Grey’s Anatomy And Station 19 Are All Set To Beat The Shared-Universe Phenomenon

Grey Anatomy and Station 19 — DKODING Studio

Grey’s Anatomy and its spin-off Station 19 have had several crossover episodes all through the latter’s three seasons. Multiple crossovers have brought in mixed reviews, but they work well for the producers who can promote one show on the back of another. The two shows are resetting the phenomenon of shared universes on TV. But are the fans happy?

Highlights —

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and its spin-offs
How viewers have mixed feelings about the phenomenon

Crossovers are always exciting and something to look forward to, especially if they occur within shows that you love. Typically, in such episodes, one or more characters from a show enter the universe of another show, thus impacting both and moulding the separate universes into. When it comes to Grey’s Anatomy and its many crossovers with its spin-offs, the collision of storylines is all kinds of exciting, packed as they are with high stakes and even higher drama.

Grey’s Anatomy, one of the longest-running primetime medical dramas with a huge and very loyal fan-following, has had many frequent crossover episodes with its spin-off, Station 19. But fans have rather mixed feelings about so many of them.

Grey’s Anatomy and its spin-offs

The medical drama has had several spin-offs and adaptations, including the six-season long Private Practice and Station 19. Compared to Private Practice, which has had only five crossover storylines with the original show, Station 19 has had four crossovers in its three seasons already.

Set in Seattle and borrowing Ben Warren from the original show, Station 19 is an action drama that follows the lives of the people who work at Seattle Fire Station 19. Both the shows are run by the same person, Krista Vernoff, so it’s not really so surprising that there are this many crossovers.

Station 19 and Grey Anatomy — DKODING | Grey’s Anatomy And Station 19 Are All Set To Beat The Shared-Universe Phenomenon

You might think that fans would be on board with an extra episode of their favourite show (who wouldn’t want more of Grey’s Anatomy?), but that isn’t the case exactly.

How viewers have mixed feelings about the phenomenon

Often, the Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy crossover deals with a victim in the storyline of the former being sent to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, where a doctor would look into the case, with the story then following. This is a good tactic, and it does work, especially if they are treated as special events. But the many back-to-back crossovers are making it feel as if they are not special events after all. At times it feels a bit too forced as if every episode of Grey’s Anatomy has to have a connection with Station 19.

Fans seem to want to have them separated. It is obvious that by doing crossovers, the makers are trying to help up a budding show by riding on the success of Grey’s Anatomy. But, not every Grey’s Anatomy fan is going to watch Station 19 to understand the storyline in full.

However, Vernoff said she tries to make each hour of each show become a whole story in itself, so that fans of either show don’t necessarily have to watch the other to get the whole picture.

Even if that’s the case, you do need to watch both episodes to get a full idea of what’s going on. And fans don’t seem to be happy about that.

Do you feel the same way? Or do you actually enjoy the Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy crossover episodes? Let us know in the comments below!

Link to a clip from a crossover episode, here