The first step toward change is becoming aware of the issues at hand, understanding what we can and should do, and finding the beauty in setting up for new beginnings. "Ushers of the New World" not only showcases how Station 19 is creating new realities for all our favorite characters as we prepare for its two-part finale, but it also provides much-needed space for stories about how change impacts families of all kinds and circumstances.
This episode of Station 19 illustrates change through several storylines: exciting but daunting new opportunities for Vic, the waiting game of expanding families with Maya and Carina, Ross reconciling old wounds with her sister ahead of her wedding with Sullivan, and the importance of welcoming migrants and their stories of resilience. While “Ushers of the New World” could have quickly fallen into the trap of feeling like too much in too little time, the pacing and the contained placement of the majority of the storylines within the station's clinic help it stay on par as one of the best-paced episodes of this season. It joins "Trouble Man," which also effectively balanced setting up several story arcs without losing sight of its ensemble cast.
Another shared thread with “Trouble Man” is the delight of a directorial debut, this time from Letia Solomon, with the episode written by Shernold Edwards and Beresford Bennett. Together, they usher in a story that feels quintessentially Station 19, where the strongest moments rely not on fiery action but on impactful (and sometimes humorous) dialogue and the clear emotional resilience of its characters.
Putting Out the Same Fires…
"Ushers of the New World" may not feature any actual fire action, but it does portray the team fighting a symbolic fire that the series has become known for over the years: addressing society's treatment of marginalized groups within their community. In this episode, the station welcomes a large group of migrants bussed in from Texas as a political PR stunt, likely orchestrated by Mayor Osman. However, the team doesn't engage in their community efforts simply for PR—they prepare their clinic for the day, treating every patient with the highest regard and respect in order to genuinely support them, making even the little time they share a bit better.
The episode features a flurry of activity in the station, including a protective Maya begging Carina to take it easy for the day after their IVF appointment, a furious Ben dragging his son, Joey, to the station to help in the clinic, and our favorite besties Vic and Travis gushing over his latest date with Dominic and Vic's need to call up potential sponsors for the Crisis One initiative.
Interestingly, a good portion of this episode is connected through Joey's doom and gloom mood interwoven in key moments with our characters. Joey is "voluntold" to help at the clinic after Ben discovers that his son has dropped out of his pre-med program. He interacts with almost every character throughout the episode, including a brief moment with Andy, where he laments that the station's clinic, while well-intentioned, is simply a "bandaid to America's healthcare system." While he's not wrong, it's hard to sympathize with him when he seems to be catastrophizing every effort to include him at the station. Andy corrects him and reiterates that this isn't just any clinic day—it's a day where they're helping new migrants gain access to needed health care as they await their next steps and the trials of living in America.
As Ben suggested, he wants everyone at the station to utilize Joey where needed. So, Maya brings him over to their clinic stall as they await their patients. While waiting, Maya seeks Joey’s perspective on joining a family like Ben and Miranda's and the dynamic between him and Tuck as he entered their family at an older age. It's great to see Maya continue to learn about the perspectives of adoptees and the different ways families have formed as she prepares to expand her and Carina's family with IVF and foster-to-adopt with Liam. However, Joey's "the world's on fire" perspective brings the moment between the two to a halt (much to Maya's relief) as Andy brings over a young boy, Rafael, and his father, Luis, to treat in their stall.
Andy stays with Joey and Maya as she helps translate for the family to best serve them while they examine Rafael's injured leg. Rafael cut his leg on barbed razor wire while crossing over the Texas border through the Rio Grande River. The leg is clearly infected and needs to be treated by a doctor. As Joey and Ben search for supplies to continue treating Rafael, we learn what led to Joey dropping out of pre-med. He’s dealing with an influx of emotions, feeling like the "world is burning," and struggles to see the point in trying to fix things when there's always something else about to go wrong. While we could shrug it off as Joey simply learning how unfortunate the world is right now—we've all felt it in one form or another—we must remember that Joey is in a unique position. Not long ago, he was struggling on the streets, only to be taken in by a family like Ben and Miranda's, where there's love, financial stability, and ongoing support—something he's never taken for granted. Still, we can also understand why he might feel out of place. He describes his classmates as rich kids or kids in enormous debt, and he struggles with how he fits into that scenario when he's one of the fortunate ones now.
The good thing about having someone like Ben in his life is that he helps Joey shift his perspective. Ben reminds Joey that they can't fix the world's problems without first addressing the ones they can solve, like helping treat patients, even if it's as simple as cleaning a wound and offering words of support. He reassures Joey that it's okay for him to thrive, as long as he channels his success into helping others, like Rafael and Luis. As Ben returns to treating Rafael's leg, we learn that the father blames himself for his son's injury. While they were crossing the river, he realized his son was stuck but not the extent of the injury. In his urgency to just get the two of them to the other side safely, he dragged his son through the water, deepening the cut. Ben and Andy reassure the father that he's a good parent, he was simply just scared while trying to provide a better future for his son. Rafael's injury, though not severe, provides a glimpse into the harsh realities that the U.S. often imposes on migrants seeking a better life. These people, already filled with fear and uncertainty, leave behind their lives, families, and everything they know to pursue a better future. Their courage and resilience in the face of such challenges are genuinely admirable, yet the U.S. system unnecessarily complicates their journey.
On the other side of the clinic, our favorite OB, Carina, meets with Beatriz, a young Venezuelan woman experiencing cramping pains and in need of an examination. What initially seems like a routine check-up to discover the cause of her cramping quickly reveals the all-too-common horrors that women can potentially face on their journeys to the U.S. Beatriz is bleeding, and as she tells Carina, it’s not her usual time of the month. The examination uncovers some of the mistreatment and carelessness that women can face at the hands of people in detention centers.
Carina's care and respect for Beatriz extend to her acknowledgment that, during journeys like Beatriz's, women can face violence and assault, unexpected pregnancies, and dismissal of their pain. While Beatriz confirms it is nothing like that in her case, she does note that two months ago, while she was being held in detention, she experienced bleeding and was concerned. She asked to see one of the detention center's doctors. To Carina's horror, the treatment she received was a nonconsensual medical procedure from a doctor who was too busy to properly sit down and discuss what was going on with her.
Through the examination, we learn that the procedure performed by the detention center's doctor was a hysteroscopic resection, which removes fibroids inside the uterus. Carina tells Beatriz that, while it is a relatively standard and safe procedure, the previous doctor's carelessness caused scarring and left debris in her uterus. Beatriz needs to be examined more closely, which Carina offers to do in her office at the hospital.
One of the crucial moments of this entire encounter is that from the start of the examination, Carina asks Beatriz for her consent at each step, even ensuring that she knows they can communicate in her preferred language. This is significant in any case, but it is especially mindful that we see it consistently from Carina. She has always emphasized that consent is an ongoing negotiation and not just limited to physical intimacy, especially within her line of work as an OBGYN, where she deals intimately with women's bodies in general wellness checks, childbirths, and even sexual assault examinations. Carina helps women regain their agency and wants to ensure Beatriz does, too. And that she knows her rights.
While some of the doctors and firefighters are dealing with clinic cases, elsewhere at the station, Beckett, Sullivan, and Travis are providing sustenance to the people. Even Theo and Dominic stop by with refreshments, though both also want to see Vic and Travis.
An eager Theo seeks to reconnect with Vic after their latest tryst. However, Andy warns him not to bother Vic, as she's handling fundraising calls with potential sponsors for Crisis One. Instead, he joins Andy in preparing care packages and coordinating sleeping arrangements for all the migrants. They also take the opportunity to impress upon Joey the importance of making even the slightest difference in people's lives by simply showing up and getting to work, even if it feels like they're fighting the same fires every week. Their actions may not save the whole world, but they’ll save the world of the person they helped, at least for that day.
Vic, however, is looking to fight new fires, figuratively speaking, as she spends her day in the station's office talking with potential donors for Crisis One. During what seems to be her 100th call of the day, Beckett stops to check on her and see if she also needs any sustenance. It's during this break that she vents to him about how she wishes she could be down in the clinic, helping and doing actual work, rather than spending her time trying to convince others to care about the important services that Crisis One provides to the community. Who would've thought getting support for basic human rights and needs would be hard? To Vic's horror, though, as she returns to her call with the most recent prospective donor, she realizes she never put them on mute. The donor's team heard her entire rant. She hangs up before she can say much more. Still, things are going in Vic's favor right now. And when she calls them back to apologize, we learn that her rant actually impressed them.. They're interested in partnering with Crisis One to make it a national program. Change is coming, indeed.
Laverne and Shirley…
While the station is attending to the influx of migrants in the clinic, Chief Ross is starting her day with a packed to-do list, including finalizations on her engagement party with Sullivan.
However, one unexpected task on her agenda is a surprise visit from her older sister, Jinny (Yunjin Kim), who flew in from Korea. We rarely see Ross unsettled, but Jinny's arrival seems to have achieved it. The timing couldn’t be worse, and her reason for visiting isn’t any better. When pressed about why Jinny came all this way to Seattle, she reveals she's here to stop Ross from making the biggest mistake of her life: marrying Sullivan.
Despite Ross' busy day, Jinny insists on driving around town with her sister, eventually leading them to Station 19 for a brief - albeit comedic - sequence of events. Upon their arrival, Beckett stumbles over his words when meeting Jinny, prompting Ross to quickly intervene. (Who knew Beckett had it in him!) Sullivan receives a frosty reception from Jinny as he tries to greet her and thank her for coming to support them. And, oh yeah, Vic accidentally lets it slip that Sullivan was previously married to their captain, Andy, making Jinny's perspective on Sullivan even worse. We see Jinny take a mental note of this information for later use, although she doesn't need to, as Andy soon enters the beanery. Lacking tact, she wastes no time asking Andy why she divorced Sullivan. It's a comedy of errors. And one that Ross is quick to put a stop to as soon as she realizes what’s happening.
Family drama is inevitable, especially when it's leading up to weddings. But Jinny seems determined to go to great lengths to prevent the wedding altogether, even if it includes dredging up painful memories for Ross. Jinny even goes so far as to point out that Ross has always been waiting for Sullivan - or how she refers to him, “someone else’s man”. She remarks that Ross was waiting for him when he was with Claire and would still be waiting for him if his wife hadn't died. Jinny then makes a cutting assumption, suggesting that with Andy in the not-so-distant past, Ross ended up being his "sloppy thirds." Ouch.
We get it; there will always be a protective side of siblings. But when trying to control someone else's feelings and how they live their life, there needs to be a line drawn. Ross has enough after hearing that last remark from her sister. She stands up for herself and the love she's found with Sullivan. It's a love so big that, yes, it took them years for them to figure it out, but she knows she loves who she is with him because he loves her the way she needs. He never makes her feel small, a promise Sullivan even reiterated during his proposal in "My Way." And they fit together now. Can't her big sister see that? Can't she be happy for her? Apparently not. Natasha clearly doesn’t need her then, Jinny snaps as she makes her way to leave. And she walks out of Ross’ office.
We’re Not Built for Waiting…
Maya and Carina's journey to parenthood has consisted of ups and downs and so much waiting. It’s been a lengthy journey, as it often is for queer families, involving many trials and roadblocks. These two wives have certainly had their fair share of them. But they found their way back to each other. We're finally starting to see them build this part of their life together..
Even in its shortened season, Station 19 has tried its best to balance the long-awaited desire to see them as parents, aided by their fast-tracking of fostering baby Liam while also showing the processes of IVF. It hasn't always been perfect. We wish we could have had more time, and we've inevitably missed out on many of their important moments that we would’ve seen in additional episodes or seasons. It feels like as soon as we finally get to this point, after three full seasons of discussions, we’re having to start to say goodbye.
Despite knowing what more we could’ve had with additional time, we always want to appreciate the important moments we are getting this season. In this episode, it feels incredibly rewarding to see Maya and Carina go through the embryo transfer process as they work to make their expanded family a reality, hand in hand. We get to experience their joy and their gazes of wonderment at their potential baby being created and cared for within Carina.
This moment is groundbreaking. And the fact that it's the first scene of the episode makes sure it's front and center and even more impactful. A WLW couple celebrating and experiencing the process of reciprocal IVF? It's never been shown on network TV before, and it further illustrates the importance of all kinds of representation and how queer couples can expand their families.
While some might have preferred actual dialogue - and believe us, we have thoughts on the number of wordless montages Maya and Carina have experienced this season - in this instance, it strengthens the intimacy of the moment. We know that Maya and Carina have been waiting for this for years. Carina is already well familiar with all the technical terms and processes and has likely gone over them with a clipboard-wielding Maya. More importantly, we're seeing a full-circle moment of their desire to have each other fully in this moment, together.
Just last season, Carina expressed her desire for this exact moment, but with her wife by her side: "I want my wife to be here with me. I want her to be committed and involved. I don't want to do this alone." Last season, they experienced so many failed inseminations and heartaches. This season, it’s about starting anew. And now, they’re both committed to this process. They’re 100% involved; a little piece of Maya is physically inside of Carina. There is life for a “bringer of life” to actually bring into their lives.
As we mentioned, the journey for Maya and Carina hasn’t been easy. While they celebrated early on in the episode after their IVF procedure, reality hits hard when Liam’s social worker calls mid-shift and informs them that his biological father has been contacted. Maya has to deliver the news to Carina, and we can feel the energy shift. There's an unknown factor here that could potentially take Liam away from their home. It’s one of Carina’s greatest fears, as she confided in Maya during their game of Truth or Scare in “Trouble Man.” The reality is that all they can do now is wait. Wait to find out if Liam gets to stay in their lives. Wait to see if the IVF process worked. It’s a waiting game, and it's not something either of them is good at handling.
The good news is that Station 19 doesn’t leave them waiting for very long. A few scenes later at Sullivan and Ross’ engagement party, we learn that they met with Liam’s biological dad. And while he wants to be in Liam’s life, he doesn’t want to seek custody. Cue a celebration and sigh of relief. There’s only so much waiting these two could handle.
While at first, viewers might question why a mention of a biological dad was even necessary to bring this short-lived storyline into their lives, we believe it’s very important for one reason: it clears a path for adoption.
Private adoption is already a complex process, but when it comes to foster care adoption, it adds an even more complicated layer. The foster care system’s first priority is family preservation—to reunite families. In Liam’s case, his biological dad didn’t know about him, so they were obligated to find him to see if reunification was possible. As it turns out from their meeting, he does want to know Liam, but he doesn’t want to assume custody. That realization allows viewers to understand that Maya and Carina’s path to becoming his legal parents is now an actual reality. The truth is that we won’t have enough time to see the full process of adoption or IVF, and while that’s disheartening, what we learn through this quick storyline is that Maya and Carina’s future with Liam is finally secure. It shows another meaningful way that queer couples can create their families, now with less waiting for all involved.
A Team. A Family.
As the episode winds down, our characters gather for Ross and Sullivan's engagement party. It's a fun affair held on top of the Space Needle, a playful nod to its 100th-episode rescue. However, not everyone is in a party mood - particularly Ross, who is saddened by how she and Jinny left things the previous day. She reminisces with Sullivan about how devastated she was each time Jinny left when she was younger. This time, though, it feels particularly bittersweet, as it feels like a loss in reconnecting with her sister.
The good thing is that Jinny wised up and realized she was projecting her own relationship woes onto her little sister, so she shows up just in time to apologize and help turn the night around for Ross.
She also gets a chance to celebrate and welcome Sullivan into the family with a Korean cup ceremony, Hapgenunrye, traditionally held during weddings. Jinny explains that the ceremony represents "two lives becoming one... a team. A family. Like all of you." As the camera pans out to a wider shot, we see the entire team celebrating Ross and Sullivan. While it's a celebration for the couple, it also symbolizes the larger team and station family coming together as a new era, a new world, is about to begin.
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Season 7, Episode 8 "Ushers of the New World"
Director: Letia Solomon Shernold Edwards and Beresford Bennett
Writer: Shernold Edwards, Beresford Bennett
Original Airdate: May 16, 2024
Words: Mariana Weber (she/her)
Watch Season 7 of Station 19 on Thursdays at 10/9 central and the next day on Hulu or the ABC App.
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