Grey’s Anatomy is expected to live on, likely for quite a while, after Station 19 comes to an end following its current season. With the two shows existing within the same universe, many fans have wondered what will happen to the firefighting characters who have been known to show up at Grey Sloan Memorial and whether any of them will make the jump over to the flagship series. One move in Grey’s Anatomy’s March 21 episode makes me think they’re already setting this up to happen.
Station 19 has been one of the more disappointing TV cancellations of 2024 so far, but hopefully some of the characters we’ve become invested in will live on in its sister series. Given that Ben Warren (Jason George) and Carina DeLuca (Stefania Spampinato) both originated on Grey’s Anatomy, they would make the most sense to return, and I think Ben and their daughter Pru guest-starring in the latest episode “Keep Your Family Close” proved those plans are in place.
It’s not unusual to see Jason George show up on Grey’s Anatomy, given that his character is married to Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), and Ben’s appearance with Pru (Janai Kaylani), who they adopted after her father Dean Miller died on Station 19, proved how important their continued presence is. After seeing the way Ben supported Miranda when she began to doubt her teaching methods, there’s just no way that character could simply disappear after this season.
Station 19 has also been highlighting Ben’s medical training in its first couple of episodes, maybe as a way to remind us of where he came from? In the Season 7 premiere, Ben used his knowledge to help his fellow firefighters understand what was happening with Jack Gibson (Grey Damon) after he received a devastating diagnosis. In the March 21 episode “Good Grief,” Ben told Jack that “every time I’ve switched careers, I’ve gotten sharper, happier.” Could this signal that another change is coming?
Even Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Meg Marinis understands how important Ben is to Miranda’s story, and when asked if she planned to bring Jason George back, she told Deadline:
I haven’t read [Station 19’s] last two episodes yet. I know generally where they’re going. What I can tell you is that the Bailey and Ben relationship will continue to cross over. Those two actors love crossing over and it’s very important to them that what they do over here and what they do over there, that it’s one symbiotic thing.
It sounds like we’ll continue to see Ben on the medical side of things for at least the rest of Grey’s Anatomy Season 20, if not beyond. Meg Marinis also confirmed that we’ll “definitely see Carina on Grey’s at one point,” which isn’t surprising, given how often she makes guest appearances. We’ll just have to see if Stefania Spampinato ends up making a more permanent deal in future seasons.
New episodes of Grey’s Anatomy air at 9 p.m. ET Thursdays on ABC, followed by Station 19 at 10 p.m. ET. Both series are also available to stream in their entirety with a Hulu subscription.
