Station 19 stands as one of the relatively few major network dramas that managed to wrap filming and air a completed season in spring 2020. The Station 19 Season 3 finale ended on more than one cliffhanger to leave fans speculating, and things weren't looking too great for newlyweds Andy and Sullivan. The second half of Season 3 made some dramatic (and arguably premature) moves with the couple, and the finale seemed to set the stage for more of a downward spiral for their relationship. Now, based on comments from showrunner Krista Vernoff, the future isn't necessarily too bleak for Andy and Sullivan.
While Station 19 hasn't yet received a premiere date for its fourth season on ABC, showrunner Krista Vernoff shared some of what's in store for the characters, including Andy and Sullivan. She confirmed to TVLine that although Station 19 "gets hit with a pandemic," the pandemic twist is actually "ironic because we still have a lighter season planned." Considering Station 19 killed off a couple of the people who were the closest to Andy, a lighter season can only be a good thing for her. Vernoff elaborated on some lightness ahead despite a pandemic plot:
there was some real darkness last season — so much death. This season, the team pulls together and finds a lot of joy despite the heaviness of the world.
Krista Vernoff's comments don't indicate that life will be easy for Andy and Co. when Station 19 returns for Season 4; after all, the whole premise of the show relies on emergencies in the Seattle area (and at the local hospital). That said, fans can apparently count on more than just the darker elements of the finale driving the action of Season 4.
The third season finale ended with Sullivan alone in the hospital, reeling in pain from his surgery with his wife nowhere to be seen. Of course, Andy was dealing with a personal bombshell thanks to the reveal that her mom has actually been alive all this time, but Andy leaving Sullivan at the hospital was far from the first issue between them following their secret marriage.
Throw in Andy's struggles with the deaths of her dad and Ryan and combine them with Sullivan's drug problem and the possible repercussions of his surgery, and I for one thought that their marriage might fall apart in Season 4 as quickly as it came together in Season 3. I certainly had my issues with it, particularly with how Sullivan revealed it to their friends and coworkers.
Fortunately for fans who want them to be happy, healthy, and open with each other, Krista Vernoff did drop some encouraging comments, even if she didn't come out and guarantee smoothing sailing for Andy and Sullivan. Vernoff said:
They’ve both been through a hell of a lot. But I’m rooting for them.
Does this mean that Andy and Sullivan fans are in for nothing but sunshine and happiness in Season 4? Definitely not, but I would say that it bodes well for the showrunner to be rooting for them! I do wonder if their stories in Season 3 would have ended differently Station 19's Season 3 finale was followed by Grey's Anatomy's Season 16 finale, as intended. While Station 19 managed to finish filming its third season, Grey's Anatomy was still several episodes shy of its finale when production had to shut down, which meant the crossover that was intended to end Station 19 and Grey's Anatomy's seasons couldn't happen.
Fans can only speculate for now. Station 19 is intended to premiere Season 4 at some point this fall, and Grey's Anatomy has already restarted production, but there is no news on Station 19. Neither Station 19 nor Grey's Anatomy were on the list of premiere dates that ABC recently released. You can find the third season of Station 19 streaming on Hulu now, and check out our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule for more upcoming viewing options.
