9-1-1 Recap: “Next of Kin”

 9-1-1 brings on a slightly calmer episode this week–if you don’t count the guy with rebar through his skull.

9-1-1 is just three episodes in and has already secured a season 2 renewal–a feat that does not come easy in the world of quick cancellations. This week’s episode, while still terrifying in its own way, pulled back from the action and went at a slower pace.

As always, every episode begins with a 9-1-1 call being handled by Abby (Connie Britton). This particular phone call brought the alarming news that a children’s bouncy house had flown off the cliffside of a house. Talk about being blown away, right?

While the episode may have started out intense, it took a more emotional, depressing shift to Athena’s (Angela Bassett) daughter who had overdosed on hydrocodone. It was a welcome change for a series that focuses on the intensity of the lives of first responders. As a result, we were able to explore the depth of a major character and her personal life.

While Athena dealt with CPS and learned of her daughter’s struggles of being bullied, the team dealt with a crisis of their own. Chimney (Kenneth Choi) proposed to his girlfriend, only to learn she didn’t love him back–and has commitment issues. His anger escalated when Bobby (Peter Krause) called him out for living a fantasy life with her.

In a fit of rage, Chimney left the station but ended up in a brutal car accident–with rebar stuck in his skull. Suddenly, the team finds themselves on the other side of things, hoping to save one of their own. An extraction and craniotomy later, it is to be seen if Chim will wake up from his medically-induced coma.

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During this episode, it was clear that Ryan Murphy intended to include social issues we are currently dealing with–namely illegal immigration. The team had to save a truck full of illegal immigrants trying to make it into the states. They found a large group locked up, dehydrated, and on the cusp of dying. Bringing light to the reality of this issue was heart-breaking and devastating.

This episode, while slower than the two that preceded it, highlighted some major issues prevalent in society today–bullying and illegal immigrants.

Ryan Murphy has always been unapologetic about bringing such issues front and center and has done an amazing job calling attention to them. Athena’s daughter became a victim of relentless bullying that convinced her to kill herself.

While the team helped save the lives of those trying to start a new one. Emotional, jarring, devastating–just a few adjectives to describe these moments during the episode.

Next: Assassination of Gianni Versace Recap: “The Man Who Would Be Vogue”

Will 9-1-1 continue to keep us on the edge of our seats while incorporating important social issues? We sure hope so!