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

Something touched upon back during Season 8 when the character Bobby Nash was killed off, is coming back to haunt the narrative a bit as we look at 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 8, “War.” I am, of course, talking about the writers’ inability to truly show or tell us how each character is feeling or grieving the loss of their friend and captain.

That is the prevailing message being weaved throughout the storyline of Hen and Chim. It’s unfortunate because simply building up to this breaking point a little bit better would’ve helped this storyline make a bit more sense.

If Hen’s coworkers are confused by her behavior and why she’s putting the blame on them, well so are we.

Hen and Chim – At War?

The big point of contention throughout this episode is everyone’s reactions to Chim’s very sound decision to fire Hen from her job. Chim admitting to Athena almost immediately that he could’ve handled it differently shows just how much he’s still learning.

Chim is a great firefighter, a great leader, and a great friend, but putting all of those together into one basket can be difficult at first and Hen definitely didn’t make it easier for him. That said, Athena should know that his reasoning is sound and that he was well within his rights to fire Hen, even if it sucks.

It’s understandable that she is trying to defend her best friend, but she has to know that logically Hen dug her own grave. Then, for her opinion of Chim to be affected for the rest of the episode because of Hen’s actions is intense.

However, it points to that bigger issue of the writers have sort of failed on creating the correct emotional balance since killing Bobby Nash during 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 15, “Lab Rats.” Because we haven’t been privy to how each of these characters handled Bobby’s death, outside of Athena, we can’t understand where Athena is coming from in her defense of Hen.

Therefore, when Hen and Chim do have their moment of reconciliation it doesn’t quite flow right because the apology is there, but Hen still remains hurt by the results of her actions. And yet, instead of calmly talking to Chim about why she kept things a secret, you know like the adult that she is, she blows up at him for standing by his choice to fire her.

It’s messy and in theory hits all the emotional notes of two friends feeling off-center because of a conflict, but doesn’t quite land because the foundation was never laid.

Which becomes even more apparent when we get to the intervention/counseling session and Hen looks at each of her coworkers and blames them for her not telling them about her illness. She claims they didn’t ask, but she’s failing to say the other part which is she didn’t advertise she was hurting in any kind of way.

She’s expecting grieving people to recognize that she’s grieving when she’s acting like everything is business as usual. Once again, the added layer of “this is because of Bobby” doesn’t feel earned or like it even makes sense.

It comes down to a failure on the part of the writers to fully understand the layers that come with killing off a character so central to the plot as Bobby Nash. 

Why Hen’s Illness Still Doesn’t Work

Now let’s focus on the answers we were given, finally, about what is going on with Hen. Because of her collapse she is finally able to get some medical answers for why she’s been feeling this way for months.

Shocking almost no one, it turns out she got this condition because of what happened in space. While that is a result we expected, it still doesn’t work for Hen as a continued main character of the show.

Why? Well, first and foremost all of the symptoms that the doctor talked about in regards to what could happen to her if left untreated are no small things. Secondly, while there is a medical avenue she can take to manage the condition, my money is on she won’t be able to be a firefighter anymore with something so debilitating. 

So, is the show gearing up to come to a close, to have Hen retire and go the doctor route again, or the illogical third thing of her going back to being a firefighter despite everything? It’s a good question and one that doesn’t look like a great outcome regardless.

And the reason is because the writing just still isn’t there. We might be in the thick of what is going to happen to her over time, but if in a few episodes she is back at it, being a firefighter again I’m going to call it a day on watching this show. It just wouldn’t make sense.

If the show does go the route of her getting treatment and then looking for a different career or path in life then I could see this getting better. Especially if this somehow lets her re-explore her desires to work in the medical field.

Either way, this better be a tough, complex road ahead for Hen because something as unique and uncommon as her condition deserves that at the bare minimum.

Maddie vs. Sara

Finally, 9-1-1 has decided to sink their teeth into the AI discourse happening all over the world. While there are some versions of AI technology that can be helpful, looking at hospitals and other patient care settings, putting one in charge of emergencies feels a bit too dystopian.

I am grateful that the experiment was a disaster from almost the word go. Maddie being the only one in the Dispatch Center to speak out against Sara though, I’m side eying everyone else on those phones.

It’s extremely off-putting that the creator of the AI gave Sara Maddie’s voice. Honestly, Jennifer Love Hewitt’s faces that entire exchange almost took me out because it felt like I was looking into a mirror. 

AI learning to think and act for itself is exactly why we as a society should be wary of it even in small forms such as ChatGPT or photo filters. Sara is a nice cautionary tale about just how much AI is just going to continue to evolve because we keep engaging with it.

When Sara almost kills that guy, and Nancy finally steps in and says “no we don’t need this anymore,” it feels like a victory. So for the AI to then continue to take over the server and refuse to turn off, proves just why we can’t and shouldn’t trust it.

It’s a nice whimsical story to balance out the Hen and Chim parts, but even still, the elements overall are unsettling.

Stray Thoughts

• Eddie stepping up and trying to help that former soldier who was having a mental breakdown is the greatest Eddie moment we’ve seen since last season.
• I’m on the side of the woman who somehow survived her car being split in two. Her husband is a sleaze and deserves to be taken back to court for his behavior.
• All that drama and blood for the guy’s glass cut wound to only be superficial? Seriously?

 

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

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