It’s been a long 100 days, but ABC’s hit show “9-1-1” finally returned with the second half of season eight, beginning with the ninth episode titled “Sob Stories.” A fitting title for the episode considering I, and many others viewers, shed more than a few tears watching our favorite characters get hit hard by the events taking place around them.
“9-1-1” is a firefighter drama, focusing on the many calls that first responders — firefighters, paramedics, police officers, dispatchers, etc. — have to deal with on a daily basis, as well as any familial or personal drama that occurs.
The episode was centered around two important plotlines: Eddie’s (Ryan Guzman) plan to return to Texas to reunite with his son, and a serial killer, “John,” that called the emergency line before he killed again.
While a lot of the show is exaggerated or slightly unrealistic to create more suspense, this episode went a little far with how Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), who’s a dispatcher, dealt with John. I really enjoyed watching this plotline and Hewitt’s acting felt realistic, but I was taken out of the moment after watching her response — and I’m not the only one. According to @tressanysawyers on TikTok, “There are just sometimes in ‘9-1-1’ where, like, you can tell the show does not believe in real life consequences.”
The other half of the episode revolved around Eddie and Buck (Oliver Stark), best friends and work partners for seven years. I have been obsessed with Buck and Eddie’s characters since season one, and this episode showcased why.
Eddie is a very family-oriented person, and his dedication to his son Christopher (Gavin McHugh) is prevalent throughout the episode as we see how desperate he is to reunite. Buck, in his own words, is a clingy person due to his abandonment issues and they were really played up in “Sob Stories” with how he attempted to sabotage Eddie’s leaving at any point he could.
Stark’s acting was phenomenal, and he has definitely grown as an actor since his career started. He has spoken many times about how important Buck’s character is to him, and how he wants to accurately portray a character who has gone through as much as Buck has.
In an interview with Us Magazine, Stark said that the rest of the season for Buck can be described with words like “Uncomfortable, opportunity and devastating.”
In my opinion, this was one of the most well-done episodes of the season thus far, and I cannot wait to see where it leads for the rest of the show. The acting, writing and plots came together to create an episode that encapsulates why fans enjoyed the show to begin with.
While I do wish that there was more focus on the other characters, Chimney (Kenneth Choi), Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Bobby (Peter Krause) because of their connections with Maddie, Buck and Eddie, I do understand that there just was not enough time for all of the characters to have a spotlight.
ABC’s “9-1-1” has been one of my favorite shows for years and I am excited to see where this season takes the characters. With the next episode arriving this Thursday, fans are eagerly awaiting the next addition to the story.
5/5 stars
rcassio@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @911onabc, Instagram
