Station 19 Season 1 Episode 8: Every Second Counts Review

If you would like to read my review of last’s week episode, click here.

Synopsis: Ripley interviews each member of the Station 19 crew to determine whether Andy or Jack should be given the role of captain. Meanwhile, a mom’s day out on a party bus takes a turn for the worst; and Captain Pruitt continues his treatment. (TVGuide)

Writer: Tia Napolitano

Director: Marisol Adler

Rating: TV-14

Running Time: 43mins

Airs: Thursdays at 9pm on CTV (Canada)/ABC (United States)

“Every Second Counts”starts with a group of moms on a party bus with one of them constantly texting her daughter. As the women party in the back, the driver who is visibly exhausted takes a wrong turn. Andy and Ryan wake up and have some steamy sex followed by her opening up about her day and the next test for captaincy: peer reviews. Miller wakes up with JJ who promises him to be safe before he heads to work. Pruitt is unable to take part in the reviews as he is getting his round of chemo at Grey Sloan. He feels sidelined and wants his opinion to matter.

Ben prepares for his peer review when he is shocked to find Chief Ripley there to administer them, removing Frankel and her biased opinion. He asks Ben to recount the events of the day. Flashback to earlier when Miller arrived to work and took a 5 hour energy to start his day. JJ arrives with his forgotten watch and asks to see the back, but Gibson says it’s for personnel only. Maya talks to Andy about her secret relationship with Ryan and how it feels childish sneaking around. At the mess hall, Montgomery reveals he didn’t go to brunch with Grant to the displeasure of Victoria. Andy and Gibson interject to talk about the peer reviews, but they are cut off by the siren.

As Ben describes the party bus situation to Ripley, he cuts him off and asks about the first call of the day. A man named Peter crashed into a dumpster getting breakfast for his wife and wanted to hitch a ride with EMS to the hospital. As they head to the hospital, Maya campaigns for Andy’s captaincy, but they are called to an emergency crash of a party bus. While Andy wants to use their aid supplies to help the victims, Gibson urges they take Peter to the hospital as originally intended.

Ripley sits down with Victoria next to discuss the crash. As they are helping the victims, sparks start to fly from the vehicle. Peter suggests they take his gurney to help outside and Gibson reluctantly agrees. Ben and Andy are cutting a woman away from a piece of metal piercing her shoulder while Miller is trying to lift the vehicle off another pinned victim who is losing a lot of blood. Victoria ends the review by chastising Ripley for Station 23’s delayed response time and doesn’t want an outsider ruining Station 19’s efficiency.

Next up is Montgomery who talks about his dead husband, Michael, and reveals he is a new transfer to the station. Andy decides it’s best to raise the vehicle off the pinned victim, despite the other still being pierced to some rebar. Gibson brings the gurney to Andy leaving Peter unattended. As Andy is able to free the pierced victim the pinned one crashes. Luckily Station 23 has finally arrived allowing the crew to tend to their original victim Peter. Problem is he’s a little worse for wear now with an injury to the hand as Miller and Gibson treat him. Montgomery tells Ripley that Michael died because his captain made a slight miscalculation and he wants only the best captain to lead him.

At the hospital, Pruitt continues his chemo as he opens up about Andy’s determination to the nurse. Maya sits down with Ripley and praises her decision-making especially putting Gibson on the aid car. Gibson helps Peter in the aid car, letting his charisma fool him as Peter has other plans. Turns out Peter is rummaging through the back of the aid car looking for his medicine more specifically morphine. Ripley turns the situation around saying that Gibson turned around Andy’s bad decision showing his natural leadership.

Ripley sits down with Miller, who is the longest serving member of Station 19 alongside Andy and Gibson. He asks about Gibson’s qualification and instantly cites his ability to be a couple steps ahead of everyone. Gibson tries to deescalate the situation with Peter, but he takes a swing and gets his finger stuck. As he pulls it back, the skin peels from his ring and the swelling could cause him to lose it. He offers Peter morphine, but he notices the label is wrong and lunges again. Miller arrives and helps Gibson subdue Peter, telling him that this isn’t Andy’s fault as Gibson initially suggests. Ripley decides to ask Miller who he agreed with on the call and sets it up where Andy’s call was obviously wrong in his mind. One of the victims thanks Andy for their help in rescuing her friends.

Andy and Gibson sit in the mess hall discussing the peer reviews and how things would be different if Pruitt was still there. At Ben’s review, Ripley applauds the rookie for his candor and the breach in protocol from both Andy and Gibson. Ripley kicks out Victoria before she can even give a peer review thanks to her earlier outburst and how that reflects on her training under them. Montgomery talks about the difficulties of taking on the role of captain. He applauds Andy’s decision-making because she doesn’t hesitate and after assuming the role for a day realizes she is the better choice. Maya  breaks down Gibson’s experience and abilities which Ripley says that she emulates as well and recommends she apply to a Lieutenant position if one comes available after all this. Miller decides that he agrees with Andy’s call during the situation.

The crew return to the mess hall where Victoria reveals she yelled at Ripley. They all start to open up about Ripley’s ability to twist their words and command the conversation. All except for Montgomery who felt like his voice was really heard in there. As Andy reassures them that things will be alright, Victoria says she told him it has to be one of them and they all agree. The episode ends as Pruitt talks about his choice for captain to Ripley at the hospital: either one.

Captain’s Log

• Who will end up becoming Captain of Station 19?
• Will Pruitt Herrera’s cancer take a turn for the worst?
• Will Montgomery and Grant become a thing?
• Will Ripley stay unbiased?
• Who is the Captain that caused Michael’s death? When will he appear?
• How will Victoria beat her fear of fire?
• Will Ben decide firefighting is not for him and change careers yet again? He did not seem good during this week’s call.

Overall, this was a good episode. The constant back and forth of the storytelling was able to show what each crewmember was highlighting as strengths and weaknesses for both captain applicants during their call. While there is an obvious divide in loyalty at the station, they all can agree that either option is better than an outsider pushing themselves in. Both Andy and Gibson demonstrate very strong natural leadership skills so while one of them may make captain at Station 19, it would be a waste of the other’s talents to not leave and become captain elsewhere setting up the eventual departure of one of these characters. It’s still anyone’s position to lose.

Score: 8/10

What did you think of “Every Second Counts”? Let me know in the comments below!

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Dylan Phillips