9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 9 Review: Fighting Back

After a string of episodes that don’t quite hit the way they should, 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 9, “Fighting Back,” nails almost every note. While there is still the lingering issue of where things are going for Hen, the rest of this episode reminds us of the found family we know and love.

The 118 are done being mad at Hen for her actions prior to her diagnosis, but that doesn’t mean everything is sunshine and rainbows. It’s nice to see the balance between positive and negative mental health throughout this episode.

On the flipside of things, the 118 is also welcoming a new member to its ranks, Harry Grant. This is something that we saw coming since the moment he announced he’d be joining the academy, but it’s still nice to see regardless.

The 118 is a Family

One of the biggest takeaways from this episode is that the 118 has always and will always be a family. That means when one of their teammates is down, they all rally to lift them back up again.

We’ve seen this bonded experience many times over the years. Whether it was Buck and Hen checking in on Bobby when he fell off the wagon in Season 1, or Eddie forcing Buck to care for Chris when he was on leave for his leg injury, or more recently when Bobby died and they all rallied for Athena despite their own grief.

Either way, this firehouse has always been more than just a job to Buck, Hen, Chim, and Eddie. It has been the family they had always longed for and found amongst each other.

Seeing them put aside their hurt feelings about Hen’s behavior in order to keep her motivated to work on her physical therapy needs is heartwarming. But it doesn’t end there, when she starts to pull away and stops working toward recovery, they all get together and come up with a game plan to keep showing up.

Even if she turns them away, the 118 and Athena aren’t going to let her drown on her own. They spend the whole episode continuing to show up for her and push her to be herself again.

Even Hen’s mom gets in on the motivation train at one point, which we will talk about in a minute. 

Regardless, by the end when Hen is able to show up to Harry’s graduation the team is there to not only love on her but tease her a bit, too. They want her to know that no matter what her future holds, she will always be a part of the 118 firehouse.

Hen Finds Motivation Inside Herself

One of the greatest moments of this episode, a moment that reminds us of what makes this show worth watching and loving, is between Hen and her mom. These two have always had a give and take relationship that isn’t always the best at times. 

However, whenever Hen’s chips have been down her mom has been there to help pick her back up, and vice versa. It’s a relationship that I have secretly loved throughout the whole series and getting to see it develop further now is so special.

It’s been tough watching 9-1-1 struggle to get back to the magic it had before Bobby died, but this moment with Hen and her mom kind of makes the adjustment pains worth it.

Hen’s clearly struggling, even after she gets Adam, the physical therapist, as her motivational guru. So, watching her mom step up and remind her of the other time in her life when she struggled to come back is chef’s kiss.

For a few episodes now it has felt like the writers forgot the core of who Hen is as a character. Now, with this reminder of the time she got shot as a kid, it appears they’ve been reminded. 

Hen’s mom has some sound advice for her daughter in the form of reminders such as “we don’t remember the blood, sweat, and tears that got us here,” or “if you don’t believe me, then believe yourself.” These moments are a stark reminder that even in the darkness, Hen can be her own best advocate and friend.

Handing Hen her own diary is the perfect visual of believing in yourself more than anyone else can. It’s the perfect solution to Hen’s own self-esteem issues.

Hen struggling with her diagnosis is as normal as breathing. Therefore, having her find her way back thanks to reminders from her past self is equally just as normal and relatable.

Harry Carrying Fears and Guilt

Ever since it was announced that Harry would be taking up the mantel and joining the LAFD there has been this lack of connection between it and Bobby. Sure, there were the little moments here and there like Harry wearing Bobby’s old turnout gear or Athena making a comment when he tells her.

But overall, the 9-1-1 writers seemed hesitant to really dive into the emotions that are going through the Grant family in the wake of Bobby’s death. Harry falling and getting a TBI during training becomes the perfect storm for these emotions to surface.

First and foremost, Angela Bassett deserves all the accolades for her facial expressions alone when she arrived at the hospital to collect Harry. She is terrified, relieved, and hurt, just to name a few of the emotions flashing across her face.

It could’ve ended there and Harry takes his requisite days off before heading back into the fire with no issue. However, the writers choose to give him a moment of insecurity instead, which is perfectly warranted.

It’s a nice touch to see Harry look up at the aerial he recently fell off of and have flashbacks to Bobby’s funeral. It reminds us just how close he and Bobby were and how much he loves his mom.

Harry isn’t worried for himself, he’s worried for Athena and he says as much to Buck, which is also a nice touch. Having Buck be his older brother and then be the go between for Harry and Athena is more of that found family I was talking about earlier. 

It perfectly incapsulates just how much Athena and Harry are hurting but don’t want to burden each other about it. In times of trouble we need to lean on the ones we love, but even more so we need to lean on them to prevent us from spiraling into a crisis.

Harry is meant to be a firefighter, he just needs the reminder from his mom that he shouldn’t worry about her. Instead, he should be worrying about carrying on the legacy of being a member of the LAFD and by extension the 118.

Stray Thoughts

• I loved the callback to Chris doing morning exercise routine with Eddie in Season 2 to now doing those exercises with Hen.
• None of the foods Buck makes for Hen sound appetizing at all, no offense buddy.
• I love the love Denny and Mara have for Hen.
• The woman who attacked the man who tried to steal her purse, I felt for her on a deep personal level. Sometimes you just have to fight back.
• It might be small but Hen actually verbalizing that she is disabled meant quite a bit to me.
• “You think after everything we put into raising you we’d let that go to a different firehouse.” I LOVE MY 118 FAMILY!

 

 

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

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