I had my doubts about Ben's transition into this new Shondaland project. There are risks in using his character's backstory in this new show. I, for one, feared that it might come off as too heavy-handed. But Station 19 brushed away my doubts.
Ben is more fleshed out on this show, even if he's familiar to Grey's audiences. He's a newbie at the station, and as he's learning the ropes and tricks of his new workplace, so are we. Throughout the first two episodes, Ben encounters some tension when it comes to exercising his medical knowledge on the job, whether it's to medically treat the fire chief in the ambulance or to deliver a baby inside a dirty middle school bathroom. We also get to see Ben's adorably close relationship with his stepson Tuck, who's proud of his stepdad for fighting fires but also dying for father-son bonding time around their hectic schedules.
There is something small about Ben's introduction that may haunt me. While on the job, the former surgeon develops a rapport with his coworker Victoria. In the second installation of the premiere, they deliver a baby and survive a scary blue ethanol fire together. While their relationship strikes me as more of a friendship, I'd be devastated if Ben and Bailey ever broke up.