9-1-1 Season Premiere Review: 7.1 (Season 2 Episode 2)

With a 7.1 earthquake, 9-1-1 Season 2 Episode 2, “7.1,” is shaking the formula down to its foundation and rebuilding.

Last season, I was hyper-critical about the disjointed feel of so many of the episodes. Storylines got dropped despite immense potential. Relationships that didn’t make sense took center stage. All in all, the show was good, but it had the untapped potential to be great.

Well, Season 2 is already shaping up to be much better than its predecessor. It’s clear that the writers are taking more time and care to develop each element of first response teams.

It’s no longer just the firefighter arena. It is the dispatch, firefighter, and police trifecta.

It proves that a little bit can go a long way. By simply alternating their focus, the writers are getting back to the core themes they set throughout Season 1 but failed to deliver on.

“7.1,” unlike 9-1-1 Season 2 Episode 1, “Under Pressure,” is so full of action that audience members barely have time to breathe. By making these episodes two parts of one whole, the writers are telling us to expect anything at any time.

In Season 1, many episodes were so predictable they became mundane. Predictability? You can throw that out the window now.

Or at least that is what the writers are leading us to believe. Let’s just hope they keep it up moving forward.

But I have a feeling that it won’t be an issue this season. Already they are setting up strong underlying issues that seem as though they’ll carry over in the full season run.

That is something we never saw last season.

But let’s get down and dirty in the nitty and gritty of “7.1.” Ultimately, this episode is about what you could call the eye of a hurricane.

Yes, I know the natural disaster at hand is an earthquake. However, the eye of the hurricane is a reference to the eerie stillness surrounded by chaos.

That is “7.1” at its heart and soul. The first responders are all focusing their efforts on dealing with the aftermath of the quake, while the world around them is crumbling to the ground.

One particular stand-out scene features Bobby, Hen, and Chim working within the collapsed restaurant of the high rise to get a young basketball player out.

Outside of the rubble, there is nothing but panic and sirens and disarray. But in the darkness and destruction, there are only three first responders and a scared boy.

Bobby: Here’s how you make it through the day. Don’t worry about the things you can’t help.

Bobby’s words ring in our heads as we watch the team silently and cautiously release the boy’s leg from the debris. We can’t breathe because the silence is killing us, and it makes us long for the chaotic noise beyond them.

It’s the mark of a stellar visual, lighting, sound, and writing team that we can be transported into a scene and feel every ounce of it. We feel the stifling air as we watch the debris for any signs of further collapse. Our hearts race as the rescuers inch the boy out of what’s trapped him.

At that moment, we are there.

It’s not just one scene that does that to us, though. It’s a series of them. The entire episode is just one scene after another of intense crisis.

We bite our lip and silently pray with Maddie as we watch the scene unfold, praying for Buck’s safety. We silently beg for some kind of relief as we try to come up with a solution that saves hundreds of lives on a broken overpass. We stare with shock and horror as a window gives way and kills someone trying to be rescued.

Once again, 9-1-1 reminds us that we too are heroes, and this story is just as much ours as it is theirs. We’ve all had moments like these, where we feel all the intense feelings.

Josh: We all have people we love out there. The best thing we can do for them is our job.

With a little push, we are reminded that in times of crisis we are best when continuing our lives as they were, not standing around worrying. This goes for not just major crises, but also smaller ones.

We are our best when we focus on what we can do instead of what we can’t.

Through it all, there is a definite shift in focus already forming this season. While we are still focusing on the people behind the uniform, Season 2 seems to be taking it a step further.

The focus is now on the heart of the people — their fears and desires above the emergency. It’s putting a more everyman vibe into the whole of 9-1-1.

I am also getting a solid aftershock vibe for the rest of the season. The quake is going to be felt for a long time.

Just how much, though, remains to be seen.

Further Thoughts:

• Best line of the night goes to our girl Athena Grant: “The next time you want to do the bad thing, think about how bad you feel right now and how good it felt to do the right thing.”
• Michael Grant continues to be the glue that holds the Grant Family together. Beautiful, just beautiful.
• Eddie is not only a war vet but also a single father of a handicapable son? I’m here for it! Bring on the lovefest.
• All I’m saying is they better find that little girl, Kat, in next week’s episode.

What did you think of this episode of 9-1-1? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Catch up with our review of 9-1-1 Season 2 Episode 1 “Under Pressure” right here.

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

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