With Station 19 season 7 serving as the hit drama's last, it seems as if every episode carries grave importance as each one seemingly seals the fates of the characters tied to this fictional firehouse. The season 7 premiere is the perfect example of what we mean as Jack Gibson's (Grey Damon) life proved to be hanging in the balance.
The episode picks up in the aftermath of the Firefighters Ball collapse highlighted in Station 19 season 6. Not only was former Fire Chief Michael Dixon (Pat Healy) declared dead, but current Fire Chief Natasha Ross (Merle Dandridge) was hospitalized due to the accident. While Ross' injuries weren't so life-threatening, Jack wasn't as fortunate.
Jack had to undergo neurosurgery at the hands of Grey's Anatomy Dr. Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) to repair a traumatic brain injury. The news of Jack's condition sent shockwaves down Andy's (Jaina Lee Ortiz) spine, who spends the majority of the episode allowing an imaginary Jack to blame her for the real Jack's fate. Andy's concerns and imaginary conversations don't seem to subside as Amelia informed her they have to wait and see what happens next.
Unfortunately, Amelia would later sit with Andy and explain that while Jack is likely to survive his injuries, he's sustained too many head injuries over the years. He's developed a form of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, better known as CTE, which would probably make him ineligible to be a firefighter. Amelia says most physicians and approving authorities with the fire department won't give Jack the green light to be in the field. Sadly, Amelia likens the total effect of Jack's previous head injuries to that of a football player or boxer who suffers too many impacts to the head. Although Jack wakes up by the end of the episode, he's not told of the bad news.
So all in all, while Jack survived this latest tragedy, his career as a firefighter for Station 19 is likely over. Based on the following preview for the episode of Station 19 airing on Thursday, March 21, Jack Gibson will be crushed by the information, and deeply struggle with what his life may look like going forward. Take a look at the clip for yourself.
New episodes of Station 19 air on Thursdays at 10 pm ET/PT on ABC. You can watch the episodes the day after they premiere on Hulu.
