Station 19 Review: Searching for the Ghost (Season 5 Episode 10)
Station 19 Season 5 Episode 10, “Searching for the Ghost,” takes the team to a haunted house — underscoring the characters’ confrontations with scary truths.
This episode addresses the horror stories that can pop up in mundane life, making room for emotionally compelling performances from a cast that never disappoints.
The most unmistakable standout performance on “Searching for the Ghost” comes from Barrett Doss. Doss continues to raise the bar as Vic grapples with everything — every emotion, every thought, and an unexpected pregnancy.
It’s perfect for the show to pair Doss up with Jaina Lee Ortiz because of Andy’s journey of self-reflection this season. Plus, it’s nice to see those two on-screen together again.
One of their most poignant scenes together is when Vic jumps off the dock at Dean’s boathouse to get some quiet. It’s an alarming scene, and Station 19 views it as such.
Theo and Travis voice how distant Vic has been since Dean’s death and Vic’s transparency with Andy is the first time she’s opened up to anyone in a while.
Letting someone in is scary within itself because of how vulnerable it is, but it’s also incredibly brave, and Victoria Hughes has always been incredibly brave.
Interestingly and refreshingly enough, Station 19 doesn’t approach Vic’s decision to have an abortion with the same level of apprehension.
In Vic’s case, her mind is made up before “Searching for the Ghost” begins. The fear and justified anger come from the potential effects of the abortion on her body and the medical hoops women must jump through to have a safe procedure.
Her candid conversation with Carina at the beginning of the episode touches on the psychological effects of carrying an unwanted pregnancy for an extra week to qualify for a surgical abortion.
Moreover, their discussion taps into the real world by having Vic express such understandable exasperation for living in a society where it’s too late and too early to terminate a pregnancy.
It’s still exceptionally rare and important to see abortion and a woman’s right to choose discussed on TV without any level of taboo, shame, or judgment.
Similarly, it’s exciting that Station 19 doesn’t keep Maya and Carina’s search for a sperm donor off-camera. Two women trying to start a family together shouldn’t be taboo either.
Carina’s exploration of options involving her patients Dayna and Peggy from Grey’s Anatomy Season 14 Episode 8, “Out of Nowhere,” is all kinds of wonderful.
Jack volunteering to be a sperm donor may elicit the opposite feeling because of the drama it could cause, but that decision is far from set in stone.
It’s evident Carina and Maya need to discuss priorities first because Carina has doubts, but there is no doubt in my mind that Marina will make it through this.
This strain in their relationship feels like it’s headed towards romantic affirmation — rather than an explosive argument or a split.
Their distance and miscommunication mean at some point, both of those things will need to fall away for an open and honest conversation.
When that happens, Maya will surely remind Carina how important she is to her (and vice versa) — regardless of how significant Maya’s career is to her.
Everyone can see how much Carina and Maya love each other, so this potential rift doesn’t ring any warning bells. Instead, those are reserved for Travis and Emmett.
Their relationship keeps falling into ruts, despite the baby steps they take forward. Emmett’s limited screentime this season doesn’t help that any.
“Searching for the Ghost” is about confronting all the big, scary things, and for Travis, that means making a definitive decision about their relationship.
It won’t be easy no matter what he decides. Regardless of his relationship status, Travis will have to unpack his feelings about his father.
As scary as that process may be, Travis won’t be alone. Throughout this episode, Station 19 continuously reminds its characters that they aren’t alone. Sometimes, that reassurance is all you need to take on those scary things.
Stray Thoughts
- It’s always good to have a reminder that Maya is an Olympian.
- Carina teaching Jack how to suture on a banana is too good.
- “You made the ghost house mad, so it ate us” is such a great line.
- Theo mentioning holding a boombox over his head confirms my theory that he loves rom-coms.
- “Thanks, houseboat” made me very emotional.
- Ben asking Dayna and Peggy if they were the ones who got Miranda high is excellent.
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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Shelby Elpers
Shelby is a TV enthusiast and pop culture writer. She's an avid podcast listener, green tea drinker, and soccer fan. Her brand can be summarized in rom-coms, superheroes, teen dramas, and workplace comedies.