Ahead of the Station 19 season 6 finale, the big question was who will be the new captain of the department?
Throughout the season, fans have remained glued to their screens following the highs and lows of the Seattle firefighters. They watched as Maya (Danielle Savre) went through her downward spiral, Jack (Grey Damon) finally put back on a uniform and Travis (Jay Hayden) toy with the idea of becoming mayor.
With those storylines in the rearview mirror, Chief Ross' (Merle Dandridge) decision on who will lead the squad is the most pressing issue at hand. Considering Andy (Jaina Lee Ortiz), Robert (Boris Kodjoe) and Theo (Carlos Miranda) have all expressed their interest in the job, it's a big deal.
From a historical standpoint, Andy seems like a shoo-in for the position. Her dad was once captain of Station 19 and in many ways, she grew up in the department. Plus, her tenured status as a lieutenant speaks to her experience with leading. That leadership was on full display as she arguably is the one that helped to rescue Jack and she stood by Maya as she battled with personal issues.
What may hurt Andy in her bid is her choice to turn down the opportunity to be the temporary captain while Beckett (Josh Randall) took a leave of absence. That decision may reflect poorly on her readiness. Oh, and we can't forget her stunt at the carwash in the episode "All These Things That I've Done" left Maya in danger.
Robert has experience as captain, having led Station 19 previously. Unfortunately for him, he has a mountain of reasons why he probably won't be selected. For starters, he had to vacate the position previously due to an addiction. Then there's his ambition. It has put him at odds with the team on more than one occasion.
Perhaps his biggest hindrance to being captain is his romantic relationship with Ross. The optics of Ross promoting someone she's in love with don’t look great, and with her already in survival mode to keep her job, Ross is unlikely to take such a risk.
Since he's already the active captain, Ross may find it an easy decision to just keep Theo permanently in the position. Although he's newer in the department by comparison, he's done a fairly good job temporarily leading the Station 19 squad.
But we can't ignore the fact that even with Theo as temporary captain, Ross still opened up the permanent position to anyone who wanted to apply. Is it perhaps because in her heart of hearts, Ross knows Theo is not the right fit for the role?
So with all that said, who did Chief Ross actually select as the new captain of the department?
The new captain of the station is none other than Andy. Chief Ross recognized that Andy was the most deserving of the position, and the former shared the good news with the captain during the Firefighters' Ball.
Episodes of Station 19 season 6 are available to stream on Hulu.
