FOX’s 9-1-1 is a procedural television series full of action, nail-biting drama, heartfelt moments, and just enough comedy peppered in to make you laugh through the tears. The show follows the high-pressure experiences of a group of first responders, with a heavy focus on Station 118 of the Los Angeles Fire Department, along with what goes in on their personal lives when they’re off the clock.
With three seasons, 46 episodes, and even a spin-off series under its belt thus far, 9-1-1 has had a wealth of incredible plot lines that have made us yell, laugh, cry, celebrate, and sigh in relief, be it the multi-episode disasters or the quietest moments that pack the biggest punches.
As it looks like the wait for the highly anticipated fourth season will be a long one, with an expected release in 2021, we’ve taken this downtime to reflect on some of our favorite moments from 9-1-1. Today, we’ll be taking a look back the most memorable events in the season that started it all.
1. Michael Coming Out to Athena and the Kids (Episode 1, “Pilot”)
In the first episode of the series, we learned something very personal about one of the characters. Athena and Michael’s marriage had been on the rocks recently, and the reason surprised everyone. Michael came out as gay, but decided that he wouldn’t be divorcing Athena. It was a rough start to the show for the Grant family, especially when Michael started bringing over his new partner. He talked to May and Harry about it, and it did take a while for them to accept it, but in the end they supported and loved him regardless (and so did Athena).
2. Chimney’s Accident (Episode 3, “Next of Kin”)
One of the first major injuries for any character on the series happened in the third episode when Chimney was in a car accident, which resulted in a piece of rebar going through his skull. The 118 desperately hoped to save one of their own and later on, Chim finally woke up from his medically-induced coma. It would have been heartbreaking to lose a main character only three episodes in, but it showed that it’s possible for someone to bounce back from dire circumstances. Chim, thankfully, fully recovered, with but a small scar on his forehead to prove what happened. The first time watching, you have no idea what’s going to happen and it’s one of those moments where, even at the beginning of the series, you realize just how attached to these characters you already are.
3. Buck and Abby’s First Date With a Side of Emergency Tracheotomy (Episode 6, “Heartbreaker”)
Nothing quite like an emergency tracheotomy in the middle of a restaurant for a first date, huh? Buck and Abby spent the first half of season 1 tiptoeing around one another, not quite sure where their mutual interest in each other was going to take them. However, the 118 finally persuaded Buck to take Abby out for Valentine’s Day. All was well as the two began to awkwardly find their footing together, until Buck started choking on a piece of bread and passed out due to a blocked airway. Cue Abby launching into rescue mode, as her emergency dispatcher knowledge made her acutely aware that the paramedics wouldn’t be arriving in time to save him. With the help of another dispatcher, she performed an emergency tracheotomy on Buck and managed to save his life!
4. Buck, Bobby, and the VERY Pregnant Yoga Class (Episode 7, “Full Moon (Creepy AF)”)
In a procedural drama full of tense moments and epic disasters, 9-1-1 absolutely does not shy away from funny, awkward, and downright wild calls for the first responders. Thanks to this episode’s full moon premise, our characters were given a night that they wouldn’t soon forget, including a stalker and a crazed man eating faces. Bobby and Buck found themselves in over their heads, though, as they arrived at a yoga studio to assist a woman who slipped a disk during a pregnant yoga class. Things went awry as not one, not two, but THREE of the women went into labor one after another. Bobby, ever the professional, was calm and ready to get those babies delivered. Buck, on the other hand, flailed around helplessly as he attempted to be as useful as he possibly could (while not actually having the slightest idea what he was doing). Suspension of disbelief aside (c’mon, full moon!), this was certainly one of the more memorable calls from the first season.
5. Chim and Bobby’s Moment After Bobby’s Blood Donation (Episode 8, “Karma’s a Bitch”)
With family being right at the heart of this story, whether it’s the one you are born into or the one you make, the scene where Chimney called Bobby to the hospital at the end of the episode and gave him a heart-to-heart talk tugged at our heart strings. Earlier in this episode, after Chim guilted Bobby into donating blood, Bobby had received a call about his blood being a rare cure for a children’s disease. Bobby had been wrestling with the guilt of starting the fire which killed his wife and two children (spoiler alert for anyone who hasn’t seen it!), and not wanting to give his blood to kids who were not his own. Bobby’s previously donated blood was then rushed over to help a little baby girl get a healthy start to her life. Chim helped him realize that just because he wouldn’t be helping his own blood-related kids, the thousands of kids he would help would still be (in some way) his, and he still had a whole lot of good to do there.
6. Abby Leaves to Find Herself (Episode 10, “A Whole New You”)
Finding oneself is never easy, the journey you have to go on can be a long and tiring one. The season 1 epic finale ended with Abby deciding to go to Ireland for her mother after her mother’s passing. Abby also decided to go for herself, because she had been her mother’s keeper for so long, she felt like she had lost part of herself. She wanted to go on this trip to truly find who she was meant to be, without her boyfriend or her mother. Her and Buck said a heartfelt goodbye outside the airport and we were left with a heartbroken Evan Buckley. This also ended Connie Britton’s regular run on the show until the end of season 3, when Abby Clark makes a guest appearance.
Honorable Mentions:
- Bobby and Buck’s rooftop chat (Episode 1, “Pilot”)
- Athena’s absolutely wild Valentine’s Day (Episode 6, “Heartbreaker”)
- Hen’s infidelity (Episode 7, “Full Moon (Creepy AF)”)
- Buck gets catfished (Episode 10, “A Whole New You”)
Stay tuned for our next article as we look back on the top moments from season 2 of 9-1-1!
