Station 19 Season 5 Episode 12 Review: In My Tree
Jasmine Blu
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Andy is coming home.
Out of everything that took place on Station 19 Season 5 Episode 12, that was the biggest news, and while both Andy and the Station 19 crew have grown in her absence, it's good to have her back.
Of course, everything comes at a cost.
It was one of those hours where things technically happened, but it was hard to pay attention to them.
It felt like another run-of-the-mill day at the station, and they circled some of the same storylines that haven't exactly progressed anywhere.
So Chief Ross, when can I take you out to dinner again?
Sullivan
The hour felt like a filler installment at a standstill until the next big stage in the more significant, enduring arcs. The most excitement came from the final moments when Ross took Andy's heartfelt and innocent comment about why she wants to return to 19 and used it to justify her decision to shut down 23.
Someone from the courts followed Ben around for most of the hour. She wanted to see him in action and understand who Ben is and why he would be the best person to raise Pru.
Ben got worked up about her presence, and he didn't think it was the right day for her unplanned visit. However, as the hour progressed, there wasn't much that supported his reluctance.
It was a dull day at the station, even though it was the official launching of the Dean Miller Clinic.
Ben requires an attitude adjustment and some time working on himself. He wasn't as annoying as he has been throughout the season. But sometimes, it feels like he doesn't help his case regarding Pru and wants to raise her.
His time with the woman shadowing him didn't go anywhere. She took down some notes, observing some things about him that made him paranoid.
The stories about the PRT shutdown after they got held at gunpoint were something he feared would work against him. And there were other little things here and there.
Given that there is a constant point of conflict over his job choice, it could be a strike against him, but that's not anything new.
Meanwhile, Jack was excited about this launch, and it was so shocking understated. For one, it sucked that Carina had to leave before it began. She's such a big part of it, and she and Jack's kinship over this project and other things are entertaining.
But the best moment of that entire plot was that lovely scene between Jack and the homeless man. It was such a moving scene, and the musical choice was perfect.
The sole visitor represented everything that Jack intended to do with this program. Jack shaving him up nice and treating him with decency in respect was everything the man needed. It touched my heart when he stated that it was the first time he felt seen in six years.
The Maya and Sullivan tease wasn't exactly what it seemed like it would be. Maya made her pitch, and you have to respect the woman's determination. She knows that she earned that position, and she wants it.
Let's help each other out. You tell me how to win her over, and I make sure that nobody at 19 knows your little secret.
Maya
It's a battle trying to get Ross to put some respect on her name, and she's smart enough to know that Sullivan could be an asset for her best interest. She also showed her willingness to redirect Beckett from his stupid comments about Ross and Sullivan.
But hey, at least Sullivan managed to get through to Beckett, and maybe he got him to go to AA.
The whole thing with Sullivan and Ross is meh. But Ross is still an entertaining character. I loved when she busted out the Korean, and it was hilarious that she couldn't resist making her dig at Travis because he was so bad at it.
How awful was it that the son and his family kept their father's cancer hidden from the man? Who does that? How does it serve him?
It's unfathomable!
And if Travis wasn't catching it with that weird case, he had to face the music about his relationship with Emmett after the horrible things he admitted aloud. Vic advised him that he needed to apologize, but that's beyond an apology.
Travis' attempts to reach out to Emmett only disregarded the man's wishes which is the last thing he needed to be doing. Frankly, there is no getting past any of that.
Emmett deserved the chance to distance himself from Travis and not answer his calls or see him. He has every right to be hurt beyond words. If I were in his position, I wouldn't want to see or speak to Travis anytime soon.
You may love me, Travis, but you don't respect me. And I don't think I can be with you and still respect myself, which I do.
Emmett
Travis attempted to explain how he saw Emmett as his father, and that's where his words stemmed from, but does it matter? Not really.
All I could do was cheer for Emmett when he gave Travis a piece of his mind. He didn't tell a single lie, and honestly, that's a reasonable stance. It doesn't matter how much he loves Travis. Right now, it's about how much he loves himself.
And Emmett loves himself enough not to deal with Travis projecting things on him and treating him horribly. I love Travis, but Emmett deserves better right now at this rate.
It took him a long time to get to this place in his life where he's proud of who he is and works through his issues. He doesn't deserve anything less than that same energy from his partner.
Carina and Maya's communication skills are still puzzling at times.
They have moments when it seems like they're the pinnacle of communication, and then there are other times when it feels like they're holding back and burying things, and it'll build up until it becomes a huge thing.
Carina still seems hesitant about using sperm from someone they know, but Maya is so gung-ho about it. Maya isn't noticing Carina's reluctance, and Carina doesn't seem to get why this is important to Maya.
For one, Maya keeps mentioning that she'd like it to be someone they know, but she also isn't giving any names as to who that person could be. And Carina held off on telling Maya about Jack's offer.
Carina: I have something I have to tell you. Jack offered.
Maya: Offered what?
Carina: Offered his sperm.
It feels like this portion of their storyline is dragging on longer than it needs to, and if it leads to them asking Jack to be their sperm donor, then it's anticlimactic.
Maya keeps adding layers to this whole thing, and it makes Carina a bit uncomfortable. It's one thing to want a sperm donor that they know. And you can understand why she'd feel more comfortable with that. She wants to know that the genes belong to good people.
She's had a difficult childhood, so you know that some of her desires are rooted in her experience and trauma.
But it's entirely different from wanting that person involved in the child's life as some form of "uncle" Maya is trying to build a family, but it's not something that she and Carina spoke about before this.
Some of it is based on what she's seeing and experiencing through Ben and his battle for Pru. They're a family, and Maya loves that. She wants their child to have this sense of family, too.
She wants to know that if something ever happens to her, Carina and their child would have a found family there to support them through it all. And that's beautiful and understandable, but wouldn't that naturally happen with this gang of friends anyway?
They don't need a sperm donor in-house, among their friends, to still have that family unit.
They highlighted that scene with Carina noticing Jack in peak "Uncle Jack" form with Pru. Jack is fantastic with kids, and he loves Pru to pieces. He'd be the same way with Maya and Carina's child.
And his whole shtick is of that guy who always wants to be part of a family. It seems like this is set in stone.
Andy hated that she was missing out on things at Station 19 again. The moment the original captain of 23 returned, it was apparent that Andy's days there were probably up.
She's been great stepping into his role, but she's had an uphill battle with some issues there. The skydiving case was a distraction from some of the workings of 23, but it wasn't a pleasant one. It was heartbreaking when they lost the woman.
And all Andy could think about was that if Ben's PRT truck were back into play, that woman would've made it. Andy wants to be where the innovation is, and she wants to be back at Station 19.
I want to be at 19. Nineteen is my home.
Andy
By now, her return will be a welcome one, as long as it means Theo is coming with her.
But you know all hell is about to break loose because if Ross intends to shut 23 down, then there's no way that they won't blame Andy for it somehow. She doesn't deserve that.
It's about to get messy, but it also means that things are taking an exciting turn.
Over to you, Station 19 Fanatics. What did you think of this installment? Are you happy Andy is headed back home? Sound off 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 X.
