Grey’s Anatomy spinoff firefighting drama Station 19 has returned, with several side cast members (Merle Dandridge, Josh Randall, and Pat Healy) being promoted to full-time cast and fan favorites surviving the tornado that devastated the show’s version of Seattle.
With a new season coming out, the fans have taken to online forums to rehash their issues with the show, even if they are alone in their opinions. Being based in the same world as Grey’s Anatomy, the show has stiff competition when meeting fans’ expectations, but the show has been regarded as one of ABC’s best shows.
Changes In Showrunners – 25 Upvotes
Whenever a showrunner is replaced, there are bound to be changes in the creative vision that may not sit well with long-term fans (such is the case with Station 19). With Krista Vernoff taking over for Stacey McKee, most fans enjoyed the changes because it has more elements that they like from Grey’s Anatomy, but some felt it made the shows too similar. Redditor coolbluetj said, “Station 19 best seasons were before KV became showrunner and injected GA flavor into the show.”
This opinion is unpopular because many of the best episodes of Station 19 came after season two when Vernoff took over creative control. With Grey’s Anatomy being one of ABC’s longest-running and most successful series, it is unsurprising that the network would want to inject elements from the main series into the spin-off to keep fans engaged.
Theo Not Being A Favorite – 21 Upvotes
Fan response to Theo Ruiz was optimistic as he was promoted from a recurring character to the main cast. The build-up to his relationship and the hardships he goes through on the show have proven to be plots that fans wanted to be invested in and helped make him a likable character, except for Redditor lapuppydogcats, who said, “I can’t stand Theo.”
Theo is similar to the most popular characters in Grey’s universe as he overcomes struggles and is focused on improving his career even after going through life-changing events. He is also seen as a good friend to his fellow firefighters, especially Andy, who he defends against rude comments from their coworkers. Theo is written to be a likable character which is why viewers not liking him is unpopular.
Carina Shouldn’t Have Taken Maya Back – 36 Upvotes
Carina and Maya are one of the most popular couples on Station 19, with Maya coming from Grey’s Anatomy as a side character who fans wanted as a main cast member. Through their ups and downs, fans have connected to the characters and enjoyed their fluffy, more domestic moments that don’t involve drama. However, Redditor lkjhggfd1 thought the recent developments in their relationship was too hasty, saying, “Carina should’ve never taken back Maya after she cheated.”
While their reunion was fast, in true Shondaland fashion, the couples cheating issue was resolved with a sincere apology. With their big plans for the future, like having a child together, the reunion redirected their characters’ path to the storyline fans enjoyed from their getting together in the first place.
Jack Gets Too Much Hate – 12 Upvotes
When a character is involved in a cheating situation on a show, they instantly seem less likable to the audience since infidelity is unforgivable for most people. Jack is no exception to those feelings. When he became involved with Eva while she was still married in season 3, fans started looking at his character differently, even though he started as a fan favorite for his charming personality.
Even though his storyline has changed, he still receives hate which some Redditors disagree with; Redditor lkjhggfd1said, “I feel like if Jack breathes wrong, they jump on him or if he reacts differently they will attack… They lack empathy for him…” Jack has a lot of rebuilding to do with the fans, and the second episode of season six highlights the struggles he will face this season that could make fans gain empathy.
Chief Ross – 3 Upvotes
Captain Ross coming in and replacing the former corrupt leadership was a spark of hope to many fans, who saw Ross as someone who was invested in her firefighters more than her own personal gains like the previous leadership. Still, Redditor Oncer93 disagreed, saying, “Chief Ross is just as corrupt as Dixon and McAllister, but just hides it better…”
As some Redditors pointed out, this opinion doesn’t align with most viewers because there is no evidence of Ross being selfish or corrupting the fire service further. Maya was in the wrong in season 5 but didn’t see herself that way; the new chief could have fired her but upheld her demotion as a show of good faith. As she explains to Maya, the chain of command is something that can’t be broken, and Maya did that, and now she has to face the consequences of her actions, which do not serve Ross in any way.
Jack And Maya Had A Better Relationship – 8 Upvotes
With the love of Carina and Maya as a couple, Redditor ShadowCat3500 saying,” Maya & Jack > Maya & Carina. I’ll see myself out…” ruffled many fans’ feathers as the couple was not well received when they had a fling that involved Maya cheating.
Most of the dislike for this couple comes from how Maya treated Jack and how she continually mistreats partners as she did with Carina before apologizing for her actions. The element of sneaking around made some viewers see their relationship as fun and spontaneous since there was a danger of getting caught present, but most saw it as reckless and a knock to Herrera, who is popular with the fans.
Carina Should Have Stayed on Grey’s Anatomy – 30 Upvotes
Many of the cast of Station 19 have been in other movies and tv shows, like Carina DeLuca, who was a character on Grey’s Anatomy before jumping to being on Station 19 more often. While this move made sense to most viewers, not everyone was happy with the change in shows like Redditor Frauenquote, who said, “Stefania (who plays Carina) shouldn’t have become a Station 19 regular.”
This became unpopular since some fans only watch one of the shows, and there aren’t enough crossover episodes to keep up with the couple if they don’t share a series. Keeping them on the same show strengthens their storyline, and more fans can fall in love with the couple.
It’s Better Than Grey’s Anatomy – 9 Upvotes
Even though some Redditors are completely done with the television show that proceeded Station 19, Grey’s Anatomy is still seen as the better of the two series, mainly because the show has run for so long that viewers have deep attachments to the characters and can’t see themselves caring about another cast as much as they do with Grey’s. But still, a few Redditors, like joshualucas, say, “Station 19> Grey’s anatomy.”
With Station 19 taking place in the Grey’s universe, it is hard to compare the two because Station 19 wouldn’t exist without Grey’s Anatomy and is still new compared to the other show (meaning fewer botched storylines and loss of popular characters), which have been big criticisms for Grey’s in recent years.
Chicago Fire Is Better – 2 Upvotes
NBC’s firefighter-centered show Chicago Fire has just as strong a fan base as Station 19, and while the main topics of the show focus on firehouses, the shows are hard to compare, but Redditor janesyouraunt said, “I don’t like S19, as a Chicago fire fan it feels like a low-grade rip-off…”
Even though the shows focus on similar topics, the style of writing for each show is different, with Chicago Fire focusing on what happens in the firehouse, the calls they go on, and how they affect the firefighters in their daily lives, where Station 19 does place focus on call but is more centered in the on the personal lives of the firefighters. The differences in focus allow the shows to stand independently and create a clear distinction that most fans notice.
Maya Isn’t A Good Character – 1 Upvote
Maya is seen as a popular character because of the drama she brings to the show and her relationship with Carina, but Redditor K_spady said, “in my opinion, Maya is only popular because of Carina; without her and before her storylines sucked, she was rude, and she ruined friendships…”
Even though she has made poor decisions, Maya is popular because she isn’t a flawless character and makes mistakes. Her humanity makes it easy for viewers to connect with her and sympathize with her feelings as she deals with the consequences of her actions.
