The newest show to emerge out of Shondaland presents the writers with a unique opportunity: to craft a whole new series with a whole new cast of characters, while capitalizing on the nostalgia and familiarity of an established brand. So which Grey's Anatomy characters will appear on Station 19? This isn't the first time ABC's long-running medical soap has received a spinoff — that would be 2007's Private Practice. But part of the whole point of that show was to make it as different from Grey's as possible, following Addison Shepherd over 1,000 miles away from foggy Seattle to sunny Los Angeles, making any crossovers few and far between.
Station 19 is different. According to creator (and former Grey's co-showrunner) Stacy McKee in a January interview, not only is the spinoff clearly "Grey's-adjacent," but the titular fire station exists in-universe only three blocks from Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, allowing for "a lot of potential for cross-pollination" between the two shows, as she told The Hollywood Reporter. That promise was already seen in Station 19's series premiere, "Stuck," in which both Chandra Wilson's Miranda Bailey and Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Grey guest starred.
So which Grey's characters will follow Meredith and Bailey and stop by the spinoff next? Here are just a few of the likeliest possibilities:
1. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd)
Of all the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial, the one whose skills seem best suited for helping in a fire-related emergency is probably the Chief of Trauma and former battlefield surgeon Owen Hunt. He has plenty of experience treating injured patients in the field, and his quick thinking and calm demeanor would be perfect in a dramatic episode of Station 19.
2. Teddy Altman (Kim Raver)
Owen's not the only character on Grey's with battlefield experience. And now that the show seems to be bringing back Teddy Altman — yes, again — it could be just in time for her to crossover and make an appearance on the new spinoff. Teddy and Andy would have plenty to talk about as women in dangerous, high-stakes careers, and it's hard to imagine Teddy being scared of running into a burning building to save a life.
3. Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.)
While Owen and Teddy could be useful in the field, if and when the firefighters return to Grey Sloan, who better to run into than former chief Richard Webber? He's been a soothing, parental figure on Grey's for 14 seasons, always ready to dole out wisdom both professionally and personally. Next time Andy needs a life saved and a heart-to-heart, let's hope she runs into Webber.
4. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers)
If you've got a kid whose life in danger, who would you trust more than the chief of pediatric surgery himself? Alex Karev has come a long way since his Season 1 days, and you know he'd do whatever it took to save a child's life. If Station 19 ever decides to drum up drama by putting a some young kids in harms way, then you can bet Alex would be there in a heartbeat to help save the day.
5. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh)
Of course, current series regulars aren't the only Grey's characters who should be allowed to put in surprise appearances on Station 19; the writers could also reach farther back into the show's past for a nostalgic throwback. Since she headlined the first official Grey's spinoff, who would be more perfect to guest star on the second spinoff than Addison? It's been five years since Private Practice closed its doors, and it would be great to check in on Addison again and see what she's been up to all this time.
6. Nicole Herman (Geena Davis)
After Amelia operated on Arizona's mentor to remove a brain tumor, Dr. Herman emerged alive and cancer-free… but also completely blind. Last viewers heard from her in Season 11, she was headed off to an institute for the blind to learn how to live her life without sight. It would make for a particularly intense episode of Station 19 if Nicole turned up again as a victim trapped in a house fire — sort of like Wait Until Dark but with flames instead of burglars and Geena Davis instead of Audrey Hepburn.
7. Finn Dandridge (Chris O'Donnell)
It's wild to think that, out of the show's three handsome "Mc's" — McDreamy, McSteamy, and McVet — only the latter is still alive. Viewers haven't seen the sensitive animal doc since Season 3, but perhaps O'Donnell could take time off from his own CBS procedural to guest star on ABC's new procedural. He could be the victim of a fire at his veterinary clinic, putting plenty of adorable animals in harm's way. (Don't worry, they'd all get saved!)
8. Joe (Steven W. Bailey)
Joe used to be a staple of Grey's Anatomy, as the doctors would go to his pub after work and chat up their friendly neighborhood bartender. But while characters are still seen frequenting his place of work, Joe himself hasn't been seen in the flesh since Season 7. It's about time to change that, don't you think? If a fire broke out at Joe's, we know it's close enough to the hospital that the firefighters of Station 19 would obviously be dispatched to get it under control. And the loss of such a popular establishment would have ramifications that extended from Station 19 into Grey's itself.
9. Hannah Davies (Christina Ricci)
Of course, "cross-pollinating" doesn't mean Station 19 can only pull from Grey's Anatomy's roster of series regulars and recurring players; there's also an extremely deep well of memorable one-off guest stars that the spinoff could use to evoke nostalgia. What has Hannah been up to since she put her hand in a body cavity containing an unexploded bomb? Is she still a paramedic? If so, it's possible her paths would cross with the Station 19 crew at some point.
10. Megan Clover (Abigail Breslin)
Which of Grey's Anatomy's many many patients would make a cooler guest star on Station 19 than Abigail Breslin's Megan? In Season 3, the young Oscar nominee played a child with a rare genetic condition that didn't allow her to feel any pain, and I'm sure Station 19 could come up with a fascinating episode featuring Megan and her "superpower," as she put it.
11. Camille Travis (Tessa Thompson)
Before she went on to make a name for herself in the likes of Creed, Westworld, and Thor: Ragnarok, Tessa Thompson played Richard Webber's cancer-stricken niece in Grey's Season 2. (The character was also played by a different actress in Season 4.) The last time Camille was seen, she made the decision to forgo treatment on her spreading cancer; but viewers never got actual confirmation of her death. With Thompson's star rising so fast, it would be great if Station 19 could bring the character back, having miraculously survived and taken her second chance at life to become an EMT and save other people's lives as well.
12. Ruby (Millie Bobby Brown)
Before she was Eleven, Millie Bobby Brown appeared in Season 11 of Grey's as a young girl forced to save her own mother's life while receiving instructions from Owen over the phone. Like Thompson, Brown's profile has obviously risen considerably since her time on Grey's, and it would be great to check in on her character again. How was Ruby impacted by that life-changing experience? Does she aspire to be a doctor so she can save more lives like her mother's? Her past experience might come in handy if disaster were to strike her life again on Station 19.
The fiery new drama is only getting started, so stay tuned to find out what happens next and who stops by.
