Station 19 (4×01) Nothing Seems the Same Review

After production was halted last season due to the rising global pandemic, the Shondaland series ended abruptly on makeshift finales leaving viewers curious as to what happened with their favourite characters. Now only a few months later, the Shondaverse returns in a big way as these frontline workers are thrown into the thick of COVID-19 and forced to adapt to the new normal that we are all struggling to accept. This three-hour crossover event shows what it has been like for the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital and Fire Station 19 during the pandemic. Basically how you would expect. For our review of the last episode of Station 19, click here.

Synopsis: When the COVID-19 pandemic hits Seattle, the Station 19 crew leans on each other for support. Andy tries to make sense of her mother’s return. And it’s all-hands-on-deck when a group of teenagers unintentionally starts a wild fire. (IMDb)

Nothing Seems the Same picks up immediately after the finale. After Captain Herrera gave his life to save Andy, she is dealt a double blow learning that her mother is still alive after all these years. She of course reacts how we would expect complete with hyperventilating! The story then jumps three weeks forward into the pandemic as these characters show us glimpses of where their lives are at as they adapt to the new normal.

Ben is bringing everyone around Grey Sloan to thank the hospital workers during shift changes, Victoria is moving out of Dean’s house, Jack is still seeing Inara and her deaf son, Sullivan is training inmates for a private firefighting company and Travis is trying to still date in the pandemic world. They complain about Herrera’s funeral being forced to online after all the obstacles they faced. Oh and Andy ran immediately away from her mom and aunt before she got answers.

The subplot of the episode is Victoria and Travis being called to a roadside car park where they treat one of the teenager for burns on their wrist (who identifies as non-binary). As they leave though, they are immediately called back to find the car has blown up and the driver is severely burned. Unfortunately, his three passengers ran away scared of being caught on drugs. The fire spreads to the nearby forest causing backup from Station 19 to arrive. It looks like Sullivan might get the call too, but it’s actually a non-emergency call at a mansion. He refuses the call and rushes to the forest fire inside.

Meanwhile Victoria and Travis arrive at the hospital and force them to take the patient despite COVID protocols. They manage to convince the hospital to take their patient, but the biggest question is: who did Travis see on his dating app that startled him? As the team searches for the remaining teenagers, they find an immunocompromised teen impaled on a stake! Oh joy.

However, the biggest story of this episode is the fallout of Andy’s mom returning to her life. She questions her decisions, wanting to know what happened. Apparently she was unhappy being a housewife and hated seeing her husband continue doing what they were both passionate about. This prompted her to run away to New York and fight fires there. She even went as far as telling Herrera to tell Andy she’s dead so she could grieve and move on rather than question why she was abandoned. Herrera even tried to get her to come back during 9/11, but not even begging could convince her. Andy decides to forgive her aunt for hiding this, but not her mother.

After the roadside fire, Sullivan is fired for leaving the mansion but he doesn’t care because he thinks he made the right choice. Vic also pushes Travis to reveal who he saw on the app because gossip is the only normal thing in her life right now. He reveals that the mystery man was his seemingly conservative father! What a twist! Travis decides now might be the best time to ask Victoria to move in with him and she graciously accepts.

Next comes Herrera’s memorial service where Andy delivers a heartfelt and moving eulogy to her father, even if it’s a Zoom call. Andy recalls her conversation with Sullivan a few weeks earlier about her mother and his need for a proper recovery- a 90-day separation from his wife to fully focus on himself. He finishes that conversation that reaffirming to Andy that he wants to make sure he doesn’t relapse so that they can live a long life together. That is dedication.

Station 19‘s return tackles the pandemic in a slightly different way than its companion show as it looks at the issues through the eyes of firefighters on the frontlines. While it is obvious that the world is forever changed and they are appreciated for their efforts, the story manages to keep focus on its emotional core centred around its characters. If that is the world that the series plans to live in for this new era of TV, it looks like a promising direction for what could be a strong and quite frankly more realistic season for this firefighting drama.

Captain’s Log

• Who will be the first firefighter to contract COVID-19?
• Will any of the main characters die during this pandemic?
• Will Andy forgive her mother?
• When will Dean and Victoria finally confess their feelings?
• Will Travis confront his father?
• When will Sullivan return to the station?

What did you think of “Nothing Seems the Same“? Was it the premiere you expected? Let me know in the comments below!

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Dylan Phillips