9-1-1 Review: FOMO (Season 5 Episode 15)

On 9-1-1 Season 5 Episode 15, “FOMO,” the series sets out to prove once again that it has everything put together for a good story. Unfortunately, this episode falls into the barely memorable category as far as the series goes.

It’s so dull and one-note that nothing about the episode really sticks in your head — besides Buck telling Maddie she raised a kid already in order to reassure her.

If anything, the emergency toward the end of the episode is more memorable than any of the character development that is supposed to stick with us. 

Maddie is a Good Mom

Ultimately, 9-1-1 is doing a great job of exploring Maddie’s complicated relationship with Jee-Yun. Of course, we as an audience know she’s a good mom, but Maddie doesn’t believe that yet. 

For the show to choose to embrace that instead of brushing it under the rug is very important overall. Character growth is very important to any story, and Maddie has quite a bit of growing to do before she’s ready to fully trust herself with her daughter.

This is where things get confusing because Chim is so hot and cold with the whole Maddie situation. One minute he’s holding her hand and reassuring her that she’s a good mom or celebrating Jee’s firsts with her.

The next moment he is on a call with the 118 and he makes off-hand comments about how you can’t make up for lost time. Which goes completely against his actions of giving Maddie pictures from the 6 months she missed so that she wouldn’t miss out. 

It’s like Chim doesn’t even know how he feels about Maddie and her ability to be a mother so he goes with what feels right in the moment. I just wish the show would have Chim figure it out and make up his mind.

Karen and Hen: Detectives?

One of the more enjoyable moments of this episode comes from Hen and Karen trying to spice up their marriage. You would think spicing things up for them would mean more than just going out dancing, but nope, that’s all it is. 

These two have been married for some time now and we rarely get to see them just be in their relationship together. There is usually some kind of drama surrounding them.

So, it is nice to see them try to venture out, realize they’d rather be at home and then go out after all to protect their stolen identities. You could say that Karen could give Athena a run for her money in the detective department. 

Honestly, they could’ve been starting up a yoga study and I would eat it up because they rarely get these truly romantic moments together. This is exactly what I’ve been begging for from 9-1-1 since the show began and they established that Hen/Karen scenes would only ever center on some marital drama. 

Sometimes You Can’t Win For Losing

The most devastating part of this episode is ironically the biggest moment of the series overall. We talk a lot with this show about the lack of permanence or consequences. 

“FOMO” decides to really go at it with the story of the mom just trying to reconnect with her daughters. It’s equal parts loving and heartbreaking. 

We can just tell that this call is one that none of these guys will ever forget. And while it sucks that this mom had to die, it’s refreshing to see 9-1-1 actually kill a character. 

It’s still a minor character that doesn’t mean as much to the plot as one of the main characters would. However, the way the scene is written, her death still packs a major punch. Especially when she says goodbye to them while a sad cover of “You Are My Sunshine” plays in the background.

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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