9-1-1 season 2, episode 12 recap: Chimney Begins

9-1-1 reveals Chimney’s backstory–and it’s just as amazing as Hen’s.

9-1-1 just does stories right. They have the perfect balance between the crazy, unbelievable episodes and then ones like, “Chimney Begins” where we learn all about a character’s past and how they came to be who they are. It made perfect sense to dive deep into Chimney’s past after he’s brutally attacked by Maddie’s ex-husband. Whether or not he’s alive is yet to be seen (we didn’t visit him in the present until the very end) but if we weren’t rooting for him before, we sure as hell are now.

Before Chimney became a firefighter, he was an entrepreneur looking for his big break and for someone to take him seriously. He quite possibly invented the Snuggie, even though no one took him seriously when he came up with the idea. Despite having so many ideas, Chimney is constantly rejected when he applies for bank loans. He’s pretty much hit a dead end when one day things take a turn. While working at a bar, a fire breaks out and he finds himself at the center of it all helping everyone.

Catching sight of the firefighters and rescue team sparks a passion inside of him and he decides to take his life down a whole new path and joins the LAFD. His best friend, Kevin, who he works with and lives with decides to follow in his footsteps, despite his parent’s disapproval. It turns out that Chimney’s mom and Kevin’s mom were best friends but Chimney’s mom passed away some time ago. 9-1-1 always gets us right in the feels.

Kevin and Chimney kick ass during their training to join the LAFD and eventually become a part of it. But things aren’t as exciting for Chimney as they are for Kevin. While Chimney’s co-workers constantly berate and ignore him and force him to be on cleanup duty, Kevin is saving people’s lives and facing dangerous situations. So during all the downtime, Chimney trains himself and works on his timing to suit up.

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It’s a shame that his fellow men don’t see his potential but there’s a reason for that. The nature of the job results in people dying, and that includes those you work with. Before letting anyone in, the group often resists until the person proves him/herself worthy. But do they have to be that mean?

Eventually, one of the paramedics decides to let Chimney join on a run, and let’s just say, Chimney is off to a rough start but quickly shows off his amazing skills. He even talked an elderly man down from a panic attack who was under the impression he was having a heart attack! Chimney is the hero we don’t deserve, but 9-1-1 needs.

One night, a huge fire breaks out in an apartment building, and Chimney’s captain has no option but to take him along. It turns out that all hands are on deck because while securing the rooftop, Chimney runs into Kevin. The happy glances between them alluded to something horrible that was to come–and it did. When a pregnant woman pops up on the roof, the men ask her to stay put. Does she listen? Nope. Instead, Kevin jumps in to save her and sacrifices his life. It’s a jarring moment and one that gets more emotional when you realize what it means for Chimney.

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In the wake of Kevin’s death, Chimney pushes forward and puts all his efforts into work. He manages to save one of his fellow men in a methane-induced explosion and was the one to identify what was going on. If that didn’t prove his worth, then we’re not sure what will. Wise Eli (the paramedic that was nice to Chimney) imparts some more wisdom on Chimney following this event. He has to learn to keep moving forward with every situation. Their job is to do the best they can and move onto the next but if you don’t, this job is not for you.

By the episode’s end, Chimney’s colleagues have gotten over their attitudes and he’s embraced with love and appreciation by the pregnant woman whose life Kevin saved (she had the baby!). All feels so wonderful and amazing until one thing hits us–Chimney is dying in the present. Will he survive? Will he die? Will Maddie be okay? We just might drive ourselves crazy until the next episode.

9-1-1 airs every Monday on Fox at 9 PM EST!