By Zach Johnson
In November, Grey’s Anatomy went out with a bang—literally—when a car crashed through Joe’s Bar, endangering the lives of Grey Sloan doctors and interns, Station 19 firefighters, and bar patrons. The drama resumes tonight in a two-hour crossover event on ABC, beginning with Station 19 at 8|7c and concluding with Grey’s Anatomy at 9|8c.
Though the two series are loosely connected—Ben Warren (Jason George) and Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) are married, for example—the crossover marks the first time many of the characters ever interact. “Station 19 has always been down the street, and now you’re finally getting to see the two worlds collide at Joe’s Bar under this horrible circumstance,” says Danielle Savre, who plays Maya Bishop on Station 19. “And it will have you on the edge of your seat, because someone may or may not die.”
Okieriete Onaodowan, who plays Dean Miller, was less ominous in his description of what transpires in the highly anticipated TV event. “Over the past couple of seasons on Station 19, I’ve popped over to Grey’s Anatomy, and they’ve popped over here, so it’s cool to have a moment where it’s all hands on deck,” he said. “You get to see the same issue handled over the course of both shows, with everyone attacking it from all angles.”
The aftermath of the car crash isn’t the only drama showrunner Krista Vernoff has in store for tonight’s crossover event. In Grey’s Anatomy, Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) worries about sharing her pregnancy revelation with Link (Chris Carmack); Owen (Kevin McKidd) and Teddy (Kim Raver) take a big step in their relationship; and Bailey grieves a recent loss. Station 19, meanwhile, will be “very different from past seasons,” promises Onaodowan. “Most of the characters are going to be challenged in ways you didn’t expect and forced to make difficult decisions.” Dean, in particular, “has a lot on his plate,” Onaodowan says. “There are a lot of things happening in his personal life that kind of shake his world, that may or may not make him question firefighting as a whole.”
Similarly, Maya has a big journey in the third season of Station 19—and it starts tonight. “What happens at the end of the episode with Maya is going to really throw people,” Savre says. “I’m nervous and excited for fans to see it, and it all happens in one scene.”
“All of the characters on our show will evolve a lot. The characters you thought you knew, you don’t know. You’re going to learn about their pasts and things that have happened to them, and it will really change your perception of them. It’s going to be a really big, character-driven season,” Savre says. “Something we latched onto that Grey’s is so good at is that one second you’re laughing, the next second you’re crying—then you’re laughing again, then you’re crying again, and then you’re throwing something at the TV! I’m doing that when I read the scripts; I can’t put them down!”
