9-1-1 Review: Treasure Hunt (Season 4 Episode 12)

Let’s preface this entire review by saying, it’s nice to have a light-hearted episode for once. 9-1-1 Season 4 Episode 12, “Treasure Hunt,” pulls out all the stops, making for an episode that is easy, breezy, and down-right fun.

It’s been a really long time since we’ve had an episode where nothing major happens and yet the story is still engaging and exciting. “Treasure Hunt” allows us time to really appreciate these characters that we love so much. 

The whole episode gives us reasons to enjoy the dynamic between Bobby and Athena even more — their complementary levels of snark and no-BS attitudes are exactly what makes them perfect together. It also makes them the perfect team to find the treasure. 

All season long, Chim and Hen have been kind of on the sidelines when it comes to the goings-on at the firehouse. Well, not anymore because these two kill it as sleuths on a mission to find $5 Million!

Finally, there is the partnership of Buck and Eddie, who haven’t really been showing much facetime together this season. It’s nice to see them kicking it back old-school like they used to. 

Basically, because this episode is filled to the brim with nothing emergencies, the writing lends itself to re-developing these character bonds that have us falling for 9-1-1 all over again. It’s character growth in its simplest form. 

It isn’t often that high-stake drama shows have time to take a step back and allow their characters to regroup. The viewers get to fall in love with their favorites all over again, while the characters themselves rediscover what makes the people around them so special.

Usually, their moments together are overshadowed by some great emergency or trauma. Without all that getting in the way, they can lean into their bonds and make each other stronger, even if a big chunk of change is on the line.

After 4 seasons it is high time 9-1-1 give us this a true blue breather episode. It’s not flashy or exciting in any way, but that is what makes it an enjoyable ride. 

We are so caught up in the excitement of trying to figure out who is going to find the treasure first that we fail to see the little twists along the way. It’s a fantastic journey of discovery that honestly deserves a second viewing just to pick up on clues we may have missed the first time around.

The author faking his death is something that we all should have picked up on — and who knows some of us may have — but it makes for a nice little surprise partway through. It also adds to Athena’s frustration with the whole hunt, which makes her eventual involvement that much bigger of a payout.

Honestly, I took the nervous assistant at first to be suspicious of killing the author, but then when the author ends up not being dead I didn’t think twice about him being guilty of something else.

Either way, the whole story is well-executed and keeps us on our toes from start to finish as we too try to figure out the clues.

While it’s not over-the-top memorable, this episode can definitely go down in the history books as one of the more engaging episodes. There isn’t any story progression, but it works out okay because our bonds to the characters grow and become redefined as “Treasure Hunt” goes along.

After the rough year we’ve all had, it’s nice to get the chance to really unwind within an episode of our favorite show. 9-1-1 gives us that reprieve as if to say, “here we’ve all earned this.”

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9-1-1 airs Mondays at 8/7c on FOX.

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