9-1-1 Recap: Living in His Post-Glee World

As a long-time fan of 911, I must say this week’s episode left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, it was filled with heartwarming moments and unexpected twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. But on the other hand, some decisions felt rushed and lacked the emotional depth I’ve come to expect from this series.

It seems as though the creators of 9-1-1 had a sense that this week’s election might weigh heavily on everyone, so they decided to lighten things up with an episode called “Confessions.” While there are certainly serious moments in this installment, it generally has a more playful tone compared to some of the previous episodes. For instance, there’s no life-or-death situation like when Denny was trapped under a house during Halloween. Instead, there’s a mix of comical and intriguingly strange scenes that help offset the somber moments. I appreciate this balance, as it provides a bit of relief amidst the tension of election week.

In the initial crisis of the episode, you get a sense of the overall mood: Trent dials 9-1-1, claiming his wife has stolen his mother’s ashes, leading Athena on a chase she believes is a kidnapping. However, Trent’s actual mother is no longer alive — it’s Celeste who has taken the ashes of Trent’s mother-in-law. As it transpires, Trent is more concerned about the vase containing his mother’s cremains, which he values highly as a means to support himself after his divorce with Celeste. Despite the 118 successfully rescuing both Celeste and the ashes, Trent, in a fittingly silly conclusion, slips and drops the vase.

In terms of relevance, I’m unsure how the vase incident connects to confessions, except perhaps that Trent reveals his genuine motives. Contrastingly, Eddie’s visit to confession aligns perfectly. It’s been 23 years since his last confession, and while the priest advises him to summarize key points, Eddie uses this opportunity to revisit the dead wife’s doppelgänger incident from last season. He expresses his feelings about Christopher, admitting his failure to protect him, which has been a powerful performance by Ryan Guzman this season. This scene is poignant and speaks of forgiveness, but we can anticipate that its resolution will take an over-the-top turn. (We’ll see how it unfolds.)

On Buck and Tommy’s six-month anniversary, they plan another Mexican dinner date, which also signifies a significant confession. In line with the episode title, there’s a big revelation coming up. When a woman flirts with Buck, Tommy tells him it’s fine to look, despite his own homosexuality. It’s odd that this hasn’t been discussed before, but it’s interesting to think that Buck assumes everyone around him is bisexual. His unique perspective.

It’s time for our next conversation, let’s hope you aren’t eating a meal! The soon-to-be divorced couple Walter and Liza are in mediation with their lawyers. Walter is known for his pathological lying — he once claimed to have been mugged to cover up a bad Botox reaction, something I may use in the future — and he always sneezes when he lies. After swearing that he isn’t having an affair with his lawyer, Walter sneezed so violently that his intestines spilled out from his stomach. If this story makes you feel even more appalled, it is almost certainly based on a recently publicized real-life case report, which means such incidents can occur. (Please be aware of this if you’ve had recent abdominal surgery and are susceptible to sneezing.) Kudos go to Liza for delivering the most memorable 9-1-1 call: “My unfaithful husband just spilled his secrets.” We always enjoy creative wordplay!

As I watch the ambulance pull up, labeled 118, my heart races. The team springs into action, swiftly restoring order, though not quite in the gruesome sense of reattaching internal organs – that’s a task for the skilled hands at the hospital. They can, however, tidy up and ensure Walter manages to reach the emergency room in one slightly unsteady piece. It appears he still has a couple of sneezes left: the first, a lie about never loving Liza, which somehow convinces her to give him another chance; the second, a vow never to cheat again, a lie that makes her understand he can’t change. Looks like their fairytale ending was just a dream.

During this part of the story, Buck finds himself grappling with Tommy’s disclosure, culminating in an unusual sequence. In this exchange, Buck accuses Tommy of being unfair and hurtful towards Abby, which prompts Josh to interject effectively. Josh argues that Buck misunderstands the situation because he lived in a more accepting era post-“Glee.” He explains, “There’s a world before ‘Glee’ and a world after it, and you were fortunate enough to experience your sexual awakening in the latter.” When Buck denies watching the show, Josh replies, “The beauty of ‘Glee’ is that you don’t need to have watched it to reap its benefits.” In essence, Josh suggests that Tommy grew up in a less accepting time and hurt Abby due to societal pressures that Buck may not completely comprehend. Regardless of whether this scene was the writers trying to secure Ryan Murphy’s protection for 9-1-1 after leaving 9-1-1: Lone Star, it does not diminish my enjoyment of it in the slightest.

In a world beyond Glee, Eddie is at a juice bar when Father Brian, whom he had confessed to, spots him. Shockingly, Father Brian finds him attractive! Recognizing that Eddie picked water over juice, Father Brian surmises that Eddie feels undeserving of pleasure or happiness. He encourages Eddie, highlighting his strengths such as his job, son, and distinctive mustache. (It seems Buck might be onto something; perhaps everyone is bisexual.) Eddie admits he grew the mustache because he wasn’t allowed to have a full lumberjack beard. It appears that the disguise has outlived its purpose. The charming Father Brian advises Eddie to seek forgiveness, cease self-punishment, and then proposes that Eddie indulge in something enjoyable after his penance. He stresses that it should be joyful but not immoral, to avoid any misconceptions.

In this episode’s crisis, the third one is the most severe, despite maintaining a comical tone during its resolution. Following a scolding from his elder brother Miles, young Jack accidentally falls into a drainpipe in their backyard. Although his parents can hear him, they’re unable to retrieve him. When the 118 emergency team arrives, they discover that Jack keeps sliding deeper, making it increasingly difficult for him to breathe due to a condition called positional asphyxia (as Hen explains). With the situation worsening, the only one small enough to reach Jack and pull him out is Miles. Now, I’m not an expert, but as a dedicated fan and concerned citizen – are we really going to let another child fall down the pipe? Granted, it turns out successful in the storyline; however, I’m merely expressing doubts about the approach taken.

But hey, both Jack and Miles are safe, and what’s really important is what this particular call does on a plot level. Throughout the episode, Maddie has been sharing her feelings about wanting another child: Jee-Yun is missing Mara, who spent three months as a temporary big sister. Chimney is worried about Maddie having another baby given that her postpartum depression after Jee-Yun’s birth was so severe she ran away for several months. (In real life, Jennifer Love Hewitt was on maternity leave, which makes that particular storyline a little troubling.) After the emergency call, Chimney realizes he does want a sibling for Jee-Yun. What if she falls into a drainpipe! And his change of heart is good news because Maddie is already pregnant.

In a less touching turn of events for the episode, after being inspired by his elder’s speech, Buck chooses to come clean with Tommy (“I’m more like a hunky simpleton”) and propose that they live together. Shocked, not so much by the reference to Abby, but by Buck’s sudden proposal, Tommy hesitates. Unfortunately, he decides against moving in with Buck because he foresees their relationship won’t last. “I might want it to be forever,” he admits, “but I’m not your final; I’m your first.” And just like that, they part ways. This hasty conclusion seems a bit underwhelming, even for those who didn’t see Buck and Tommy as destined for each other.

Thankfully, in the closing scene, 9-1-1 manages to win me over once more, and this scene is just as peculiar as the post-“Glee” discussion. Eddie removes his symbolic mustache and decides to do something cheerful: He strips down to a shirt and briefs, mimicking the dance from “Risky Business.” Earlier, I mentioned that the confession scene was a stunning display of Ryan Guzman’s acting skills, and this unexpected and puzzling scene serves as yet another impressive demonstration of his talents. Just at that moment, a crestfallen Buck shows up, and in a delight for shippers everywhere, Eddie chooses not to put his pants back on. Instead, they sit on the couch with beers in hand, facing uncertain futures as the episode comes to an end. Cheerful but not immoral, the two friends remain.

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In this particular episode, Maddie shines as a comedy star. Her witty remark about Abby’s past relationships had me chuckling – “I wonder how many men she turned gay” – and she perfectly concluded the scene with a clever quip: “You’ve never watched Glee, have you?

I’m not certain that the TV series would repeat the pregnancy storyline, but I can’t deny feeling apprehensive. This show often casts a veil of peril over significant life events. Recall when they got married and Chimney wasn’t there because he was battling a brain infection?

• The conclusion of the Buck-Tommy relationship: Now our time together has come to an end. I’ve expressed my thoughts about the abrupt separation, and I’ll work on how to respectfully portray Buck’s bisexuality moving forward. At this point, setting up a Buck-Eddie dynamic seems premature, although the show undeniably had a plan in mind with that final scene.

• Can we bring Father Brian, the hot priest, back? I miss him already.

2024-11-08 05:54

9-1-1 Recap: Living in His Post-Glee World

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