It's hard to point it out, but the end is most definitely in sight.
While Station 19 Season 7 Episode 8 had many enjoyable elements, it unquestionably set things up for the series finale and laid the foundation for what we can expect from some characters.
And Jinny's statement about being one and family at the close of the hour? It felt every bit as much about Station 19 as a series, with a wonderful cast and crew and devoted, passionate fans, as it was about the firehouse.
If most of Station 19 Season 7 coasted by feeling like we were getting episodes but weren't leading up to a grand sendoff, "Ushers of the New World" was a punch in the "feels."
It's the first real-time that we couldn't avoid the fact that, as of now, the end is in sight.
And it made it an emotional hour, not because we were dealing with tough storylines, but because it felt so quintessentially Station 19.
There was a great balance of humor and sensitivity regarding a topical issue such as the plight and mistreatment of refugees.
Sometimes, when a show tries to tackle a hard-hitting current event, it comes in too hot, bludgeoning us over the head with the message instead of trusting that the viewers are smart enough to infer whatever we need from the storyline.
It's not uncommon for a series to lecture you in this effort to get a specific point across, and then, the lesson overruns the actual storyline.
But that wasn't the case here.
The subtlety and soft approach to the refugee storyline made it more impactful.
They allowed the storyline and characters to do the heavy lifting in showing us rather than talking down to us about it, and that's when Station 19 handles these subjects best.
We try to do the best for our sons, and sometimes we make mistakes. Your boy is going to be fine.
Ben
When it comes to a father's actions for his child, mistakes, and passion for ensuring his child's well-being, that's a human experience.
It connects us as humans, no matter the language or country of origin.
It was heartbreaking to learn that the son sustained such a gnarly injury because he was not only caught on razor wire in the water he was crossing but because his father's desperate attempt to free him caused it to tear his skin further.
When you're so caught up in their bond, the nature of the injury, and genuinely leading with compassion and sympathy when watching them, the fact that it speaks on the arduous, tumultuous road that the undocumented take, risking their lives to get here, naturally creeps up on you.
That's a better way of delivering a message, and hopefully, it ensures that the people who need to consider or understand it most receive it better.
It also connected well with what was happening with Ben and Joey.
In that sense, we got the seriousness of the father and son with a healthy dose of humor with Ben and Joey.
Joey is so very Gen-Z. And it was easy to laugh along at his sense of doom and gloom about how royally screwed the world is and how bleak everything is when attempts to save it are mostly futile.
Joey was a MOOD.
We've all been there in some capacity or another. And it led to a great number of amusing moments.
Initially, it seemed that he was a rebellious kid who got a dose of his liberal, free-thinking experience in college and decided to opt out of educational institutions.
On the surface, he appeared like a slightly radicalized college kid.
But then he and Ben talked, and so much clicked into place.
Can you imagine the Imposter Syndrome a kid like Joey experienced in college?
And it's easy to envision the guilt he harbors after ascending into a life of privilege.
But the irony is that Joey's life now shouldn't be one of privilege because most of what we deem as privileges should be basic rights in the first place.
It added more perspective to where Joey's head was out and why he was struggling so much.
Only a short time ago, he was living on the streets.
It is difficult to reconcile where he was compared to his current position in the world, and it was a nice reminder that his journey to acceptance isn't linear or even complete.
But you know what would have made this storyline even better? Jack.
I am struggling deeply with Jack Gibson's absence for most of the season.
It's one thing for him not to be a firefighter anymore. But why haven't we caught a glimpse of that journey?
His experience reflects that of many first responders who are forced out of the job due to health reasons, and it is an important story that is worth telling.
Why didn't they tell it?
However, his absence during this installment involved clinical work and volunteering, and Joey was struggling with something that Jack could've helped him navigate.
He got a mention when they suggested housing these refugees in their homes, but that was it.
Jinny: He has never met your Korean family.
Natasha: You mean the family who hasn't called me in a decade?
How can we have such beautiful and meaningful scenes, like that ceremony where Jinny spoke about them being a family, and one when Jack isn't there?
And we don't even understand why he was benched.
Was it a result of budget cuts? Was it something else?
It's upsetting that with a final season, we don't get to properly explore a character whom we've followed since the beginning.
In an otherwise great hour, Jack's presence was the dark void where some light used to be, and it was difficult to process.
But that aside, we got some forward movement and bits that imply that there's space for happy endings.
We didn't spend much time with Travis Montgomery, but he and Dominic were chatting in the background.
Have they progressed to something more, and it happened offscreen? It would come as no surprise if they did.
And Vic finally had something to celebrate.
Her frustrations with calling donors and begging them to care about people were palpable, and Barrett Doss, as usual, brought the perfect blend of heart and humor to those scenes.
As she vented to Beckett, you could predict the unmuted faux pas before it was announced.
But fortunately for her, it paid off. Literally.
And now she gets to partner up and take Crisis One nationwide!
It's so huge and so significant, and this labor of love, which is little bits of her fallen friend Dean, Jack, and people like Morris, culminates in making the country a better place in the most impactful manner.
It's a great payoff for this program, which has been implemented into the series for quite some time.
Of course, it would mean that she'd have to move to Washington, D.C., and the only thing that could possibly hold her back is Theo.
Vic: They're based in Washington, DC, so I may have to move across the country. That's the first time I'm saying that out loud, wow.
Theo: So what does that mean for us?
Vic: Us?
Theo: The other night...
But it shouldn't; he shouldn't.
Theo is so head over heels for her, and it's great that we are seeing the Theo that we loved best.
But it's no less jarring that he went from being a jerk to the guy we're most accustomed to.
He was so happy for her and then so deflated when he learned that she was all-in on going to Washington, D.C., and hadn't considered him.
But why should she have?
Yes, they had one night together, but was that supposed to mean something more?
How would it have meant something if they hadn't talked?
It's actually jarring that he immediately leaped to their being back together again and got upset that she didn't.
And was he about to pull the same move and bury himself in another girl to distract him from his hurt? If so, it's disappointing.
Ironically, Theo would probably be willing to drop everything and relocate with Vic.
Unfortunately, it's hard to say if that should even happen.
Beckett, on the other hand, would be a great candidate for that.
He could benefit from some change and a fresh start.
He's fantastic with Crisis One and has embodied what it stands for well.
Also, I'm 100% here for the Vic and Beckett Bestie Era that we quietly slipped into, and I will already miss it.
They would be great partners in DC.
While the hour was well-balanced, it also strongly leaned toward centering Natasha Ross, and I loved every second of it.
Merle Dandridge is such a force of nature, and bless the powers-that-be who decided to pair her with another with Yunjin Kim guest-starring.
Jinny was such a messy one. It was absolutely hilarious.
She flew all the way from Korea to tell her favorite sister that she shouldn't marry Sullivan.
It was so deliciously dramatic, and she gave that man the coldest reception ever, picking, prying, throwing shade, and digging up all the dirt about him.
Jinny was such a riot and purely entertaining.
Vic accidentally spilling the beans about how Sullivan was previously married to Andy was such a great comedic moment for all around.
There was a brief moment when she spoke about Claire, Sullivan's previous wife, where it seemed like she said Ross was married to a woman, not him, and that would've been some great tea spilled.
Natasha: So why are you here?
Jinny: I'm here to stop you from marrying Robert and making the biggest mistake.
Natasha's passionate explanation of her relationship with Sullivan and why it means so much to her seems to shut Jinny up.
But that moment made me realize how much Sullivan and Natasha remind me of Grey's Anatomy's Owen and Teddy.
We got sucked into the surface history of Natasha and Jinny, but Dandridge and Kim had such great chemistry that it made you long for more.
Natasha is a fascinating character with so many layers to explore, and they haven't begun to scratch the surface.
She's a proud woman who has walked to the beat of her own drum and done things differently than what was expected of her.
Why did you divorce Robert?
Jinny
It was interesting to hear Jinny lob accusations at Natasha that she wasn't proud of being Korean or in touch with that side of her, or as if she was suppressing that side of her.
It almost sounded like she thought Natasha was doing that for Sullivan's benefit, which was a bit odd but also not unrealistic.
Jinny mostly grew up in Korea and still lives there, and she's visibly seen as such.
Natasha, having a different father, is a proud biracial woman who lives in America, where most of society sees and treats her as a Black woman, but she still wholly embraces her AAPI identity.
They have vastly different lived experiences, and it was interesting that they hinted at that without making it a whole thing.
I loved everything about watching "Laverne and Shirley" interact.
They were true sisters in their fighting and making up.
When Jinny finally came around, it was beautiful, and it was cute how she was impressed by Sullivan physically and because he'd actually been learning Korean.
He's not a man stripping Natasha of anything, but he sees and accepts her.
Speaking of languages, one of the best aspects of the hour was how effortlessly and beautifully they utilized multiple languages.
We live in a multilingual country, yet it's so rare to see a series showcase that in such a way.
They completely nailed how multilingual people easily slip between English and whichever designated language.
The episode beautifully infused culture, making you a bit misty-eyed.
Jinny leading the ceremony at the engagement party triggered the allergies, for sure.
And little moments like having three Latinx characters around to speak Spanish and translate were so huge.
We also had Carina there, an immigrant herself, bonding with a patient (not to mention speaking Spanish), which was great as well.
The issue with her patient was horrific in the sense that surgery all happened without her consent and led to some problems.
Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 have explored women's health issues for the past couple of years.
It tied into some of what she was feeling as well.
We started the hour with her and Maya happy at their appointment together as they took the next steps in having a child of their own.
And they ended up with the fantastic news that Liam would officially be theirs.
There was little doubt about that, but they seemed to get a kick out of throwing an unnecessary complication in there by introducing the idea of Liam's biological father posing a threat, only to dismiss it just as quickly.
Carina, Liam's social worker called. She found his bio dad.
Maya
We didn't need that bit at all.
But with the desired outcome in mind, it's easy enough to pretend that that attempt at drama never even happened.
Marina's dreams are coming true, and thus, their happy ending is in sight. What more could you want?
Other than more Station 19, that is.
Over to you, Station 19 Fanatics. How did you feel about this episode? Did you love Jinny? Are you excited about Liam? Sound off below!
The first part of the two-part series finale will air on ABC on Thursday at 10/9c. You can stream the following day on Hulu.
And fellow TV Fanatic Haley White Whitmire will have you covered for a great review!