9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 4 Review: Reentry

It isn’t often that the title of the episode strikes a double meaning with the events of the episode. With 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 4, “Reentry,” the events are obviously all about getting the space pod participants home, but on a deeper level, it’s also about Athena’s reentry into life after Bobby.

Since the season started, we’ve been immersed in Athena’s grief, whether it’s through her directly or the impact it has had on those around her. This whole trip to space was Athena’s attempt at doing something instead of just sitting around in her sorrow.

For the entirety of this episode, we get to see two different versions of Athena handle a great loss. From young Athena in the aftermath of Emmett’s death to current Athena in the consuming space of her grief over Bobby.

Both versions of herself need that moment that jumpstarts them to reenter life, to push beyond the all-consuming emptiness of grief. This episode does a phenomenal job of showing just how hard that can be, but how worth it it is in the end.

Young Athena Flashbacks

At first, when the narrative jumps to the late 1990s and a young Athena on patrol, viewers are confused. The shift doesn’t completely make sense at first unless the writers are potentially doing a version of “Athena’s life flashing before her eyes.”

However, once it progresses to the point where she’s in the car with her partner McCluskey, the pieces start to fall into place. McCluskey is encouraging her to go out and date because it’s been so long since Emmett died.

It’s this conversation that clues us in to the significance of why Athena is thinking of this particular moment in her past. After all, she’s currently up in space on a dangerous mission because she feels that she has nothing left for her back on Earth.

Naturally, her mind would go to a similar time when those feelings were coursing through her. It’s a perfect juxtaposition that shows the audience that no matter how prepared you are for it, grief will knock you down when you least expect it.

Young Athena thinks she’s doing just fine because she’s going to work every day and fighting the good fight on the streets of L.A., but it’s through her experience with McCluskey that she realizes she’s just existing.

A young man comes onto her, and she completely brushes him off. But after McCluskey dies in the line of duty, urging her to lose the jewelry, Athena decides to give the man a chance. 

This whole experience of Athena coming to terms with how in limbo she actually is over Emmett is a perfect parallel to older Athena in space. Grief is non-linear, and we can take steps forward without realizing that we haven’t fully left our hearts room to properly heal. 

Young Athena giving her number to a young Michael Grant is showing that she’s pushing forward with both her head and her heart in the right place.

Athena in Space

Since 9-1-1 Season 1 Episode 1, “Eat the Rich,” the narrative has always been about Athena. Now, with “Reentry,” we are able to see that more clearly.

Sure, Hen is up in space with her, but that is significant as well to Athena’s overall healing. If Athena had gone up in space to “deal with her grief” and not had Hen by her side, she might’ve gone the easy route and floated away.

Hen is the voice in her head, literally, telling her to reach out. To grab onto life and hold on tight. Even when the heartbreak feels much too great.

Athena is seen telling her younger self that pain is what we pay for the joy. It’s interesting that she’s able to tell her younger self that while in the midst of her own moment of weakness, of contemplating letting go.

In a way, Athena is pushing her own self to get past her pain and find the brightness, the joy. In fact, when Athena mentions what she has to live for, and stops after saying “my husband” we get a flash of Bobby on their first date. He is surrounded by light, aka joy.

Space becomes this big metaphor for Athena’s grief in a post-Bobby world. Unlike when Emmett died, Athena’s pain is so acute, so huge she feels she can’t escape it.

You see where I’m going with this? Much like being stuck in the vastness of outer space with no life raft or an exit strategy. But then, in conversation with her younger self, Athena is able to get the strength the push forward and find a way home.

Hen as her north star, Athena manages to make it back to the ISS and in the end back to Earth. She reached out, grabbed the life vest her best friend was throwing her, and held on tight.

The Aftermath

So, what does this mean going forward? I’ll tell you what it doesn’t mean. 

It doesn’t mean that Athena is going to forget Bobby. It doesn’t mean that she is just “over it.” But, it does mean that she will be present more in the lives around her.

Athena is truly ready to be the mom she loves being and the friend Hen has come to count on. This is a woman who was completely destroyed when her husband died, but now she’s seen the vastness of her grief and found the stars that make it all worth it.

We can expect in the coming episodes to see Athena getting back to work and family, and most of all, her friendship with Hen. It would be amazing if the show starts to put a deeper focus on that friendship, much like we saw throughout Season 1 when Athena was going through her divorce era.

Either way, Athena went to space in the hopes she’d find purpose again, and boy did she ever. In helping the team get back home, she found herself able to see joy in the mundane and embrace that she does have plenty on Earth keeping her tethered down.

Stray Thoughts

• I’m still not convinced Harry is LAFD material. He hasn’t really shown any affinity for it during this whole setup for him to make this move.
• Hen getting home and hugging her family was like a warm hug to the fans. We all felt it in our bones.
• Tripp Hauser not only losing his fiancé in the end, but also his company. We love to see it.
• Young Romero being the one to tell Young Athena that McCluskey didn’t make it. The lore between these two characters.
• Curious if seeing a Young Michael means we will see Michael recast and return to the narrative.

 

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

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