Station 19 Season 6 Episode 10 Review: Even Better Than the Real Thing
Things have gone terribly wrong.
Every time it feels like we've reached Beckett's rock bottom before there's no choice but to acknowledge his issues, they surprise us.
However, after the events of Station 19 Season 6 Episode 10, they can't possibly still have him maintaining his job, can they?
Everything about the drills that 19 and 88 were running was run-of-the-mill. The two stations had a blast competing with one another.
It was all fun and trash-talking, friendly rivalry and good times until it wasn't.
Andy was thrilled that they were in this position where they could see what type of leader Beckett probably was before his drinking and the tension he's developed at 19.
And they could see him in his element with station 88, primarily via his relationship with Cooper, who was once his probie.
He's the best captain I ever had!
Cooper
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It was surprising when Cooper, who was a darling character, too likable to only last this single installment before meeting a tragic fate, stated that Beckett was the best captain he ever had.
It's hard to picture the version of Beckett we know is the same one Cooper spoke highly about, but there were glimpses of something when we heard the stories he recalled and saw how he and Beckett interacted.
Once upon a time, Beckett was a decent guy. How did he get to this point?
They didn't confirm anything, but by now, everyone can surmise that he's why the drills went sideways and Cooper is dead.
Of all the ways a person could lose their life, an exercise in preparation for the dangerous parts of the job shouldn't be on the list.
Somewhere in the middle of the challenge, an explosion and fire happened that shouldn't have, and it got scary from there. By the time they got Cooper out of there and examined him, it was apparent he wouldn't make it out of the installment alive.
We discovered that he died offscreen when Warren shared the news with the others, and the tension was high from that point onward.
But no one is as direct about this Beckett situation as Theo, and he doesn't mince words. If he and Beckett came to actual blows, it wouldn't have been a surprise at this point.
The real shock is that it hasn't happened yet, as Theo has been on edge about Beckett for some time now.
He has the unique position of knowing the pitfalls of being a captain and how screwups can cost people their lives or affect a station's morale.
Theo brings all of this firsthand experience. He's been through some of this before. It's taken him years to forgive himself for his own experiences as a captain.
He's been trying to spare anyone from enduring anything similar or worse, but it's like people are either telling him to get a grip or they're flat-out ignoring what he has to say.
How about you tell us what was really in that water bottle? Why don't you tell me why you were eating all those stupid breath mints, huh?
Theo
As the closest to an outsider of the bunch, he has clearer eyes and a more level head when it comes to this, and it's been frustrating that some of the others treat him like he's overstepping somehow.
No way on earth that Beckett and Theo can still coexist in the same house after something like this. Theo doesn't trust Beckett, and you can't work with someone, especially in a job that requires everyone to lay their lives on the line, with someone you can't trust.
The worst-case scenario happened; Beckett's actions directly led to someone's death. And now Cooper's daughter no longer has her father, and his girlfriend he never got the chance to propose to has lost the love of her life.
Beckett just lost his probie, someone, he genuinely cared about, and he knows it's because of his own doing, and he's hitting the alcohol harder.
Beckett is a mess and needs help, and this storyline has gone on for so long that we're well past due for some forward movement for this.
This incident should end Beckett's authority, but we shall see.
In the meantime, Andy is inspired to take charge and do more because she knows their low morale and they can't keep functioning like this.
Eli was great at encouraging her. He has a good read on Andy and seems smitten. He's unable to hide it, either. They didn't wait for their official first date for a kiss.
They're showing more of Eli, enough to suggest he's a good guy. But personally, he and Andy, as a romantic couple, is bland and uninteresting.
He's content with how well Travis is doing in the poll and his ability to resonate with the people whose vote should count for something.
It still doesn't feel like Travis knows what he wants. He hopes to beat Dixon, but he has yet to make a plan beyond that.
However, he's staying all the right things and is passionate about everything he does, so it resonates with people. It's a storyline that has him feeling isolated from everyone else, which hasn't been fun.
If things keep trending this way, you could actually end up being the next mayor of Seattle.
Eli
It's hard to form any attachment or get invested in this storyline for Travis. He has a real chance now of becoming Seattle's newest mayor, and I don't know what to expect from that storyline if it happens.
He wouldn't want to give up firefighting, but why else are we going through all this?
In some ways, one can feel the same about Jack's relationship with his sister.
It had some rocky moments during the hour, with Jack fumbling through what he wanted to represent as a brother. He and Brooke bickered like siblings who had known each other their entire lives.
You know when I was in foster care, I was the one who took care of everyone... I thought I knew what it meant to be an older brother, but I'm not so sure.
Jack
It was nerve-wracking when she came in with her friend, and the more she spoke about how they landed there, the more stressful it was.
Brooke seems like she's drawn to trouble. And everything she tends to do is some reaction to the rest of the family, as she's the outsider.
She has a chip on her shoulder with that, but Jack is someone who can help her in that regard.
They had endearing moments, particularly at the end when they made amends and fist-bumped.
But you know it's only a matter of time before this situation has Jack face-to-face with his birth family, particularly his parents. Everything leading up to that moment is just a chore.
He and Maya were a great team, and she was surprisingly good at giving him advice throughout. The two bonding over being the problem children on their station family was cute.
Maya is genuinely in a much better place, and this is the first time we got to see what that looks like for her at work and outside of her home.
She tried to get back Carina, and seeing her make these gestures was genuinely sweet. She was determined, and she didn't allow the fear to overcome her as they navigate things.
She was successful and did everything under the sun to get Asia up to her and get the ball rolling on those two similar experiences.
Carina: Thanks for coming.
Maya: Thanks for letting me in.
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It's funny how not long ago, it felt like Marina had reached of point of no reconciliation in sight, and it felt as if we had nothing but pain and darkness ahead of us.
It wasn't that long ago when it felt like that. However, Marina is in their best place yet since all of this.
Maya accidentally giving her wife food poisoning in her attempt to make a meaningful dish like lasagna was funny. But it was the type of icebreaker that allowed them to talk over some things.
And by the end of the hour, they were canoodling with each other, on speaking terms, and made such great strides.
I loved that for them.
Their ability to communicate their fears and desires with each other is momentous for the state of their relationship, and it feels like Marina is much stronger coming out of this than they were heading into it. Over to you, Station 19 Fanatics.
Is this finally Beckett's downfall? Has Marina made up for good? Sound off below.
You can watch Station 19 online here via TV Fanatic.