'Station 19' Bosses Break Down Milestone 100th Episode
Jaina Lee Ortiz stars as Andy Herrera on 'Station 19'
It was another massive day for the Station 19 firefighters during the series 100th episode. Andy (Jaina Lee Ortiz) and her crew were called to a fire at the Space Needle. The disaster required not only tackling heights but also a fire at "a national landmark and the heart of Seattle" that had every big wig in town, with eyes on Andy's performance as captain.
Of course, our girl rose to the occasion, and saving the day—along with Warren (Jason George) and Sullivan's (Boris Kodjoe) lives—restored her confidence as captain after the shift from hell in Episode 4. The episode ended with Andy finally getting her captain pin, ready to take the station into the future.
The 100th episode was about celebrating everything that has made this show so special for seven seasons, but of course, that means there was also a lot of drama. Vic (Barrett Doss) exploded on camera in front of the mayor about the unjust cutting of Crisis One. Carina (Stefania Spampinato) and Maya (Danielle Savre) are facing another hurdle in their pregnancy journey. And there are still a lot of questions about how all of these storylines will wrap up.
Parade talked to co-showrunners and executive producers Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige about the 100th episode, filming at "the Space Needle," and what we can expect from Station 19's final episodes.
Related: ‘Station 19’ to End With Season 7: Everything to Know About the Show's Final Run
How did you film a Space Needle fire when you filmed in Los Angeles?
Peter Paige: We did it through the brilliance of our [Director of Photography] Daryl Okada, who has been with the series forever. He directed the episode and I do not think there is another director who could have accomplished it. He managed to break it down into pieces that we could shoot mostly here and our incredible art department created big, big chunks of the Space Needle. I am very, very proud of what we have pulled together.
Zoanne Clack: The Space Needle people worked with us and let us into their world. They really worked with us to make sure it was authentic as possible.
What were the most important things you wanted to celebrate with this 100th-episode milestone?
Paige: You want the 100th episode to be the best of everything the show is, right? We want it to be the most action packed, the most romantic, the most lovely, the best sense of community and family. We want it to be all of those things turned up to 11 and that’s what we set out to do.
Clack: The word for me is iconic. I wanted everything to be iconic. We really wanted it to feel like a milestone.
Do you have favorite moments from the series montage in the episode?
Clack: We have quite a few writers who are mega fans of the show. We basically put it in their hands to give us moments that, again my word for it is iconic. We wanted the most iconic moments, the ones that really show this journey. We gave the power over to the people who live for this, so everyone got input and everyone got a piece of that. Our main goal was really giving the people what they want and showing their journeys.
Related: 'Station 19': Danielle Savre Reveals What That Horrific Family Reunion Means for Maya
The episode is bookended with Andy’s two pinning ceremonies. How did that encapsulate the journey this show has been on?
Clack: It’s a perfect view of her journey. She came out of [Episode] 4 fractured and not understanding how she was going to make this captain thing work. In the beginning, it was very rote and mechanical. We’re going to do this because of tradition. When they went through [the Space Needle] fire together and almost lost part of their team, she came up with the big save. She understood that she’s the only captain who can do this. The second ceremony was so full of emotion and everyone coming together.
Vic finally explodes in this episode, which we’ve been waiting on for a while. Can you tease what the repercussions that very ill-timed outburst are going to be?
Paige: I will tell you that the third line of the next episode is, “We are fighting to save your job.”
Carina and Maya are facing yet another obstacle in their family journey. What does that mean for them in the final episodes?
Clack: It’s about their journey of growing closer after being so at odds in Season 6. Season 7 has really been about their journey of overcoming loss and obstacles. They are going to continue on that journey, learning to rely on each other as opposed to feeling like they have to navigate things alone.
We are heading into the back half of the season. Are there any familiar faces we can look forward to seeing?
Paige: We wanted to ensure we were resolving these characters and their journeys in satisfying, moving, and inspiring ways. We’re going to see lots of people that we know and love along the way.
Do you have a message for fans as they go into the final episodes of this show?
Clack: Keep watching!
Paige: We had to resolve these characters in the most satisfactory ways that we could think of and that make sense. We love the fans, and we appreciate the fans. We hope that they will enjoy this ride.
Station 19 continues Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.
