9-1-1 Season 6 Episode 10 Review: In A Flash

Coming off a three-month hiatus, 9-1-1 reminds the audience why we love this show.

The shocking midseason premiere is full of crazy calls, found-family dynamics, and more. 

A significant theme that is present on 9-1-1 Season 6 Episode 10, “In A Flash,” is parenthood. Throughout the episode, varying parental dynamics come into play, and for the most part, the series does well in exploring those avenues.

Maddie and Buck’s parents return after their brief appearance in Season 4. They come off as overly happy and kind, but people like Chimney and Buck seem to see right through them.

As of right now, the show hasn’t completely revealed the state of that parental relationship. However, the reactions, especially from Buck, imply that while they’re trying, it is too little too late.

Hopefully, the show continues to follow that thread rather than the potentially disappointing choice to redeem the parents after everything that happened in the past with their kids.

Chimney’s dad also returns, and this is where the show gives hope to a narrative of not having to forgive people simply because they’re family.

Chimney isn’t wanting to accept his dad into his life again, and Albert is pushing him for the sake of Jee-Yun.

The way the show explores Albert and Chimney’s perspectives and their different relationships is well done so far and can get better as the arc continues.

Even so, 9-1-1 has shown that reconciliation can be beautiful, like for Eddie with his dad on 9-1-1 Season 5 Episode 17, “Hero Complex.”

However, it’s also valid to see the other side where things cannot improve, which is okay. It’s difficult to tell right now if the show will lean into that for Chimney or the Buckley siblings. 

Following the cliffhanger from the fall finale, 9-1-1 reveals that Denny is officially in contact with his bio-dad and hiding it from his moms.

The way the show talks about all these different familial relationships is excellent to see. They’re not all perfect or going right, but with Denny and Nathaniel, it’s clear that wrong choices are made because of good intentions. 

Regarding biological parents, Buck shows promise in understanding his choices by donating his sperm and helping his friends conceive a child.

Pre-midseason finale, it seemed as if Buck would struggle with the concept that he would not be a father. But he proves when sharing this news with his parents that he understands his role in the baby’s life and is okay with that being his role.

Buck and parenting are present in many other aspects of the episode, especially with his captain, Bobby.

While their dynamic started rocky, it has always been clear that Buck was working his way into Bobby’s heart, and it didn’t take long for him to end up there. This is even more clear on this latest episode.

With scenes of Buck getting help from Bobby while he cooks to the two saving a baby together, the show calls back to the first season and reflects on the growth of their relationship. The two tensely saved a baby alongside Chimney in the pilot episode and save another baby during “In a Flash.”

It’s a great callback and a testament to their closeness.

At the end of the episode, Buck is struck by lightning.

He has said before that he considers Bobby, a father, but during this moment, it’s clear that Bobby reciprocates the feeling and sees Buck as a son. The pain is evident in Bobby as he holds the lifeless body of Buck.

The scene is a heartbreaking performance from Peter Krause.

The cast truly takes this scene and gives it all they have, with Ryan Guzman’s Eddie intensely screaming after Buck as he rushes to save him and Kenneth Choi’s frantically trying to administer CPR.

Furthermore, the scenes surrounding the lightning strike are filmed in a way that is haunting and adds to the devastation felt by the cast’s performances. 

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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 ABC.

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