Station 19’s Season 6 finale signaled some challenges ahead for the firefighters, as a main character was killed off and Jack Gibson’s fate was left unknown. The big changes aren’t just happening on the screen, though, with plenty going on behind the scenes as well, following Krista Vernoff’s announcement that she was stepping away as showrunner from both Grey’s Anatomy and its firefighter spinoff. Taking over as co-showrunners on Station 19 for Season 7 will be Peter Paige and Zoanne Clack, and Paige just got me really excited about the stories that are to come, as he explained why he’s the right man for the job.
Peter Paige joined the Station 19 family as the director of Season 4’s “Comfortably Numb,” and he began serving as an executive producer during Season 6. He talked about the opportunity he has to continue his career of inclusive storytelling in an interview with EW, saying:
The show is wrapped in a candy wrapper of flames and acts of heroism, but at its core is a show about Black, brown, and queer people trying to navigate systems that were not set up for them to succeed, and I can write that shit all day long.
Station 19 definitely followed in the footsteps of Grey’s Anatomy in its diverse casting practices — the majority of its cast comprises people of color — and in how it doesn’t shy away from social issues. That seems to be right up Peter Paige’s alley, as the Queer as Folk actor has proven his strength in those avenues through The Fosters and Good Trouble, which he created.
In fact, one of the issues tackled on Good Trouble involved its characters fighting for justice after a Black man died at the hands of police. So maybe it’s no coincidence that the most recent episode of Station 19 that Peter Paige directed was Season 6’s “We Build Then We Break,” which involved a particularly intense scene between the firefighters, several police officers and an innocent Black man.
Station 19 has always tackled conversations about race or sexuality head-on, and it looks like fans shouldn’t expect that to change with Peter Paige running the show. Those stories aren’t always the easiest to watch, because they feel so real, but that authenticity is definitely one of the draws to the series, and a quality that Paige will continue to provide.
He’ll be bringing his experiences to the table alongside co-showrunner Zoanne Clack, who joined the Station 19 staff as head writer and executive producer last August. Clack was brought in amidst structural changes to the leadership, after a racial slur was reportedly used several times in a draft outline. Krista Vernoff shut down the virtual writer’s room in the aftermath until inclusive discussions were had and further actions were taken, including adding Clack to the team.
I can’t wait to see what new stories are in store for these characters! Station 19 was renewed for a seventh season in April and will hit its milestone 100th episode with the new batch of episodes. However, with the WGA strike ongoing, there’s no indication about when that Season 7 premiere will come, and it’s likely fans will have to wait a lot longer than they’re accustomed to for the new season.
Keep an eye on the 2023 TV schedule for updates, and in the meantime, you can catch up on any of the firefighting drama you may have missed, with all six seasons of Station 19 available to stream with a Hulu subscription.
