9-1-1 Roundtable: Trapped

Abby: Traps don’t look the same to everybody, especially not from inside one.

The entirety of 9-1-1 Season 1 Episode 9, “Trapped” centers on our heroes’ self-created traps.

For Hen it’s her own creation, stemming from one stupid mistake. Athena finds a way to break free from her trap known as marriage. While Buck and Abby are still trying to figure out how their own personal traps are going to affect their relationship.

Tell-Tale TV Writers Alamin Yohannes, Samantha Coley, and Mary Misasi discuss the episode below.

• Alamin Yohannes (@AlaminYohannes)
• Samantha Coley (@samcaseys)
• Mary Misasi (@dorothynyc89)

1. How did Bruce Springsteen’s “Trapped” during the opening moments direct your feelings going into the episode?

Alamin: I just thought, “Oh, we’re gonna see some people get trapped.” Then I sang along.

Samantha: I didn’t think that deeply about it at the time! I do think that 9-1-1, like most of Ryan Murphy’s shows, has an excellent music department. They always do a great job of using not only great songs but ones that are almost too thematically relevant.

Mary: Honestly, I loved that the episode started off with a song that I immediately recognized. It really made me think I was going to like the episode. I’m not sure why but many times when I recognize or really enjoy a song at the beginning I find myself really enjoying an episode. Music makes the story almost as much as the dialogue does.

2. What does “Traps don’t look the same to everybody, especially not from inside one” mean to you?

Alamin: People have their own demons they face and their own traps they fall into. When you get yourself into something there are times where you don’t know how you got yourself into the situation and just can’t see a way out. Someone else may think there’s a simple solution for the situation you’re in, but it’s not simple for you.

Samantha: What one person sees as a trap, another person may see as a safety net or a security measure like we saw with the brothers who booby-trapped their home. To everyone else, it looked like a dangerous mess that they’d created to keep people out that ended up trapping them within their own home. To the brothers that was the safety net they had created for themselves after losing their parents.

Mary: To me, this quote really resonated because I’m currently feeling trapped in my own life situation. I don’t feel I am going anywhere with my current career path, but everyone around me always has “simple solutions” for me to follow.

It’s not always that easy. However, sometimes those in the traps also keep themselves in there out of comfort or fear of the unknown. It’s definitely a two-way street.

3. What do you think Hen will do next?

Alamin: Hen is going to fight like hell to fix what she broke. I don’t know how successful she’ll be, but she seems ready to do whatever she has to in order to fix her marriage and keep her child at home.

Samantha: I hope she fights for her son and her marriage. I’m already so frustrated by this storyline, as I’ve mentioned in our previous roundtables, but I trust Hen to do the right thing now. I like her character a lot and I want to continue liking her character, so I hope she gets Eva out of their lives and stands by her family.

Mary: I really hope that Hen standing up to Eva at the end of the episode marks the end of this trouble for her. I understand creating drama for the story, but this was definitely one the show didn’t need. What I have loved about 9-1-1 up to this point is that they tend to steer away from ridiculous story tropes. However, with Hen I feel they are trying to create drama.

I really hope as Samantha pointed out, they don’t use this to ruin her as a character. I really like her and the dynamic she has with all the other characters; especially Athena.

4. If Buck was coming to you with concerns about his relationship with Abby, what advice would you give him?

Alamin: That it’s time for him to work on himself. Whether he is actually not ready for what’s happening in Abby’s life or he’s unaware of what the real issue is, it’s clear Buck has work to do on himself. It’s not about young, but Buck really needs to put the time in to mend himself. He may be able to do it while in a relationship with Abby, but my advice to him would be to make that a priority.

Samantha: I probably would’ve told him the same thing that Bobby did. A relationship like the one he has takes work, and you can’t fall into that same love and trust and intimacy with just anyone.

This is the first time Buck has experienced a relationship like this, but he doesn’t realize (at first) that just because his perspective has changed now, he can’t go out and find something similar with someone less complicated. Maybe he could, but every relationship worth having takes work, and Abby is like he said, the perfect woman, so I’m glad to see Buck take Bobby’s advice to heart and go all in with her by the end of the episode.

Mary: I would have asked him to take a deeper look at himself and what he needs right now. Sure, love and finding that special someone is important. However, its also clear that Buck is having some trepidation.

Part of it is clearly his insecurity about being new to the whole dynamic of a meaningful relationship, but part of it is he’s not quite emotionally ready for that level of commitment. I would listen to his concerns and advise him to really think about all of that before jumping in further with a woman he feels strongly about, like Abby.

5. What is your takeaway from Athena’s live for herself moment with her new man?

Alamin:  I started clapping in my chair. Athena has worked through her mess and is making choices for herself and is making decisions based on what she wants and is ready for. Plus, it will be fun to see what happens next after the hilarious incident with the handcuffs and the bed.

Samantha: I absolutely loved it. Athena’s storyline this week was the best one of the episode for me. It’s fantastic to see her finally be happy and living in the moment and taking something just for herself, not her family, not her team, just her.

And I think it’s smart of her not to go all in with this guy either! She’s just gotten out of the longest and most important romantic relationship of her life so far, she shouldn’t feel pressured to settle down with the first man she picks up in a bar.

I love that she also values this guy enough to tell him that he doesn’t deserve to be her rebound either. I’m happy for Athena and I’m approving all of the choices she made this week (especially calling Abby so she could call Hen to come get her out of those handcuffs, hilarious!)

Mary: I am going to echo the words of Alamin and Samantha by saying I, too, loved Athena this episode. She is living her best life and taking no prisoners. Except maybe herself (haha.)

She has been so unhappy and “stuck” in her life for so long that it’s nice to see her enjoying herself. I was so proud of her for also knowing her limits. She knows jumping into a new relationship right now was not a good idea and she sticks to that. I love it and applaud it.

6. With all the changes Buck and Abby have been through, do you think the final moments of this episode will change their course?

Alamin: Unfortunately, I think this will end their relationship for now. I think they both have some work to do on themselves. Abby will grieve, but then have to figure out what life she wants for herself because she only has herself to take care of now.

The most interesting relationships are the ones where people don’t do anything wrong, but just have problems that are too big to make the relationship work. People grow and change then come back together or grow apart.

Abby and Buck have this great dynamic, so I don’t want them at odds and I think the death of Abby’s mother brings the opportunity for conflict with it without ruining their bond.

Samantha: I hope they stay together through this, and I’m actually more hopeful than I was before. With Buck saying he’s all in after his talk with Bobby, I think he’s serious about staying committed to Abby and their relationship. Dealing with a loved one struggling with Alzheimers and Dementia can be exhausting and emotionally draining, so Abby has already been strong through so much.

Abby’s voiceover at the end of the episode indicated that while it appeared that caring for her mother was holding her back, that relationship was also something that made her feel safe. Which is natural between most healthy mother/daughter relationships.

This is going to be hard for Abby, but hopefully, Buck will stick with her and love her through it. Like Alamin said, I think this can cause friction in their relationship, without it necessarily ruining the bond that they have, so I’m interested in seeing how they fit together from here on out.

Mary: All season I have been against their pairing at this time because I didn’t think either of them was really ready. However, Buck seems to have genuinely made a turn in his growth with which I can trust he will be there for Abby without hurting her.

I think that Abby’s first instinct after all of this is going to be to pull away. She’s shown before that she doesn’t like dragging people into her mess. My biggest hope is that Buck will take her pushing him away and push back. I think this is a real opportunity for them to grow together. I just hope that they do.

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What did you think of this episode of 9-1-1? Respond to our roundtable questions with your own answers in the comments below! You can also catch up with our review of 9-1-1 Season 1 Episode 9, “Trapped” right here.

9-1-1 airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on FOX.

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