9-1-1 Review: The New Abnormal (Season 4 Episode 1)

With 9-1-1 Season 4 Episode 1, “The New Abnormal,” the show is back from a very long hiatus and ready to show it isn’t dead yet. 

Much like everything, the world of the LAPD and LAFD first responders was hit hard by a pandemic no one really saw coming. Personally, choosing to time this episode with September of 2020 is a choice in the right direction.

For a show all about first responders, ignoring the pandemic or even skipping major parts of it is a disservice to the vibe of the show and the stories it likes to tell. By going back to September, while not necessarily something we want to revisit, 9-1-1 is showing us that they see our experiences and want to make our voices be heard.

Ultimately, while going back a few months is a smart move, the choice to not move anybody forward may not be. Despite the pandemic being a driving force for many of our day to day experiences in 2020, this show doesn’t need to take all of that to heart. 

It seems that the story of Michael’s tumor is just dropped, never to be seen again. Maybe they’ll bring it up later but from the offset, it’s as if he was never sick at all. 

The only person who seems to have any forward progression in their lives is Athena with her recovery. We aren’t asking for everyone to have moved ahead, considering everything that is happening in the world, but a little bit of something is nicer than nothing. 

Considering the end of Season 3 shows Chim and Maddie moving forward with their plans to start a family after the discovery that Maddie is pregnant, we can expect something more from them in Season 4’s opener. However, apart from a small video chat with each other at the start of the episode, there is nothing. 

To say that is a disappointment is an understatement. Chim is scared because of the virus, and that’s understandable. It’s just a shame that it comes at the expense of his relationship with Maddie. 

Hopefully, this lack of progression for characters on this episode isn’t an indication of how this season is going to go as a whole. 

One thing that really does save this episode is the approach toward Athena’s recovery. This woman has always been a tough, independent woman who doesn’t like to ask for help or show weakness of any kind. 

Hen: In her mind there’s only one thing left to do.

Bobby: Get back out there.

I went into this episode a little bit skeptical of Athena’s ability to be ready to return to the job, but she proves again and again that she is at her best when she is working. However, that is not the part 9-1-1 should be commended for.

No, it’s the handling of how Athena is really doing while she is on the job. Having her respond to a woman refusing to evacuate her home is the exact insight we needed into her true psyche. 

Athena is all tough and no weakness, but under all that armor she is terrified of being back at work. She isn’t fully recovered emotionally, but she also knows that she has to swallow the bullet sometimes.

Her vulnerability is what rescues this episode from the pits of “who cares.” Sure, the emergencies are heart-stopping and have us on the edge of our seats, but to be successful this show needs a mixture of emotion and action. 

If anything, Captain Nash and Athena are married for a reason — considering they both deliver the goods. Between Athena breaking our hearts with her speech about not being fully healed and Bobby having us think he exploded along with the bus, they give us a reason to come back for the second half of the premiere next week. 

All in all this episode excites at all the right moments but lacks emotional depth for most of the episode. It’s not a terrible start to a new season, but it’s not a fantastic one either. 

I remain cautiously ambivalent about the season to come — here’s hoping it carries on better than the year it is representing.

Stray Thoughts:

• I love that May is getting involved with the dispatch center. If it’s what she’s passionate about I say go for it.
• Can we get Buck a better story than just some “COVID Crush”? He deserves a solid relationship after everything he’s been through
• Eddie and Buck — Dynamic Duo is back! It’s my favorite thing to see these two work so seamlessly together.
• One-liner of the night goes to Chim: “That does not go there.”

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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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