Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission at no expense to you. Affiliate links are marked with the asterisks (*)
It’s now always easy to do cameos right on TV shows. When it comes to bringing in characters from former spinoff shows — or even current ones! — they tend to be written as fan service or to gain hype around an episode. Grey’s Anatomy was at risk of that when there was a surprise cameo from a Station 19 character.
Maya Bishop was brought into the ER, suffering from multiple burns after a three-alarm fire. Warren immediately got to work taking care of her, but there was always a risk that this cameo would take over the episode.
In the end, it didn’t. In fact, Grey’s Anatomy* showed how cameos need to be done.
The Station 19 Cameo Was About Furthering a Grey’s Anatomy Character Arc
Usually, cameos end up taking over. The whole episode becomes about them, such as where they are and how the family is. Sure, there was a mention of Bishop’s family, but that didn’t take up the bulk of the episode.
Grey’s Anatomy made sure that the cameo served a purpose for one of its own characters. This was a chance for Warren to shine.
Up to this point, Toni had looked down on Warren, noting that moving from career to career showed a lack of discipline. That wasn’t the case at all, though. Warren was gaining life experience nobody else could ever have.
While most doctors wouldn’t be able to operate on their friends, as they would push too hard, Warren knew when to stop. He knew how much Bishop could take when removing the debris, and he also knew the right drugs to push. His experience as a firefighter and an anesthesiologist helped him in the moment, and he wasn’t afraid to push back on Toni when she told him to stop.
This Became Warren’s Story and Not About Bishop
By putting the focus on Warren’s abilities, the whole crossover became about him. It was a chance to further his career.
Up to this point, he’d made it clear that he wanted to do a fellowship in plastics. It made sense considering the work he’d done as a firefighter. This career path isn’t a vanity one, but about helping people who have been through some of their worst moments.
The best way to show that is through his work on a burn patient. Making it one of his friends helped show his knowledge and experience. Toni had to take a step back because she wouldn’t have considered anything that Warren did due to her lack of experience in a couple of areas.
Now, she wants Warren on her service. It doesn’t even matter that he hasn’t put the paperwork in yet. She wants him to start working under her immediately, and it shows just how impressed she was with his skills and his ability to compartmentalize everything that happened.
Other shows have struggled with cameos and the characters from other shows taking over — often for no reason. Grey’s Anatomy figured out how to bring the Station 19 nostalgia and still make it about the medical drama.
Grey’s Anatomy* airs on Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC and streams the following day on Hulu.
