If you would like to read my review of last episode of Station 19, click here.
Synopsis: Jack and Maya are called to treat people stuck in a subway train and discover a potential threat to the passengers and themselves. Meanwhile, Travis, Ben and Dean get pressured into inviting Sullivan to help repaint walls in Travis’ house and come to a surprising conclusion about Sullivan. (ABC)
Writer: Anupam Nigam
Director: Daryn Okada
Rating: TV-14
Running Time: 43 mins
Airs: Thursdays at 9pm on CTV (Canada)/ABC (United States)
“Crazy Train”starts off with Dean and Jack playing a competitive game of Foosball as Dean tells Jack that he is obligated to attend his family gathering. Andy complains to Maya about Pruitt putting her childhood home on the market. Maya voices her concerns about Jack believing he may still not be sleeping well. She was paired with him for aid car for this shift and lucky for her they have one more call.
The call is at a subway car with minor injuries. Maya is concerned for Jack working in a tight space, but he says he is fine. They make their way to each of the passengers where she talks to Harold (Michael Welch) and his son Wil (Alexander G. Eckert) seem to be of interest to Maya. While Jack deals with flirting passengers, Maya’s patient Wil coughs up blood and she fears the worst. The subway car is infested with a contagious disease.
They talk to dispatch and CDC replies saying that there is an epidemic of Bird Flu for recent travelers. That means that everyone on the subway car is exposed and with two known patients, they have to find a way to contain this outbreak. They inform Harold to keep an extra eye on Wil while they inform the passengers of the quarantine. One of the passengers Reese (Jon Curry) becomes agitated and wants to leave the train leading a revolt against Jack and Maya’s authority.
Maya intervenes and plays to their emotions. She tells them to stay to protect those they love from a potential disease. The other known patient Neil (Anthony Hill) starts to run a higher fever and becomes worrisome. Meanwhile, Harold becomes frustrated and raises his voice with Wil causing Jack to pull him aside. He tries to calm down the estranged father, but cannot assure him that Wil will be alright. Jack questions Maya’s behaviour and her double-checking his work. She reveals her concern about his quick return to work.
Suddenly, they are interrupted when Neil starts to cough up blood and collapses to the ground. After a quick scare, they manage to stabilize his breathing and heart. Another one of the passengers Saria (Hina Khan) talks about feeling this weird chemistry with Neil and missing him. Maya peers over to Jack before instructing Saria to monitor Neil’s heartbeat. Things become more intense when Wil goes into shock and a security guard tazes a hostile Reese who starts seizing.
Jack rushes over to check on Reese and tells the security guard to watch over his heart rate. With no extra supplies, they ask the remaining passengers for any medications that may help Wil or Reese’s situation. With both Reese and Neil not breathing, Jack starts to feel consumed. He manages to break through and rally the passengers to act as firefighters to save these patients. Jack sets up Harold as a mobile blood bank for Wil and Maya finds medication for Reese.
Saria risks herself to exposure by giving mouth-to-mouth to Neil as Jack is able to save him as well. Luckily for them, the CDC has arrived with a decontamination unit. Jack and Maya are cleared and discharged. Maya apologizes for doubting Jack earlier and he reciprocates. He opens up about his almost panic attack and how he was able to handle it.
Meanwhile, Dean, Travis and Ben plan to head out of shift when they are stopped by Sullivan. He seems rather interested in joining them after shift and guilts Travis into inviting him. The four of them help paint Travis’ place while they discuss their personal lives. Sullivan sees a photo of Travis with his husband and opens up about also being a survivor. The rest of the team overhears as Sullivan lets down one of his walls. This leads to the four of them having a dancing painting party.
On their way out, Andy and Victoria run into Kat (Lisseth Chavez), a fire cadet, who is scoping out stations. She isn’t keen on Station 19 so the team tries to convince her otherwise. Andy and Victoria show her around the station as Kat reveals she is pushed around by the other cadets. They give her little tips on how to stand out while Kat reveals why she wanted to become a firefighter. Turns out she worked in the skyscraper they were called to.
Pruitt calls in a favour to Ryan so they can do background checks on every person trying to buy the house. He becomes critical of all the applicants and won’t budge on finding the perfect person. Ryan asks why Pruitt wants to leave and he compares the house to a comfy blanket. He wants a challenge. The crew all head down to the bar in their separate groups as Andy introduces Kat to Sullivan and Ryan questions if he is Andy’s comfy blanket. She sees the subway outbreak news and rushes home to check on Maya. She is relied to find her alright, but is unaware that her shower is being shared by Jack.
Captain’s Log
- Will Pruitt retire?
- What will Dean do about his family troubles?
- Will Ripley discover that Victoria told Travis?
- How long will Victoria and Ripley last?
- How long will Andy and Ryan last this time?
- Will Maya and Jack start dating?
- Will Ben join Medic One?
Overall, Crazy Train was an okay episode. The storyline may be the most ridiculous situation yet for this series, but it grounds itself in its emotions. The various storylines of the week show different characters paired up with one another dealing with letting walls down, opening up and showing vulnerability. This is especially evident in the subplots that make this episode entertaining. However, the main plot feels muddled, messy and so unrealistic that it shows both the positives and negatives of this show’s storytelling.
Score: 7/10
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