Station 19 Review: Too Darn Hot (Season 5 Episode 3)

A heatwave pushes some characters to have difficult conversations on Station 19 Season 5 Episode 3, “Too Darn Hot.” Some of those dialogues are more internal than others. Nonetheless, they’re all crucial to the characters’ trajectories this season.

Jaina Lee Ortiz and Boris Kodjoe do such excellent work in this episode that the delicacy of this Surrera situation becomes more apparent. “Too Darn Hot” balances Andy and Robert’s perspectives — making us see the grey of the situation alongside them.

Station 19 doesn’t create drama between Andy and Robert for the sake of it. This arc, specifically for Andy, has been a long time coming.

Andy and Theo tiptoe around the phrase coined by Meredith and Cristina on Grey’s Anatomy: dark and twisty. Andy Herrera is in her dark and twisty era.

Andy sleeping with Beckett reflects old, harmful patterns and the trauma she has yet to heal from. However, her awareness of how detrimental her actions are to others and herself is an optimistic sign that Andy can still be the phoenix and rise from her ashes.

It’s also worth mentioning that Station 19 lets Andy be messy and have an active sex life without ever slut-shaming her. That shouldn’t be as refreshing as it is in 2021, but here we are.

Rest assured, all context clues (and those longing glances) point to Andy and Robert resolving their issues and rekindling their relationship in the future.

Since Station 19 is committed to the narrative that Andy and Robert can’t thrive together (yet), it would be beneficial to prolong that reunion to let both of them do the work and thrive as individuals. 

Ari Lan suggests as much is possible for Robert, at least professionally, if he plays his cards right with the press. Besides, that story opens the door to look at SFD in a new light that goes beyond the firehouse walls.

Plus, it’s delightful to see Robert’s comradery and interpersonal communication with the team strengthen significantly by the end of the hour. If Andy grows and changes outside of their marriage, Station 19 should grant Robert the same opportunity.

As for Andy, it is odd the show has yet to give us any scenes of Andy spending time with her friends outside of the firehouse, but her new friendship with Theo is solid.

The distance between Andy and everyone at 19, including her roommate, could be a tactic to show how Andy’s isolation from the people who know her the best is a part of her downward spiral. 

That theory inspires hope that Station 19 knows the principal relationships don’t need to be romantic ones all the time. There could be as much at stake for the friendships as the romances this season. This show can beautifully combine all of that love as it did with Travis, Vic, and Theo. 

It would be an odd choice for this show to go all-in on only the romances because this cast is so stellar that any pairing is electric. Case in point: Dean and Maya.

It’s been too long since that pair shared a scene, only the two of them. Not to mention, Maya and Dean’s breakthrough conversation is in the firehouse’s elevator, which they hardly ever use.

The way that Dean walks Maya through her apprehension to turn “me” to “we” never feels forced. Instead, it’s an exciting way to shake up the go-to dynamics on the show and push Maya and Dean to revelations.

Even the scenes between Robert and Carina are exciting to watch. That’s a brand new dynamic to Station 19, but it works so well because of the tension that it adds to an already intense episode.

It furthers the Marina conflict, complicates Robert’s role in it, offers more commentary on the casual and implicit sexism in the workplace, and shows Carina in her element as Dr. DeLuca-Bishop. Station 19 expertly packs all of that into a few scenes. 

Also, without those scenes, we wouldn’t have the conversation that exemplifies Maya’s tremendous growth and teases a bright future for Marina. That final scene between Maya and Carina is gratifying for the couple.

However, it also stings because of the sharp juxtaposition between Surrera and Marina’s conflict management skills, considering the distinct parallels between the relationships.

Robert and Carina want to have those necessary debates and discussions, but Andy and Maya aren’t ready. So “Too Darn Hot” likely won’t be the last time we’ll see an invisible string tying the two couples’ journeys together.

This episode soars beyond the romantic relationships with Ben, Jack, and Joey’s storyline. Jason George and Noah Alexander Gerry are exceptional. It’s exciting to watch Ben and Joey’s relationship evolve.

That story also tees up a potential storyline where Jack reconnects with his foster family. Additionally, it’s a perfect lead-in to the expansion of Crisis One (and hopefully the reincorporation of the PRT) that will help remedy the broken system of emergency healthcare in America. 

We are three episodes into the season, and Season 5 is only scratching the surface of where everyone will go. While “Too Darn Hot” at least temporarily resolves many outstanding issues, it leaves equally as much for another day. 

That day could be as soon as next Thursday since Dr. Diane will visit the firehouse. Because let’s be honest, a heatwave is nothing compared to her.

Stray Thoughts

• Joey wrote his entire college admissions essay on his iPhone. Maybe I’m getting too old, but that would not be an easy feat for me.
• Vic using the mustard bottle as an ice pack is priceless.
• “The fact that you hate him might mean that you still love him.” Theo got to all of us with that line, didn’t he?
• Carina cheering on 19 makes me too happy.
• Carina and Robert speaking in Italian makes me miss when Andrew and Carina would talk to each other in Italian.

What did you think of this episode of Station 19? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Station 19 airs Thursdays at 8/9c on ABC.

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