9-1-1 is back and seems to be headed back to its roots. The show is at its best when it mixes fun and suspense while tugging at our heartstrings, and that’s exactly how this season started.
For starters, a blimp crashes into a football stadium, sending everyone into a panic. The crash obviously only leads to more emergencies. A young woman’s life is at risk when her artificial heart stops working, and the blimp pilots are both trapped on top of the stadium. Luckily, the 118, Athena, and Maddie all work together to safely get everyone to a hospital.
Last season, we definitely were led to believe that Chimney and Maddie would be getting back together eventually, and the time has officially come. When we first see them in this episode, they’re still just friends, but they have been spending a lot more time together. When the roof in Maddie’s apartment starts leaking, Chimney offers up his place to stay, insisting that they’re family and should look after each other. Then, after a movie night filled with a rom-com, they both quickly realize what they want: each other. This isn’t without issues, though, considering they have a one-night stand without discussing anything. However, after Maddie has a call that helps her to realize exactly what she needs to say, Maddie makes a promise that she’s not going anywhere, and Chimney does the same.
Bobby and Athena are planning to take their honeymoon, but the 118 will need an interim captain before he leaves. Bobby’s first choice, Lucy Donato, is out of the running due to a fractured foot. When the team hears of this, there are mixed reactions. Buck is let down because he feels like he wasn’t considered. So, he tries to prove to everyone that he can do it. Ultimately, Bobby talks to him and lets him know the reasons behind his decision. He knows that Buck is an excellent firefighter, but he needs more time to gain more experience. We learn that Bobby wanted it to be Hen, but she has a lot on her plate with med school, her family, and everything else. She does end up taking it on, though, and it means a lot to her considering her first captain didn’t even see her as a firefighter.
To conclude the episode, we get to watch a montage of all the characters steadily finding their places. Hen takes on her role as interim captain, Eddie and Christopher have a family night, Buck learns to take comfort in his own company, and Maddie moves back into Chimney’s apartment. However, it’s not sunshine and roses for all the characters. As Athena is face timing her parents and getting ready to leave on their cruise, her father has a stroke and drives straight into her parent’s house, leaving the episode on a cliffhanger.
9-1-1 made sure to cover all of its bases, and I thought it was an excellent way to kick off a brand-new season. In the meantime, we can look forward to seeing the following in the next episode, according to the synopsis, “The 118 race to the rescue when a structure collapse at a happiness convention traps people under the rubble. While on Facetime with her mom, Athena’s father suffers a stroke and crashes through the wall of his house. Hen stretches herself too thin with test prep and her new responsibilities at the 118, while Maddie tries to help new recruit get his bearings at the call center.”
