Trouble Man is the fourth episode of the seventh season and the 99th overall episode of Station 19.
Short Summary[]
The Station 19 team faces a grueling 24-hour shift that threatens to split them apart. Andy must make an impossible decision, and Maya and Carina navigate new parenthood.
Full Summary[]
Ross calls for an update. Oliver tries to get back inside his father's diner. From inside, Beckett asks if they have an ETA on backup. Ross asks again for an update from Andy.
21 Hours Earlier...
9:09 AM
The team parks the trucks in the barn. Andy tells them they did great work and compliments Beckett on a great first day back. He's glad to be back. Travis notices Ben holding his back and asks him about it. Ben insists he's fine, but Travis knows he isn't. Nearby, Vic tells Theo to stop apologizing about Kate, because she doesn't care that they hooked up. Theo corrects that it was just a kiss. This is news to the rest of the team. Andy tells them all to get back to work. It's a full moon. Kate says maybe it'll be a quiet one, causing the rest of them to groan. Andy tells them to buckle up.
Beckett reads a quote from an article about Vic and Crisis One. He's disturbed by her demure reaction. Travis comes in and Beckett takes the cue to leave. Travis is upset that Vic didn't tell him about Kate and Theo because he considers it his job to judge people unfairly on her behalf. Vic still doesn't react, so he asks for more details. She just tells him she's fine and leaves.
Maya is baby proofing when Carina tells her they're out of diapers. Maya says she ordered bamboo diapers and they're somewhere in the room. Carina reminds Maya that Liam won't be mobile for months, so what he needs right now is for Maya to get him a diaper. Maya can't stop thinking about calls she's been on, but she cuts open the box of diapers.
Sullivan meets Ross in the hallway with coffee. She tells him not to propose and he says he won't do it every time he sees her. She's getting so many calls that she can't get back to her office, so she's setting up command at station 19. Andy comes to see Ross, who called for her. Sullivan offers Ross one of the coffees, hiding the one that says, "Marry me?" behind his back.
Andy is shocked by the high call volume in the department's service area. Ross tells her the whole department is stretched thin, so she'll need to be smart with her resources. She also reminds Andy that she represents the department, which Andy knows. Ross asks her about the video of her antagonizing the protesters. Andy says those people came looking for trouble and she'll never not defend her team and their families. Ross says she has one foot in the office and one in the locker room and she needs to make that transition. Ross then says that budget cuts are coming and layoffs are imminent. She has to cut 10% from the annual budget. Andy says after losing Jack, she's not willing to lose anyone else. Ross says it's serious and it's happening fast, so if she wants to try for a miracle, she needs to do it quickly. Andy leaves when Station 19 is called out.
11:55 AM
Station 19 returns from the sewage treatment plant. They're all gagging over the smell, especially Theo, who had to call through a sewage pipe. Andy calls for a line up. She says she'll be giving them all tasks for an audit to be completed before the end of their shift. As they disperse, Theo asks Sullivan if that lineup was off. Sullivan says it's because they don't have Andy to rally them after it.
Vic is sitting quietly in the locker room. Beckett and Ben come in, talking about past busy shifts. As they talk, Engine 19 gets called out. Ben talks about past full moon shifts at the hospital. He asks Vic what his weirdest day on shift was and she says it's all a blur. Beckett admits that he's not bouncing back like he used to. Ben understands that, but there's value in their wisdom. Vic suddenly walks out.
Travis goes to Andy and tells her that Ben has been struggling to keep on calls, which Travis thinks is because of his back. Andy appreciates it, but Ben was cleared for duty, so Travis needs to work on the audit. Vic comes in and asks Andy if they're auditing for budget issues, because she hasn't heard anything about the naloxone initiative she's trying to get off the ground. Andy says there's a lot of red tape. She just needs Vic to do her part and finish her inventory. Crisis One gets called out to a bridge. Vic tells Wiggins to bring a harness because it might be a jumper.
Theo gives Beckett back his axe. Beckett says he gave it to Theo, but Theo says he was just holding it for him. He welcomes Beckett back and says if he needs anything, he can talk to Theo.
Theo enters the bunk room and finds Kate, who is hiding from Andy. Kate propositions him. He brushes her off, to her frustration. He takes things so seriously. He should be more like her. She loves her life. She's just a floating sub for the department, which allows her to work for a private firefighting company. Theo thinks those are a joke, but she says this one is new and it's paying a lot of money for experienced firefighters and EMTs. She wants him to check it out. Theo says he likes where is now. He belongs with 19. Kate thinks that he really means Vic and wishes him good luck.
Sullivan thinks there must be more going on for Andy to call for an audit on such a busy day. Travis says the captain's chair has a way of making everyone a jerk. He then realizes what he said and theorizes that Sullivan and Beckett were both jerks before being named captain. Sullivan and Beckett both agree that it's a hard job. The pressure gets to you. Andy comes in and sends them to work on the audit. Before they can go, they get called out again.
Carina is cooking when Maya peeks her head into the kitchen and says she can't believe Liam went down so easily. Just then, he starts crying again. She goes to get him, but Carina stops her, telling Maya to give him a minute first, so he can learn to self-soothe. Maya wants him to feel safe, but Carina says that letting him cry for a few minutes in a safe space will give him agency. Maya says she was reading about the primal wound, that being separated from the bio mom can affect adoptees for life. Babies know and it can cause issues. She wants them to consider attachment parenting. Carina understands Maya trying to get ahead of things that could hurt Liam, but they can't co-sleep away his heartbreak. And Carina is so scared of smothering him when Maya brings him to bed with them that she's not getting any sleep. They need to get sleep. Maya goes to get Liam over Carina's objection.
Ross answers calls. There are no available units. Andy radios in asking for backup for a derailed streetcar. Ross says resources are limited, so she'll only be able to send units if they can confirm survivors. Ross listens as they continue to investigate the scene. They find multiple injured, but all but one are deceased, so Andy says they can handle the one patient on their own. They need to notify PD and the coroner of the deceased.
5:15 PM
Station 19 returns to the station. They're all affected by the call. Travis exits the rig and vomits. Andy decides to give the team a minute before she debriefs. She'll arrange for counseling after tonight.
Theo looks at himself in the mirror. Ben comes in and ignores Theo asking if he's okay. Ben gets in the shower and moans as the water hits his back.
Sullivan finds Beckett on the ground behind the rig, crying. In his entire career, Beckett's never had a day on the job this kind of sober. No coping mechanism. He feels like he has no skin and he's feeling everything. He's not seeing a day two. Sullivan felt out of place when he returned from deployment. He thought he was coping by joining the fire department, but he was really just escaping. He got through it because of 19. Everyone there is trying their best. They're compassionate and have faith in people. He needs to be there. The aid car gets called out. Sullivan tells Beckett he can stay and he'll talk to Andy, but Beckett says they can't afford to be down someone and gets up.
Carina is folding laundry. She didn't realize how much time parents spend doing laundry. Carina asks if Maya's desire to do attachment parenting has anything to do with her seeing her brother. Maya thinks that's a stretch. When Carina starts to talk about Maya's dad, Maya says she already had therapy this week. Carina says they're not their parents and she doesn't want them to live in the shadow of their parents' mistakes. She's worried Maya's going to suffocate Liam because she's so worried about all the things that can go wrong. Maya says she needs to be alone and walks out.
Sullivan is in the gym, punching a punching bag. Theo is surprised he has the energy. Sullivan asks Theo about station 23 closing and asks if they did an audit first. Theo says it happened too quickly for that. They're both thinking that's what's happening with 19. Theo asked how Sullivan picked who to let go when he was battalion chief. Sullivan says some transferred out and some aged out, but they also looked for excess, like a station with too many lieutenants. Maya and Andy go back to the academy. Theo points out that Sullivan is safe. Theo doesn't have a chief in his corner. As Theo leaves, Andy comes in. She knows something changed between Ross and Osman. Sullivan promises that he doesn't know anything. Andy leaves.
Travis asks Theo how he's holding up, but Theo knows he lost Travis in the divorce. Travis tells Theo to look busy in case Andy comes in, then says he doesn't like what Theo did to Vic, but he isn't in a position to judge. He admits that he cheated on Eli. Theo says he and Vic were at least broken up. They agree that they both have to do better. Vic comes in, so they stop talking. She says she's just there for a snack.
Andy tells Ross she assigned Sullivan to incident command for ladder 19 if they have to split up for calls. Then she asks Ross what happened with the deal she made with the mayor. Ross says sometimes you have to ride the horse in the direction it's already going. Andy remembers them making the deal. Osman agreed to raise the budget. Ross says he's not the first politician to go back on his campaign promises. Andy says they made sacrifices. They did everything right and now Ross can't tell her why her team is fighting for their lives. Ross isn't the one trying to get blood from a stone with the audit. Andy knows the numbers. She knows how many lieutenants she has. She knows where the budget is going. She just doesn't want to make the hard call. Andy says she won't sacrifices others for her own good. Ross says she knows it's been a rough day, so she's going to let this pass one time. Andy needs to learn to set a boundary with her team. And she will never speak to her chief like that again.
11:08 PM
The team returns from another call. Travis tells Ben enough is enough with his back. He needs to admit that he's injured. Ben tells Travis to get off his back. They start fighting and Andy breaks it up. She tells Travis to back off and calls Ben to her. Andy tells Ben to be real with her. Ben insists that he's fine. She tells him to finish his audits.
Vic looks at herself in the mirror. She's washing her face when Kate comes in. She asks Vic if they're okay. Vic says she's done caring. Kate thinks it's good that Vic put Theo out of his misery. Vic says everything about Kate rubbed her the wrong way when they met. But now she thinks Kate has the right idea, not caring about anyone or anything except for herself. It's like she's dead inside.
Vic goes into a bunk, takes off her watch, lies down, and cries.
Theo enters a bunk room to find Sullivan and Beckett having a meeting together. He excuses himself and leaves.
Carina sees Maya coming back up their driveway and goes outside. She asks where Maya has been because she tried calling several times. Maya says she went on a walk to clear her head. She realizes her phone is dead. Carina says Maya doesn't get to shut down when things get tough. She's been questioning every decision. She wants to know if Maya is going to help her raise Liam or just be a part-time parent. Maya tells Carina to lower her voice because the neighbors can hear, but Carina doesn't care. She wants to fight. Maya goes to enter the house, but the door is locked. Liam is inside crying.
Ben checks several compartments on the rigs. He realizes in frustration that the hydraulic spreaders are missing. Someone must have stolen them. Travis was supposed to check them before they left the scene. Travis says he was busy fighting fires and picking up the slack for Ben. Ben and Travis start to fight and others join. Just then, Andy comes in. They tell her about the spreaders and she is angry. She tells them she's trying to stretch the budget to keep them together and they lost one of their most expensive tools. She's trying to save their jobs. She tells Sullivan to call other stations and see if they can borrow their spreaders before they get called out again. Before he can do that, they get called to a diner fire. Theo realizes Vic isn't there, but Andy tells him to move.
Vic is asleep in a bunk.
Maya is trying to get in through the door, but it's locked. Carina realizes Liam has stopped crying and celebrates him learning to self-soothe. Maya says maybe he thinks they've abandoned him and gave up. Maya says the go-bag has a crowbar, but her car is locked. Then she wonders if Carina's car is. Carina says she's married to Maya Bishop, so of course her car is locked, but Maya checks it and sees that it's not. She gets the bag from Carina's trunk.
3:32 AM
Station 19 arrives at a diner that's on fire. Oliver is outside and tells them his dad is trapped inside. He was in the office and his dad was in the kitchen when the fire started. He doesn't know what caused the explosion. Andy starts giving orders. When she sees Ben grimace, she goes to him. She realizes he lied and tells him to stay by the rigs and prepare to give medical aid. He calls Oliver to be checked out.
Inside, Beckett and Sullivan fight the fire. They find a broken gas line. Andy asks if Kate has gotten the gas off. She says they're trying, but the valve won't budge. They need hydraulic spreaders to clamp it closed.
Travis hears banging on the freezer and thinks they've found the owner. Theo has a plan. He wants to use a cork to seal the gas pipe once the fire is out to allow them to use saws on the door hinges without the possibility of ignition. Travis is unable to get the freezer door open. Once the fire is out, Theo puts in the cork but it immediately breaks. He calls for them to get down and then there's an explosion, which throws them back. Oliver tries to get back inside, so Ben has to hold him back. Inside, they report that they're uninjured. Andy is overwhelmed by Ross calling for an update, Beckett asking for backup, and Travis worrying about getting the owner out.
Andy realizes that they're stuck. Ross sends 15 to their location to back them up. She tells Andy to pull her team out once they arrive to give them space to work. Andy tells Becket and Sullivan to keep working on the flames and Kate to keep trying to close the gas valve.
Inside, they're trying to pry the door open. The owner stops responding.
Engine 15 arrives and Andy prepares her team to pull out.
Sullivan encourages Beckett as they work.
Engine 15 enters and Andy pulls her team out. Theo is reluctant to leave until Travis pulls him out.
Theo is upset that he nearly got them killed.
Engine 15 brings out the owner's body while Station 19 watches.
7:14 AM
Maya knows she's been over the top since they brought Liam home, but she's freaking out. Carina is, too. Maya suggests they play Truth or Scare, where they take turns admitting something that scares them, telling the whole truth. Carina's scared that she'll be heartbroken if they don't let them adopt Liam. Maya's scared that Liam will grow in a world where people are filled with hate. Carina's scared that things will go wrong even if she does everything right. Maya's scared that she's going to die on the job and leave Carina to raise Liam alone. Carina's scared that days like this will make Maya not want another baby. Maya tells her she doesn't have to worry about that. Carina still wants to do IVF. Maya says yes to that and kisses Carina. Their kiss is interrupted by yawning. They cuddle up to sleep.
Vic startles awake and realizes she missed a call. She races down to the barn.
Vic gets to the barn just as the team pulls back in. Andy tells her not to let it happen again.
Sullivan goes to Ross, who is happy they made it to the other side. Sullivan asks if what's happening is because of them. He watched her shake hands with Osman and tell him she got to keep her job and now this. He asks if it's on them. Ross says not everything is about them. She made moves to save SFD from someone who wouldn't see the full picture like she does. She's going to keep doing what needs to be done.
The team is restocking the rigs.
Andy enters her office, following by Theo. Theo knows days like these are rough, but it gives everyone the chance to learn what they need and what they do and what works and what doesn't. Theo has a way to help with the budget issue. He puts in his resignation. Andy tries to talk him out of it, saying the explosion wasn't his fault, but he says he'll have the paperwork on her desk by the end of shift. After he leaves, Andy sits down at her desk and looks at the picture of her dad.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Jaina Lee Ortiz as Captain Andy Herrera
- Jason George as Dr. Ben Warren
- Boris Kodjoe as Lieutenant Robert Sullivan
- Barrett Doss as Victoria Hughes
- Jay Hayden as Travis Montgomery
- Danielle Savre as Lieutenant Maya Bishop
- Stefania Spampinato as Dr. Carina DeLuca
- Carlos Miranda as Lieutenant Theo Ruiz
- Josh Randall as Captain Sean Beckett
- Merle Dandridge as Fire Chief Natasha Ross
Guest Stars[]
Co-Starring[]
Rescues[]
Sewage Treatment Plant[]
Station 19 was called out to the Seattle Sewage Treatment Plant at 1701 Holdsworth Boulevard. When they returned from the call, they all complained about the smell.
441 Dobbs Road[]
Engine 19 was called out to 441 Dobbs Road.
Omak Bridge[]
Crisis One was called to Omak bridge. Vic told Wiggins to bring a harness because it could be a jumper.
1322 Stangland Avenue[]
Station 19 was called to 1322 Stangland Avenue, where the found a derailed streetcar. There were two crushed cars and a motorcyclist pinned underneath. After assessing the scene, they found several injured passengers, but all but one were deceased.
631 Tremaine Avenue[]
Aid Car 19 was called to 631 Tremaine Avenue.
Diner Fire[]
Station 19 was called out to a fire at a diner at 1622 Willitston. They arrived to find Oliver outside. He said his father was still inside, but no one else. Andy assigned Beckett and Sullivan to fire attack, Theo and Travis to rescue, and Kate to find the exterior gas line and shut it off. She had Ben stay by the rig and prepare to do medical because of his back injury, so he tended to Oliver. Inside, Beckett and Sullivan fought the fire. Travis saw a broken gas line, which was feeding the fire. It didn't work as the cork broke and Kate was unable shut off the exterior line. Without hydraulic spreaders, they were unable to clamp off the line. They found the owner trapped in a freezer as Theo suggested using a cork to block the gas line. He placed the cork, but it cracked, causing an explosion that threw them back. They were uninjured, but the fire continued to spread. The freezer door was jammed. Theo wanted to try placing a larger one, but Sullivan said it was protocol to suppress the fire and wait for backup. With the owner unresponsive, Andy chose to wait for backup. When Station 15 arrived, Station 19 evacuated. Station 15 was able to put out the fire, but by the time they got to the owner, he was dead.
Music[]
| Song | Performer | Scene |
|---|---|---|
| "Allow Me to Introduce Myself" | BEGINNERS, Kali J |
|
| "Gloaming Hour" | Portair |
|
| "Do Your Worst" | Harves |
|
Notes and Trivia[]
- This episode's title originated from the song Trouble Man, originally sung by Marvin Gaye.
- This episode scored 2.57 million viewers.[1]
- This episode is the television directorial debut by Stefania Spampinato.
- Grey Damon is neither credited for nor appears in this episode. He does, however, appear in promotional images, indicating he was in a scene that was deleted from the final episode.
Gallery[]
Episode Stills[]
Quotes[]
See Also[]
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A complete overview of this episode's crew can be found here. |
| Station 19 Season 7 | ||||||
| #01 | "This Woman's Work" | #05 | "My Way" | #09 | "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" | |
| #02 | "Good Grief" | #06 | "With So Little to Be Sure Of" | #10 | "One Last Time" | |
| #03 | "True Colors" | #07 | "Give It All" | |||
| #04 | "Trouble Man" | #08 | "Ushers of the New World" | |||
| << Season 6 | ||||||