Whew, that installment had it all!

They checked off all the emotions with Station 19 Season 6 Episode 15 with things coming home to roost with the Sullivan and Natasha, those harrowing moments of worrying over Ben, and the smoking hot and emotional Marina scenes.

It was easily one of the best installments of the season thus far.

We knew that Ross and Sullivan's relationship would come out in some capacity at some point. However, it still didn't make the beginnings of this fallout any easier.

The whole scenario doesn't bode well for Ross, and while she's had some bumpy moments since she arrived, she's part of Station 19 now.

She's this integral part of the series and brings so much to the table that it would be difficult to see her face any hardships or issues with this situation.

Like Andy was getting at, we need her here. Ross and everything she represents, good and bad, have become vital to the series and the station.

The department can't afford to lose you, Chief. I have been in FD my entire life, and I never thought I'd see a woman let alone a woman of color as chief, I cannot afford to lose you.

Andy

• Permalink: The department can't afford to lose you, Chief. I have been in FD my entire life, and I never...

In a world where they consistently highlight the sexism and other -isms with this job, her very position means so much because we know how impossible it was for her to get to where she is now.

And the idea of her losing all that and getting taken down over something as simple as having the audacity to fall in love is frustrating.

And she outlined that perfectly with her speech about all the things they've overlooked or let slide in the department. Firefighters have endangered lives and still collected pensions.

There has been an extensive history of sexual assault and harassment. The list goes on, yet people are getting upset about her, who she slept with consensually. It just seems so absurd on the grand scale of things.

And it's irritating to know that this fact getting out could ruin her simply because she's a woman, and she didn't perfectly walk the tightrope required of her and her alone as a woman of color compared to her white male counterparts this job.

You could see how guarded she was when Andy and Maya delivered the photos and news. And understandably, she was trying to make sense of Maya's role because of their history.

I would've wondered if Maya was working an angle, too, given her previous attempts at blackmailing and anger directed toward Ross. But Maya has turned a new leaf and wouldn't have wanted to get anywhere that way.

Plus, it's Dixon. No way on earth anyone should kowtow to Dixon. Essentially, her and Ross' beef, or whatever you want to call is a family thing, and you don't let outsiders come in and screw with family.

Ross' attempt to get ahead of things was commendable. One can only imagine how embarrassing it was to go to these men with these pictures to explain the situation. And it wasn't lost that they were still fixating on those photos before she snatched them to leave.

Ross has a lot at stake with her career; in many ways, it's not just about her. It surpasses her. Andy gets that and voices it well.

Whether or not anyone wants to acknowledge it, Ross getting in that position breaks down a door and means that those who come after her will have a shot.

It means that women like Andy and Vic, or just women in general, including Maya recognize that things have to go well with Ross so they can continue trending toward progress.

The messed up reality is that the second they find a reason to crucify Ross or besmirch all the things she's done in this position, the Good Ole' Boys Club can and will use that to justify why more women and minorities can't and shouldn't make it to that position again.

All the white males that came before could screw up on their own, and it would just be a poor reflection on them. But for Ross, she bears the burden of representing all women and POC, having to mine her P's and Q's and do things just right.

Getting ahead of things was probably the best move, and calling them out on why they should have her back was a good call, especially since they had already started playing those games of blaming her for the fallout with Dixon and wanting to distance themselves from her.

It's typical. And these things keep getting lost in translation for her and Sullivan whenever they talk about this.

I am pro-union. I am anti a system that has a million things wrong with. I have put my life on the line serving my country for a decade in Iraq. I fought to drag this department kicking and screaming into the 21st century, to make your jobs safer and better. And you want to do Dixon's bidding by calling me out on who I'm sleeping with? No, no, no, no. This union owes Dixon nothing. You have my back, not his.

Ross

• Permalink: I am pro-union. I am anti a system that has a million things wrong with. I have put my life...

Sullivan is upset that she told the board about them. Sadly, though, I don't see what choice she had in the matter. One of the best things you can do when someone threatens you like that is to get ahead of it and control your narrative.

This situation is inevitable that Sullivan will grasp when he cools down a bit. But he's also upset that she keeps talking about her job, its risks, and its impact on that.

Sullivan feels as if Ross is putting her job and hers alone ahead of him, his job, and their relationship. And his feelings are valid in some ways.

It's been hard on him to hide things, and it doesn't feel fair for many reasons. However, it's like he's not seeing past or outside of their relationship enough to understand the full extent of what Natasha faces.

He does not understand Ross' perspective or even the specific burden and responsibility she feels she has as the only woman of color in this position. Sullivan isn't thinking of the gravity of what her position represents long-term for everyone who comes after her.

He can't see outside of their relationship and how it impacts him. And until they both can understand each other, it'll continue being a point of contention for them.

Of course, we have no way of knowing the long-term ramifications for Ross. Sullivan already had a union rep calling to inquire if she somehow used her power to coerce him into a sexual relationship.

Ross could set so much aside when she heard what was happening at that house. It was such a nerve-wracking call that ended in a tragedy.

They took Andy and us back to Pruitt's death with Warren falling through the roof like that, and every second that ticked by without them coming out of there was more nervewracking than the last.

It had to be one of their worse fires yet. It was everywhere, and you could see where they had a hard time trying to control it. It was a death trap at every turn, flames everywhere, with little escape.

The homeowner was sympathetic. All she wanted to do was help keep addicts off the streets, even if it meant that she violated codes by having 14 men in a 4-bedroom place.

They became her family, too, and she didn't hesitate to take on Theo while he handled the scene.

The second Warren said that he'd get Milo out and return for the other guy, it was apparent that the man wouldn't make it out alive. And it was devastating.

They spent all that time worried about Ben, unsure if he'd walk out of there alive, and then he finally did, but they had to hold him back from returning. It will haunt Ben for some time that he can't go back to save that man after promising he would.

It was such a horrific way to go. But the series hasn't killed off too many of its calls, so this was particularly emotional because of how rarely that happens.

The Andy and Warren moments were touching. She was beside herself and let emotions rule her at the moment because she was afraid she had lost someone she loved in a similarly horrific way as her father.

And Theo was second-guessing himself and his calls again. He would've made the right call if Warren didn't get himself out of there. They couldn't risk more firefighters in that fire even to save one of their own.

What is the deal with Theo? Has he ever questioned himself this much? He's not confident in his ability to lead, and he's been overbearing as a leader.

He's also had such a terrible attitude. The way he's been treating Vic these days is abhorrent, and he doesn't even see it himself. Their relationship is definitely strained these days, and it's mainly because of him.

And now, things will likely worsen with Kate subbing at the station. She, Theo, and Travis have history together, and you can already see Vic's jealousy and annoyance.

The last thing Vic and Theo need right now, if they've been pulling apart from each other, is another woman who's close to Theo thrown into the mix.

It's also potentially promising that Andy gave Travis the go-ahead to pursue Eli. Maybe it isn't the last we've seen of Eli after all.

Andy and Travis handled all that awkwardness well, and I'm glad that Andy acknowledged that she was trying to force herself into something with Eli because it was different.

It leaves things open for Travis to explore his much stronger chemistry with Eli, but, of course, he'd have to get Eli to return his calls before any of that can happen.

I went from wanting Eli to disappear to being excited about the prospect of him returning, if only to explore things with Travis.

We know there's hope for Eli, Travis, Vic, and Theo because Marina has become the goals. If the series could take them on this turbulent journey with each other and end up where they are now, there's potential for so many good things.

For Marina fans, this episode was everything and more. It was a little treat for everyone who stuck it out through their rough patch that had gotten so dark; it didn't seem they could have them crawl from beneath it.

Maya is devoted to Carina in a way we've never seen before, and she's committed to getting their relationship into the best possible place, where it's even better than it ever could've been.

Carina: I wasn't the person you run to; I was the person you run from. I thought I was ready to be back here, but I'm not. I can't. I can't.
Maya: I'm sorry for everything I put you through. It wasn't fair. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you when you tried to help me. I know that the version of us that's happy and light and lovely died in that hospital that day. But I'm willing to put in the work to rebuild us. To make us stronger and better. Because I know from the first time I saw you in that bar you were the person that I wanted to call home.

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It's all the little things that mean so much, like the meaningful day she planned with Carina or the fact that she took off work to spend the entire day with her.

It didn't take a suspension or forced vacation for Maya to plan the day with Carina; it was a matter of her genuinely choosing to put her wife first, above work.

Carina recognized the significance of that, and the romantic moments kept coming. Carina suggesting that they go to Joe's shows how sentimental she is and the effort she's putting in for all of this too.

Joe's was where they met and fell in love. It's the perfect date for them.

Even the bride mishap wasn't enough to stand in the way of romantic Marina moments. As of late, their dates were derailed by medical emergencies, but they haven't disappointed.

By comforting the bride, both women expressed things about one another and their love. Maya reminisced about their wedding day, beautifully describing what it was like for her when she saw her wife coming to her and how it was them against the world.

And Carina explained how with the right person, you know when it's meant to be when it feels right, and that person will still look at you as if you're the most precious thing in the world, even when you feel broken.

They go to talk to each other through these conversations and the guise of helping these other people, and it feels like another breakthrough for them and their relationship.

It's no wonder it led them to that shower in what is effortlessly one of the sexiest, steamiest scenes of the series. The shower sex was so unexpected that it made it even better than one envisioned.

It didn't seem like they had reached that point of slowly finding their way to each other, but then we got that scorching scene.

But somehow, they managed to top even that with their conversation after their lovemaking. Carina had a moment and opened up about how she's not ready to return to their place together because it represents so many negative, dark things for them.

And it's a totally fair sentiment. It's realistic that Carina hasn't just gotten over everything, and their path toward each other ebbs and flows like this.

It's such an authentic depiction of the healing process for them as a couple, and it's refreshing that they aren't rushing through things or just ignoring them.

At this point, I'm rooting for them to find a new place together to have that fresh start they've been working towards.

And their sex wasn't something that Carina regretted despite her reservations about things. It didn't get diminished or taken away; instead, it's just an extension of this long process of getting them to the best possible place.

Maya's vow to make things up to Carina, everything she said to comfort and reassure her, validate and respect Carina's feelings, and take ownership and accountability, was so unexpected and fantastic.

Overall, they've just been handling things with these two so well and in such a healthy way that it's impressive.

Marriage for characters is often hard to navigate while keeping things fresh and interesting, yet they've excelled at this.

It was such a strong hour overall.

Over to you, Station 19 Fanatics.

What do you think is next for Ross? How hot was that Marina sex scene? Hit the comments.

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.