After the long, long hiatus, the crew at the 118 finally returned to our screens tonight in the 9-1-1 season 6 premiere, “Let the Games Begin.” Let’s jump right in to what happened!
High Hopes
The season opens with a major emergency! Two blimp pilots headed for the Cal-Am Bank Stadium suddenly loose control. Their engine explodes and the elevation wheel is disabled. The blimp is unable to miss the stadium and crashes into the top, precariously perched on the scaffolding as it teeters back and forth.
Buck and Hen shut down the power lines as Athena heads into the stampede of exiting patrons. Athena finds the young girl whose “wires” are actually a pump for her heart. With the pump malfunctioning, Athena goes in search of the girls’ mother finding her just in time. She’s able to reconnect the new device to save the girls life and both mother and daughter are reunited outside the stadium (as they’re loaded into ambulances).
With the fire on the blimp out, Eddie, Chimney, and Buck rescue the pilots. Chimney safely gets the co-pilot down but the blimp’s delicate balance is thrown as Eddie enters to assist the pilot. Buck takes him down the ladder just as the blimp teeters dangerously, but Eddie is able to jump onto the ladder.
Station Drama
At the station, Lucy lets Bobby know via video chat she’ll be out for 4-6 weeks with a broken foot thanks to her seven year old niece which leads to the reveal that Bobby asked Lucy to fill in as interim captain while he’s away on his honeymoon. Later that night as Buck cooks for Eddie and Christopher, Buck vents about being annoyed that Bobby passed him, Eddie, and the rest of the team over. Christopher hilariously points out that Buck doesn’t even have a couch, how does he think he can run the 118. It seems Taylor took her couch back when they broke up!
Several days later, clipboard Buck returns as he inventories the ambulance like he’s running for election. Hen isn’t having any of it when he tells her the fluids are low. “Per my report,” says Buck, the windshield fluid is down to only 3/4 full. It’s a final straw for Hen who snatches the clipboard and heads to Bobby’s office to demand he name a replacement. He tells her that she’s actually his pick, but he didn’t want to overburden her. Hen tells him it’s not a burden and she accepts the role while he’s away. Bobby has to break it to Buck who is fairly upset at being rejected, but Bobby ensures him he’s going to be a great leader he just needs more experience first. Bobby tells him to take stock of his life and find what makes him happy and the rest will follow.
With Eddie and Christopher at his house again for game night, Buck studies the empty space where his couch was. Rather than get another couch, he chooses to move his familiar and loved leather armchair to that spot instead.
Madney is Back
Meanwhile, Maddie lands at Chimney’s after a plumbing emergency forces her out of her apartment. She’s ready to call a hotel but Chimney offers to let her stay with him, they’re family after all (we smell a Madney reunion in the future with the smile she gives Chim!). Naturally, Josh is already shipping them (again) and pushing Maddie to open up and tell Chimney what she wants. She takes that advice on their next movie watching night, and indirectly tells Chimney she’d rather two people who struggled get their happy ending. He reaches out to test the waters and the end up wrapped in each others arms (and Chimney’s bed).
Unfortunately, Chimney runs away to his next shift the following morning and Bobby gives him a hard time for it. Maddie is obviously upset and when Chimney returns that evening they finally have a talk. Maddie tells him she’s not leaving their family, she wants them all together. She takes his hands and promises him she’s done running. He promises the same.
May Goes to College and Bobby and Athena Honeymoon
May is finally ready to head to college though she’s second guessing herself having taken a year off to work and get her bearings. However, she’s committed to “the full college experience” and Athena reminds her she’s going to be ok. With that, Bobby enters and we learn he’s quite the Type A trip planner, having all their honeymoon cruise time planned out. However, when Athena catches up with Hen later she tells Hen she doesn’t mind indulging him. She knows he’s trying to show her a good time. Meanwhile, Hen is swamped in class work and regular work as she tries to balance everything.
Weekly Calls
Shot Through the Heart
A father and son are golfing, or rather the son is being taught to golf, when he takes a truly terrible shot right into a shredder. As his father stands by he reaches into the machine (PSA: We never put our hands in sharp machines people) and his club falls hitting the on switch. His hand is only cut up a bit, but the machine pulled off his ring and flings it out the other side and right into his father’s chest.
The 118 responds with Buck taking charge (in an effort to prove himself as a choice for interim captain), wrapping the scene in caution tape as Chimney and Hen evaluate the father. Luckily, his rib stopped the ring puncturing the lung and they’re able to get him in the ambulance quickly.
Dealership Drama
A local car dealer runs a competition wherein the person who can stay touching a car the longest wins said car. With two contestants left the woman begins screaming. After evaluation, Eddie believes she in kidney failure but the woman won’t go for treatment because she needs the car. Bobby tries to compromise with the dealer, asking him to pause the competition for them to get treatment but he refuses. They must be touching the car at all times. With that logic, Bobby sends an all too happy Buck to retrieve the saw and cut off part of the car to take with them. With a rev of the motor, the dealer finally relents.
The Final Twist
The episode closes with Bobby and Athena Facetiming Athena’s mother as they get ready to leave for their honeymoon. Bobby is in his very loud Hawaiian shirt, Athena has her bags ready to go and they are just about to tell her goodbye when she hears an engine rev. She drops the phone as Bobby and Athena see the phone fall and a car crashes into her house.
9-1-1 airs on FOX on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Stay tuned for our continued coverage on the series, including episodic recaps and more!
