The 118 fights an apartment building blaze and attempts a daring rescue of a deaf woman trapped inside. When Athena responds to a simple accident call, she discovers a potentially more sinister crime. Hen performs a risky medical procedure after an accident at a televised cooking show. Buck meets a retired firefighter and is inspired to reunite him with his lost love.
In 2019, the television industry aired 532 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of FOX's 9-1-1.
"The One That Got Away" was written by David Fury and directed by Millicent Shelton
The show has told many stories about the fundamental and noble heroism of first responders. That is the overwhelming message of this series. It celebrates these individuals and the honorable jobs they do each and every day. However, it's notable that this episode depicts some of the true dysfunction of the system that can lead to tragedy. It's a change of pace for the series. It means Hen and Athena have to work even harder to ensure that the proper outcomes are found. They don't want the same mistakes to happen again. It's the show addressing that the system isn't perfect. The people in these professions aren't superhuman. They fail and make mistakes too. The system is set up in a way where things get lost in translation. All it takes is a person being a little overwhelmed in order for chaos to ensue. It's not right. Hen calls out the injustice. No one needed to die from the massive apartment fire at the start of the episode. The firefighters did everything they could to ensure that everyone made it safely out of there. It is precarious for a few moments. Buck and Eddie are literally jumping from one rooftop to another. Buck has to cut his rope and hope that the cushion is inflated enough to catch him and the civilian. It presents as being so miraculous. When the emergency shifts to the hospital though, it becomes clear that Hen's medical expertise isn't taken seriously which leads to a man's death. She knew that it was preventable. Instead, she is left lamenting that she could have done more. She did her job. She kept him alive from the scene and traveling to the hospital. She played her role in this system. It still failed though. He died because of his underlying condition that needed to be treated right away. That wasn't apparent to everyone who worked on the case despite Hen speaking up and demanding to be heard. She believed that people would instinctively trust the information she presented. That wasn't true. She continues to be dismissed even when she later keeps a man alive by keeping her hand in his chest until the shrapnel can be removed. Her heroism saves his life. She wasn't going to let him die as well. Sure, she is reckless and breaks the rules. However, this quick thinking is the reason why there is a successful outcome. She may not be a doctor. But her training allowed her to save a life. She should be respected for that and trusted whenever she offers a medical opinion. Elsewhere, Athena responds to an accident involving a scooter-drone collision. It presents as incredibly outrageous. She arrests the man piloting the drone for trespassing on private air space. But she soon uncovers that he is a serial rapist. The evidence mounts against him. It's easy for Athena to get the necessary warrants. And yet, her initial arrest isn't withheld within the system she is devoted to. She understands the importance of him being in a holding cell. Others don't share the same urgency. He walks and she doesn't know until after the fact. That means a criminal is on the run. Athena will have to stage a manhunt knowing that it's her responsibility to ensure he doesn't hurt anyone else. That is an enticing build to the next story. And finally, Buck's plot finds him reminiscing about the past. He fears that he has just met what his future is destined to look like. He believes that his friendships at the firehouse will only last as long as the team stays together. Once this job no longer becomes a priority, they may have no reason to be in each other's lives. That terrifies Buck because he has nothing else. So, he becomes selfish in trying to fix Red's life. At the end of the day though, he just has to honor his service and be a comforting support system for him in his final days. It's sad and tragic. It presents a daunting prospect for Buck's future. However, Maddie doesn't want that for him and promises to always make his happiness important to her. She won't leave this family again. Buck may demand a lot of emotional support from his sister. But she's also willing to give it because he is her family. The future may be uncertain but these characters love each other and will forge the strongest relationships no matter what happens next.
