9-1-1 Review: Past Is Prologue (Season 5 Episode 9)

The oil well explosion that is thought to be a big emergency ends up fizzling out really quickly for the 118 on 9-1-1 Season 5 Episode 9, “Past Is Prologue.” What really shines about this episode are the important dynamics between key characters. 

Ultimately, when the bigger, flashier stories fail to empress, the fans always come back for the character bonds and the found family vibe. Honestly, it’s the one thing about Season 5 that has kept me coming back for more, but I digress.

Bobby and Athena

Everyone loves Bobby and Athena, with good reason. “Past Is Prologue” doesn’t disappoint in that department. Between the sexual encounter May walks in on, to the Bathena Detective Agency moments their story was the highlight of the episode.

It’s great to see 9-1-1 letting these older characters have an active, healthy sex life right on camera. It shows that relationships don’t just happen between younger people (looking at you, Buck and Taylor). 

At the end of last season, there was a moment where fans were worried that Bobby and Athena weren’t going to ever be happy again. Luckily, they are and we all get to benefit from that. 

Neither of them judges the other for what they like or crave, plus they support each other’s work assignments. In fact, Bobby steps in from time to time and helps Athena.

The cutest moments of this episode come when Athena and Bobby put their heads together and work together on the robbery case. The saying says, “two heads are better than one,” and by golly it’s right.

Bobby has the opportunity to show that sometimes his keen eye and firefighter senses are a great match for Athena’s always on the alert brain. If they hadn’t been working the case together it may have taken Athena multiple episodes to solve the case or at least a few dozen looks at those surveillance tapes. 

Toni and Hen

Not all character dynamics on the show are romantic, but that doesn’t make them any less important. A prime example of that is the continuing growth between Hen and her mom, Toni. 

Back on Season 4, there seemed no end in sight to Hen’s annoyance and disdain for her mother. Thankfully, that has gotten better over time.

9-1-1 Season 5 Episode 9, “Past Is Prologue” is a beautiful homage to the type of mother/daughter vibe everyone looks for from characters like Hen and Toni. We get to see Hen encourage her mother to take that leap of faith with a relationship she thought she’d lost out on.

A year ago, these two couldn’t stand to be around each other for more than a few days, but now they are trusting each other with their hearts and their vulnerabilities. Hen’s anger at her father spent years transferring onto her mother, but now she’s let that go, and only love remains. 

Antonia deserves to be happy and live her life with nothing but joy after all she’s been through. I trust that from here on out, Clive may give her that joy she’s desperately been missing.

And to see Hen get to enjoy that alongside her is a beauty beyond words. This mother/daughter team is far from over and I can’t wait to see what the Wilson clan get up to next.

Buck and Taylor

I may upset a few fans with these next words, but they need to be said. Buck and Taylor do not have the proper chemistry needed to make their relationship believable. 

This episode of 9-1-1 gives us moments between them where we are supposed to feel our hearts melt and want more from them — much like we do with Bobby and Athena. Unfortunately, each intimate moment they share seems more like a friendship than anything else.

As anyone who knows me knows, I am a huge Buddie shipper, but my feelings on Taylor are not influenced by that. In fact, if this relationship was believable I would set aside my love for Buddie and throw my encouragement behind them.

Taylor simply comes off cold and closed off all the time while Buck is open and vulnerable. Yes, “Past Is Prologue” tries to explain her cold, aloof demeanor with the story about her dad, but it doesn’t quite work. 

Taylor explains it best when she says that she tells other peoples’ stories so she doesn’t have to tell her own. That’s all fine and well for them if they’d only been together/known each other a short time. 

However, I can’t find it in me to believe that vulnerable, heart on his sleeve Buck wouldn’t have already given Taylor the lowdown on his relationship with Abby. Furthermore, Taylor definitely knows about Maddie just up and leaving.

So, tell me where does it come across as committed to Buck when Taylor decides she’s going to just go away for a few days without a word to him? You can try to tell me she has her own hangups, but all I am seeing is her not being as committed to Buck as he is to her. 

Even if she didn’t want to talk about it she could have sat him down and stated that she had to leave town for a few days to visit some family or whatever. Buck would have understood and not pried any further.

Secondly, when he shows up to support her instead of being grateful she lashes out at him assuming he’s just there for more information. No, Taylor, that’s your M.O. — miss I think I’m going to investigate a murder plot. 

Everything about their scenes together in this episode had me on edge because all I could see was Buck feeling rejected again and again. Then at the end, she throws him a bone with the “I love you” and he looks so excited.

I on the other hand don’t trust it. Maybe it’s just me, but she hasn’t shown him nearly as much attention as Abby did and that’s saying something good about Abby. 

Buck deserves to be with someone who can match his compassion for compassion. Who will see what a great guy he is and thank him for the love and attention?

Stray Thoughts:

• It’s sad that I barely remember anything from previous episodes this season. Never before have I had to go back and refresh my memory so often as I have with Season 5.
• The cute little telenovela scene with the gang is something I crave more of. This is what Season 5 has really been lacking — 118 Family vibe.
• Cute girls from the car accident are still connecting by the end of the episode. Stop. My heart. 
• Also, can we please get more focus on Karen? I want backstory for her, not just these other characters.

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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