9-1-1 Season 6 Episode 15 Review: Death and Taxes
Living up to the name, death with a side of taxes is the central theme on 9-1-1 Season 6 Episode 15, “Death and Taxes.”
The IRS is auditing Maddie and Chimney, and in the end, it opens a major question for them about marriage.
This is a topic that the two haven’t approached recently, with Maddie’s marriage to Doug and Chimney getting a rebar through his head the last time he proposed. As a result, their communication is lacking, with the two ending the episode in different places.
They genuinely need to sit down and have a conversation even if what’s said doesn’t feel happy or good.
There must be an honest conversation where they open up about their feelings.
Maddie needs to decide what she wants, and Chimney needs to be open about what he wants. They aren’t on the same page, and avoiding the topic will only end in hurt.
Meanwhile, romance is in the air again for Buck. This time he’s flirting with death differently than we usually see. He is immediately smitten after meeting a Death Doula named Natalia.
The pair make an interesting couple as both are more intrigued with the other’s relationship with death than anything else.
The relationship is set up to be doomed immediately. Of course, it could go on for a while, but narratively they’ve set it up for death.
Her fascination with Buck dying is understandable, especially when she doesn’t know his long relationship with death, but it’s hard to watch when you do know. Buck has chosen to toe as close to death’s door as possible because of his relationship with self-worth.
Even in the scope of the situation, she knows where his family had to watch him die, fight to bring him back, and wait for him to wake up. So it’s frustrating to hear it be called “cool.”
Buck returns the sentiment with his fixation on her job, though. He sees her as the answer to his unplaced feelings about dying.
The topic of Natalia also sparks a deep conversation between Buck and Eddie. Buck opens up about his interest in Natalia, which leads to further opening up about how Buck feels after being struck by lightning.
Unlike Maddie and Chimney, Buck and Eddie are open and honest with each other in this conversation. Eddie recognizes what he’s been missing and asks questions to understand what’s going through Buck’s head.
Their relationship is an important one to the show. They’ve always leaned on and supported each other. What we see during this episode is no different.
It’s as if Buck doesn’t understand their dynamic, though. He thinks Natalia is the answer, but the person who truly understands is Eddie.
There’s a potential for that to cause problems in the future. If he leans too much on her or continues not grasping what Eddie is saying, it could pull at that relationship and hurt both of them. They need that support for this relationship.
Speaking of Eddie, his late wife is brought up again after getting back into dating last week and facing that he’s been avoiding it.
9-1-1 is always good at handling grief. This episode is an excellent example as Eddie and Christopher discuss missing Shannon and have a beautiful open dialogue.
Eddie’s come a long way since he joined the show. He’s gone from repressing his emotions to having open, healthy conversations about his feelings. He’s grown so much; this latest installment lets the audience see that.
It’s a vital progression because it demonstrates how mental health can affect your relationships. It also showcases that people are capable of growing and working to get to a good place. Finally, it highlights how happiness is achievable.
Overall, this is a solid episode. It creatively set up storylines for the future while continuing to discuss what’s been actively going on. It also skillfully brings back previous storylines to touch back and relate to the present.
It leans into the characters doing things that aren’t always ideal. It reminds the audience they’re human while showing characters actively growing and learning.
Along with the range of the things mentioned above, there continues to be a good balance of comedy and angst within the drama.
The calls are mostly intertwined with what is happening to the characters, good or bad.
With a show like 9-1-1, the calls are a large part of what keeps the audience coming. When they’re so heavily combined, sometimes it makes the show lose part of that element.
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9-1-1 airs Mondays at 8/7c on FOX.
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