9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 12 Review: Disconnected

After 3 weeks in El Paso, Texas, we finally have an idea of what Eddie has been up to on 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 12, “Disconnected.” Between his story and Maddie’s, the episode title really comes into play, which is always fun.

After weeks of high-stakes drama, it is nice to take a step back and just go with the flow of life. Even Maddie’s trauma might feel like high stakes to her, but it really isn’t all things considered.

Also, after months, we finally get to see Christopher in person, which is a true gift. After all, he is a character that has been beloved since the moment we met him during 9-1-1 Season 2 Episode 1, “Under Pressure.”

El Paso’s Edmundo Diaz

One of the most disconcerting things about seeing Eddie in his native Texas is the mask he seems to slip on. This comes out strongly when he continuously introduces himself as Edmundo instead of his preferred Eddie. 

We also see it in how buttoned up he is, literally, around his parents and Chris and just in general. Eddie is trying so hard to be a superdad that he forgets the parts about himself that Chris seemed to love the most before the Kim situation.

It’s hard to watch Eddie go through these moments of awkwardness and uncertainty. All in the name of fighting for his son, but at what cost to himself?

Through all this struggle at least Eddie still has Buck to rely on for strength. It is lovely to see them FaceTime each other multiple times during “Disconnected.”

In fact, it’s an interesting shift in their dynamic to see Buck be the calm and collected one while Eddie is seconds away from spinning out. At one point, he even mentions packing it in and heading back to LA.

Buck telling him he can’t do that is a monumental moment for the young firefighter. That isn’t Buck’s canonical gut response to someone he’s been separated from wanting to come back. It takes maturity for Buck to step back and tell Eddie he needs to stick it out.

Maddie’s Lost Voice

Even more heartbreaking than the walls Eddie has put up in Texas is Maddie’s trauma and PTSD. She wants nothing more than to return to work in the hopes it’ll stop her nightmares.

She tells Chim and Jee she is ready to go back to work, which forces Chim to set her straight. It’s a nice open dialogue between them that 3 years ago wouldn’t have happened so easily.

In the past, Maddie would’ve stubbornly kept quiet about her anxiety and told Chim she was perfectly fine when she wasn’t. Now, we get to see her not only open up to him, but consider his suggestion — despite not taking it in the end.

It’s heartbreaking to see Maddie fail at the job she loves so dearly. She just wants to help others, but her fear of Braeburn supersedes that, causing her to freeze up in the worst way.

But, on the flip side it does give us so much domestic Madney in which Chim supports her by doing her exercises with her. He even goes as far as to talk about his concerns with Athena so she can maybe help, too.

That strength from Chim eventually transfers to Maddie, and she is able to be open and honest with her friend. Athena’s advice is reasonable and doesn’t discount how Maddie is feeling or what she went through.

In particular, her words about how you can be afraid as long as you don’t let that fear control you. That piece of advice can resonate beyond the screen to the viewers at home. 

Naturally, when Maddie manages to get her voice back, it’s not only a win for her as a dispatcher but as a mom, too. We see that when Jee exclaims, “You can talk again, Mommy!”

Christopher and Eddie Make Headway

I have one final thing to say about Eddie’s journey in this episode. Once Buck reminds him that he came to Texas to be a father again, we see Eddie shift his perspective.

Sure, he messes up by lying to his family about what he’s actually doing for money, and that bites him hard, but he’s trying. Not only that, Chris finding out the truth about his job brings them back together.

The moment Eddie and Chris are in Eddie’s new house is reminiscent of the many moments we had with them in LA. Eddie’s honesty helps him bridge that gap between them, and Chris admits he’s always proud of his dad.

It’s clear from the narrative that if Eddie had come to El Paso sooner, there wouldn’t have been as much silence between them. But, hey, he’s there now, and it’s only up from here.

Stray Thoughts:

• Hen’s comment about someone’s garlic knots being late at the car accident scene is hilarious.
• Seeing Buck light up on screen talking to Eddie while he’s cooking, no less, is something I won’t soon forget.
• Rob Benedict, as the pizza delivery man, is a delight, especially for fans familiar with his work.
• Chris finding out his dad does rideshare because his friend orders a ride is more amusing than it should be.
• Awkward Eddie rideshare driver has to be my favorite.

 

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9-1-1 airs Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.

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