Station 19 Season 6 Episode 3 Review: Dancing With Our Hands Tied

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Where on earth did Andy get those awful muffins?

OK, that's not the most important question to come out of Station 19 Season 6 Episode 3, but the running gag stuck with you. A pivotal aspect of the hour was Andy trying to rally everyone together so they could be a family again.

She has Jack in mind because of how lost he is, but in the interim, Maya keeps pulling herself away.

Maya's Isolation  - Station 19 Season 6 Episode 3

It seemed like relationships, toxicity, and abuse were all intermingled within the hour. They didn't necessarily pick up some of the previously unresolved issues, like whatever is happening with Sullivan and Ross or any ramifications after Maya gave Beckett that booze.

Carina and Maya are still on the outs, and it's so unbelievably frigid that others are noticing it too. It's downright uncomfortable how bad things are for them, and it's heartbreaking, too.

Italian Yelling  - Station 19 Season 6 Episode 2

It's also incredible, and even when they're in this position with one another, it's difficult not to be invested in what the future holds for them.

With Carina, we get most of the insight into where her head is and where she's coming from in all of this. And you just ache for her.

She and Vic had some of the best moments of the hour. The conversation they had in the bathroom as Carina took that pregnancy test provided us with so much, and it put this friendship that we don't get to spend nearly enough time with on display.

You can put Stefania Spampinato in a scene with anyone; she'll have natural chemistry with them. She and Barrett Doss are a delight onscreen together, making you want to see more of their friendship develop over time.

Travic Gossip  - Station 19 Season 6 Episode 3

We caught glimpses of what they could be for each other when Carina helped Vic through her abortion. It's genuinely lovely that Carina has found a place and a family with her own respective bonds with the other members of Station 19.

Sometimes, it feels like she's closer to most of them than Maya is, but more on that momentarily.

The idea of Carina taking a pregnancy test without Maya was initially enough to make a person want to scream because it would've only made things worse. It would've been so hurtful if Maya got excluded from such an important process for the couple.

But Vic's intentions were sound. It allowed Carina to express her thoughts and fears, but most importantly, know for sure what she wanted.

Laughs at the Station -tall - Station 19 Season 6 Episode 3

And what Carina wants is to be happy, have a child, and be a family with Maya. Even when she and Maya are struggling, and she needs Maya to get some proper help, it doesn't change that she loves her to pieces.

It's a comfort to know that they've hit this rough patch, but it doesn't necessarily have to mean they're destined to break up or end things.

You know, we were a family before you came into our station. When one of us was in trouble, we helped. We're not doing that anymore, and I don't know why. One of our own is imploding and we're just sitting back watching it happen. It's not right. It's not right. And if you can't lead us through that, Captain, I will.

Andy

And Carina's perspective on things is entirely understandable. She's spent her entire life dealing with other people's mental health issues; the people she loves most in the world have had their battles.

And there's a way of loving and supporting them while also recognizing how exhausting it can be and the impact on you. She feels like she doesn't matter, or her issues are always on the back burner in that regard.

Working Out the Anger -tall - Station 19 Season 6 Episode 2

It encapsulates the perspective of caretakers or loved ones because, too often, their own emotional needs and health are downplayed because they don't feel like they have a place to feel as they do when it's about the other person.

We don't know if Carina is pregnant or not yet, and we shouldn't until she's ready to find out with Maya, but she at least knows what she wants now.

It's a tough storyline that they're trying to navigate here. I think part of the issue is that we've always known Maya has her demons, which affect how she does things and carries herself.

They've built on those over the years. But right now, they've jumped face first, full-bodied into Maya being downright unhinged because of her childhood PTSD or so forth. It's like they put their foot on the gas with this seemingly out of the blue, magnifying her issues that used to be subtler to the point of insufferable.

Cold War  - Station 19 Season 6 Episode 2

It's gotten so extreme so quickly that it's enough to give you whiplash. And for many, that's likely been hard to swallow.

It's almost like her hair grew back; with it, the specific traumas and set behaviors derived from her father took over, erasing the liberation she experienced when she cut it.

Maya: I am not having marriage issues. I'm dealing with it in my own way. It's under control.
Ben: That's literally what Dixon said.

They genuinely care about Maya, but she's pushing everyone away and isolating herself something fierce.

Warren was putting in the work trying to get her to open up about her marriage and talk through things. He especially wanted to lend an ear or some advice after the Dixon domestic call.

Travis Blues -tall - Station 19 Season 6 Episode 3

But no matter what he did or said, Maya shut him down hard.

She refuses to acknowledge that she has a problem or that her marriage is facing some issues.

The Dixon domestic call and Maya's reaction to it were a tangible way of reintroducing and reminding the audience of Maya's past and how it's presently affecting her.

She wasn't wrong about the emotional abuse happening in that house. Kitty and Dick are toxic. It was plain as day, and that's why the neighbor's called for help.

For Family  - Station 19 Season 6 Episode 3

They're not in a healthy situation, but they seem to function within that mess. The drunken Kitty shtick is always good for a laugh or two, but Dixon is a pain in the ass.

It shouldn't have been a surprise that the way Maya has been, she'd share with the others the call to Dixon's house and what it was about, but let her previous questionable actions, it was disappointing that she did it.

Are we ready to be a family again?

Andy

It's concerning how little Maya seems to care. She's self-destructing like crazy. We could literally see it via her workouts that are punishing.

Maya is on a downward spiral, which is tough because the little people know doesn't spare them from snapping or isolating herself. And there's a lot the others don't know, with some of them assuming everything is fine with her.

Self Destructing -tall - Station 19 Season 6 Episode 2

But she's alienating herself from all those around her, and she either doesn't feel like she's part of the family or she doesn't want to be part of it right now.

It's interesting to see how her past traumas are bogging her down and comparing that to what's happening with Jack.

Andy has devoted much of her time to get Jack back and on track. She singlehandedly put in the work to get him to return while others lost faith or didn't feel they needed to bother.

Beckett, who is such an ass but has some of the most hilarious lines, isn't prepared to let Jack back into the fold if Andy succeeds.

Hazing Again -tall - Station 19 Season 6 Episode 2

Jack didn't give notice or take his allotted time off. He bailed on them, and Beckett doesn't take too kindly to that. In reality, he's justified in not wanting anything to do with Jack after that unreliable stunt.

Station 19 may be a family, but Beckett only views it as a job and treats it for its business. He wouldn't have the incentive to get Jack back, and he also recognizes that Andy fighting hard for it when Jack's absence gave her the space to be lieutenant is nuts.

Dixon: What's the problem, Bishop?
Maya: Emotional abuse is still abuse.

Andy took it upon herself to challenge Beckett. She may be coming for his position because she feels like someone has to lead them and unify everyone.

We got shades of the self-righteous and know-it-all Andy when it came to some of that.

Jack Takes Off- tall - Station 19 Season 5 Episode 18

But she did get the others to show up at Ava's place to patch up the roof. The moment she shared with Jack through the window was sweet. Especially when we saw that her words had affected him the last time she spoke to him.

Andy focusing this much on Jack makes sense, given how close they are and what he became to her when she was going through her assault and trial.

Interestingly, Andy hasn't directed some of her focus to Maya just yet, but that may be her next move. Because if they get Jack back but Maya is still going through it and acting like this, then they still won't have the family intact.

Maya didn't even stick around long enough to do the cheer for Station 19, and was she at Ava's place to help? Things will only get worse for her before they get better.

Jack appears like he may be trying to get his crap together. Let's hope it includes a shave, shower, and staying far away from Ava.

Over to you, Station 19 Fanatics. Sound off below!

You can watch Station 19 online here via TV Fanatic.

Dancing With Our Hands Tied Review

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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.

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