9-1-1 Season 10 Episode 2 Review: Fire in the Hole

While the premise is outlandish, there’s a high level of suspense and real emotional stakes on 9-1-1 Season 10 Episode 2, “Fire in the Hole.”

The episode kicks off with news coverage of the volcano that has erupted in downtown Los Angeles, which attempts to offer a plausible explanation as to how this could happen.

If you suspend your disbelief just a bit, it works well enough to ground the audience in what’s happening before the point of view shifts to the 118, who are rushing to help citizens evacuate the area.

The whole thing is fast-paced and lets each of our firefighters do what they do best.

For starters, Chimney proves why he’s right for his position as captain with the way he handles the crisis. When he realizes he has to be in charge of the entire scene, he doesn’t hesitate. He’s good at delegating and remains calm, all things considered, while inspiring confidence in the rest of the firefighters. It’s really nice to see him thrive in this role.

Both Buck and Eddie have opportunities for big saves, which come not only from physical skill but also from the way they connect to people.

Eddie understanding what it means when he sees a service dog with no owner, and Buck’s ability to connect with a pregnant woman named Paige and help her jump from car to car are incredible examples of who these characters are as people and as firefighters. 

Buck’s save is a fun highlight of the episode, not only because of the trust Paige puts in him, but because it seems like such an impossible stunt. It really is like he’s Tarzan in the moment when he and Paige swing across the river of lava to safety.

Meanwhile, Hen and Harry are sent on a separate rescue mission when a smartwatch alters dispatch of an accident. It suggests there’s been a high-speed car crash inside an apartment, but what they find instead is a woman who’s been hit by a lava bomb.

Because the city is in so much distress, the chances of getting her help in time to save her are slim, and even then, it would be a long shot. This becomes a quietly emotional scenario as Hen and Harry talk with the woman and eventually just focus on making her comfortable.

She’s a doctor, and she’s incredibly brave, but she eventually asks Harry if she can stop being brave for a moment.

It’s as though Harry grows up on this episode — you can see it in his eyes as he watches the woman die, which he does on his own so that Hen can lend a helping hand to the rest of the rescue efforts.

Back at dispatch, Maddie is thrust into a new leadership role with no preparation. The Office of Emergency Management shows up to set up shop at their call center since their offices are now full of lava.

We know that Ty was killed on the spot when the volcano erupted, and with the current deputy department commander unavailable, authority is now delegated to Maddie.

She’s put in an impossible situation, figuring out where resources should go and ultimately, where they shouldn’t. It’s great character development to see her handle the leadership role and to watch her navigate the tough decisions, all things it feels like her character has been slowly building toward being able to do.

It’s also worth noting that the emergency management team references a volcano that occurred in recent years in Austin, Texas. If you’ve been following the 9-1-1 universe over the years, you likely remember that happening on 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 2 Episode 2. It’s a nice detail that they mention that storyline as a way to keep the universe connected.

While the city above is in chaos, Athena is underground, with no idea that a volcano has erupted, but enough understanding that something bad is happening.

To make matters more interesting, she’s trapped in the tunnels with her former trainee, Matthew Sparks. Sparks was reckless and shot a woman when he intended to pull his taser instead. Now, he has a new job, and his interaction with Athena is awkward, to say the least. 

That’s the least of their worries, though, since Matthew’s boss is suffering from a concussion and leading them in circles rather than leading them toward an exit. 

This all sounds like it should be suspenseful, but really, it all pales in comparison to the rest of the episode. It feels like an underutilization of Athena, though it looks as though the third episode might rectify that.

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

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