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that the first 40 minutes of this installment were confusing and underwhelming.
We have precious little time to spend with this series and these characters. Every episode counts.
Presumably, there's an end goal in mind as we tread kicking and screaming to the series finale.
With a truncated final season, there isn't much room for experimentation, and viewers rarely want a series to try new things.
The flashback formatting of this hour was far too confusing. We not only had to follow along with the timeline within the episode, but there was also the added layer of figuring out where the flashbacks fell from Station 19 Season 5 until the present.
It compelled viewers to do too much work, and it was tough enough for diehard fans of the series. One can't imagine it was easy to piece together for the casual watcher.
The flashbacks also felt eerily reminiscent of the clip format episodes of a series where the entirety of it is simply cobbling together scenes and moments.
I once knew a soldier named Morris, who did the unthinkable for us. Legacy fit for a plaque, from a life that gave back, and a heart that beat love so enormous.
Vic
In some ways, it felt like we witnessed unaired footage from the last two seasons strung together by the Morris plot.
Morris was the common thread in revealing how much Crisis One has impacted the community and how running the program and helping the community via it has positively affected the main characters.
And Morris was a genuinely great character. It was easy to become attached to him, which made his death all the more tragic and emotional.
But sadly, the flashback format was a disservice more often than not when you couldn't keep track of everything that transpired. Undoubtedly, it was a creative risk, and the attempt was admirable. It just didn't work well.
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We could pick up on the timeline switches through Vic's hairstyles. And that is one of those instances where things were deceptively good and more profound than one may initially presume.
The versatility of a Black woman's hair is profound; utilizing it in such a way was clever, but it also ties into Vic's character beautifully.
For Black women, much of our identity can be so inextricably linked to our crowns, so I genuinely appreciated the stream of thought there, especially as it related to Vic's state of mind throughout.
That said, it would have been nice if they opted for color grading changes or something else to distinguish the different times in the past and the past from the present.
Even though the themes were significant and incredibly poignant, there's no question of that; it was easy for one's mind to wander during much of that.
Don't fire the people who are on your side to appeal to the people who aren't. That's the quickest way to lose everything.
Ross
Morris' arc was heartrending. It once again sheds light on society's abysmal treatment of veterans and the unhoused, especially when they're the same.
Morris' relationship with Arlo was sweet, which made the younger man's subsequent death so gutwrenching.
Sometimes, Station 19 has a way of throwing too many topical issues out there at once as talking points without organically touching upon them, but this wasn't the case here.
Not only was Arlos's situation devastating as an unhoused veteran who needed services and didn't get them, but it was also upsetting that he died because of complications from his rationing his diabetic medication.
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The price of insulin has skyrocketed, and many people with diabetes, from the poor to the middle class, have felt the effects. So many have resorted to what Arlo did, rationing insulin to make it stretch.
When Station 19 chooses to touch on these issues, the storytelling is most impactful and realistic when they do it in a natural, relatable manner. Done right, it's the series holding a mirror up and reflecting our society back to us.
The veteran angle was handled wonderfully, allowing Sullivan and Ross to be brought into the fold.
Morris speaking about how he was treated as a Vietnam veteran compared to Arlo was one of those things that isn't widely discussed in such a way.
And the fact that whether he returned to a country that expressed hatred of him and Arlo returned to people who cheered meant very little when the results were the same.
Decades between the two, and ultimately, nothing changed regarding a country that doesn't do right by its veterans. They still don't get the help that they need.
Decades between Morris and Arlo, generations apart, and they still were side by side in an encampment somewhere battling the same issues.
It made the situation and Morris such a sticking point for Sullivan. After all, when facing someone like him, Sullivan couldn't help but recognize that the only thing that separated him, Ross, and other peers from Morris was a right turn and luck.
Can you imagine what would've happened if we didn't join the FD after we served? This could have been me, or you, or anyone of else who served.
Sullivan
The hour also did some heavy lifting in portraying a side of Sullivan that we don't often get to witness, softening him and removing some of the sting that left him alienating some viewers.
It also added more layers and padding for his romance with Ross, which has often suffered from seeing to happen too quickly and primarily offscreen.
They used this hour to fill in more blanks and cushion this union, supporting why and how they're on the path toward marriage.
And the Tully scenes were genuinely sweet. It was believable. Boris Kodjoe and Merle Dandridge play off one another so well.
Sully's devotion toward Morris and finding him housing was heartwarming, and the character was at his absolute best. What's a pity is that we didn't get more of this version of him throughout the series.
But it was Morris's connection with Vic that was truly something special.
Vic's compassion is her greatest strength and superpower. She got to pour all of that into Morris, and it was enough to move you.
As Ross went to bat for Vic and Crisis One, including eviscerating the mayor for kowtowing to the people he hates at the expense of those on his side, parallels were made to Vic's work at Crisis One, highlighting how valuable she and the program are.
What we do is hard, what we see and experience every day in this job is hard. This is an acknowledgment of that as well as a safe place to discuss it.
Vic
Ross is such a badass and one of the most fantastic additions to this series, and in those instances, that's when it's at its most apparent.
She doesn't want to give herself much credit, but she certainly was behind Vic keeping her job and saving the program. No one would've gone that hard and taken Osman to task like that.
While they couldn't save Morris in the end, he gained so much when he was there and had befriended them.
His death was heartwrenching. Understandably, after losing all of his possessions the last time they did a sweep and tossed everyone's belongings in the garbage after tearing down the encampment, it's no wonder he didn't want to experience that again.
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It was a freak accident with the explosion that led to his death. It's so upsetting that he never managed to get into a home before he died.
And his death rattled everyone as they had such a deep connection with him.
It also hurt that Vic wasn't there at the scene because she could've been the one to talk sense into Morris. But it's better that she wasn't around for that.
Nevertheless, everyone returning to the station and relaying the news was intense, and that's around the time the installment really kicked into gear.
Vic showed her resilience and strength when she opted to run the debriefing and check in on everyone emotionally after such a difficult call.
That scene was so unlike what we could've envisioned. But it was preferable than anything else one could've imagined.
The setup for the scene and what came next was a mark of the strong writing in this series and their ability to nail something perfectly.
Travis expressed that he wished Vic was there so she could share the burden with him, but his truth was so grating to hear. It was hard not to allow that sentiment to pull one up short.
What am I supposed to do now? Garbage truck, it came and took everything. Everything I have in the world.
Morris
Why? Vic is always the one who has to support and be there for other people, and we've witnessed that she hasn't properly been extended that courtesy recently.
Just when it felt like it was going to be another tone-deaf, tired trope of the strong Black woman who has to be others' emotional mule, they upended it by addressing it head-on.
Vic's outburst was so gratifying, resonant, cathartic, and was a long time coming. And as we predicted, Barrett Doss was a tour de force.
She's truly an incredible actress, arguably one of the strongest of the series, and she delivers magic, especially when she's given meaty content.
As she unleashed all this built-up frustration and pain, you felt it along with her. Hell, I felt seen during that moment, the most resonant of the entire hour. To say it hit close to home would be an understatement, and I genuinely appreciate how this series does that for so many.
We watched as she slowly unraveled and shut down her emotions, and everyone seemingly went about their business unfazed or without noticing.
We know that she's the first to pour her all into serving as someone's confidant, and when she looked around, she didn't readily seem to have that in return.
Travis had just mentioned that he was upset because he wanted her to share his pain and burdens, and while their friendship is everything, that was frustrating to hear.
It's such a common plight for Vic, and it was about time she addressed it. To everyone's credit, they listened and heard her and gave her the space to express herself and process, too.
Of course, I am talking about me! I'm talking about me who takes care of everyone, all the time, my entire life. Me who tables my feelings, and my sadness, and my confusion, and my fear, and cracks a joke to make you all to make you all feel better and more capable and fine, even when I'm not fine. When I can't breathe because it's so scary, when I can't even see through a fog...
Vic
And to my delight, Travis was the one to track her down and tell her everything she needed to hear.
Travis has been a bit of a mess this season -- self-absorbed, self-righteous, and a litany of other things that have overrun him for at least two seasons.
And we haven't had many Travic scenes that reminded us how incredible that bond was. But they made up for it with him comforting her.
His crying newborn analogy was both funny and heartfelt. The snuggles as he told her that he'll always love and take care of her was everything one could've asked for from these two and their bond.
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.
Lost in experiences like with someone like Vic, especially what she represents as a WOC is, "who takes care of the caretaker?" The scene was crucial. It was easily one of the best moments of the hour.
It was far more powerful than one could put into words, and that's where the series delivered on all these poignant nuances that reveal how intentional and aware they are.
Some other notable moments revolved around Maya and Carina Deluca. Some of the timeline confusion made their scenes odd, but seeing them at Joe's with their signature drinks was great.
The discussion about their brothers, in which Maya expressed her fears regarding herself and her parenthood, was interesting.
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The discussion about how she could be a ticking time bomb that hadn't exploded yet was incredible in light of what eventually happened to her. It brought about concerns about what they could pass on to their children via nature or nature.
Maya in the present was absolutely hilarious. Oddly enough, we learned that Warren has been taking testosterone.
The locker room conversation was illuminating, but it still felt random. Maya talking about her hormonal state, follicles, and jelly inside was absolutely hysterical.
Danielle Savre should do more comedy, as her timing and execution are immaculate. Hormonal Maya will live rent-free in my head for the remainder of the season.
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!
And it was genuinely fun to see her talking in the locker room and having hilarious moments with the guys, including Beckett.
It remains unfortunate that they have done so little with Jack Gibson.
Via the flashbacks, he had a couple of good moments with Morris. The jokes were cute, and his sharing about his own homelessness was a great way of connecting with him.
Crisis One is as much about Jack as Vic, and it doesn't feel like that's acknowledged as much as it should be.
Carina: you're going to be a great mom.
Maya: I didn't know I needed to hear that.
And in the present, he showed up for the heartbreaking funeral. It was still jarring to see him beside Theo and Carina in civilian clothes rather than wearing Dress Blues like the others.
For as much as Travis is Vic's best friend and closest confidant, it feels like Jack would've been in tune with Vic as well, and it sucks that he wasn't there during her emotional moments.
Boris Kodjoe did a great job directing, which is of little surprise. His directorial debut with Lifetime's Safe Space, a phenomenal thriller with a great focus on Autism, starring his wife, was great, and it was nice to see him developing his own unique style as a director.
Over to you, Station 19 Fanatics.
Were you a fan of the flashback format? How did you feel about the resolution of Vic's emotional storyline? Let's hear it below!
You can catch an all-new Station 19 on Thursdays on ABC. You can stream the following day on Hulu.