ABC’s “9-1-1” has made its highly anticipated return with season 8B this past month. With the three episodes released so far, it has certainly lived up to expectations.
For those unfamiliar with the TV show, “9-1-1” is a procedural drama that focuses predominantly on station 118 of the Los Angeles Fire Department, as well as other first responders of the city who frequently have emergencies to attend to. Although I am typically not fond of shows similar to “9-1-1,” what drew me in was the way the story develops beyond the absurd calls the characters have to respond to. The dedication to crafting the characters and their relationships has been essential to the show’s success, and the show has accumulated a large audience, of which there is a surprisingly large younger demographic.
The main characters are Bobby Nash, captain of station 118 of the LAFD, and Athena Grant, LAPD patrol sergeant, notably played by Peter Krause and Angela Bassett, respectively. Not only have Bobby and Athena captured fans’ hearts, but viewers are also fond of the several other characters featured. Eddie, Buck, Hen and Chimney from Station 118, along with Maddie, Buck’s sister and Chimney’s wife, have all earned their place in viewers’ affections. Previously, during the first part of season 8(A), there were some major changes happening in the character’s lives, so I have been eagerly awaiting the release of the new episodes these past few months. Below, I will briefly recap each episode and share some of my thoughts and hopes for the rest of the season.
S8.E9 ∙ Sob Stories
In the season 8B premiere, Maddie Buckley (911 dispatcher) responds to a call from a man who is in distress and struggling to decide what to do after abducting a girl. However, the man hangs up abruptly after realizing that Maddie tried to send police to her location, leaving her overwhelmed with guilt and fear. Maddie and Athena seek help on the case from Amber Braeburn, a missing person’s detective, and it is revealed that the person who called had abducted and killed several young girls in the past.
Meanwhile, Buck struggles to cope with the thought of Eddie (his best friend) leaving to reconcile with his son who is currently living with his grandparents in El Paso, Texas. Buck lashes out at Eddie, repeatedly believing that Eddie is leaving him behind without a second thought. However, the two reconcile at the end after Buck decides to sublet Eddie’s home, easing the additional pressure Eddie feels about leaving. Though Buck’s emotions are raw, it’s clear that their friendship remains intact, and it’s strongly implied that Eddie will return to L.A. this season.
Just when the episode seems like it has concluded, however, the killer, who was believed to have been caught, breaks into Maddie’s house, strikes her with a crowbar, kidnaps her and is revealed to be none other than Detective Amber.
S8.E10 ∙ Voices
After noticing Maddie’s absence, Chimney and Buck call the other members of the 118 and Athena to begin searching for her, unknowingly working alongside her kidnapper, Amber.
However, after reading the letter Maddie left for her daughter, it is revealed that Amber suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and was a victim of kidnapping herself. I definitely wish the writers had taken a different approach, considering they have dealt with mental health topics so carefully in the past, and this felt dangerous and insensitive considering the way DID is consistently vilified in the media.
Athena discovers that Amber is the killer only after Chimney has already gone to express his concerns about Maddie’s disappearance to Amber at her home, where Maddie is being held. Athena calls him, instructing him to keep his voice steady, but Amber reads through his act just before Maddie appears, bleeding out, to knock her out temporarily. Luckily, right when Amber gets up again, Athena appears to save the pair and kills Amber. Luckily, Maddie is okay in the hospital at the end of the episode, but this was definitely a wild series of events.
Unsurprisingly, at this point, the satisfying ending is disrupted as, again, viewers are subjected to another devastating scene as Buck watches with a look of despair while Eddie drives off to Texas, leaving their friendship in a state of uncertainty.
S8.E11 ∙ Holy Mother of God
I was especially excited for this episode, considering it was the directorial debut of Aisha Hinds, the actress who portrays Hen Wilson. The episode explored the strained relationship between Bobby and his mother, a “faith healer,” whom he would argue is a “fraud and a con artist.” When the two meet for lunch, their conversation immediately becomes hostile, and Bobby delivers the final blow before storming out.
At the station, Buck is trying to cope with the loss of his best friend by inviting Ravi, another fan-favorite firefighter at the station, out after work. When they go out for drinks, Ravi, annoyed with Buck’s nonstop anecdotes about Eddie, goes to get drinks and, unfortunately, returns with Buck’s ex-boyfriend, Tommy, leaving them alone together. One of the most significant scenes for many fans follows soon after, as Tommy and Buck argue the next morning after Tommy insinuates that Buck has feelings for Eddie, leaving Buck, as well as many fans, uncertain about the status of Buck and Eddie’s relationship.
At the conclusion of the episode, Bobby and his mother reconcile after he discovers that she has terminal cancer and is uninterested in treatment. While I appreciated the resolution of the mother and son and the two finally reaching a mutual understanding, I found that this was yet another example of “9-1-1” frequently taking the easy way out with resolving major conflicts.
Despite this point, “9-1-1” returned with three incredibly well-crafted episodes, and I’m definitely excited to see how the rest of the season unfolds!
