‘9-1-1’: Where Season 3 Left off and a Review of What to Expect From Season 4

Lindsey
12 Min Read
Courtesy of FOX.

FOX’s procedural drama 9-1-1 finished airing the latter half of its third season just over a month ago, a season that ended with a huge and harrowing rescue effort, emotional moments, tough conversations, and new beginnings on the horizon for many of our characters.

With COVID-19 production delays, we unfortunately won’t be able to look forward to a regular fall premiere for season 4. As of right now, we’ll likely see the fourth season sometime in 2021, though when exactly that will be is still very much an unknown.

In the meantime, we’re here to discuss what’s most certainly on all 9-1-1 fans’ minds right now — what can we expect from season 4, based on all that has happened in season 3? Keep reading below as we take a look at where some of our characters were left off after the season finale.

Athena
Courtesy of FOX.

After Athena’s attack by the serial rapist in episode 17, “Powerless,” we saw her recovering in the hospital, and in the following episode she was back at home and talking to a victim counselor. Seeing her so vulnerable is new and it makes us question whether that will carry over to the next season. Could we possibly see how everyone else around her is dealing with it? They didn’t show much in the hospital, just that May was proud of her mother, and the graduation party felt like everything was back to normal. But what about behind-the-scenes? Will Athena still be traumatized by what happened to her? Will we see her maybe going to therapy or trying to work through it on her own? And finally, how will this experience potentially affect Athena’s future with the LAPD?

Bobby
Courtesy of FOX.

Although the end of the first half of the season left fans a little worried for Bobby after he was exposed to some chemicals during a call, he was given the all clear. That left fans room to worry for Michael after he was given news of a tumor, and Athena towards the end of the season when she was attacked and traumatized by the serial rapist. Bobby and Michael have had a few heart-to-hearts, talking about Bobby taking care of the kids after he’s gone. With Michael’s tumor having shrunk now, it’s hard to tell if that heartwarming relationship will still be there, since Michael, for the time being, will still clearly be there for May and Harry. There’s also no telling how Bobby has been affected by what happened to Athena, since it’s not easy seeing your wife going through something like that. Will we see more of the aftermath next season?

Hen
Courtesy of FOX.

After making a bold and unsanctioned decision to save a man’s life in the back of the ambulance in “The One That Got Away,” Hen set her sights on a new career path — medical school. This decision felt natural for her character, as her rescues in all previous seasons have exemplified her skills and knowledge as a firefighter paramedic and how very dedicated she is to saving lives. However, this now begs the question, what is Hen’s future with the 118? It’s hard to imagine someone else taking her place, but considering how often our characters seem to land themselves in the hospital for various reasons, Hen will likely remain a key player in one way or another regardless.

Buck
Courtesy of FOX.

Episode 18, “What’s Next?”, provided Buck with some well-deserved closure from the one that got away, Abby. Though there’s no doubt that it hurt, it was a necessary step in his continued growth as a person, because Abby was the one that caused the chasmic shift in his life’s trajectory in the first place. Paired with the foreshadowing from episode 16, “The One That Got Away,” it’s clear that some changes may be on the horizon for him — perhaps Buck 3.0 is yet to come? Whatever happens, we just want to see Buck happy.

Also, will we finally get to see the highly anticipated episode “Buck Begins”? We’ve been given episodic backstories for most of our main characters now, and the beloved Evan Buckley is long overdue for an exploration of his past and what led him to the LAFD. We’ll take a guess that this episode could possibly touch on his time as a bartender South America, his Navy SEAL training, his parents, and/or his abandonment issues.

Eddie
Courtesy of FOX.

Over the course of the third season, Eddie took strides in learning to accept that Christopher is growing up and will need to be allowed to gain more independence as he gets older. There was a stark contrast between how worried Eddie was when he dropped him off at a birthday party, versus later letting him go off to camp for two weeks (though Buck still made sure to voice his own concerns). In addition to this, “Eddie Begins” wasn’t shy about its symbolism for rebirth, as Eddie literally cut the cord, almost died, relived his happiest moments with his family (which heavily includes the 118), and then finally escaped from the tunnel and resurfaced above water.

Paired with the hints that he seems to be intruiged by Ana Flores, Christopher’s English teacher, Eddie is likely on track for some changes next season.

Maddie and Chimney
Courtesy of FOX.

After some earlier foreshadowing with Maddie and Chimney discussing children, a bombshell was dropped in the season finale as Maddie revealed to Chimney that they’re pregnant (with not one but two positive pregnancy tests, just to be certain!) After seeing their relationship put to the test in various ways thus far, it will be exciting to see them come together as parents. The question is, though, how will this change and affect their busy respective careers as a 9-1-1 dispatcher and a firefighter paramedic? Can we possibly look forward to a fun-filled wedding episode with the 118? And on a scale of 1 to freaking out, how excited is Uncle Buck going to be when they break the news to him?

Michael
Courtesy of FOX.

We spent much of season 3 worrying about what was going on with Michael and his health, only to find out the devastating news that he has a brain tumor in “Christmas Spirit.” His health declined throughout the second half of the season, and there were many emotional scenes dedicated to his family and Bobby’s preparation for a future without him. However, in a stroke of incredible luck, it was revealed in the final episode that his tumor had shrunk by 30%. So what does this mean for Michael’s future, is he out of the woods yet? And what will come of his elevator meet-cute with the doctor?

May
Courtesy of FOX.

During the tsunami, Athena and May were helping people that were stuck in a pile-up with them. May was put to the test as her mother asked her to help keep pressure on a gushing neck wound on a woman trapped in her car. Though May initially thought the woman had passed, paramedics were able to get her pulse back and Athena proudly told May that the woman was alive because of her. Toward the end of the season, it was revealed she was accepted into USC, but at her graduation party, she tells Maddie she wants to talk to her about something. Since Maddie is a former nurse, could May be thinking about studying nursing? She’s proven that she cares about people and wants to help, maybe she’s found her calling?

Overall
Courtesy of FOX.

Season 3 was thankfully able to wrap production just before COVID-19 took over, and there’s been some speculation about how shows will deal with the pandemic in their future seasons, if at all. With 9-1-1 being a first responder series, showrunner Tim Minear said in an interview with TVLine that he feels like he has to address it. Although it’s not confirmed what exactly that will entail, he says the characters will have gone through what the audience has gone through, possibly showing flashbacks of it.

When FOX announced the renewals of 9-1-1 and its spinoff 9-1-1: Lone Star, fans were eager to know if the 118 would be crossing paths with the 126. There were already a couple of references in the latter to its predecessor, including a mention of Chim’s accident in season 1. Tim Minear told TV Insider that they’re working on crossovers and tossing out ideas of how to accomplish it. Since the 118 is in LA and the 126 is in Austin, it may be a bit harder. Although Eddie is from El Paso, they could use that. It’s not known what or how the crossovers will happen, but fans should be happy to know that it’s being worked on and discussed.

Stay tuned for more news on FOX’s 9-1-1 as we eagerly await season 4!

Nerds and Beyond is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Share This Article
By Lindsey
Lindsey joined the Nerds and Beyond team in 2018. If she's not writing or out and about with her camera, she's probably watching anime, nerding out over Star Wars, reading manga, and definitely forgetting to water her plants. And waiting for the Genshin loading screen to pop up. Contact: lindsey@nerdsandbeyond.com
Leave a comment