9-1-1 Review: Triggers (Season 3 Episode 4)

Things get pretty heated on 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 4, “Triggers.” Between Buck’s continued struggle with his job and Maddie’s determination to help an abuse victim, things are starting to take a turn — and not for the best, it would seem.

We know Buck isn’t going to continue taking everything lying down. Firefighting is his life, and without it, he is just lost.

It’s been a struggle for him since his initial injury, and 9-1-1 isn’t backing away from showing all the various stages he goes through to try and come to terms with it all. It isn’t an easy journey, and if the show had decided to have him just roll with the punches as the hits kept coming, it would have been a huge misstep.

As it is, I am pleased with the track it did take. The option of suing the city when it is first presented to Buck isn’t appealing at all because he feels that his coworkers all have his back and are there for him — like family.

The minute Bobby tells him the truth about being the driving force behind his inability to come back to work, we get to see a shift in Buck’s demeanor. Stark really encapsulates all the mixed emotions that anyone in his position would be going through in this situation.

It’s the mark of fantastic writing and acting that we, as an audience, don’t know which side we should be on. Are we #TeamBobby or #TeamBuck?

Let’s hope that in the coming episodes, the show never makes us choose. Both sides of the issue have valid points and both sides are correct in how they feel.

Neither side is wrong nor are they completely right either. It’s important that we remember: Buck is still really young, and this is the first real major setback he’s experienced in his life.

I think at times Bobby forgets that in his quest to look out for all 22 firefighters under his command instead of paying more attention to one. While that is a great management skill, there needs to be a healthier balance.

Instead of waiting weeks to tell Buck that he is the one stopping him from coming back, Bobby should have just been honest with him from the beginning and worked more actively with Buck to help him better understand just what it is that he needs to do to make it back.

Buck is still very volatile and easy to set off, and it’s  something that he really needs to work on. His immaturity is really a detriment to the team at this point. Buck is lovable, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t frustrate the hell out of us from time to time.

If he had taken a step back and thought through Bobby’s words instead of being completely reactionary, maybe Buck could’ve better seen that he really isn’t alone. Even if it looks like he is with the addition of Bosko to the 118, he is still very much a part of the family.

9-1-1 isn’t going to let this just fade into the background, as it should be. I kind of figured there would eventually be a fall out with Buck — especially considering just how many hoops he has jumped through in order to get back to the job he loves more than anything.

Fans can also appreciate that Bobby’s side of things isn’t getting overshadowed by Buck’s reactionary anger. It’s important that both sides get our full attention. It not only makes for great storytelling, but it grounds everything in reality.

Every issue grounded in emotion has two sides, and it is rarely an easy solution. This is going to not only affect Buck and Bobby but also everyone else at the firehouse.

Bobby does what is best for the firehouse as a whole even though he knows Buck isn’t going to like it. Being the captain means having to make the tough decisions and falling on the unpopular side of things sometimes. 

Instead of just running to the lawyer the minute Bobby confessed, Buck should have stopped and also thought of his coworkers — his family.

This is going to be a war of sides. And unfortunately, it looks like Buck isn’t going to come out of this looking pretty. Buck doesn’t realize that everyone he cares about is going to be put under the knife by his actions.

Buck is operating under the delusion that if he wins this case, his actions will merely become water under the bridge. What he doesn’t realize is his current feelings of betrayal are going to become an overall feeling in the firehouse no matter what result this case brings.

Moves like this are bound to destroy the close bond this house/show is well-known for. It’s a ballsy move on the part of 9-1-1 — let’s just hope that it works out for the forward progression of the show and doesn’t kill it.

Another relationship that is going to hang in the balance with this is Buck and Maddie. Maddie is dating Chim and related to Buck — it’s going to be really hard for her to pick a side, and she doesn’t do well with staying neutral in any high stake situation.

Plus, Maddie has a lot on her own plate right now, dealing with her resurfaced PTSD from her abusive past. While that experience can help her when dealing with similar 9-1-1 calls, she is taking things to the extreme with this one woman.

Maddie is ingratiating herself into their lives and that can only end poorly for her. It’s beyond her purview as a 9-1-1 operator, and it’s risky behavior in general.

I admire her heart and have always felt like it makes her a better first responder, but this is taking it a bit too far.

One thing that will be her saving grace is definitely going to be the relationship she has with Chim. He is a strong, consistent force in her life that never judges her for her past — he understands it.

For the Buckley siblings, they both have an issue with not stopping, thinking, and evaluating their emotions before acting. This is something that they both need to work on if they want to keep their dream careers.

Passion is only half of the battle with any kind of career — especially those that are high stakes. Maddie can’t just take matters into her own hands, and Buck can’t expect to be totally fine to return to work only weeks after further injuring himself during the tsunami.

Both of them need to slow down and let others help them. They need to realize that they aren’t invincible and that their jobs depend on them playing it safe.

Maybe Buck’s reckless ways — that seem to be under control as of late — are never far from the surface and need to be called into question if he wishes to continue being a firefighter.

Further Thoughts:

• Hen and Karen going through the discussion to have children is a beautiful mark of a solid marriage.
• Athena brought chills into my soul when she used her “mom” voice on her son and Hen/Karen’s.
• Showcasing that even Christopher is suffering PTSD from trauma caused by the death of his mom and the tsunami is a huge step in the right direction for this show.
• Can we have one episode of just Eddie and Christopher? So heartwarming.
• I was expecting to not like Bosko at all, but she surprised even me with her great attitude and her advice to Eddie.

What did you think of this episode of 9-1-1? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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9-1-1 airs Mondays at 8/7c on FOX.

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