Station 19 is decidedly more emotional this week as Andy deals with giving up control
After a decent season premiere launch full of blue fire, teen pregnancy, and a drunk girl stuck between two walls, Station 19 is decidedly more emotional this week. It’s all about containment and what happens when you lose control. Spoiler: I’m not just talking about fires here.
We begin where we leave off in episode 2: Miller and Warren have rescued JJ, the woman who thought her smoke detector was on the fritz. It turns out the attic of her building is on fire. Hours after the blue fire debacle, the entire station heads back out to work another call. Andy has one hour left on her shift as chief. She might as well add another success story to her personal roster.
What’s the first thing you do when a roof is on fire? Why, you ventilate, of course. The firefighters scramble up the ladder to assess the situation while Miller continues to bang on doors evacuating all of the floors. He rescued JJ’s neighbor Seth. FYI: Seth is not her boyfriend. He’s just an occasional hook-up. It’s not awkward at all that she’s crushing on Miller. Move along, people.
Andy calls for someone to cut a heat hole in the roof. She asked Warren to watch some pipes. Yes, it’s super odd, but if Andy asks him to do something, there is a reason somewhere in a rule book that explains the bizarre request. Warren obeys.
A big flame pops up from the heat hole, everyone hops back out of the way, and Andy waits patiently for the fire to die down. This is the purpose of a heat hole. Jack barks at her, suggesting they cut the entire roof since the fire is clearly larger than they were expecting. He revs his chainsaw for good measure.
Captain Frankel radios up to receive a status update. Andy rolls her eyes and movements for everyone to get to cutting. Huge flames burst through the roof and Warren interrupts Andy’s instructions to let her know that the pipes have grown about six inches.
Close, newbie, but in reality, the roof has caved six inches and is going to collapse in 30 seconds. Everyone hustles back down the ladder and watches as the top floor pretty much implodes in on itself.
While Andy and Jack argue in front of the captain about the heat hole timing, Miller warns Warren not to let the rescues, cool fire, growing pipes, or near misses get in his head. Rule No. 1: Don’t let it get personal or intimating. It should be known that Miller gave this advice as he retrieved JJ’s Purple Rain album, signed by Prince himself.
Finally, the shift is over. I feel like we’ve been fighting fires for weeks. The girls take a load off on Andy’s front porch and toast to Captain Frankel, Andy’s first stint as chief, and the power of vodka. Three shots in, and all eyes turn to Ryan walking up the front steps. He wants to talk to Andy but decides to wait thanks to the blatant catcalling he receives from the near-drunk women. Victoria comments on Ryan’s chiseled physique (amen) and Maya cautions her not to double-dip.
That’s right. Andy and Ryan. She’s been there. Done that. To quote Victoria, “Well dipped, my friend. Well dipped.”
The next day, Andy is surprised to see Jack already at the station. There’s a new chief in town, and he isn’t as strict as his female counterpart. He also really loves calling Andy by the name of lieutenant. She slumps off at breakfast to pour herself a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice from a glass pitcher. Something tells me a normal fire station would have plastic containers, but who am I to judge this Martha Stewart-type fire station kitchen? In fact, I covet it and the delicious looking food served 24/7. (Recap continued on next page)
Andy doesn’t need another reason to be angry with Jack, yet he gives her one anyway. When he received a call to give her father a recommendation for a desk job at another station, Jack hired Captain Herrera to work at Station 19. In his mind, they can all keep an eye on him. In Andy’s mind, Jack wants Herrera there to undermine her. Just as they are about to duke it out, the alarm rings.
It’s a medical call. A young girl rushes to greet the team, frantic that she has “pulled them all from the water.” The backyard is littered with bodies. Was it drugs? Alcohol? Nope. It was liquid nitrogen dropped into the pool because the smoke looks dope. Congratulations, science nerds. The entire party has been asphyxiated.
One by one the firefighters work on the kids, and one by one they all wake up. Our young hostess celebrates each friend’s recovery as oxygen is passed around. Then we heard a splash. A quick head count reveals that Jack is missing.
Moments pass, and he pops up out of the pool carrying another young girl. She’s the one the party hostess thought went home. After some solid CPR, the young girl comes around. Andy looks at Jack with admiration. She asked Montgomery how Jack could have known that someone was missing when no one else did.
Simple. He counted the flip-flops. Six shoes, five kids. Do the math.
Montgomery not-so-gently tells Andy that Jack deserves to be chief because he’s ready. He’s been a lieutenant for years and has a skill that Andy hasn’t figured out yet. She’s good, but she’s green. And Montgomery lost his husband to a green chief. He’s confident she can get there. She just needs more time.
Their conversation is cut short when the party hostess starts having trouble breathing. Warren helps her through the shock of it all and offers to ride in the ambulance with her. Montgomery shuts it down. Warren was not in control of this part of the job. It’s up to the Gray Sloan Memorial team to step in. Let it go. Let her go.
Back at the station, Jack reports the pool situation to the captain and apologies for his behavior the previous day. Frankel is pleased that he’s able to admit his mistakes. She reminds him how hard it was for her to climb the ladder (a.k.a. ranks) and that she didn’t have anything handed to her by her daddy. OUCH! Andy hears all of this and of course leaves before she can overhear Jack sticking up for her.
Later, poor JJ walks into the station to find Miller. She told him that Seth died from smoke inhalation. WHAT?! Minus the Crock-Pot, I’m having a post-Super Bowl This Is Us flashback. Give me something happy to end on, please!
Andy complains to her dad that it’s really, really hard to give up control and watch other people get involved as you just let things happen. Her dad gives her the biggest NO DUH look. Then Ryan whisks in and asks for a private audience with Andy. He recently learned that her dad thinks he’s still a punk kid. He wants to know if Andy thinks the same thing.
Hello, sexual tension. I’ve missed you.
Andy says they are cool. Ryan gets all smoldery and warns her that he’s not just the kid next door anymore. He’s gone through some stuff and is very grown up now. I’m not sure if saying you’re grown up helps your cause, but I’ll allow it. And so will Andy. The look she gives him lets us all know that she is not going to be able to contain this flame for long. In fact, it’s spreading.
Burn, baby, burn!
