9-1-1 Review: Powerless (Season 3 Episode 17)

It’s always disappointing when a show boasts an exciting two-night season finale and then fails to deliver. Such is the case with 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 17, “Powerless.” 

The episode lacks depth and purpose — something you never want from a season finale. 

Coming in, the episode has one storyline that catches our attention: Bobby and Michael talking about his brain scan the following day. However, as the conversation continues, Michael’s words lean toward the show taking a miraculous approach to this medical issue.

One of my biggest pet peeves with any kind of realistic drama is when a character gets diagnosed with a terminal illness for dramatic effect, only for the show to pull a “Hail Mary” and save them at the last possible second. If they don’t follow through with Michael’s untimely demise from this tumor, I feel that the show will lose all credibility they have gained these last three years. 

That doesn’t mean anyone wants to see Michael go, not by any means. His death will create some much-needed life-altering drama in the lives of many characters on the show — Athena, Bobby, May, and Henry, just to name a few.

Off-and-on all season, 9-1-1 has struggled with a disconnect between drama and follow-through. This season finale can make or break the show for many fans depending on which direction it plans to go.

We don’t get to see the results of his brain scan yet, but let’s hope that Bobby’s off-handed comment about bad news sneaking up on you comes to fruition. 

9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 17, “Powerless,” fails to deliver any kind of power to any of the stories presented. Even Michael and the cute doctor being stuck in the elevator together has the potential to be compelling and sweet.

Unfortunately, the conversation is drab and barely signifies full interest from either party, and then there is no follow-up. How are we, as an audience, supposed to care about this moment if there is nothing of consequence said or done? 

Michael’s meet-cute isn’t even the worst offender of the whole episode. That goes to Josh’s concerns about making a statement for trial about his ordeal. 

This is the perfect opportunity for the writers to create a moment between Maddie and Josh that really defines their friendship and their mutual connection to one another. Josh talks about feeling powerless even though he knows his ordeal is over. 

Maddie could’ve easily opened her heart and revealed to Josh that she, too, feels that way all the time, or at least that she used to. In concept, these two wonderful characters could be the meat and potatoes of 9-1-1‘s connection to the dispatch center — instead, we are left scratching our heads as to why the moment was even written in.

Why build-up Maddie’s trauma over the last couple of seasons if you are only going to forget it exists during crucial development moments? This bond between Maddie and Josh, if further explored and developed, could create a hearty balance between what we see of each unit of the first responders. 

Currently, there is a disproportionate amount of focus on the firefighters, EMTs, and police officers. We rarely get moments at the dispatch center and when we do, it’s not central to any developing or developed story. 

By failing to create more dimension on a currently 2-D character like Josh, 9-1-1 is doing a huge disservice to the continued success of the show. Maddie has character and depth, but it’s rarely explored because it doesn’t directly relate to her family at the 118. 

However, she is more than just Buck’s sister and Chim’s girlfriend. Maddie is a badass and one of the best 9-1-1 operators around. She deserves her own development and friendships.

And then, 9-1-1 really pisses me off — and I have been pretty lenient about a lot of missteps over the years — when it decides the best way to explore Hen possibly changing careers through the lens of a possible cheating scandal. If there is one thing I don’t like really at all it is a cheating storyline — it’s old, tired, and sloppy.

Not to mention, by creating a shadow of doubt towards Hen, it is clouding her accomplishments and her passion. Hen deserves to be able to celebrate this moment in her life, but instead she has to defend herself to her wife in order to regain her integrity. 

Hen cheating on Karen is stereotypical and frankly uninspired the first time 9-1-1 explores it — back during Season 1. For it to be brought back up again is just a step too far for the forward, positive trajectory of these well-developed characters. 

Henrietta Wilson does not stand up to misogynistic, racist coworkers only to be dragged into another suspicion of cheating. If Karen is worried about the integrity of their marriage, then maybe they need to be getting some help for that. 

The shining moment of the episode should be Hen’s decision to really further herself and challenge what she knows in order to do even more good for her community. Now, any thought of that news will be hand-in-hand with Karen accusing Hen of cheating.

Finally, the issue with Athena and her neighborhood rapist comes to a battle of wits with Athena reigning supreme. I just wish the follow-through on this dramatic moment could be a bit more nail-biting. 

Just like with Michael, we don’t want to see death by any stretch of the imagination. Athena is beaten within an inch of her life, and yet when her children visit the next day, she is sitting up and appears totally fine.

If her condition at the scene is so dire that they rush her to the hospital, one would think her injuries would be a bit more severe. Instead, everything seems to tie itself up into a pretty little bow. 

If there is anything redeeming about this mess of an episode, it is the continued growth between Bobby and Michael as friends. They continue to be there for each other in big ways and really dissolve the notion that ex-husbands and current husbands can’t be friends.

After this very disappointing first half, let’s hope that the second half can stand up. 

 

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 Season Finale part 2 airs Monday, May 11th at 8/7c on FOX.

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