REVIEW: ‘9-1-1’ Season 9 Episode 1 — “Eat the Rich”

Seems like just yesterday that Bobby (Peter Krause) died. His death was a major change in 9-1-1, a milestone the long-running show hadn’t taken yet. Killing off a main character is risky, but doing so brought much-needed stakes back to 9-1-1. But where does the show go from such a big decision? Bobby’s absence opens up room for new dynamics at the 118 to take center stage. And in this way, 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 1 feels more grounded in its characters than it has been in a while. So, naturally, the next step is to send them to space.

With Bobby gone, new dynamics take over the 118. Chimney (Kenneth Choi) steps into Bobby’s role as captain, Eddie (Ryan Guzman) takes Chimney’s previous spot as paramedic partner to Hen (Aisha Hinds), and Ravi partners with Buck (Oliver Stark). These new partnerships seem to be going well, though for Buck, the change is still something he’s getting used to. This feels a bit like a rehash of his anxiety over Eddie moving in 9-1-1 Season 8.

Now, Eddie’s no longer his partner, and Hen and Eddie have a good time working and hanging out together. It’s repetitive, but there also appears to be something larger at play. Namely, that Buck feels alone in his grief. Everyone’s gone through a big change, but everyone has seemingly slipped into their new roles easily, with no one but Buck acknowledging it.

Buck finally gets to talk about his grief over losing Bobby in 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 1.

At least he’s able to confide in his nephew Robert Nash Han, a really sweet moment that’s worth the rehashed beats for Buck. It never seemed like Buck actually got a chance to talk about Bobby in the episodes after Bobby’s death. The talk with Eddie’s aunt was a nice moment, but it was broader in substance. Here, there’s just something about talking to Bobby’s namesake that really sells his grief and his loneliness. 

But Buck isn’t entirely correct about the 118. Everyone’s struggling with the change, especially Chimney. He’s doing great as captain, but is reluctant to officially step into the role by taking the captain’s exam. Why should the guy Bobby sacrificed himself for get his position?

Of course, these are just Chimney’s insecurities taking root. His actions in 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 1 are fit for a captain. But he also has a bit of a rebellion in him. Using alcohol as a solution to revive a school bus full of children is certainly an out-of-the-box idea, but he makes the call, and all the kids live.

The major cast shake-up is a bit jarring in 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 1.

The transition from taking orders to giving orders isn’t entirely smooth. When Eddie jumps off a bridge into the ocean to save tech billionaire Tripp Houser (Mark Consuelos) from a humpback whale without thinking, Chimney, despite acknowledging Eddie’s heroics, still reprimands him for not waiting for Chimney’s say-so.

Later, Chimney shows up at Eddie’s to apologize with a few beers, which is a nice moment for Chimney’s leadership to shine through, as well as showcasing another new dynamic. Have we ever seen Chimney at Eddie’s house? 

These new dynamics really give life to the show, but that doesn’t change the fact that they still feel jarring. This is more of a holistic issue with the past seasons of the show. 9-1-1 got stuck in repetitive patterns so much that when they decided to do a major cast shake-up by killing Bobby off, the change hasn’t been quite as smooth as it could have been if it had a healthier relationship with mixing things up occasionally.

What does Athena’s life look like after Bobby’s death?

Still, there are remnants of the 9-1-1 of old in 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 1, such as the 118’s competition to get Hen to invite them to space. There’s also the use of montage flashbacks to showcase the life of Gina as Athena (Angela Bassett) discovers her rotting in her apartment. 

Also a refreshing presence are the Grant kids, May and Harry. The two attend the plaque ceremony for Bobby at the 118, but notably absent is Athena. If anything in this episode is a test of resilience, it’s seeing Athena on a date only six months after losing Bobby. Talk about a moment I was very unprepared for. And although it only turned out to be an undercover operation, it does beg the question: What does Athena’s life look like now? 

It looks a lot like nonstop undercover investigations, so many that she doesn’t realize Harry dropped out of high school, though, to be fair, he’s been living with May. Harry and May do confront Athena about her lack of attention to the rest of her family. It’s nice to hear how much the kids miss Bobby, too. They weren’t in 9-1-1 Season 8 a whole lot, and didn’t interact with Bobby until the episodes where he died. Seeing the Grant family mourning Bobby together is a wonderful and needed moment. 

9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 1 posits that maybe going to space is the perfect way to grieve, if not keep a show interesting.

Circling all of these great character moments are more of what 9-1-1 does best — big, whiz-bang ideas. Not only does someone get swallowed by a whale and live to tell the tale, but Hen gets invited to go to outer space as a thank you for saving the Elon Musk-type tech guy in a spoof of the real-life Katy Perry SpaceX mission.

She invites Karen, because of course. Karen is a literal rocket scientist and has always wanted to go to space. But her company is currently in a legal battle with Tripp’s company. Within the context of the show, this, of course, makes a lot of sense for why she’s not going. But Karen deserves to go! Maybe next time. 

As 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 1 shows, grief can take many forms and will become a part of your daily life. But there’s something kind of beautiful about heading to outer space as a way to start being a part of the world again, especially when the person you love is no longer a part of it. Hen decides to invite Athena to go with her, so we have that to look forward to in the coming weeks. 

9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 1 proves that the show can even go to outer space and make it work, as long as the characters and their stories are at the center. Hopefully, the next episodes keep that in mind as it reaches for the stars. 

9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 1 is streaming now on Hulu, with new episodes every Thursday on ABC and available on Hulu the next day.

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