Nearly a year ago, Bobby Nash died. We watched the whole world of 9-1-1 go through seismic shifts, with the audience facing multiple stages of grief in real life. At the same time, the characters elaborated their feelings onscreen; what an experience it was to watch it in real time.
Those who lived these times probably know something about the theories that would run wild online; some would say that Bobby was actually alive, maybe in a government lab, maybe staying elsewhere with no memories of his previous life; some would also say that this whole arc was a coma dream — Chimney’s or Bobby’s coma dream, the dreamer would vary. Regardless, a twist should be coming soon.
After all, we never saw his dead body. We never saw his final moments; that dramatic scene of the light leaving his eyes as Bobby took his last breath never happened. And there was Hozier too… Oh, don’t get me started on Hozier’s Work Song. No grave could hold Bobby’s body down and he would crawl home to Athena? Yeah, all of this seemed completely plausible at the time, so the feelings of rage, deception, and denial would always have companions in hope and curiosity. How would things unfold with Bobby gone? Would he come back? If not, how would this change the relationships within the 118? What about Athena? Could this show still mix action, comedy, suspense, and found-family comfort without being brought down by the sadness and the overall absence of its male lead?
With season 9 now fully released, the answers are on the table.
“Going Once, Going Twice” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Aisha Hinds as Hen. Photo: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2026 Disney. All rights reserved.If 9A (episodes 1 to 6) was mostly about Athena coming to terms with yet another tragedy in her life, with the 118 slowly adjusting to Chimney as the Captain, and 9B (episodes 7 to 10) was about Harry training to become a part of the 118 while the team faced a divisive moment that showed how grief was pulling the group apart, 9C (which is how I’m calling episodes 11 to 18, mostly because of a noticeable post-hiatus shift) is the rebirth.This season’s final batch of episodes, the historical run that goes from Going Once, Going Twice to Hearts and Flowers, is the most 9-1-1 this show has been in years (think season 4 or 5). The ensemble aspect gets stronger, with the solution to multiple challenges throughout the episodes requiring teamwork from all characters: the firefighters from the 118, Athena, May, Maddie, and other dispatchers, basically everyone from the main cast and multiple recurring characters working together to crack a case or to solve a problem, which is always a joy to watch. Also, towards the finale, there’s seemingly a budget restraint, with the emergencies becoming more character-focused and creative — another huge win for the show. Besides some interesting storylines focused on May and Maddie and some exciting new dynamics — namely the romance between May and Ravi and the friendship between Harry and Ravi —, this final half goes from lighter and joyful to suspenseful and anxiety-inducing to emotional and beautiful with jaw-dropping dexterity and balance.
“Going Once, Going Twice” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Corinne Massiah as May, Angela Bassett as Athena. Photo: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2026 Disney. All rights reserved.A good example of this is Going Once, Going Twice. Greatly directed by Aisha Hinds and written by Molly Green & James Leffler, one of this season’s best episodes wraps the arc of Hen’s illness, with firefighter Wilson realizing she belongs at the 118 after being a total badass in solving the car accident with her wife, Karen’s, help. It also wraps the Abigail storyline involving Eddie and Christopher (and Buck to some extent, as he is shown worried about Christopher at the beginning and worried about Eddie at the end).Besides, there is a very nice scene in which Maddie talks to Buck about his insecurities about getting older. Have I mentioned the hilarious ending at the firefighters’ auction already? With May as the one responsible for organizing the whole event, the auction introduces Ravi as her love interest in a charming moment. It also features everyone having a good time together, which adds a much-needed lightness to the episode. I cracked up laughing at Athena bidding for Harry. I was astonished by Eddie’s plan with Maddie (it’s the first time in years I’ve seen the two interacting, and it needs to happen more often), and the ending with Buck and the old ladies and Eddie helping Abigail was endearing, especially with Hen doing a voice-over monologue as she returns to the 118.
Incredible stuff! A very unique episode that goes well with the 9×11 (9-1-1) milestone, mixing action, comedy, suspense, and emotional beats, while giving all the main characters something to do.
“Dads and Cads” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Anirudh Pisharody as Ravi, Elijah M. Cooper as Harry. Photo: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2026 Disney. All rights reserved.Things are still strong when we get to the next episode, Dads and Cads. Directed by Nimisha Mukerji and written by Christopher Monfette & Taylor Wong, this hour sets up the crossover with 9-1-1: Nashville, with Buck and Eddie selected to compete in the national firefighting games in Nashville. The two are surprised to discover they were selected, since neither of them applied to the games.Then they discover that Bobby was responsible for registering them for the games a year ago — even though Eddie was in Texas and away from the 118, the late Captain believed that Diaz wouldn’t be gone long and would be back in time for the games. I wasn’t expecting this one to be so emotional. Still, Bobby’s sudden involvement in this storyline couldn’t provoke any other reaction.
Meanwhile, Maddie and Buck are surprised to discover that their parents are divorcing, which leaves both of them reflective. Also, a new storyline makes the best of Elijah M. Cooper and Anirudh Pisharody’s comedic timing: after Harry finds Ravi naked in a very compromising situation with May (possibly a callback to the scene in which May interrupts Bobby and Athena in an intimate roleplay), the two younger firefighters start arguing before becoming friends — a great choice.
“Mother’s Boy” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Oliver Stark as Buck, Ryan Guzman as Eddie. Photo: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2026 Disney. All rights reserved.Then we have this season’s masterpiece. Mother’s Boy is one of those special highlights that define a show. Putting fan-favorite duo Eddie and Buck on the road for a self-contained, Misery-inspired thriller would be enough to create a compelling hour of television, but 9×13 goes further in its execution. Directed by Jonathan Lawrence and written by showrunner Tim Minear, this episode stands out for balancing suspense, drama, and action with comedy and romantic tropes, and for thinking its images and sounds in a very unique way. Think of these scenes: a firefighter team rescuing Eddie from a damaged car while the sun rises; the reflection of an anguished Maddie in the glass as she discovers that her brother is missing; Buck beaten up and tied behind Bonnie as she prepares to shoot him moments before he opens up about his grief for Bobby. There’s something about an injured Eddie thinking Buck suffered a homophobic attack after they were mistaken for a couple (by multiple people at different times), facing various kinds of discrimination, and going through hell to save him, all while Buck processes part of the loss of someone during moments of torture. All in all, from the buddies arguing at the restaurant to the karaoke montage, this episode is charged with a different energy that makes this Buck and Eddie adventure in the desert (helped by Athena, Maddie, and Chimney, it’s important to say) fun, worth rewatching, and overall unparalleled.
“Mother’s Boy” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Oliver Stark as Buck, Melinda McGraw as Bonnie. Photo: ABC © 2026 Disney. All rights reserved.What happened in the desert continues to haunt Buck by the time D.I.Y starts. Directed by Shiri Appleby and written by Lyndsey Beaulieu & Silas Savard, this is another great episode filled with storylines I was really eager to watch! First, we have a story focused on the daily dynamics of dispatch. After Sue suffers a stroke at work, Maddie is chosen to be the new temporary supervising dispatcher, upsetting Josh, who feels more deserving of the promotion. This incident brings conflict to a group that hasn’t been developed much in recent years, bringing new life to Maddie’s work storylines.There is also a storyline just for May. As she tries to secure her first law internship, May ends up in the middle of legal trouble involving a hospital. By the way, this storyline has great moments such as the riot at the hospital (it’s filmed like some different, medical show, something that worked wonders here); also the scene in which Athena gets her daughter out of jail and talks to her, and also when May opens up to Athena, Hen and Gabi about her career, with all of the older black women sharing career advice, or just life advices in general, was also beautiful, a really wholesome that filled me with joy. At the end, May discovers a new passion in nursing and starts preparing for the role.
Finally, Buck is hiding something from Eddie after what happened on their road trip, and Eddie is really worried about him, trying his best to figure out what is happening. Their scenes, especially the ones they share with Christopher, are once again as endearing as they are melancholic, as it’s revealed at the end that Buck is taking pills hidden from everyone.
“D.I.Y” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Kenneth Choi as Chimney, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Maddie. Photo: ABC © 2026 Disney. All rights reserved.With Pick Your Poison, 9-1-1 closes a chapter — at least for now.Mirroring its season 8 counterpart, just like 9×13 did with Buck and Eddie trying to get home as fast as possible so they do not miss Hen’s surprise birthday party (as opposed to the “everyone forgets Hen’s birthday” 8×13 storyline), 9×15 marks the 1-year anniversary of Bobby’s death.
Directed by Christine Khalafian and written by Molly Green & James Leffler, this episode features Buck at a difficult moment, suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Also, dispatch is struggling as all the ambulances (and the 118) are stuck at a hospital in this very stressful situation. Athena investigates the case of a man who asks her to solve his murder, which kickstarts a new storyline that leads to this season’s finale and beyond.
If Bobby’s death broke the 118 to the point where they were all fighting after discovering about Hen’s illness, and if Hen’s illness was a way to get them all to see themselves as a family who should always be there for each other, this Buck storyline returns as a way to show that the 118 learned the lesson. There’s no sudden, dramatic discovery here: Buck asks Chimney for help, and Chimney leads the way so everyone can help Buck. This way, Pick Your Poison feels like a finale, giving a sense of closure as every main character finally finds themselves at peace after one year of angst and the dramatic consequences of Bobby’s absence. Stark’s performance here? Wonderful. The montage of the 118 family being there for Buck as Lauren Daigle’s Rescue plays? Really strong, beautiful, and powerful, it brought me to tears.
“Pick Your Poison” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Elijah M. Cooper as Harry, Ryan Guzman as Eddie, Kenneth Choi as Chimney, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Maddie, Oliver Stark as Buck, Angela Bassett as Athena, Aisha Hinds as Hen. Photo: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2026 Disney. All rights reserved.The 118 continues to be there for one another during Where There Is Smoke, when Captain Chimney is blamed for an emergency gone wrong. Directed by Bradley Buecker and written by Kristen Reidel, this episode has every past mistake made by the 118 during this season come back to haunt Chimney, and everyone comes together — the firefighters, dispatchers, May, and Athena — to help their Captain. It also has a plot twist that introduces a harrowing new storyline about undocumented immigrants held captive in a hidden room. If everyone investigating the building fire was fun to watch, the story of how the building caught fire was heavier, a necessary tone shift to portray this serious subject.And this storyline continues in I Got You Babe, unfortunately, just not as much as it could (and should). Written by Christopher Monfette & Taylor Wong and directed by John J. Gray, this episode must be this season’s most rushed hour, as Athena, Eddie, and Hen investigate the mafia behind the human trafficking ring with Gabi’s help after ICE agents storm the hospital and take the migrants to a holding facility. This plot alone could (and maybe should, given the urgency of the subject) carry a whole episode.
However, I Got Babe still finds time for a Maddie storyline (a good one, about her navigating her new leadership role and finding peace in seeing their relationship with coworkers change) and an astonishing new story for Buck. After all, Kameron and Connor, Buck’s friends from season 6 who were part of the sperm donor baby storyline, are back with Theo, their child. But as soon as they come back, they go; the adults die in a horrifying car accident, and Theo is left an orphan. And as rich in possibilities and interesting this return sounds, the execution leaves no doubt: it needed more time to work. Here, with everything that’s going on, and that also needed more time? I Got You Babe is the clear outlier in a season otherwise prone to taking its time and wrapping things up without haste.
“Where There Is Smoke” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Ryan Guzman as Eddie, Elijah M. Cooper as Harry, Oliver Stark as Buck, Aisha Hinds as Hen, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Maddie, Corinne Massiah as May, Bryan Safi as Josh. Photo: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2026 Disney. All rights reserved.As for the finale, Hearts and Flowers is directed by Bradley Buecker and written by Molly Green & James Leffler, and it’s a great one. Genuinely love the choices made here, in this thriller set in a hospital with all the main characters separated and fighting either for their lives or for their loved ones. May and Ravi getting some good screentime as they try to save Athena while the killer chases them? Hell yeah!!! Eddie stabbed and trapped in an elevator, Maddie guiding Buck and Harry through the hospital, Chimney and Hen working to save a life, this finale had it all, suffocating, suspenseful, and really good overall.As for the ending, the idea of Athena now being a detective brings me joy. I wasn’t always a fan of her cop storylines, but I think the series usually nails the investigative dramas—and Athena always ended up involved in that area one way or another, so it’s a welcome change.
“Hearts and Flowers” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Gavin McHugh as Christopher, Ryan Guzman as Eddie. Photo: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2026 Disney. All rights reserved.As expected, Buck is now fostering Theo, however it’s a shame they only invested one episode in setting up this plot. I felt that if they had worked on it more calmly throughout the season, maybe investing 1 or 2 extra episodes in reintroducing the friends and Theo, I would be more affected by their deaths and more excited about Theo living with Buck. Despite starting on the wrong foot, I’ll wait until next season before deciding whether I enjoy this story or not.Anyway, in life and in television, change is inevitable. Athena is no longer a cop, May is becoming a nurse, Buck is fostering a kid, Maddie is now a supervisor… And you know what? I like most of them, and I’m excited to see where the show will go next. What is coming next for Hen? How might their new leadership roles impact both Chimney and Maddie’s personal lives?
“Hearts and Flowers” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Alan Starzinski as Anatoly, Anirudh Pisharody as Ravi, Corinne Massiah as May, Angela Bassett as Athena. Photo: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2026 Disney. All rights reserved.Will we get one storyline for Eddie where everyone gets to help him or be there for him, like we had for Hen and Buck (and Chimney, in a way)? He’s been isolated in some way for multiple seasons, and this happened again at the elevator, so apparently there is a story there they want to tell us; maybe season 10 will be the opportunity to let him be vulnerable and have his found family help him.Will we have any romance coming next—for the established couples Hen and Karen, Chimney and Maddie, Ravi and May, but also maybe for Harry? Even if it’s romance in the thrilling and suspenseful 9-1-1 fashion (as seen in Tomorrow for Hen and Karen, Final Approach for Bobby and Athena, There Goes the Groom for Maddie and Chimney, etc)? Maybe something for Eddie and Buck? How will Athena’s professional path cross with the 118 again? And what crazy opening emergency awaits them in the future?
Season 9 had no (space) government labs, no coma dreams, and Bobby certainly didn’t return, with or without his memories—at least not yet (I’ll hold out hope until the end of the show.) But if I felt like 9-1-1 had clearly changed into something new over the years, especially during the first half of season 9, these final episodes reminded me it can still feel like the show I love, filled with nail-biting sequences, lots of action, bits of comedy, all wrapped in a fun found-family first responder show. In a way, it’s a rebirth of something that never really died—and I can only hope it will stay this way as I eagerly wait for season 10.
