9-1-1: Nashville Season 1 Episode 9 Review: Pipe Dreams

9-1-1: Nashville Season 1 Episode 9, “Pipe Dreams,” introduces new conflicts between Dixie and the Hart family. Not only that, but it goes as far as to create a potential divide between her and Blue.

After weeks of being absent from the series, Dixie’s return is purely to cause additional chaos.

Meanwhile, “Pipe Dreams” delves deeper into the relationship between Samantha and Ryan, which seems to be playing out exclusively behind the scenes.

Trouble Returns

With Dixie’s big re-introduction to the picture, we’re seeing the veil locking Blue into this fairytale version of his mother slowly dropping.

It’s one thing to pester Blue and try to coerce him into lying to Don for a loan. But faking an entire medical emergency in front of a room full of first responders is a new low. She’s not thinking about the repercussions that could ensue if the truth comes out, not only for her, but for Blue as well.

So far this season, it’s no secret that Hunter McVey has been one of the weaker performers. After all, this is his first acting credit to his name, so the bar isn’t set to a high standard.

We began the series on a firm footing with McVey, but his on-air presence continues to feel forced and overly emotional as we hit the halfway point of the season.

However, one aspect in which I think he excels in “Pipe Dreams” is the end of his confrontational scene with LeAnna Rimes. Not only does it give the two actors a chance to connect better and play off one another, but it’s been a long time coming.

The dynamic between Blue and Dixie began growing frustratingly monotonous shortly after her introduction, and not much has changed since the beginning of the season.

Blue needs to put his foot down moving forward and stop letting his mother get him into sticky situations. Hopefully, this is the eye-opening experience he needed to see through her web of lies.

Welcome Aboard, Probie

Aside from the Dixie drama, “Pipe Dreams” officially promotes Blue to the title of probie, making him a certified, real-life Nashville firefighter. It’s nice to see Blue’s ambition and hard work recognized after busting his butt to learn as fast as he could.

The celebration is a genuine moment, introducing my favorite interaction from the past few episodes: Taylor and Dixie singing together. My personal feelings towards Dixie’s character can’t overcome the pure, insane talent of LeAnn Rimes and Hailey Kilgore.

In fact, we’ve seen entirely too little of Taylor and her love for music. What makes the 9-1-1 universe so popular is the time dedicated to building the bond between the characters and viewers, establishing an emotional connection that keeps fans coming back each week.

So far, Roxie and Taylor have been paid dust when it comes to breaking down the barrier between their professional and personal lives. If the show wants to continue progressing positively, it’s an issue they need to address and remediate immediately.

No Babies Anytime Soon

The same issues we see with Taylor and Roxie also apply to Samantha and Ryan’s relationship.

Rather than 9-1-1: Nashville spending time and implementing small moments where viewers actually see the two work on their marriage, we’re forced to imagine it.

Married couples have fights, that’s normal, but it shouldn’t be the only thing we’re privy to on screen. If there had been even a mini build-up to this conversation between Ryan and Samantha about children, it wouldn’t be so awkward and out of place.

I mean, c’mon. We’ve seen the two act as an actual married couple maybe twice. The audience needs to see these date nights, small moments, and the efforts the two are putting into the relationship.

Otherwise, these bigger moments of reconnection don’t have the same effect as they should.

Stray Thoughts:

• Blythe’s dedication to being a good person only continues to make me love her character more and more. Not many wives would get over their husbands agreeing to pay their exes $45k without a hint of hesitation or conversation.
• Taylor has been making eyes at Blue for the past couple of episodes, and I need his golden retriever ass to notice it soon!
• More live music and musicians need to be integrated into the series asap.  

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

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