9-1-1 Recap: Job Insecurity

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Last week, I feared I might have jinxed 9-1-1 by praising a series of intense episodes, but I didn’t anticipate such a swift decline into average quality. Fret not about the remainder of the season – there are no significant storylines or new characters that could disrupt the flow. Instead, this episode seems to be primarily filler material. Its main flaw, aside from being filler, is an unexpected appearance by Stacey Rusch’s questionable boyfriend, TJ. Let’s delve into him later on.

Initially, “Disconnected” delivers an impactful opening scene as Maddie experiences a troubling nightmare where she’s back at the dispatch center and ends up with a slashed throat. It’s commendable that the show addresses a character’s trauma, considering the gruesome events each character encounters on a regular basis in the series. I can’t help but feel that the presentation could be more engaging. Despite Sue and Chimney advising her to take as much time as she needs, Maddie feels compelled to return to work, interpreting her dreams as a sign of her readiness. (It seems likely that these dreams indicate severe PTSD, although I’m not a trained professional.)

Initially, everyone at the dispatch center is incredibly supportive. Maddie expresses her desire to remain there, despite some initial difficulties. (Josh’s comment about being nervous after a call from a serial killer doesn’t seem particularly helpful.) Unfortunately, Maddie’s first call isn’t just any ordinary one; it’s a desperate plea from a boy named Chance who is trapped in a smoke-filled apartment with his unconscious father – another distressing situation, but typical for the job. Fortunately, Maddie manages to locate the building, and the 118 team arrives swiftly. However, when she tries to instruct Chance to wave a blanket out the window to help the firefighters find him, she finds herself unable to speak. Maddie appears dazed and terrified (once again showcasing Jennifer Love Hewitt’s exceptional acting skills). Except for bleeding out from a throat wound, this scenario is her worst nightmare. With Josh’s assistance, the 118 team successfully rescues Chance and his father, but Maddie loses her voice as a result.

Maddie and Chimney visited a doctor who used a CT scan of her throat to confirm that although Maddie’s vocal cords have stopped functioning, there is no physical harm present. Instead, she has psychogenic aphonia, which suggests the problem might stem from her recent traumatic experiences. Interestingly, this doctor is TJ Jones, who appeared on “The Real Housewives of Potomac” and was known for his controversial relationships, particularly with Stacey during their ninth season. However, let’s focus on Maddie’s situation: Dr. TJ (Turner) indicates that while rest and therapy could help, Maddie might not regain her voice for days, months, or possibly forever. In her journal, Maddie expresses that she feels like someone has taken her voice away from her. Later, at home, Chimney encourages Maddie during vocal exercises, saying Braeburn (her voice) is gone and can’t defeat her. This may be accurate in the literal sense, but Maddie’s thoughts about Braeburn are occupying a significant portion of her mindspace, including mine, as I miss her energy.

As events unfold, 9-1-1 finds Eddie in El Paso, interviewing for a firefighter position under Captain Morales. The conversation appears promising, despite Morales’ subtle unease at Eddie mentioning his former colleague, Captain Nash, who assures Eddie of a spot at the 118. This reassurance brings me comfort. Overly confident about the job offer he expects, Eddie spends his unconfirmed hiring bonus on a PS5 for Christopher, hoping he’d set it up at Eddie’s new home. However, Chris decides to keep it with his grandparents. Another letdown follows as Morales informs Eddie of a hiring freeze, potentially delaying the job offer for months. In a FaceTime call with Buck, Eddie confesses his financial struggles without the income, hinting at a possible return to L.A. This time, Buck advises him not to leave Texas as he had moved there to be Christopher’s father, suggesting perhaps that he should find ways to stay in El Paso instead of sharing an apartment with him.

In simpler terms, the issue I have with this part of the episode is that it drags on too long. The scene where Eddie becomes a rideshare driver seems endless, as we watch him irritate his passengers with excessive chatter and miss out on tips. This behavior also contradicts his actions, such as lying about getting a firefighter job and relying on his family financially while still enrolling Chris in chess lessons.

However, there is a moment when Eddie learns some tips from an experienced rideshare driver to improve his performance, like stopping excessive chatter, utilizing surge pricing, and reading the passenger’s mood better. Eventually, he gets a large tip from a wealthy passenger after returning their lost phone, which he uses to pay back his family and buy Chris a video game.

To me, it seems that the writers struggled to find an engaging storyline for Eddie in El Paso. Some viewers might have enjoyed this sequence more than I did, but I found it underwhelming.

Temporarily, Eddie finds success as a ride-share driver. However, his happiness is short-lived when one of his passengers turns out to be Christopher and his friends. Eddie feels embarrassed about driving people instead of saving lives, and he’s even more ashamed for having lied to his son again. But despite his mistakes, Chris surprises him by showing up at his door with a PS5. Chris doesn’t want to set it up at Eddie’s place; instead, he wants Eddie to return it since Eddie apparently needs the money to continue living in Texas. Kudos to Chris for demonstrating more financial responsibility than his father. And yes, Chris does want Eddie to stay. Chris tells Eddie he’s still proud of him, and they share a warm hug and express their love for each other. This is significant coming from a typically gruff 14-year-old.

In Los Angeles, Athena goes to see a speechless Maddie. If there’s a cure for Maddie, it might just be an Angela Bassett speech. Much like Maddie, Athena has had her own share of hardships – it’s the thought of those counting on her that helps her push through. “I’ve wrestled with spirits, too, Maddie,” she says. “I can’t undo what the monster did, but I can work with that fear.” Although Angela Bassett delivers an incredibly powerful speech, Maddie remains voiceless throughout this scene. To be honest, I was content with Maddie staying silent for a few more episodes – she has been carrying the latter half of the season so far! However, instead, she momentarily loses Jee-Yun at the playground and regains her voice by shouting for her daughter. This appears to be an additional traumatic event that could make things even worse, but again, I’m no expert. The episode concludes with Maddie back at work in the dispatch center. Despite the lack of logic, it’s reassuring to see her return to her usual place.

Call Log

In this week’s 9-1-1 call, a pizza delivery man named Ozzie, driving with a suspended license, almost plunged his car off a parking garage edge. Given its unusual nature and lack of connection to the main narrative, I’ll discuss it here. After being rescued by the 118 team, Ozzie was taken into custody. Unfortunately, while in custody, his car slipped from the parking lot and landed on Athena’s police cruiser, causing an explosion. The final outcome of this incident is unclear at this time.

Instead of catching Doctor Odyssey, I wound up reading a summary of the crossover episode instead. It seemed like a missed opportunity for Angela Bassett’s talent – could it be otherwise?

Josh’s remark about “it’s always popcorn” concerning the apartment fire left me quite surprised. Upon further research, I found that cooking is undeniably the leading cause of residential building fires. However, there seems to be no connection with popcorn in this context. I guess I’ll have to trust 9-1-1‘s expertise on this matter.

• I found the PS5 promotion less annoying compared to the Amazon sponsored post. People rarely announce receiving a package from “Amazon Prime,” and Eddie’s comment, “This came quickly,” seemed incongruous. It’s confusing because you can select your delivery date at checkout!

• When Maddie wrote “I’m not you” to Athena, and Athena responded, “Girl, no one is,” I felt that.

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2025-03-28 07:57