ABC's Station 19 - Episode 2.01 "No Recovery"
Lives hang in the balance as the members of Station 19 continue to fight a raging inferno inside a skyscraper. Pruitt's health is in grave danger at Grey Sloan. A seasoned firefighter with a mysterious past arrives at Station 19, leaving everyone to wonder what the future holds.
In 2018, it has become very difficult to keep up with every television show out there. It's even more difficult to provide adequate coverage on this site about the episodes that air every week. Not every show can get full coverage because of my busy and hectic viewing schedule. As such, some reviews will now be condensed to give only some summary thoughts. But it also affords a space for me to jot down my thoughts on the various episodes. And so, here are my thoughts on this week's episode of ABC's Station 19.
"No Recovery" was written by Stacy McKee and directed by Paris Barclay
Station 19 ended its first season in a dire position for all of its characters. The firefighters of Station 19 were battling a high rise fire that claimed many victims. Firefighters got hurt and ran into dangerous situations. And now, the premiere first establishes that someone is going to die. It feels like it is all being told in retrospect by Andy. She is six weeks in the future knowing how this story is going to end. However, it's all just a massive red herring. Even though Jack, Travis and Pruitt were in precarious positions, they all survive their injuries. The big death of this premiere is Molly. It's still a memorable and heartbreaking moment. She was a plucky young girl trying to do the right thing. Instead, she was trampled because everyone was reacting to this disastrous situation. And yet, Ben is able to get her outside to reunite with her mom one last time. They have that final conversation. That has to be satisfying enough for Ben though. He left Travis behind because it seemed like his injuries were fatal. There was no saving him. Instead, he is only saved because Vic happens upon him will evacuating the building. It's infuriating to her that Ben would leave a fellow firefighter behind. But this was Travis' decision. He survives to continue being a firefighter and dating Grant. Molly is dead. That proves that there is never a clear understanding of what injuries any person truly has. Internal ones are just as devastating. Sure, the surgery to save Travis is complicated as well. But again, the doctors at Grey Sloan are miracle workers. They save his life. It's just bittersweet for Ben because he left him behind. It was the right decision. Meanwhile, Jack survives. He is literally in the blast radius of the fire. He is found buried under the rumble of office supplies. And yet, he is still rescued. He doesn't have any injuries whatsoever. It's miraculous. It highlights the romantic connection between Andy and Jack as well. She has to save him. She can't let his valiant sacrifice be the last memory of him. And she does. They get to share that healing moment together before she becomes worried once more about someone she loves dying on her. Of course, her father doesn't die. In fact, his medical emergency extended from the chemotherapy and not the cancer. But she also realizes that Ryan knew that Pruit was in danger when Andy went in to fight the fire. As such, that runs the risk of ruining their romantic connection just as it was heating up much more passionately than with Jack. However, the flashbacks also reveal that it wasn't that long ago when Ryan was still getting into trouble with the law. Pruitt was actually bailing him out of jail when Andy and Maya were graduating from the fire academy. And finally, the premiere offers some resolution to who will be the new captain of Station 19. That was a huge story in the first season that got no resolution whatsoever by its finale. And now, it's clear that Pruitt's recommendation that neither Andy nor Jack get the job was the advice that the fire chief took. He saw a station that needed some discipline brought in. That's where this new lieutenant comes from. He was always going to be an important new face because he's played by Boris Kodjoe. But the flashbacks prove he has a history with Jack and Miller. As such, he's going to be a very new presence in the station. One that is bound to stir up more trouble and drama.
