9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 5 Review: Masks

If there is one thing 9-1-1 has always been good at, it is character-driven Halloween episodes. And adding to an already substantial list of examples is 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 5, “Masks.”

This season, not only did the 118 bring the scares and the outlandish emergencies, but they also brought the heartbreak and the love. It is an episode with so many ups and downs we might need our own medical attention now.

Leading the way is the ever-fun Evan “Buck” Buckley, with his obsession about being cursed and dragging everyone else into his superstition. Of course, the 118 is used to his shenanigans, but Tommy is not, making this holiday one of revelations for him.

Is Buck Cursed Or Just Stressed?

From the start it feels like Eddie’s explanation for Buck’s face outbreak is sound and logical. Considering everything the team has been through recently, especially Buck, it would be no wonder he’s having a bodily reaction to it.

However, as he sinks deeper into his obsession with the legend of Billy Boils, we can’t help getting sucked into it with him. While Tommy is less than enthused about Buck’s latest hyperfixation-led quest for understanding, we can’t help ducking our heads and grinning at the guy’s latest superstition.

This whole experience is typical Buck behavior. After all, since the beginning, he’s always been one of the members who believes in curses and superstitions as a way to make sense of some of the crazy things he’s seen on the job.

Seeing Buck dive headfirst into the belief that Billy Boils is the reason he hurts his shoulder and then gets a skin irritation all over his face is a bit of a relief. After all the intensity we’ve seen from this team since the end of last season, it’s nice to see some of them come back to this side of normal.

Buck going overboard and thinking the least logical conclusion about his predicament is the Buck we’ve always known and loved. Having him back is like a breath of fresh air.

The Problem With Tommy

Too bad, his boyfriend, Tommy, seems to approach parts of Buck’s beliefs in a less-than-welcoming or even stellar manner. While his initial reaction to Buck’s sudden face outbreak is normal, his comments and mocking of Buck aren’t.

Yes, Eddie also laughed when Buck first mentioned his belief that he’d been cursed by the dead body he came in contact with, but Tommy seems to have taken things a tiny bit further throughout, causing us to side-eye him a bit. It just doesn’t appear, at this point, that Tommy cares all that much about how Buck moves through the world.

Time will tell because, after all, we haven’t seen enough of their relationship to truly get a read on it. However, Tommy’s general lack of enthusiasm about Buck becomes more and more apparent the more we spend time with him.

What kind of supportive partner is he when Buck tells him about the history of Billy Boils? He tells him to be quiet and just go to bed. Eddie also had to clarify for Tommy who Athena is. These two have been together for a decent amount of time; shouldn’t Tommy know who Buck’s surrogate mom is?

If this episode is supposed to encourage us to like Tommy, the writers failed, once again, to convince us that he has any interest in Buck beyond a surface level. Buck has more chemistry with a dead guy this whole episode than he does with his boyfriend.

Hen and Karen Trying to Find Normal Again

After everything Councilwoman Ortiz has put Hen and Karen through, you would think this episode would cut them some slack. No such luck. 

While the Denny emergency is high-stakes and gets our blood pumping, the issues are on the wall long before that. In the opening scene, we get the picture of a happy family, but it soon turns to Karen berating Hen for not being around on the holidays.

Seasoned fans of 9-1-1 know these two have this argument every so often. It’s as if the writers think this is the only fight these women can have regarding their family. (It’s exhausting, but luckily, this time, it is resolved quickly.)

The way they both are able to throw their frustrations with each other out the window the minute Denny is in trouble is the real mark of who they are as a couple. Despite the little fights over the years, these two are a solid force when the going gets tough, and it matters the most.

Hen is able to push her emotions aside enough to think quickly on her feet and get Denny the blood he needs while he’s being pinned against the house. I mean, an in-the-field transfusion? Insanely cool.

At the end of the day, these two still have some kinks to work out as they work through their own PTSD about losing Mara, getting her back, almost losing Denny, and then him surviving. However, we know they will get through it together because they love each other beyond words.

It also doesn’t hurt that Karen takes her own words from their earlier argument and repurposes them to tell Hen she was grateful that her wife was on call that night and saved their son. The emergency might’ve had our hearts in our throats, but it was the most satisfying sigh of relief in the end.

Stray Thoughts

• Athena going all practical lesson on the two girls who didn’t pay attention to her in class is the most Athena thing ever.
• Werewolves of London, as the montage song, is once again a perfect example of how 9-1-1 gets the music moments right
• Buck’s suit and speech at the end about people being what makes life worth living — no notes.
• Also, ABC, I am in your walls for making Eddie look at a picture of Christopher while Buck’s voiceover mentioned going through life alone.
• Peter Krause as a vampire and calling himself Cap Dracula — peak Bobby behavior. I love him.
• Pumpkin Head as a tradition is beyond dangerous, maybe this dad shouldn’t do that.

 

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 Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.

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