As if fans of Grey's Anatomy and its sister series Station 19 didn't have enough drama to worry about from the two series standalone episodes, ABC has announced that audiences can invest in the next big crossover event this spring. The two brand new episodes airing on Thursday, May 2, will serve as the next medical-fire mash-up, and it sounds like they're sidestepping romantic plots to put someone's life in danger.
Let's break things apart by going over the two episodes' loglines.
Grey's Anatomy
Per usual, the evening will start off with an episode of the long-running medical drama, which will be titled "What I Did for Love." In it, one of Station 19's dedicated firefighters is being treated in Grey Sloan, with Maggie as the surgeon handling the issue. Obviously, it's not laid out exactly what's wrong with the Station 19 character, nor who it will be. Guest stars for the episode include Jaina Lee Ortiz as Andy, Jason George as Ben, Boris Kodjoe as Robert, and Brett Tucker as Ripley.
The first look at the crossover, seen below, seemingly indicates that Andy and Ben aren't the ones needing medical assistance, so one can gather that it must be either Robert or Ripley.
The episode, which was written by Mark Driscoll and directed by star Jesse Williams (for his second outing), will also feature Jo learning "a hard lesson." I dare say Jo has learned more than enough hard things this season, but this possibly has something to do with the issues she and Alex will be dealing with in the aftermath of her big discovery. Unless those have already been addressed by the time the episode hits, of course.
As well, Meredith is going to potentially put her career in jeopardy for a patient. While working with a family who is seeking asylum, Meredith chooses to make a decision that could put destroy everything she's worked for over the years. Granted, I don't think anyone really needs to worry about Meredith losing her job. But whatever she does could have meaningful reverberations.
Station 19
Once Grey's Anatomy wraps, Station 19 will start up its installment, titled "Always Ready." This episode sounds far more in tune with the crossover element, too, as it avoids mentioning any additional plotlines beyond the main one.
Written by Tia Napolitano and directed by Nicole Rubio, "Always Ready" will focus on the aftermath of a deadly blaze that rocks a coffee beanery. As such, the Station 19 crew is put on high alert whenever one of the team ends up at Grey Sloan. They seem to be amping up the dramatic potential here, saying the future is left uncertain "in the face of a life-threatening situation."
Those are mighty dramatic words to be using here, and it might just be time for fans to start worrying. Even if it's not exactly clear who we should be worrying about the most.
As far as the guest stars go, Jake Borelli's Levi Schmitt and Kelly McCreary's Maggie Pierce will be the ones showing up on Station 19. Brett Tucker is again listed as a guest star for the ep, even though he's technically a recurring actor this season.
Crossover Success
While the events of the episode may be steeped in mystery, it's no big enigma why ABC wanted another Grey's Anatomy crossover with Station 19. Both shows are the respective winners in their time slots for demo ratings with audiences aged 18-49.
What's more, the last time the two shows featured a big crossover event, it was a huge success for the network. It came back on October 11, 2018, and it helped propel Station 19 to new series highs for both total viewership (6.54 million) and for the 18-49 demo rating (1.5), which remain the show's marquee stats. The series also maintained its most complete lead-in audience from Grey's, with 87% of the initial viewership sticking around to see what happened.
What do you guys think will happen in the next crossover episode? Will someone meet their maker, or will everyone escape the madness with their lives intact?
Grey's Anatomy airs Thursday nights on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET, with Station 19 following it at 9:00 p.m. ET. Don't forget that the crossover episode will debut on ABC on May 2.
