Spoilers forward!
After ending the most recent 9-1-1 episode, I needed to sit on my own for a short time, as this episode left me with combined emotions. On the one hand, I had a lot enjoyable with some issues, surprisingly laughing out loud at many scenes. Alternatively, it is a comeback of the Athena cop-related plots that at all times depart me a bit of weirded out.
I’ll clarify why briefly, however let me recap the episode first. Athena (Angela Bassett) will get injured in the course of an try and catch a felony known as Flash Rob, who organizes flash mobs wherein individuals commit robberies. After that, nonetheless injured, she is assigned to mentor the rookie Sparks (Zach Tinker). Whereas they work collectively to catch Flash Rob, Athena’s instinct tells her that one thing’s off about Sparks, in a state of affairs that jogged my memory of how Hen (Aisha Hinds) felt about Jonah (the paramedic who occurred to be a serial killer from season 5 performed by Bryce Durfee.) That’s additionally when Athena begins to query her skills, considering that possibly she’s not match for the job anymore.
This isn’t the primary time this sequence has chosen to concentrate on the cop-related aspect of issues. There are many earlier episodes dedicated to exploring Athena’s career, and so they normally attempt to each reward and criticize what cops do, normally framing Athena as this exemplary skilled in opposition to the dangerous cop of the week. Essentially the most outstanding instance for me is the fifth episode of season 3, Rage, wherein Athena’s ex-husband Michael (former common Rockmond Dunbar) has a run-in with racist cops that just about ends with Harry (former common Marcanthonee Reis) being shot. That begins an enormous storyline about police brutality and racism throughout the Grant-Nash household — Athena sees how this case scared her kids and is compelled to rethink how she sees the position of law enforcement officials within the bigger scheme of issues.
“Hotshots” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Angela Bassett as Athena. Picture: Ray Mickshaw/ABC © 2024 Disney. All rights reserved.
This week parallels that state of affairs in a manner, as Sparks has a run-in with a girl, and this case finally ends up with the stated girl wounded after being shot by Sparks, nearly dying had Athena not interfered. All of that occurred to maneuver ahead the Athena storyline: she could also be getting older and never in nice bodily form, however her knowledge is stronger than ever and her instinct may also help the youthful rookies. That’s why she tells Capt. Elaine Maynard (Claudia Christian) she’s open to mentoring one other rookie sooner or later, keen to not be a lone wolf anymore.
The optimistic aspect of this storyline: getting Athena in that fantastic wig and costume within the preliminary scene; the long-awaited comeback of Athena and Hen as besties having some tea collectively; it’s at all times a pleasure to observe an episode filled with Angela Bassett scenes, particularly with somebody as charismatic as Zach Tinker.
The downsides: this present is at its greatest when it’s foolish, over-the-top, over-dramatic, however general simply enjoyable. These heavier storylines which are simply relatable to real-world issues, I feel they must be well-planned, and so they most likely want a few episodes to work. In any other case, it feels a bit hypocritical: I attempt to not take it too significantly when Athena abuses her energy (which occurs so much on this present, however let’s simply take what she did to Amir within the seventh season finale for example) as a result of it’s only a foolish present, and many others. However then you may have this episode that’s all about abuse of energy and that’s not used to make Athena have a look at herself and her previous actions. Quite the opposite, she’s speculated to be a task mannequin, and I might even say that in the long run, she’s kinda sorry for Sparks. I imply… Is that this actually a touch upon police brutality at this level? I feel the message is far and wide, and I might reasonably not have this sort of delicate challenge tackled on the present than have it this manner.
“Hotshots” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Peter Krause as Bobby, Callum Blue as Brad. Picture: Ray Mickshaw/ABC © 2024 Disney. All rights reserved.
About Athena as a mentor sooner or later, I feel there’s a possible enjoyable story there, however a part of me would like to see Athena interacting extra with totally different predominant characters from the 118. At this level, she has many storylines with Bobby (Peter Krause), generally having storylines along with her kids (extra frequent in previous seasons) and Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) as effectively. Her friendship with Hen made a welcome comeback throughout this one, and I might love these two to have an extended storyline. Or possibly they may strive one thing new and provides us Athena and Chimney (Kenneth Choi), or Athena and Eddie (Ryan Guzman), and/or Christopher (Gavin McHugh)… I don’t know, I simply suppose that as the principle character of this present, it’d be so cool to have her bonding with characters she normally doesn’t work together with a lot as an alternative of but once more introducing a brand new recurring character to be her associate.
In the meantime, Bobby and the 118 return to the set of HOT SHOTS — and that’s as a result of Brad (Callum Blue) continues to be obsessive about Bobby, being maybe Gerrard’s (Brian Thompson) largest hater. It was good having the 118 contained in the set of this fictional firefighter present; I feel they missed the chance to go full meta right here, which may have been attention-grabbing. As a substitute, the episode focuses on Brad making an attempt to have Bobby again on set, creating battle with Gerrard. Is that this the best way the present discovered to flippantly punish Gerrard? It’s a comical factor to have him this disoriented over Brad and his new position, however it’s a punishment of some type, I assume. Is he being punished to be redeemed in a sure manner? I’m undecided concerning the reply to any of those, however Gerrard is true now being proven extra flippantly. This episode ends with Brad becoming a member of the 118 with the intent of learning Bobby and the day by day work of firefighters — and he’ll trigger extra hassle sooner or later, that’s for certain.
“Hotshots” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Oliver Stark as Buck, Bailey Leung as Jee-Yun. Picture: Ray Mickshaw/ABC © 2024 Disney. All rights reserved.
Lastly, we even have Buck (Oliver Stark) coping with his current breakup. His storyline is smaller right here, however it has some good moments such because the second wherein Maddie and Chimney reveal their new being pregnant, or his cute scene with Jee-Yun (Bailey Leung) — that was such a pleasant, stunning second. Additionally, I laughed a lot within the scene with Eddie stopping Buck from making a telephone name. Hen joins them on this playful second, however that is all about Eddie making an attempt to be a lighter, extra spontaneous individual — and he’s so awkward at this, but additionally so cute. It’s attention-grabbing that Buck and Eddie, regardless of being collectively in lots of scenes throughout this season, have but to have a dialog about the whole lot that has occurred of their lives. Their solely scene fully alone had them in silence, so I feel there’s one thing to be disclosed between them sooner or later. Let’s wait and see what that’s.
Total, this episode left me with combined emotions: it’s crammed with humorous moments and attention-grabbing interactions between characters, however it’s also far and wide in the case of its messages and the cop-related storyline. Particularly as a result of it places Athena away from the 118, and her cop storylines work higher when achieved with the opposite predominant characters concerned. It is also written on this doubtful manner, making an attempt to level out a number of the worst elements of our system whereas saying that possibly there is a motive for his or her existence. I might say it’s the weakest up to now this season, however I don’t suppose it’s a nasty one — on a full-season rewatch, the viewers might discover some new issues to care about right here.
What do you concentrate on Hotshots? Any expectations relating to the autumn finale subsequent week? Be happy to go away a remark together with your impressions and theories, and thanks for studying!
