Station 19 1x04 “Reignited” Episode Review

I started this show thinking it was going to be fine. The Grey's spin-off about a group of firefighters saving the day and helping people before getting sent off to Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital. It seemed pretty solid. Watching the first three episodes, I thought it relied too much on Grey Anatomy elements to get the show going on its own: Meredith Grey, Miranda Bailey, and Tuck making appearances helped draw in fans. I understand the purposes behind that, but I was looking to see past those connections and what the show has to offer without their parent show backing them up.

Episode 4 "Reignited" allowed us to see this show with as few Grey's references as possible. A feat seemingly impossible with Ben Warren always yapping about his former career as a doctor. 

Andy and her co-captain/lieutenant/bed buddy Jack Gibson are at each other's throats about their shared duties, particular about getting brand new boots for the squad. Eventually, this ends with the two of them having sex in the Captain's bunk room. I'm not sure how I feel about Andy getting back on with this guy, considering she shot down his proposal in the pilot episode. They pretend to argue in front of their team to avoid letting them know about their reignited relationship. Starting to see the meaning behind the episode title.

Andy's friends Vic and Maya sense the shifting behavior in their captain and question her sudden happy mood while grocery shopping. Before they can get any answers out of her or the chance to pay for their groceries, they get paged for work. Another fire calls.

They rush to a bed and breakfast run by two sisters who hate each other. Once they see the fire reported as nothing more than a small flame on the stove, they take it out quickly, disappointed it took one squirt from the hose to get the job done.

Everyone returns to the station. Andy and Jack openly fight about not following orders and get it on again in the Captain's bunk room. Jack wants more from his relationship with Andy, but she simply wants to stay in their sexy bubble, still unwilling to commit to him or anyone else because she's committed to the job more. Ultimately by episode's end, Jack calls it quits with Andy because he knows it won't last if he doesn't get more from the relationship. Then Andy's father, former Captain and current desk service, spots them through the creak of the door, both of them partially unclothed and Jack's shirt unbuttoned. I'm sure he figured it out.

Maya's story in this episode was the most interesting one because we got a lot of insight on her. In the middle of her shift, she tells everyone she has to leave early and goes to the police station to find her brother Mason sleeping in a jail cell. Ryan called her about him stealing art supplies. I get the feeling they are not close because she does not wake him up and awkwardly leaves, thanking Ryan for the call.

She returns to Station 19 looking for Andy, she needs her best friend, and instead finds Jack's uniform right outside the Captain's bunk room. Wow. I cannot believe Gibson left his shirt right outside for anyone to find. She gets upset, probably because Andy hid this from her, and storms out.

The following morning, another fire breaks out at the sisters' place again. A serious fire that traps one of the sisters inside the building. The team gets inside to contain the flames, but Vic panics like she did earlier in the episode during the video game fire stimulation. Ben notices and gets her out of there. The wine bottles start to explode because gas leak and the action gets more intense with the trapped sister on the other side. Bravely, Andy runs through the bottle attack to rescue the woman and runs her back outside.

The woman starts gasping though because some glass got into her throat. Maya takes over and performs CPR. I start freaking out at this point. My Grey attachment to patients must have transferred to these fire victims, and I believed this woman was a lost cause. I tend to think people die too easily. But I was proven wrong! Maya saved her but ignored Andy's praises.

Next scene, after Andy pressured her best friend for answers, Maya tells her story about her drug-addicted brother and how she blames herself for the way he turned out because she was the successful Olympic child. Here I was thinking she was telling her story to Andy and their friendship restored but plot twist! She was telling it to Ryan, the police officer and Andy's ex/childhood friend/one-night stand. Yes! Andy's life is complicated. Yes! Maya and Ryan have something going on. After hearing her story, Ryan promises to keep an eye out on her brother. How sweet!

This episode had lots of good moments. Dean asking Pruitt for girl advice and Ben reaching out to Vic would've been sweet if she didn't throw it all back in his face. If I didn't already know about his amazing marriage to Miranda Bailey, I would want him and Vic to have something. But I'll settle on a friendship. Guys and Girls can be friends without any weird romantic attraction. I'm a firm believer in this.

Those are my thoughts on the latest Shonda Rimes' show. Four episodes out of ten for the season so far. Yeah, we're already at the half-way point. Comment if you have different opinions on the show or are curious to know if it's a show worth-watching. If you're a true Grey's fan, I think you'd enjoy this spin-off. 

Thanks for tuning in!