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ABC/Eric McCandless

Excuse Me, One Does Not Simply Get Over Ripley's Death On 'Station 19'

The highly anticipated crossover event between Shondaland's Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 came and went, but the scars it left behind remain. The Grey's Anatomy episode titled "What I Did For Love" led into the Station 19 episode titled "Always Ready" for a two-hour special. But unlike the title suggests, no one was ready for the events that unfolded, as the crossover ended in a heartbreaking death that devastated the entire Station 19 family. In the episodes, Seattle Fire's very own Chief Ripley died after collapsing, and the tweets about Ripley on Station 19 prove that every fan went through the five stages of grief that night.

The Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 crossover event started like any other. An ambulance rolled in a John Doe for the doctors at Grey Sloan and they try to fix him. Only this guy isn't just a nameless guest star. It's Ripley. The Seattle Fire Chief collapsed at a flower shop while he was on his way to answer Vic's freaking marriage proposal — shatter my heart, why don't you? Nonetheless, at Grey Sloan, Maggie diagnosed him with a serious heart condition and exposure to deadly toxins. Although Maggie explained that she needed to treat Ripley immediately, he chose to leave the hospital to search for Vic, who hasn't answered her phone all episode.

Later in the Station 19 portion of the crossover, Ripley finds himself in the hospital. However, this time he's in Seattle Pres instead of Grey Sloan. Vic, who was out on the job, eventually comes to the hospital, but by then, Ripley's condition worsened. In the end, it's revealed that Ripley signed a DNR and he was going to die. After a heartwrenching goodbye where Ripley accepted Vic's proposal, Vic leaves the room as Maggie pronounces his time of death. The episode ends with Vic surrounded by her Seattle Fire crew, followed by a sweet flashback between Vic and Ripley exchanging their first "I love you's". And no, I am not okay.

Speaking to TV Guide, Barrett Doss, who plays Vic, revealed her initial reaction to Ripley's death.

"When we did the table read of this episode, we all lost it a little bit," Doss said. "It was very emotional, but it was also one of the most satisfying ways to end [this storyline]. If we had to end the story, we might as well end it on a high note or on the lowest note you could ever reach. It was very sad."

The fan reactions on Twitter were pretty similar. As in, they all lost it.

While Ripley's death left some fans in a glass case of emotion, others couldn't handle the heartbreak and decided to quit watching the show. And not going to lie, I don't blame them. I mean, after all that buildup, we're just going to let him go out like that? Unacceptable.

Meanwhile, other fans chose to celebrate Ripley's time on Station 19 as well as his magically beautiful relationship with Vic.

Regardless of how you felt when Ripley died on Station 19, the reception has been overwhelmingly passionate. And Brett Tucker, who plays Ripley, has taken notice. In an interview with Shondaland, Tucker revealed how he feels about the fan reactions to Vic and Ripley's conclusion.

"I have become aware of the response and it's really heartwarming," Tucker said. "I've got to say, because I really enjoyed that relationship and the characters. And Barrett as an actor is so great, so it's really nice that people were into it. To answer your question simply, no. I didn't expect it to be that, as strong as it appears to be, but I'm glad people were on board like we were."

Station 19 airs Thursdays on ABC.