9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 8 Review: Wannabes

Once again, 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 8, “Wannabes,” proves that nothing is counted out with this crop of characters. While some of the emergencies were a bit out there and had cringy moments, there were moments that tugged at our hearts even more than usual.

Ultimately, we have to remember that while we love individual characters, the 118 is a character all its own. Not only that, Athena is a big part of the picture — even if the past few seasons have put her to the side a bit more in order to allow the firefighters to shine. 

Whether we are following a cart situation that goes farther than we expect or find ourselves actually rooting for Brad, this show is one we come back to time and again because of the heart at the center.

Were the Carts Worth All That?

One of the big questions that crosses my mind when the storyline first introduces us to “The Cart Cop” is whether it is worth it. Ultimately, we have to ask ourselves: Was all this worth the time and effort the writers put into it?

On the one hand, we do have Athena being good at what she does, using her authoritative voice to calm a situation. It’s always fun to see her strut her stuff and subdue a challenging moment without even having to draw a weapon.

On the other hand, half of this episode is focused on this kid’s story, which didn’t necessarily need all that time. While I did say that Athena is a big part of the 9-1-1 picture, that doesn’t mean we needed to spend half the fall finale focusing on her investigating a case.

Especially considering the case isn’t even connected to the emergencies the 118 are focused on.

It is an interesting commentary on the quick-to-anger nature of most Americans these days. After all, what better way to do a commentary on the way people treat each other than through parking lot etiquette?

As Athena and Detective Romero point out, it does increase the suspect pool for who could’ve attacked this kid taking justice into his own hands. That said, it’s easy to tell who potentially did it very early on.

I’m not sure how others were looking at things, but I had the security guard and Ira at the top of my list because they work at the store and interact with the kid that much more. Making them most likely to be irritated by him.

At the end of the day, this plot gives us classic Athena behavior that we’ve known and always love to see. It might’ve dragged on longer than needed, but the story does wonders for recentering our thoughts regarding the writing of Athena after 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 7, “Hotshots.”

Hot Shot On and Off Camera?

The other big focus of this episode centers on the continued presence of Brad Torrence from the show within a show, Hotshots. At the start, Brad sticks out like a sore thumb and makes us think his hero complex is going to cause a disaster at the scene of an emergency.

While he does pull a victim out of her car without a gurney or a C-collar, it ends up working out perfectly fine. This initially seems frustrating and unrealistic, but it soon further develops who Brad is underneath all his bravado and bluster.

If you’d told me back during 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 1, “Buzzkill,” that I’d come to actually be grateful for the presence of Brad Torrence, I would’ve laughed in your face. In fact, for the whole season so far, we’ve all wondered if Brad isn’t one moment away from turning dark side on everyone.

Then, a man is standing on the overpass, threatening suicide, and the only one who is likely to reach him is the man who plays his comfort character. Honestly, it’s a plot straight from Twitter fandoms — and we aren’t actually that angry about it.

Think about it: If we were able to speak directly to the person responsible for a fictional character who helps us out when we are at our lowest and in a dark place, wouldn’t we all take it? It’s a bit heartwarming that just as Brad is starting to show cracks in his perfect armor, he comes across a person who wants him to continue doing what he does as an actor.

Honestly, while the moment is between Brad and the jumper, it’s a moment that is not remiss on 9-1-1. How many times has Maddie, Bobby, or one of the other crew members helped talk someone down during an emergency?

By the time Brad has talked the man down, we find ourselves cheering him on for a job well done. It’s unexpected and wonderful all at once.

Eddie, What Are You Doing?

At the end of 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 6, “Confessions,” Eddie seems to have finally found peace in his life. We see him finally shave his mustache and then joyfully dance around his living room. 

Now, we see him video-chatting with Christopher about Brad Torrence and Hotshots. During this call, which is a nice addition to the lack of focus the writing seems to be giving to Christopher’s absence, Eddie goes from seeming positive to miserable.

Then, it’s revealed later on that Eddie and Christopher have only been separated for 3 months. Now we are once again questioning the timeline of the show overall. 

What comes as the biggest shock is during the conversation with Eddie and Brad when Brad tells Eddie he shouldn’t let the distance between him and Christopher get any bigger. It’s not what is said that is shocking, but instead, who is delivering it.

Out of all Eddie’s found family at the 118, the wannabe firefighter actor who’s been nothing but in the way all season long is the one who finally pushes Eddie to be more present in Christopher’s life. If I’m being honest, it’s disappointing that this is what pushes Eddie’s next move.

Sure, the moment between Buck and Eddie in which it’s revealed that Eddie is looking to move back to Texas is heartwarming. However, we find ourselves unable to fully enjoy it because as much as Buck is dropping everything to help Eddie find a place, we also know it means Eddie is leaving.

Then, on top of that, we have a brief moment where Buck sits on Eddie’s couch and looks thoughtfully into the distance. What is Buck thinking about? As a big fan of the Buck/Eddie relationship potential, I can’t help but wonder if he’s realizing how he feels about Eddie.

All the ambiguous implications aside, Eddie is finally pushing to fight for his relationship with Christopher. It’s a wonderful move forward for him. 

Let’s just hope it doesn’t mean an absence on the show from Eddie, similar to Christopher. It would be such a disappointment if Ryan Guzman isn’t in a few episodes when the show returns in March.

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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 returns Thursday, March 6th at 8/7c on ABC.

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