Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched the Grey's Anatomy episode "{Don't Fear) the Reaper."
Last night's episode of Grey's Anatomy seemed like it could possibly do the unthinkable by killing off Chandra Wilson's stalwart surgeon Miranda Bailey. Thankfully, viewers didn't have to live through such a morose ordeal, and Bailey ended up surviving her surprise heart attack. By the end of the episode, she and Ben even put their marriage back on the survival path, and they found peace in his decision to change careers. What's more, Wilson finally revealed that a post-recovery Bailey will indeed head over to the firefighter spinoff Station 19. In her words:
You know she's gotta go over there and mark her territory. At the end of the day, Ben and Bailey are husband and wife who now work in separate places and we get to explore what that looks like through both shows.
Grey's Anatomy fans had more than a few sneaking suspicions that Chandra Wilson's Bailey would end up on Station 19 at some point. The stars have been somewhat cagey about it, possibly not wanting to take away from Bailey's powerfully emotional arc in "(Don't Fear) the Reaper." But with that episode now in the rear view mirror, it appears fans are now allowed to get set for Bailey's first spinoff appearance, which sounds like it's coming in the new show's premiere episode.
Even though we suspected that Bailey and Ben's relationship would remain strong enough to stay the course through Ben's career shift, that latest Grey's episode offered up the baffling possibility that Bailey might not have even lived long enough to see Ben struggle and succeed in his new job. Strange as it is to say, that would have made a bit of narrative sense if the shows' creative teams had specifically wanted to keep the casts as separate as possible. Granted, killing off Bailey would have potentially decimated the fanbase going into the Station 19 premiere, so it's best for everyone that Bailey will be back to basics after that heart attack scare.
Thanks to the debut images that came out for Station 19, we already knew that Meredith would show up, with Ellen Pompeo set for a cameo appearance in the premiere. And considering the firehouse and Grey-Sloan won't be worlds apart, it's certainly possible that more of the medical team will pop up in the new show in the future. And if they're heading over, they better pass on any messages that Bailey has for Ben, or she might get feisty.
Speaking with TV Guide, Chandra Wilson assured viewers that we were never really in danger of watching Ben and Bailey's relationship implode.
One thing to say for sure was Ben and Bailey were never not together. What's really important for this Ben and Bailey relationship --- and we all feel this across the board --- is that everything doesn't have to be hunky dory all the time. It's about how you work your way through it. Ben and Bailey have always chosen to take breaking up and divorce off the table; those things aren't options, so the options that you have left is now what? . . . That was my long-winded way of saying that by the end, Bailey --- through seeing herself and having a better understanding of herself through going through her own mental flashbacks of how she was brought up and the stresses that she's gone through, and what the doctors are telling her --- she feels like she's in no position to tell someone that they can't be the best of who they want to be, that they can't fly and spread their things and do what they need to do in order to be happy, because life is too short.
Life is definitely too short not to visit your significant other at work. Grey's Anatomy airs Thursday nights on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET, with Station 19 starting up on Thursday, March 22, at 9:00 p.m. ET. To see what other new and returning shows are on the way in the near future, head to our midseason premiere schedule.
*Head to the next page to see the very first trailer for _Station 19_. *
