Well, we finally have an answer as to why Maya is struggling as a leader.

It's because she was never exposed to a decent role model growing up.

As flashbacks showed on Station 19 Season 3 Episode 5, her father was downright abusive and only showed her affection after she met his high standards.

If she fell short, well, then Maya could forget about any kindness or social nicety. Heck, she even could forget about human decency, as Mr. Bishop is the paradigm of what it means to be a horrible father.

Before this episode, very little was known about Maya's past other than she won an Olympic gold medal and has a drug addict for her brother.

Mr. Bishop: What’s the rule?
Maya: Always look forward.
Mr. Bishop: Always, always look forward.
Maya: I thought my friend was hurt.
Mr. Bishop: Friend? Out there no is your friend, only competition.
Maya: I still finished second.
Mr. Bishop: That’s great. We’ll put that red ribbon on the fridge with your brother’s C and D report cards.

• Permalink: We’ll put that red ribbon on the fridge with your brother’s C and D report cards.

During Station 19 Season 1, Maya revealed her parents paid more attention to her than her brother Mason, always putting her training and journey to the Olympics first.

This, in turn, contributed to Mason's downward spiral and last viewers saw him on Station 19 Season 1 Episode 7, he was still living in a homeless encampment.

Though Maya felt guilty about the role she and her parents played in her brother's misfortune, she never indicated her parents were anything less than supportive.

And at first, it seemed like our initial belief was right. Sure, Mr. Bishop was intense, but all parents ride their child hard sometimes.

As the hour progressed, viewers got a firsthand look into what Maya went through.

She grew up in a household where love was something that had to be earned, something that wasn't given freely.

If she succeeded, she was worthy of praise; if she failed, she was nothing.

That childhood trauma has transferred into how Maya leads as a captain.

Next time my dad suggests a bonding trip, maybe try a waterpark.

Andy

• Permalink: Next time my dad suggests a bonding trip, maybe try a waterpark.

She pushes Station 19 so hard because that's how she was raised.

To her, if you aren't giving it a 110 percent, then you're not doing the best you can.

And if Station 19 isn't the best, then Maya, as their captain, has failed in her duty to lead them.

And if she fails, then she is nothing, just an unqualified leader who shouldn't have been promoted like everyone already thinks she is.

There's a lot of emotional baggage to unpack here, and without Andy by her side, Maya is in a tough spot.

She doesn't have anyone to lean on, and without that support, things are bound to get worse before they get better.

The smart thing would be to see a therapist and talk things out, but since this is a TV series, something catastrophic will probably have to happen before Maya deals with everything going on in her life.

As for people who still need to deal with their problems, Pruitt continues to be the series' biggest offender at the moment.

He, yet again, decided to confide in someone other than his daughter about his cancer.

Pruitt: You hiding from your team, captain?
Maya: It’s been a lit bit bumpy sir.
Pruitt: Promotions are always bumpy. You’ll get there. Hey, how’s Andy doing? She still wont talk to me about Ryan, and I’m worried about her.
Maya: I have no idea how Andy’s doing. She moved out over a week ago.
Pruitt: She moved? Where?
Maya: I don’t know. She won’t talk to me either. She thinks I stole her job; they all do.
Pruitt: Yeah, you’ve definitely got a morale problem.
Maya: What do I do?
Pruitt: It’s not that complicated. You just need some team building. Get them out of the station – field trips, beach days, camping.
Maya: Camping?
Pruitt: Build a fire, drink some beers, eat some s’mores. It goes a long way.
Maya: So I order them on their day off to go camping with me?
Pruitt: It’s not an order, it’s an invitation.

• Permalink: It’s not an order, it’s an invitation.

This time, it didn't even make much sense as to why Pruitt told Travis before Andy.

Up to now, having a couple of the characters find out about Pruitt's illness first made some semblance of sense.

Ben found out by accident, and Ryan was only told in an effort to get him to move back to Seattle, so the former police officer could be there for Andy after Pruitt died.

Dixon, and by extension Sullivan, were then looped in when Pruitt wanted workers' compensation for his cancer, so he could leave Andy something behind when he died.

But telling Travis before Andy cannot be brushed aside. 

It's not like Travis is married to the chief of surgery at Grey Sloan or the childhood best friend of Andy or involved in the slightest with workers' compensation; he's just a regular firefighter.

What he does have going for him is that he isn't Andy.

Pruitt can't bear to tell his daughter she's about to lose another loved one, so he's avoiding the subject and telling everyone but her.

Pruitt: I’ve faced death. Hell, I’ve charged at it with an axe, with a hose, but this is inside me. I can’t see it, I can’t face it, I can’t fight it, and I can’t seem to tell my daughter. I want to tell her – she deserves to know – but every time I open my mouth to say it, it … it breaks me.
Travis: Well, you told me and it didn’t break you. Almost broke me. So tell me again.
Pruitt: I have cancer, and I’m dying. I have cancer, and I’m dying. I have cancer, and I’m dying. I have cancer, and I’m dying.

• Permalink: I have cancer, and I’m dying.

However, Pruitt can only avoid the topic for so long, for as the more people who know about his illness, the greater the chance Andy will hear it from one of them.

When that happens, it's likely to drop another nuclear bomb on their relationship.

Nuclear bombs are poised to go off all around, though, as this episode set up some explosive storylines.

First, we have the mess Jack finds himself in.

He had the stupidity to hook up with Eva when her husband was just feet away in a nearby tent and then the bright idea to start back up with Andy.

I know I said in my last review I would be on board with a Jack and Andy reconciliation, but I was more interested in a real relationship than just a 'friends with benefits' situation.

Viewers have been there and done that with the whole casual sex angle when it comes to Jack and Andy, or at the very least I have.

I wanted romance; what I got was a hookup in the supply closet.

Andy: What are you … what are you doing here?
Pruitt: I like camping. Maya invited me.
Andy: Are you checking up on me?
Pruitt: I’m going to the woods. I’m soaking up the nature. I could use it.
Andy: You’re checking up on me.
Pruitt: One could argue that you should be checking up on me. You’re not the only one who lost Ryan.
Andy: You … you called me a slut. You told me I was compromising your legacy. Are you here to apologize because I could use an apology. But guilt because Ryan died? I’m not biting.

• Permalink: Are you checking up on me?

What makes it worse is just how quickly Jack and Andy hopped back into bed. I mean, was it necessary for them to sleep together the first chance they got?

I get that they're using each other to avoid dealing with their problems, but couldn't the sex have come an episode or two later.

Maybe after all the craziness had died done. That would have been too much to ask for.

Next, we have Sullivan who went from possibly abusing pain medication to swiping fentanyl to treat his chronic pain. Worse, he decided to shoot up on the job.

The one silver lining is he didn't have to respond to any calls this shift, as he was in no condition to be on the scene of an emergency.

He won't be as lucky in the future, and his addled state could put the lives of his team and others in jeopardy.

Sullivan's playing a very dangerous game, and he's one wrong move away from getting burned.

Lastly, we have Dean, who went from zero to 60 mph in less than three seconds flat.

The idea of becoming a father pushed him into overdrive, so he did the most old-fashioned thing he could think of: He proposed to JJ.

Dean: You know, I’ve always wanted a family. I know I’ve always wanted a family, but in my head, it just never looked like this.
Travis: Look, you asked life for something, and life delivered it, but you don’t recognize it because the packaging is different than you expected. You asked for a family; one showed up on your doorstep. So now …
Dean: So now … now I have to accept the delivery of the package, even though I didn’t mean to order it, can’t return it, and will eventually have to put it through college so it can take care of me when I’m old, and eventually get rid of my stuff when I die.
Travis: You took that metaphor, and you made it weird.

• Permalink: You took that metaphor, and you made it weird.

I get that things didn't go according to plan, but just because there was a surprise or two along the way, it doesn't mean Dean needs to fix the situation.

Things are no longer just black and white, and Dean needs to figure out what he wants for his future with JJ by his side, not just conforming to society's preconceived notions about the nuclear family.

This isn't the 1950s; it's no longer as taboo for women to have children out of wedlock. It's also more common for unmarried couples to raise a child together or embrace some form of modern parenting.

Some stray thoughts:

• I'm not sure what the point of having a bear attack the neighboring campsite and badly injure a married couple -- maybe it was just another convenient opportunity to stage a "crossover" with Grey's Anatomy -- but I found the entire ordeal absurd. It was so awful, it almost bordered on hilarity.

  I cringed when the group went looking for the man's nose, and then again when the firefighters made themselves "bigger" when confronted by the bear. Definitely a moment for the history books, and not in a good way.

• Ben and Sullivan's conversation about Ben possibly wanting children on his own was foreshadowing for Ben and Bailey eventually fostering Joey, the homeless teen from Station 19 Season 3 Episode 4 that was badly injured and taken to Grey Sloan, right?

  The fact that Joey also appeared on Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Episode 13 as one of Bailey's patients also adds credence to this theory. I'm betting there's a conversation about Joey staying with Ben and Bailey in their immediate future.

• It came out of nowhere, but sure, I'll get aboard the Maya/Carina 'ship. Why not? At this point, Maya could use some good, no-strings-attached fun.

So what did you think Station 19 Fanatics?

What are your thoughts on Maya's backstory?

When will Pruitt finally tell Andy about his cancer?

Which character will go off the rails first?

Hit the comments below to let me know your thoughts. If you happened to miss the latest episode, don't worry. You can watch Station 19 online right here at TV Fanatic.

Jessica Lerner was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in October 2021.