A heatwave combined with a power outage means that Los Angeles is a hot mess. Literally.
This disaster may feel smaller scale than some of the other 911 epic catastrophes, but it’s just as deadly. You mix a lack of power with heat exhaustion, and all kinds of crazy is bound to occur.
During 9-1-1 Season 5 Episode 2 alone, we see wild animals on the loose, and hauntingly beautiful display of neighborly support, and Athena’s endless hunt for Hudson.
Let me begin by apologizing for killing off Ransome way too soon, but a slice to the throat like that (and no one finding him right away) should mean he dies, but he’s happily still alive and still as cunning as ever.
Athena has a pulse on Hudson and his moves, and it was pretty clever how quickly she was able to piece together Lila’s involvement. But figuring out how to catch Hudson was a bit of a mixed bag. Because on the one hand, it makes sense, but on the other hand, what if something goes terribly wrong?
Captain Maynard: It’s a little scary how deep inside this guy’s head you are.
Athena: Not deep enough. He’s always two steps ahead.
The victims were prey, even if they tried to sugar-coat it in a way that made it seem as if they weren’t. Hudson has proven himself to be crafty, and not even giving the victims a heads up felt like a disaster waiting to happen.
Athena is the kind of person you want watching your back, but Athena can only be at one place. All it takes is a split second for someone to take their eye off the ball, and it could be the difference between life or death.
All I could think about was what if this was Athena? Would she be okay with someone she loved being used as prey?
The entire time she was posted outside of the victim’s house, you couldn’t help but think she was missing a critical piece of the puzzle; herself. But, unfortunately, she is a victim, and as far as she was into Hudson’s mind, she couldn’t see that piece.
Ransome, bless his heart, was there to remind her, though, and that set off those terrifying last few minutes where you just knew it was all about to go wrong.
Taking Harry is just another way for Hudson to assert his power and hurt a woman he feels has wronged him. He’s sick and twisted, and watching everyone come together to save Harry is going to be a rollercoaster of emotions.
The Grant’s have been through so much, and Harry better be alright.
Elsewhere, let’s talk about Eddie.
Eddie is a mess, but you can’t help but feel for him at the same time. He likes Ana, and he’s grateful to her for stepping in at a very terrible time and being there for him and his family. But is that enough? It’s not, but at the same time, it’s understandable why he feels an almost obligation to her.
When kids are involved, things get murky, and Christopher adores Ana, making it more complicated.
Buck and Eddie continue to be the best of friends, and Buck calling him out was what he needed. Eddie was literally on the verge of a panic attack at the mere mention of Ana being his wife.
Relating Ana and Eddie to him and Abby was sad but also true. Abby was never as all in as Buck was, and that became increasingly clear when she left and just never returned or gave him closure until she was forced to.
What he does moving forward will be interesting, but as of right now, it does not seem like Eddie and Ana will be long for this world, if for no other reason than Eddie just isn’t all the way in on her. Could he be all the way in on someone else down the line?
Perhaps. Because it doesn’t feel like he’s not capable of being happy again with someone else, but he needs it to be at his own pace.
Another amazing friendship on this show will always be between Chimney and Hen. Opening up to Hen about Maddie’s postpartum was important for Chimney because he hasn’t had anyone to talk to about what’s happening at home.
It makes sense that Maddie perhaps doesn’t want to be running around telling everyone because it’s a highly emotional thing. And it’s hard enough to deal with without feeling like you have all this judgment baring down on you as well, even if that’s not the case.
Now, obviously, they are in the middle of a chaotic situation with the world seemingly falling apart around them, but Maddie needs help. She is not okay, and she needs help for herself, and she needs help for Jee-Yun.
This is a heartbreaking story, but it’s also honest and relatable. Postpartum depression affects so many women, and it’s not as if you take medication and you are magically cured. It’s hard, and Maddie is experiencing this in real-time while also dealing with the world’s turmoil.
This feels like a story that will only get darker before it gets better, but that’s reality.
The whole downtown LA animals on the loose story was pure comedy, and that’s exactly what parts of 911 can be. You can be dying laughing at an alpaca seizing Bobby and Hen up, and then a second one popping out from behind a rack of clothes like a deleted scene from Jurassic Park.
And then you are quickly on the verge of tears watching a community come together and light the way for a child fighting for his life.
That’s always been the power of this show. It never takes itself too seriously and tugs on every single heartstring in its bid to tell wildly courageous stories and highlight the incredible work first responders do daily.
Herding up wild animals is not something the 118 has experience with, but they do have experience helping people. So, they put themselves into the wild of it all to do just that.
Bobby: You’re on animal control.
Buck: Um, what am I supposed to do?
Bobby: Any animal makes a move, control it.
And if they wanted to explore another emergency involving Buck and animals, I would not at all be opposed to that.
Odds and Ends
- The helicopter crash and subsequent rescue was peak 911. It was scary as hell, and Bobby literally dangling from the side of a building was chilling.
- We need more Michael and David! We don’t get to see them nearly enough, but when they are on-screen, you just feel happy.
- I know he got in trouble, but Harry essentially charging people for food and electricity was INGENIOUS.
The blackout is still on, at least for another episode! So, please let me know what you’re expecting to happen as the team searches for Harry and Hudson!
What was your favorite rescue this hour?
Do you think Eddie and Ana will last?
Drop me a line down below and remember to watch 9-1-1 online via TV Fanatic so you don’t miss a second of the action!
Whitney Evans is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.