Critic Reviews

Station 19 offers a distinctly Shondaland twist on the fire station drama, without resorting to the gimmicks of “Scandal,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” or the latest attempt “For the People.” The new drama dials down the heightened emotions and quicksilver banter that are hallmarks of the Rhimes brand for a sturdier, subtler story. ... A cut above the competition.

Showrunner Stacy McKee and co-executive producers Rhimes and Betsy Beers know exactly what they want this series to be from moment to moment.

The workaholic-rom-com notes feel too familiar, but it's worth watching just for Hamilton's Okieriete Onaodowan, who flirts with women by rescuing their cute dogs. [16/23 March 2018, p.104]

Like other Rhimes productions, the show is very much a work of capital-T Television, a turbocharged melodrama in which twists and surprises transpire with comforting predictability. ... At the same time, Rhimes' series feel "real," and relatable, however absurd they may become, because they are packed with intense emotions.

19 feels exactly like a Shondaland show, but far more like a crossover than a spinoff. There’s perhaps a bigger problem: NBC’s “Chicago Fire” already does this show and does it well.

It’s true that Station 19 needs to find a way to make its rescues more interesting, but making its cast more intriguing might be even more vital for the show’s survival.

Some of the supporting characters, including Victoria Hughes (Barrett Doss) and Dean Miller (Okieriete Onaodowan), make decent first impressions. But the whole enterprise feels so similar to “Grey’s”--co-workers as family, love triangle, heroics on the job--as to be unessential, which programming in the Peak TV era cannot afford to be.

Viewers should feel much more comfortable on this saucier side of Shondaland, where workplace sex and relationships continue unabated by either human-resources departments or social-awareness movements. The strongest feeling from these shows is a stultifying sense of been-there, done-that.

Station is more a cheap facsimile of what made Grey's tick than a successful spinoff. It tries to ignite something new for the Grey's world, but just ends up flaming out.

Cringy dialogue. ... The premiere features cameos by Grey’s stars Ellen Pompeo and Chandra Wilson, both of whom look as though someone is holding a pistol at their heads just off-camera.