9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 18 Review: Hearts and Flowers

You have to hand it to them, 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 18, “Hearts and Flowers,” almost had me there in the first half. Unfortunately, the show loses steam and impact by the last dredges of the second half.

It is something that we have commented on frequently this season, the inconsistency with writing and emotional impact. Some stories got the complete focus they deserved while others felt thrown in or away. 

While that is fine to do on occasion, having it consistently happen all season long is a significant problem. And unfortunately, Season 9’s finale goes about as smoothly as episodes have all season, not surprising anyone.

Athena Fights Back

So let’s start with the main focus of the episode, Athena Grant getting shot by a fellow cop. First and foremost, this plot has always felt predictable. Heck, we were able to see it coming from a mile away.

That said, it is a conclusion that is properly executed — no pun intended — with only a minor complaint. We are emotionally invested in the fate of Athena Grant from the moment the episode starts.

What is disappointing about this move overall is that it is happening only a year after Bobby’s tragic demise. It just feels a bit like pouring salt in a fresh wound for the whole of the 118, but also for May and Harry. 

There is a way the 9-1-1 writers can make this Russian and police collusion plot exciting (besides not including it in the first place) without having to shoot Athena. In all honesty, it could’ve had similar stakes if Athena had realized the plot in time to stop him from shooting her.

From there, this finale could have been Athena working with her Captain to prove that Hooks is a dirty cop while also going against the Russians. See how that gives us the same outcome without putting Athena’s life in danger unnecessarily?

Either way, the scenes where Athena is in a coma and speaking to her old partner are interesting, unnecessary but still interesting. It is nice to hear her admit that maybe she’s not equipped to be a street cop anymore and that maybe she needs a change of pace. 

I’m going to be honest here, I thought this was going to lead to her retiring. I wouldn’t have been surprised in the slightest if Athena looked at her dead husband, her bullet riddled body, and her children’s fearful faces and decided enough is enough.

That said, a move to detective is still an interesting move. In the next season, we are going to get to see a different side of Athena. Though, I do wonder how it will fit into the plot of the show considering this is a first responder program and detectives aren’t in that category.

Eddie’s Stakes Are There, But Get Lost

One of the other strong points of the episode is Eddie getting stabbed. 9-1-1 sure likes to put our firefighters and paramedics through so many dangerous situations that don’t involve fires. 

Pepa even says to Buck that she doesn’t worry when he goes into fires, its the other stuff. That alone should be its own red flag. It’s a show that centers mostly on firefighters and yet most of the danger these individuals face doesn’t relate to fires at all.

But, I should back up. Eddie getting stabbed is actually an interesting plot because all season he’s kind of been cast aside and forgotten about. In fact, it is something that has been a disturbing trend since Season 8.

Sure, this plot still makes him feel like an after thought to everyone else at the firehouse, but to the viewers his situation is front and center. We all held our collective breaths as he went off on his own and then ended up stuck in an elevator bleeding out. 

One of the things about his struggle that really frustrated me is actually when all is said and done. I completely understand that Athena being in the hospital and potentially falling victim to a continued threat is distracting.

However, the fact that everyone reunited in the end and it took more than the necessary amount of time for someone to ask about Eddie is disappointing. And, like always it is Buck who questions his absence, no one else even noticed. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if Hen and Chim didn’t even remember that Eddie told them he was going to get some air. Once again, Eddie is relegated to afterthought even amongst the people we are supposed to believe care about him.

That lack of awareness or care for him from the team coupled with his seemingly quick recovery from a wound that had him on death’s door makes us sigh and shake our heads.

What About the Migrants?

Yes, indeed. What about the migrants? This is the part about this whole Russian and cop collusion storyline that really upsets me. 

We bring in a plot to be culturally relevant to the current US climate on immigration, only to throw them away a second later. In my review of 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 17, “I Got You Babe,” I mentioned that centering this story on a white cop and a Russian instead of the very real people being trafficked is a big misstep.

That misstep continues into the finale by only mentioning the migrant part of the plot in passing during a conversation between Hen and Eddie. And then again during Nash’s (still hate that name by the way) first birthday party when Eddie finds out they’ve all been granted access to the country and immunity in exchange for testimony.

It is very hand wavey of the writers and is a huge disservice to the real threat lodged at immigrants every single day in this country. If you are going to create a plot which provides commentary on real world situations, you need to be able to back it up with real world consequences or solutions. 

There is no benefit in how 9-1-1 handled any part of this plot. It doesn’t give consequences to the people in power who executed this issue and it doesn’t give meaningful commentary on the situation as a whole.

Personally, I would’ve preferred if the migrants had never been a part of this story in the first place. Especially since we never get a clear answer as to why they were brought to this country in the first place and what that has to do with the Russians.

Stray Thoughts

• Buck getting Theo in a foster care situation by the end was predictable from the moment the writers killed the boys parents in the previous episode. I still don’t think this is a plot I approve of.
• Harry and Buck continuing to bond as brothers is always a win for me.
• May taking the nursing track has been coming all season and I am glad it is actually happening.
• Eddie, do you hate Esteban? Why would you think sending him to your parents, who are crappy people, is a good idea?
• Hen has a condition that is exacerbated by stress but you mean to tell me that the hospital situation didn’t trigger it? Okay. Tell me you know nothing about how autoimmune diseases work.
• The whole time May and Ravi were moving Athena to a new room I was thinking about the similar bait and switch done in The Godfather when Don Corleone is threatened while on life support.

 

 

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

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