Station 19 Season 7 Episode 4 Review: Trouble Man
Jasmine Blu
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What an incredibly intense hour.
The tension ran high and deep with Station 19 Season 7 Episode 4, and it feels like we're at a turning point in the season that can change the path of the series and the fate of many of these characters.
For what essentially amounts to a bottle episode, there was so much fraught tension within this hour it was enough to keep you on edge from beginning to end.
It had to be one of the longest shifts we've ever seen in this series, and by the end of it, it may have resulted in Station 19 being down another firefighter with more pending.
But first, we have to give proper accolades to Station 19's own Stefania Spampinato for her directorial debut on the series.
She did a fantastic job directing this installment and had quite the task ahead of her based on much of the content crammed into this hour.
It was nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster as it felt as if we witnessed Station 19 splinter right before our eyes.
We know Nineteen to be a family, and that's not to say that they didn't exude some of that within the hour, but for the most part, we saw so much tension between the crew and Andy at her absolute wit's end.
And with budget cuts on the horizon, the station operation with limited resources, and the inevitable call for them to lose some of their own, you could cut the tension with a knife.
First, we must wonder if anything could've been done differently to prevent some of what we see.
Sullivan had the wherewithal to ask Natasha Ross if their relationship and the deal she struck with the mayor had anything to do with what they're experiencing right now.
She didn't definitively say it didn't, but it has to be at least part of it.
It's hard not to buy into the notion that some of what they're dealing with is a direct result of her presence in the position and the scandal.
It's as if everyone and everything may be paying the price for this relationship, but it also feels like it has to be so much bigger than this.
Andy accused Ross of being selfish and only looking out for herself. It was something said in the heat of the moment after a grueling day that pulled her at all ends in ways she never could've imagined.
But as out of line as she was to approach Natasha the way she did, you also couldn't blame her for trying to figure out what was happening.
It seemed like overnight, they were losing resources and not getting the proper aid they needed, and she was basically expected to cut down the budget as best as she could and entertain getting rid of more people even though they had just lost Jack.
It sounds like a vendetta is happening within all of this, and it connects to Natasha.
But we also have to believe that what she said about her trying to keep her position to keep someone worse from getting there is true.
Related: Station 19 Season 7 Episode 3 Review: True Colors
We already know what the SFD would've looked like if they got what they really wanted and moved her out of there.
But if there was ever an hour where it felt like we were witnessing the fall of Station 19, it was this one, which made for an uncomfortable hour all around.
Everyone was doing their absolute best and pouring their everything into the job, and it was like they were fighting a losing battle with their hands behind their backs and didn't even know what they were up against.
They're going in blind and waiting for something horrible to happen.
When you consider all of that, Sullivan still trying to make cute proposals is a bit grating, but at least by the end of the hour, the reality of what was happening around them sank in.
Now, one has to wonder if there's an avenue for Nineteen to prevail and be okay if Natasha has to fall on her sword. I wonder if that's a genuine direction the series will take or if we'll somehow end the series on a sad note of the station shutting down for good.
The likelihood of that happening feels far more realistic now than ever.
It was an interesting episode for Andy Herrera because it's the perfect case of "be careful what you wish for" here.
She thought she got everything she wanted by becoming captain, but now it's more stress than she can bear, and she's struggling to transition between being friends and family with her crew and leading them.
And they were giving her one hell of a hard time.
From the infighting, personal drama, and everything else, she was stressed beyond measure, and they weren't making it any easier on her.
It almost feels like she regretted her decision to become captain, and there were more than a few moments when she was so unbelievably overwhelmed.
We had two great scenes that highlighted that well for the leaders. For Andy, it was at the only call we actually got to visit (which was a nice, creative budget move on their part).
The camera zoomed in on her as she was reeling from the pure chaos of that call, and trying to navigate it without the proper equipment was intense.
But the best scene showcased that was the incredibly creative and impactful call we saw through Natasha's eyes.
Hearing everyone's voices via comms as they recounted this horrific crime scene that included multiple dead bodies, even of children, was easily one of the most profound scenes of the hour.
We didn't have to physically be at the scene to feel the impact of it, hear the emotion in everyone's voices, visibly see Natasha struggling to listen to the team on this call, and know that she didn't have any ambulances to send their way or any more resources to reallocate to them.
Merle Dandridge was incredible during that scene. It was easily the best performance of the hour during an installment with plenty of them.
And the aftermath of that call was equally as compelling. Travis, getting physically ill once he returned, told us so much without saying anything at all.
And Sullivan and Beckett's scene together was enough to make anyone emotional.
Beckett has been doing well back at the station, but it takes a call like that to put into perspective how he became so self-reliant on alcohol in the first place.
These are common vices for first responders for a reason, as they often find themselves self-medicating to numb the pain.
Without alcohol, he had to deal with the horrors of that call and seeing dead children on his own, with nothing to numb the feelings. It's no wonder he found himself crouched down on the floor sobbing.
People may have mixed feelings about Beckett and his redemption arc, but it's an interesting reflection of what many first responders endure and how and why they end up the way they do.
No one could understand better than a fellow addict like Sullivan, and their scenes together, including the two having a meeting together, were great.
Theo's moment with Beckett, returning his ax was also great. And while Theo seemed to take it a bit personally that Beckett didn't lean on him the way he did Sullivan, he needed to understand that Beckett and Sullivan come from a similar place because of their sobriety. It had nothing to do with Beckett not appreciating Theo's support.
There were so many interpersonal moments and tensions that were sprinkled throughout the hour.
We also saw Theo and Travis Montgomery talk to each other after Travis learned about Theo and Kate.
It was nice to see the friends chatting and Travis not judging Theo harshly. And for the most part, we got the Theo that we know and like best back again.
But it's still frustrating that they never fully addressed his personality change or gave us anything concrete to hang onto.
Now, he's just back to being the same Theo, and we're supposed to roll with it without much else.
But after that final call, which almost resulted in some of them losing their lives, and his conversation with Kate, it's evident that Theo wants out.
They spent the entire hour showing how he feels out of place at Nineteen. Vic isn't paying him much attention, Kate keeps crossing boundaries, and he feels like he "lost Travis in the divorce."
I am out here stretching every nickel we have just to keep us together, and you lose one of the most expensive tools we have! I'm trying to save your jobs!
Andy
He seemed to take it personally that Warren wasn't responding or showing interest in him, and he felt like Beckett found his person in Sullivan and not him.
He's also not captain as anticipated; the station seems to be falling apart, and he sees the writing on the wall from the call for audits and other things.
It sounds like Theo is ready to move into the private practice that Kate mentioned, so it wasn't surprising when he approached Andy about turning in his resignation at the end.
He feels like he's helping Andy and the station he loves out while also getting a fresh start and leaving them behind now that he doesn't feel like he belongs there anymore.
Theo thinks he's being noble, and maybe he is in that regard, but Andy isn't going to take too well to losing him. She wants her entire Nineteen family together.
The crazy thing based on how this season is going, and the fact that we haven't seen Jack since his departure during Station 19 Season 7 Episode 2, is that Theo could very well be leaving for good, which could be the end of his story.
I would hate it with every fiber of my being, but it wouldn't surprise me if that happened.
In the interim, Vic is struggling, and they have yet to give us much insight. She weirdly gave Kate kudos for not caring about anything at all.
You could see Kate was affected by what she said and didn't take it as the compliment that Vic seemed to think it was.
You're going to need to find a way to slash ten percent from Nineteen's budget.
Ross
But Vic is not someone who doesn't care or feel. It's concerning that she thinks this is the best way to carry on with her life after everything she's gone through.
She was out of it for the entire hour, and people noticed but didn't really say anything about it. But she may have reconsidered things after she slept through the last call and woke up to the others returning.
Theo's departure would make sense, mainly because they had so many lieutenants. However, now that Jack and Theo are gone, they've put a dent in that.
But there's also reason to believe that Ben Warren may need to go, too. He could be up on the chopping block since he wasn't ready to return to work and should have been cleared.
He and Travis constantly butt head about this, but Travis was right to call Warren out, and Warren's stubbornness could have jeopardized all of them.
We know that Bailey has always had reservations about Warren on the job and made that deal not to continue with firefghting. Now, his body is telling him the same thing.
What are the odds that Warren is the next person who will get cut?
He may not have left Andy with a choice.
I think I can help with your budget issue. I'd like to put in my resignation.
Theo
But what's also interesting is knowing that Sullivan is showing some self-awareness over the fact that he may be on the cusp of aging out, and he and Natasha may be why things are falling apart.
He expressed how vital Nineteen was to him, so is there a scenario where he may consider falling on his sword for the group's good?
Something tells me it could be a strong possibility and a sign of growth.
Meanwhile, Maya is so content with her domestic life with Carina DeLuca that it wouldn't be surprising if she considers a career change, too.
Can I ask you something? Do you think that attachment parenting has something to do with seeing your brother?
Carina
One of her biggest fears she expressed is that she could die on the job and leave Carina behind and their children.
It's something Maya never would've thought twice about before Carina. Still, it's all she can think about now, and a natural progression for her would be that she gives up firefighting, not because she feels she has to, but because she wants to and prioritizes her family more.
While all hell was breaking loose at the station, Maya and Carina were working through some issues regarding Liam and figuring out how to raise him.
I sympathized with Maya Bishop a great deal during this storyline because it felt like she was on the defense.
It had to be hard on her that everything she does regarding Liam is under some form of scrutiny and is connected to her childhood and past.
It's not to say that her own experiences don't heavily influence her reactions to Liam and how she goes about things because they are.
But so are Carina's. There was so much attention paid to what Maya was and wasn't doing and the root of her behavior regarding Liam that there wasn't enough exploration of how Carina's experiences also influence how she perceives things and her approach to Liam.
Carina essentially had to raise her brother, and she has a neurotic quality when it comes to her own family, and that was on full display here, too.
I'm scared that Liam is going to grow up in a world that is full of hate.
Maya
But we didn't get to delve into that angle for her.
Instead, it was about how Maya considered attachment parenting, which had to do with her not wanting to be like her father and not wanting Liam to have the same experiences or fears she had growing up.
Unsurprisingly, she's pored over all the books about child rearing and has done all the research. She's determined to do this right, and she's taken this seriously.
It's quite endearing.
It's also not surprising that Carina seemed more self-assured, but that slowly unraveled a bit.
Related: Station 19 Round Table: Was the Pride-Themed Episode Disappointing?
They must be able to talk these things out without judgment, but I couldn't even feel too bad when Maya walked out for a breather.
Carina was intense during her constant scrutiny and prodding, and it was easy to understand how Maya could get defensive. But she also was prying at something that Maya was insecure about.
But the two of them arguing outside only to lock themselves out was peak parenthood shenanigans. The neighbors were probably cracking up at their antics.
Liam learned to self-soothe that night.
A compromise was necessary for the two. Carina was right that they couldn't have Liam sleeping in their bed every night and needed some boundaries.
But it was probably crucial that Maya heard all the things that Carina is insecure about regarding parenthood, too, so it was clear that Carina didn't have it all figured out.
Their exchange of expressing their biggest fears was an excellent scene for them. And it resulted in them knowing that they're both still ready to have a child of their own, which was great to have confirmed.
Over to you, Staton 19 Fanatics. What did you think of this incredibly intense hour? Are you shocked that Theo resigned? Will the ax fall on more members? Sound off below!
You can watch Station 19 on ABC on Thursdays at 10/9c. 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.
