- You may be looking for the Private Practice episode or the Grey's Anatomy episode with the same name.
True Colors is the third episode of the seventh season and the 98th overall episode of Station 19.
Short Summary[]
The Station 19 crew struts their stuff at the FABruary Winter Pride parade, where Maya encounters someone important from her past. Carina looks to Bailey for support, while Travis and Eli arrive at a crossroads.
Full Summary[]
As they get supplies ready for Fabruary! Seattle Winter Pride, Travis asks Vic how many Prides they need. She reminds him that there are only two and asks why he didn't take the day off if he hates it. He tells her doesn't and also, he promised his dad he'd meet his boyfriend. All Travis knows about the boyfriend is that he has great taste in music and he's a DJ. Travis just hopes he's older than him. Theo asks if Travis is going to introduce Eli to his dad and he says he is. Vic teases Travis about his dad's boyfriend.
Beckett puts on his uniform and gets ready for his day. In the hallway, het meets up with Andy, who welcomes him back. He congratulates her on being named captain and thanks her for the time off. He asks if he missed her pinning ceremony and she says no, they haven't had a chance to have one yet. Then she tells him he'll be on desk duty today, which he easily accepts. Andy points out that that means missing Pride, but he's okay with that. She says he'll be there in spirit and hands him his pride shirt.
Pru is decorating Ben's brace with stickers and runs out of room. He tells Rosalind they need to leave or they'll be late. She has Pru choose between two pairs of boots for her to wear and Ben tells her to put them on in the car. As they leave, there's a knock at the door and Ben opens it to reveal Carina, holding Liam. Bailey says she was going to come to Carina, but Carina says the movers were at the apartment and she didn't want Liam around all the dust. She was going to text Bailey, but Liam had a diaper blowout. Carina feels like things are happening way too quickly. One moment, she was moving back into the apartment and now there's a house and a baby and a lawsuit. Bailey says there's never an ideal time to be sued. Bailey has some baby things for Carina, some new and some they never got to use for the one they lost.
Maya comes downstairs and apologizes for being late. She was picking up the keys to their new house and shows them off to Andy. It's rent-to-own, so it's not officially theirs yet, but they wanted to give themselves and Liam a fresh start. Maya notices Andy opening cabinets and asks what she's looking for. She explains that someone has hidden her gear. She knows they're hazing her as the new captain and she's glad because she worried they were getting soft. She's happy for Maya and Carina and wishes she could give Maya time off, but they're short-staffed without Jack. Maya understands, but she feels guilty leaving Carina alone to take care of Liam. Andy promises to get her a sub as soon as she can. Andy calls for line up and sees her gear hanging above them in the barn. She's a little disappointed that it's so tame and says her stuff better be on the ground before they leave. She notices Ben's missing and questions it just as Ben comes in with Pru and Rosalind behind him, apologizing. Pru lines up next to Ben. Andy hands out assignments, including one for Pru. She reminds them to be safe and represent the department well.
As they set up the medical tent, things are awkward between Vic and Theo, and Vic steps out for a minute. Sullivan asks Theo what's wrong with them and Theo says they just broke up and it's hard to work with your ex, implying that Sullivan wouldn't understand. Sullivan decides to give Theo a minute and Theo realizes what he said.
Vic sees Erica bleeding from their arm and asks if she can take a look. Erica flirts with Vic as Vic leads Erica, Jazzy, and Sienna to the tent.
Ben tells Maya everything's going to be fine, but Maya likens leaving Carina and Liam to come to work to the moment when they pull up to a five-alarm fire and for a moment, it feels impossible. Doing her job with Carina and Liam at home might be impossible. Ben says kids unlock a new level of fear. There's nothing they won't do to get back to them and their job forces them to consider the fact that they might not come home. It never goes away, but Ben distracts himself by thinking about basketball. And it helps to know that what they do makes their families proud.
Ross climbs into a parade car with Osman. A security officer warns them that there are protesters on the parade route, but they've cordoned them off and have it under control. Ross says she wants to introduce the love contract today, in honor of the anniversary of same-sex marriage. Osman says he can have them expedited and ready by the end of the day. Osman says he's been going over the budget and he needs her to cut the budget by 10%. She says she can't do that, as 93% of the budget is personnel. They also agreed on him increasing the fire department's budget. He says that things change and threatens to replace her if she doesn't toe the line.
Vic explains that she found Erica trying to sanitize their arm with hard seltzer. She asks them for their name, but gets no response. Jazzy then speaks up and says that's Erica. They're married. They deny any drug use. The other person with them is Sienna, who officiated for them. They're psychic. Jazzy says they had to take a shortcut and Erica snagged their arm on a fence. Sullivan says he knows they're trying to have fun, but they need to know what Erica took. Erica takes blood from their arm and spreads in on their face to make a mustache. Jazzy finally admits they took some drugs.
Beckett talks to his sponsor about being back at work. He's interrupted by someone knocking on the door. He checks and finds Drew, who is dressed link an angel and bent over in pain. He thinks he's having a heart attack. Beckett leads him to the barn.
Osman knows it's not ideal and Ross says it's not and he can't justify it. He says that's not his problem, but the safety of the city is and she can't guarantee that without a sufficient budget. Osman says he let her keep her relationship with Sullivan and if she can't cut the budget, she can be replaced. When she says the union won't be happy, he suggests making Drew Farris a battalion chief to smooth it over. She doesn't like that because it'll give him a promotion and raise at the cost of other jobs.
Eli tells Travis they don't have to do this if he doesn't want to, but Travis assures him that he does. They meet up with Paul, who introduces them to his pastor, Emmanuel, and then to Kyle Martin, whom Eli recognizes as his dentist. Kyle's only a DJ on the weekends. Kyle is happy to meet Travis after hearing so much about him. Travis says it would have been inappropriate for them to meet when they first got together, souring the mood. Kyle excuses himself and walks away. Travis sees him flirting with another man and asks his dad about it. Paul says they have an understanding. Travis realizes they have an open relationship. It's unconventional, but it works for them. Eli understands the utility despite being a serial monogamist himself.
The announcer introduces Mary Mint, who performs on a float.
Andy has cut a hole out of a plastic fire hat and puts in on a kids head, pulling her braids through the hole. The mood is brought down when they see the protesters on the side of the road. When one of them calls Rosalind a pedophile, Andy yells back at them until Ben pulls her back. Maya makes eye contact with one of the protesters. Andy says they're just trying to scare people and Ben says that's why they can't engage. Andy sees the look on Maya's face and asks her what's wrong. Maya says she's pretty sure one of the protesters is her brother.
Beckett examines Drew and tries to find the exact location of the pain. Beckett asks about dietary changes and Drew admits to taking injectable weight-loss drugs that he got from a telehealth doctor. He used it to lose ten pounds so he could fit into the angel costume.
Andy thinks maybe it wasn't Mason. Maya couldn't see his face, just his eyes. Maya admits she didn't really get a good look at him. She's probably just on edge because of Carina and the house and Liam.
Ben asks Rosalind if she's still up for the parade. Rosalind says she's fine. It's nothing new.
Jazzy jumps out of the aid car wearing a turnout jacket. Sullivan pulls it off and Sienna is surprised by how heavy it is. Vic says the bleeding has stopped, but they'll still need to make a trip to the ER to get stitches. Theo offers to call an aid car. Sienna asks Vic what she's going to do about her own deep wound. She has a dark aura like she's dying inside. Sienna goes to Sullivan next and says he's chasing something and he's going to catch it. She goes to Theo and says he yearns and regrets.
Eli and Kyle are talking about music. They join Paul and Travis with their food as Kyle recommends a club. Eli wants to check it out, but Travis says it's not his scene. Paul said that, but he had fun. Travis takes another dig at Kyle, so Eli pulls him aside. He asks Travis to stop being so rude. Travis reminds him that Paul and Kyle while met while his parents were still married. And his dad was awful to him when he came out. He's happy that he's living his truth now, but that's still hard. Eli says there's no excuse for what Paul did, but he should consider that both his parents are happier now. Travis confesses that he slept with Emmett. Eli says he's an idiot and walks away. He knew Travis would do something to push him away. Travis tries to apologize, but Eli doesn't want to hear it. He says Travis isn't comfortable with his sexuality and chose a masculine career to prove himself. He's the most repressed man Eli has ever known. Like father, like son. Paul has witnessed this and asks if Travis wants to talk about it. Travis says Paul's the last person he wants to talk to about it.
Carina sings Avrai to Liam as she swaddles him. When Bailey comes in and says it's sweet, Carina tells her she used to sing it to Andrea when he was a baby. She grew up changing, swaddling, and burping babies and now she delivers more than 250 of them per year, but she can't get her son to stay in his swaddle. He's an escape artist. She's amazed with how fast she's fallen in love with him. She can't take her eyes off him. He's everything she ever wanted, but she feels so unprepared. Bailey says nothing can prepare you for being a parent, but one day, you'll look back and wish you could do it all over, even the sleepless nights. With that, Bailey notes that it doesn't appear Carina's getting much sleep. Carina says Liam doesn't know the meaning of sleeping and Maya helps, but every time Liam falls asleep, Carina's mind goes back to the lawsuit. Bailey says Carina knows that she can't take care of the baby until she takes care of herself. She covers Carina with a blanket, takes Liam, and tells Carina to get some sleep.
Travis walks past the protesters.
Travis tells Vic he knows what he did was wrong, but hates that Eli said he's like his father. He continues ranting about his father and Vic questions him, reminding him that he complained all morning about Pride and Andy had to force him to put on the shirt. Travis says he doesn't have issues with masculinity. He's done drag. Vic says he did it once for Halloween. Vic says maybe Eli's delivery was wrong, but his message wasn't. They hear two loud bangs and people start to panic and run.
Osman's security tells the driver to drive, but Ross says it was a car backfiring, not gun shots. She was trained to know the difference and is angry he wasn't. She makes them let her out of the car, which then takes off.
People get trampled as everyone starts running. Ross calls for several aid cars.
Ben tells Andy he needs to get Pru and Rosalind out of there and she tells him to go. She calls the medical tent, where they tell her they're all okay. She tells them all they can do is crowd control. She then uses the speaker to announce that it wasn't gun shots. She directs everyone east to a parking lot.
Bailey comes back to the couch and is not surprised to find Carina reviewing Wendy's file on her tablet. Carina says she told her she couldn't sleep and asks how Liam is. Bailey says he's sleeping. When Bailey says it's a miracle Carina's made it so long without a malpractice suit, Carina realizes Bailey has. Bailey says they realized it came down to bedside manner. The patient said she rolled her eyes. Whether she did or not, it's not a reason to sue someone trying to save their life. Carina says at least she knows she did everything right. Wendy's delivery was so complicated and maybe she did something wrong. She doesn't know.
Vic and Travis are trying to direct people when Travis realizes his dad is still there. Vic tells him to go find him.
Sullivan is directing traffic as well and notices Mary Mint being dragged by a float. He jumps on and pulls her up onto the float as Theo jumps up to the driver's window and tells him to stop.
Andy and Maya are directing traffic when Maya spots a fight. Maya breaks it up and rolls the protester on the ground. She pulls down his mask and says he's coughing up blood and his breathing is bad. Andy radios for Ben as Collin begs them not to let him die.
Travis finds Paul and Kyle sitting on a curb. Kyle fell while stepping up on a curb and hurt his ankle. Travis helps Paul get him up and tells Paul to get him out of there. He apologizes for being a jerk and says he hopes he gets the chance to make a better impression.
Ben diagnoses a tension pneumothorax. Andy says there's an aid car on the way, but it'll take a while because of the crowd. Ben can do needle decompression. When Maya runs to get the oxygen monitor off the rig, she spots Mason and calls out to him. He turns to face her and they look at each other for a few seconds before Mason takes off again.
Ben inserts the needle into Collin's chest and he's able to breathe again. Andy hopes he'll think twice next time before taking his rage out on other people.
Mary Mint is not pleased that this is how the day has gone. Vic says her injuries are minor and the padding she was wearing actually saved her from further injury. Sullivan warns her that she might be sore for a few days. They load her into an aid car. Sullivan tells Theo that Sienna was right. Theo has it bad for Vic. He should tell her how he feels or he might regret it.
Drew says everyone's on the weight-loss injections now and wonders why this complication had to happen to him. He just wanted to go out there feeling good. Beckett gives him pain medicament, but says he needs to see a doctor for the GI issues, then asks if the point of Pride isn't just to come as you are. If you can't show up as yourself, why show up at all? He's not judging Drew. He spent most of his life drinking alcohol to find acceptance. It didn't help and neither will the injections. Drew says he's stopping. He's out of them anyway and they're expensive and hard to find.
Bailey knows Carina has looked at her part dozens of times, but she tells Carina to look at the nurse's documentation. Wendy came in with PIH and gestational diabetes, so Carina induced labor. She was trying to be proactive, but things kept getting worse. The baby was big, so Wendy needed a c-section. Carina remembers that she really wanted to have a vaginal delivery, but it was too dangerous, so Carina did a stat c-section. The cord had prolapsed, so Carina lifted the baby's head off it and rushed her to the OR, where she got the baby out in three minutes. Carina's memory matches the nurse's documentation. Carina didn't do anything wrong, but she still doesn't feel better. She feels worse. She's so angry because she spends her whole life helping people and now she's being punished for it. Bailey says some families see suing as their only way of getting the relief and support they need. Wendy has hopes and dreams for Nina and those things cost money.
Travis finds Eli. They're both relieved that the other is all right. Travis says he feels terrible. Eli didn't deserve what Travis did. Eli says he's not ending things because of the cheating, but he is ending things. He was most inspired by Travis being able to make everyone around him feel seen. It would have made him a fantastic mayor, but Travis needs to realize he's worthy of being seen, too.
The team is quiet as they eat around the table. Maya breaks the silence to tell them her brother was one of the protesters. She tells Andy she saw him again without his gaiter. She shouldn't be surprised, given how they grew up, but it was hard to see him like that. Andy orders Maya to go home and be with her with and baby, so Maya gets up and leaves. Andy tells the rest of the team they're not going to give the protesters this power. Beckett expected it to become a circus, but he didn't expect fascists to be part of it. Andy wonders why they can't just leave other people alone and Sullivan says it's their only tactic. Ben wonders when it'll stop. Andy wants to do something. Travis has an idea, but he has to call in a favor from his dad.
Maya arrives home and is greeted by Carina and Liam. They bring Liam inside and Carina shows Maya the crib she assembled in Liam's room.
The parade goers party and dance at station 19, with music by Kyle.
Theo directs people to the party. Mary Mint comes in and says she's alive and still fabulous, so she couldn't let some road rash keep her away. She just changed her outfit. Bad things happen to people all the time. They acknowledge it, but they can't let it break them. As she enters the party looking for Sullivan, Ross comes by and Theo says Ross should find Sullivan before Mart does, but Ross says she can take Mary. Ross tells Theo he did a great job as interim captain. He was grateful for the opportunity and she says there will be more. She hands him an envelope with consensual relationship forms in it. He and Vic just need to fill them out and send them to HR. Something good came out of today. Theo watches as Andy forces Vic into the barn, saying everyone has to join the dance party, including Theo. Theo looks down at the forms and says he'll be right there.
The dance party continues. Ben hurts his back dancing and leaves to walk it off.
Sullivan follows Ross and hands her their forms, but she sees that he's written "Marry me?" on the line instead of signing them. He thought it was worth a shot. She's glad he's okay because she was worried about him as he was about her. He asks her about her day with the mayor and she says she still has a job. She finds his proposal cute, but says he still needs to fill out a real form.
Travis watches the party from above. Paul thanks him for getting him and Kyle out of the parade. Travis says it was the least he could do after being a jerk all day. Maybe he and Paul have more in common than he realized. Paul regrets pushing his hang-ups onto Travis. He didn't realize how much it affected Travis. Travis always seemed to brave to him. When Travis came out to him, Paul was terrified, so he taught Travis to be ashamed. The shame Travis is holding onto, that tells him he can't be himself, isn't his. It's Paul's. And Travis needs to let it go. He's an incredible man and Paul is proud to be his father. Travis cries and hugs his father. Paul is glad that Travis put the party together and Travis just says they need to be louder than the protesters. They decide to go dance.
Maya and Carina hold Liam and dance together. They kiss.
The dance party continues.
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 Sean Beckett
- Merle Dandridge as Fire Chief Natasha Ross
Guest Stars[]
- Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey
- Rob Heaps as Eli Stern
- Robert Curtis Brown as Paul Montgomery
- Emerson Brooks as Robel Osman
- V. Vieux as Rosalind Warren
- Cameron Cowperthwaite as Mason Bishop
- Kevin Daniels as Kyle Martin
- Symone as Mary Mint
- Kat Cunning as Sienna
- Siya as Jazzy
- Ryan Salazar as Drew
Co-Starring[]
- Janai Kaylani as Pru
- Spencer Hammerstad as Cutler
- Kyle James Dondlinger as Collin
- Tim Storms as Security Detail Officer
- Matthew William Ellis as Parade Goer
- Trenton Rostedt as Protester #1
Rescues[]
Erica[]
Erica cut their arm climbing over a fence and Vic found them trying to clean the cut using hard seltzer. Vic took Erica to the medical tent, where she cleaned and bandaged the wound and they gave Erica IV fluids. Vic said that Erica would need to go to the ER to get stitches.
Drew[]
Drew came to Station 19 complaining of abdominal pain. Beckett examined him and he admitted to taking a weight-loss drug for a month, but said he would stop taking it.
Mary Mint[]
Mary Mint was dragged when she got hooked on the side of the parade float she was riding. She was checked out in the medical tent and told she only had some road rash. She was taken to the ER, but later came to the party at Station 19.
Collin Fowler[]
Collin sustained facial and chest injuries when he got into a fight with some parade attendees. Ben diagnosed a tension pneumothorax and did a needle decompression.
Kyle Martin[]
Kyle twisted his ankle while fleeing during the parade. Paul supported him as he walked out of the parade area.
Music[]
| Song | Performer | Scene |
|---|---|---|
| "Higher" | Caden Jester, Kendra Checketts |
|
| "I'm Just Getting Started" | discobaby |
|
| "I Will Rise" | Maggie Szabo |
|
| "Swell" | Joyeur |
|
| "Hotter Now" | Lu Kala |
|
| "Obsessed" | Ari Dayan |
|
| "Avrai" | Cast (Stefania Spampinato) |
|
| "C'Mon Work" | Midnight Swarm, Tiguan Jones, Kaylee Anne Johnston, Danny Fernleigh |
|
| "Can You Hear Me" | Joel Taylor |
|
| "FLAVA" | Shenseea Feat. Coi Leray |
|
| "The Fall" | Merlot |
|
| "Vivid" | Villows |
|
| "Break My Soul" | Beyoncé |
|
Notes and Trivia[]
- This episode's title originated from the song True Colors, originally sung by Cyndi Lauper.
- This episode scored 2.48 million viewers.[1]
- The episode takes place in February 2024, as the Pride parade celebrates the 12th anniversary of same-sex marriage in the state of Washington.
- This episode features the 100th appearances of Jay Hayden as Travis Montgomery and Stefania Spampinato as Carina DeLuca.
- Grey Damon is removed from the credits, thus making it the first episode not to credit him.
- Episode writer Staci Okunola appears in the dance scene at the end.[2]
Gallery[]
Episode Stills[]
Behind the Scenes[]
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 | ||||||