‘Station 19’ Actor Sterling Sulieman Talks Grant and Travis Relationship, Season Premiere Wake-up Call

One of Station 19‘s fan-favorite couples will receive their first major reality check during the upcoming season 2 premiere about the dangers of getting involved with firefighters.

Minutes before the crew responded to a serious fire at a downtown office building, Travis Montgomery (Jay Hayden) took a second to slow things down with new love interest Grant (Sterling Sulieman). With the memory of his late firefighter husband, who died before Travis joined Station 19, he tells Grant he doesn’t want to move too fast in the new relationship, given the dangers of his job.

The season premiere will prove just that for Grant, Sulieman told PopCulture.com exclusively, who will find himself on his boyfriend’s bedside as he is treated for potentially fatal injuries after the fire.

“At the end of last season, there was kind of a fight about [Travis] not really wanting Grant to be completely included with his friends, which, you know, for fireman, is like 80 percent of their life,” Sulieman told PopCulture.com in a phone interview Sept. 11. “I think, you know, when I get called to come [to the hospital] it’s because the relationship has gotten to that point already, emotionally.”

Travis will at least make it out of the building and to Grey Sloan Memorial to be treated for the massive shard of glass he was stabbed with during an explosion, and while the situation is dire, Sulieman teases Grant will be there for the firefighter, should he recover.

Though the near-death experience will open Grant’s eyes to the seriousness of Travis’ job.

“I think it’s a strong test of boundaries when it comes to Travis’ character,” Sulieman said. “And as much as Grant might say he understands… [after the accident] Grant will now be worried that Travis will always die.”

The portrayal of the beginning, and upcoming obstacles, of Travis and Grant’s relationship are part of a well-received characteristic of Shondaland-produced dramas that represent all kinds of relationships as ordinary, regardless of gender and sexual orientation.

Sulieman added he was proud to work on a series that represents same-sex relationships — and female firefighters — without making note of how they might be different.

“I just think it’s so important to have representation on TV,” Sulieman said. “This relationship, especially, I think it’s so important and I love the way [the show] portrays the firehouse… It’s a relationship, not a gay relationship. And the women are firefighters, they’re not [labeled as] female firefighters… There are places like that [in real life] but it’s also kind of aspirational for most of America.”

Station 19 returns for its second season Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.