REVIEW: ‘9-1-1: Nashville’ Episode 5 — “Lost Children”

9-1-1: Nashville speed runs the tension it set up in the previous episode between Blue (Hunter McVey) and the Harts. On the one hand, it’s nice to deal with it immediately, but on the other hand, Episode 5 feels like a lot of retreaded territory from the first few episodes. The good news is that 9-1-1 Nashville Episode 5 finally focused on the other firefighters of the 113, namely Roxie (Juani Feliz), with Taylor (Hailey Kilgore) playing a supporting role. 

Blue’s rise to firefighter stardom is steeped in nepotism, and the convoluted ways in which he’s granted a spot at the 113 get the focus once again. Upset by the revelation that Don (Chris O’Donnell) knew about him all his life, Blue blows his physical firefighter exam in front of everybody, and runs off after telling off his mother and father. 

9-1-1 Nashville Episode 5 essentially is a continuation of the previous episode, in which the fire chief lays down an ultimatum to Blue and Don that Blue needs to pass the firefighter’s test if he wants to stay with the 113 instead of the logical thing, which is going to the fire academy. In the last episode, many people discussed how special Blue was. Don’s adamant that Blue should be a firefighter, and that he belongs at the 113. 9-1-1: Nashville Episode 5 really shows how true that is, even if it’s still a convoluted mess.

Blue’s status in the 113 is up for debate in 9-1-1 Nashville Episode 5. 

We also learned in the last episode that Blue has a criminal past, but Blythe’s (Jessica Capshaw) snooping uncovered a more altruistic angle for Blue’s misdemeanours. 9-1-1 Nashville Episode 5 expands on that side of Blue when he makes a drastic decision to sacrifice his life to stop a drunk driver from running into a group of school children. It’s a dramatic conclusion to this Blue saga, but an effective one. 

However, other elements of this story in 9-1-1 Nashville Episode 5  don’t hit as hard. The clash between Blue and Ryan (Michael Provost) attempts to expose Ryan’s more privileged upbringing, but it’s repeated too much to make any real emotional impact. Especially when Ryan himself doesn’t do much to warrant getting that thrown in his face from Blue and from his own father. Ryan has a point — he was lied to all his life as well, but Don seems so focused on Blue being his golden child that he brushes off Ryan’s concerns about Blue’s ability to do the job. 

Addressing Ryan’s more privileged upbringing has potential, but the execution of it feels too narrow. It doesn’t really feel like that’s the heart of the matter. That lies with Don and mostly Dixie (LeAnn Rimes), who choose to keep Blue from his father. There’s an interesting dynamic with this, but 9-1-1 Nashville Episode 5 doesn’t quite go deep enough with it.

Ryan’s privilege comes into focus, but with little impactful exploration.

Finally, Roxie and Taylor take center stage for an episode. In 9-1-1 Nashville Episode 5,  a teenager is found floating in the river, and Roxie and Taylor arrive to begin life-saving measures. Roxie realizes the girl is also under the influence of opioids, which is why their readings for a drowning victim don’t match up. Roxie seems troubled and more attached to their patient than the previous ones they’ve had. 

Jane Doe ends up in a coma and can’t leave Roxie’s mind. Attempts to reach Jane Doe’s family are futile, and if she doesn’t wake up soon, she’ll be transferred to a county hospital. Through their connection with Sam, Ryan’s wife, Roxie, and Taylor set up a meeting with the hospital’s financial advisor so that Roxie can pay for the care Jane Doe needs to wake up from her coma, a procedure that could cost, at a minimum, 25 grand.

It’s a bold move on Roxie’s part, but she assures Taylor that she still has plenty of savings from her time as a surgeon. The action alone suggests that something in Roxie’s past makes her feel like she has to do this, and she confirms to Taylor that when she needed help, someone stepped in. She becomes a little more specific when explaining to Jane Doe what happens when she wakes up, but still keeps the details vague.

We finally get to see Roxie and Taylor get the spotlight, and it pays off…kinda.

Growing up, she ran away from home because she didn’t think her parents would accept her. She fell in with the wrong crowd, and someone drugged her. But her parents welcomed her back, and she learned to open up more with them.

There’s really no more detail than that in 9-1-1 Nashville Episode 5, but it’s still exciting to get more information about a character we haven’t met yet. Taylor remains a mystery, except that she can sing really well and maybe potentially has her eyes on Blue. There’s also a really nice friendship between Roxie and Taylor, something that was glimpsed in 9-1-1 Nashville Episode 2 when the two supported Ryan through his almost-divorce. 

9-1-1 Nashville Episode 5 hits some repetitive beats with Blue and the seemingly never-ending Hart-Bennings drama, but it does introduce Roxie in a heartwarming case of the week story that marries the personal with the professional. 

9-1-1 Nashville Episode 5 is streaming now on Disney+ and Hulu, and airs new episodes on Thursdays at 8 p.m. Central on ABC.

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