9-1-1 Review: The One That Got Away (Season 3 Episode 16)

Fans of the show always love a good Buck-centric episode, and the third season has been filled to the brim with them. However, 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 16, “The One That Got Away,” really sets itself apart from the other Buck episodes through its intense focus on the inner workings of Buck’s fears.

This season has really been about Buck’s growth and maturity as a firefighter. He starts off the season really unsure of himself and his future with the LAFD. 

However, by this point in the season, it’s been assumed that he is finally content and confident in his position as well as his purpose within the Firehouse 51 family. That is until “The One That Got Away” comes along and really exposes all of Buck’s insecurities that he does a great job of keeping hidden.

Buck is an open book about his relationship woes and his family dramas with his sister, but maybe that nonchalance in the face of others is all just an act. When he brings up the subject of keeping in touch with the team once they are no longer a part of the 118, he is exposing just how much he fears being left behind or forgotten. 

Throughout the entire episode, the longer he spends with Red the more we realize just how lonely Buck is. Sure, he has his friendship with Eddie, but at the end of the day, he will always come second to Christopher.

The same goes for everyone else he works with, because they all have someone else in their personal lives to spend time with. Meeting Red really brings forth that dormant desire within Buck to be recognized and appreciated. 

It really breaks our hearts when he reaches out to his fellow team members for reassurance and they try to reassure but ultimately they don’t understand where he is coming from. Hen and Bobby both have wives whom they can always count on to see them, Chim has Maddie, and Eddie has Christopher. 

But who does Buck have?

Buck’s impassioned speech to Maddie about being left behind and always coming second to someone else really hits home for many viewers — myself included. As human beings, we all want to feel like we matter to at least one other person in the whole world. 

Up until this point, Buck hasn’t really had to slow down and think about just how few connections he has in the world outside of work. And now that he is struggling to find someone who will make him feel like he matters, he realizes just how married to his job he really is. 

The one saving grace of this situation for him is that he ultimately does have Maddie to always be there and reassure him that he won’t end up completely alone like his new friend Red has. She reminds him that Red’s words won’t be his reality.

Red: The last thing you want is to be at the end holding nothing but regrets.

9-1-1 tends to hit us when we least expect it, and this episode is definitely a prime example of that. Buck is always the most positive member of the team, so to see him broken and alone just tears us to our core — that is writing at its best.

Meanwhile, Hen is having the craziest of weeks herself, between losing a patient at one call and then going rogue on another. 

I know that it is fun and exciting for drama’s sake to have Hen go through all these moments of risky decision making, but I can’t help feeling apprehensive every time she does it. 

Hen deserves the title of hero just for being her consistent, rule-skating, badass self. However, this season she has slowly become more and more reckless.

It’s nice to see Bobby address that with her after she saves that man with a thoracotomy in the field — which is above her licensing. While everyone else is celebrating her and her win, the fact that Bobby gives it to her straight is an ethical relief.  

As her captain, it is his job to make sure that she stays within the confines of her own job. So for him to approach her and point out the cellist that died in the accident involving her is a moment of somber reflection that Hen desperately needs.

If Bobby didn’t approach her, I believe that she would continue to make such rash decisions outside of her purview. It isn’t in Hen’s best interest to let her confidence get the better of her and create moments of risk to her job. 

This also teaches those young female viewers that breaking the rules may seem cool and flashy, but can easily be followed with severe consequences. Hen knows that better than anyone and it is refreshing to see her be reminded of that cost. 

Ultimately, “The One That Got Away,” serves as a reminder that none of us are invincible and even the heroes we love and admire are vulnerable. There is no better time than now to really receive that message — we are all humans with weaknesses, fears, and feelings. 

Other Thoughts:

• Athena’s intuition has NEVER steered her wrong — though I don’t think she expected her gut to be this correct.
• It’s clear that this episode is setting up the return of Abby. I just hope that Buck closes the door with her instead of trying to win her back — they just weren’t meant for the long haul.
• I kind of wish we would’ve gotten the chance to see a quick view of Christopher’s sleepover.
• Buck really is a genuinely giving person and nothing shows that better than all the stops he pulled out for Red on his final journey home.

 

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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