There’s something to be said for 9-1-1 managing to hit the most absurd comedic beats in one scene and transition directly into the heartfelt the next, and it does not feel quite as unbelievable as it sounds.
9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 5 was an interesting hour, to say the least, with three competing storylines almost fighting for dominance — some hitting their mark more than others.
This was another heavy character-driven hour, which again, coming off the heels of the three-part extravaganza, felt very earned.
For Hen, 9-1-1 Season 7 has seen her ups and downs (mostly ups), as Interim Captain highlighted, but it hasn’t ventured much into her home life.
That changed here as Hen and Karen prepared to bring a newborn into the Wilson household, and you could tell just how joyful and grateful they were as they sat around the Buckley-Han table and perused through hand-me-downs.
Hen and Karen have wanted this for so long, and they’ve deserved it.
They took the news about no longer homing a newborn in stride, and their attitude was truly admirable. It must be devastating, especially when you’re so close and many different things have been put into motion, but how upset can you be knowing this tiny little bundle of joy will be staying with family?
Hen and Karen are kind-hearted individuals, and the second Dierdra brought up Mara, you could see their faces melt at the idea of getting this young girl out of the system and providing her with some stability.
I know many expected Hen and Karen to get a newborn, but pivoting to this story makes a lot of narrative sense and opens them up to a lot of exploration.
I’m not quite sure how old Denny is now, but with him and Mara being so close in age, there are a lot of stories to tell about this new blended family and what will continue to be a transitional period for them beyond just what happened during this hour.
If I had one minor quibble about the trajectory of this story throughout the hour, it’s how the encounter with Mara in their bedroom was set up in a way to almost seem like the beginning of a horror film, and that didn’t sync up with the actual sadness surrounding the whole story.
There was obviously something from Mara’s past that had her watching them and clinging to her literal security blanket. And finding out what happened was truly devastating.
Side note: I won’t pretend to know all the laws of the land, but were Athena and Maddie allowed to do what they did? Can you pull a child’s records and a 911 call just because someone wants them?
It felt like they may have perhaps skirted the rules and the law, but what they discovered allowed them to move forward with Mara now that they better understood her past.
Hen and Karen didn’t want to be two more people in a long line of people who failed that little girl, and yes, Denny is their son, and they must protect that little boy with everything they have.
Mara hurting Denny was a big deal, but it wasn’t as black and white as it may have first appeared on the surface. And Hen and Karen recognized that, and it’s why they wanted to know more about Maura.
To do right by her instead of casting her aside because they couldn’t read her mind.
Learning more about Maura, recognizing her needs, and allowing for space while still protecting her was something they could do, and I may have teared up when Karen put that monitor next to Mara’s bed.
It’s a short-term fix, but Rome wasn’t built in a day or whatever other cliché you’d like to add!
This arrangement will be a work in progress, but at least it’s a work.
There was a lovely scene where Hen confided in Bobby about the troubles they were having with Mara, and it reminded me that we’re halfway through the season, and that was truly the first ‘Life Lessons with Cap’ moment we’ve gotten.
Luckily, we got another when Eddie found himself having a crisis of faith. Maybe.
Listen, I’ll try not to get too carried away here, but what in the world is happening with Eddie Diaz this season?
We started with this moving storyline during 9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 1, which was just the perfect encapsulation of the Diaz family unit. With Eddie and Buck helping Christopher and that surprising Shannon Diaz moment.
Bathena then needed some saving, so everyone’s personal stories understandably took a backseat.
Then, in 9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 4, we saw the happiest version of Eddie before it all went to crap during a picturesque basketball game.
Coming off the push heard around the world, which mysteriously didn’t get a second of screentime here, Eddie had decided to take things slow with his significant other and not get in over his head this time.
AS IF, y’all.
For some inexplicable reason, Eddie asked Marisol, yes, the Marisol we’ve seen all of a few seconds of since they made their relationship Facebook official, to move in with him.
It’s shocking news, though Buck and Tommy played it off like it made all the sense in the world (more on those two later).
Nothing about this new development made any sense, and it wasn’t explained throughout the hour. So many questions need answering, with the number one being: how did Christopher feel about things?
He was conveniently away while everything went down here, and it was never clear whether or not he was aware of what was happening. Of course, it’s safe to assume Eddie doesn’t move people into the home he shares with his son without a conversation or twenty, but we weren’t privy to any of it.
Maybe it’s a minor thing, but considering we’ve seen Christopher struggle in the past with Eddie dating, it felt like a real missed opportunity to share in that father/son conversation.
It also would have given us some insight into the evolving relationship between Eddie and Christopher and the dynamic between them and Marisol.
However, seeing where things ended up, I guess it would have been a moot point.
It’s difficult to get on board with this storyline because of the lack of development of Marisol as a singular character and also the Eddie-Marisol relationship.
Her moving in feels like ten different steps were skipped because they were. It’s one thing not to see everything on screen, which is a given. There just isn’t enough time in an entire season, let alone one specific episode, to show every waking moment of the character’s lives.
Or even have them info dump multiple times, though that would have helped here.
Bobby was literally the only voice of reason when he pointed out that Eddie never talked about Marisol in a way that led him to believe he was going to move her in. At that moment, it felt like he was speaking for the audience.
But anyway, Marisol and her boxes were firmly entrenched in the Diaz walls when Eddie made a discovery that shook him to his core.
Did you have Marisol being an almost nun on your list of things that would send Eddie Diaz running for the hills?
If you did, you are simply not telling the truth because this was the most random direction to take this story.
The reveal was played for laughs, as was much of the overall storyline when told through Eddie’s eyes. And yes, Eddie may harbor some Catholic guilt, but it was all a bit deeper than that, too.
While Eddie was conversing with Bobby, the two talked about the real issue being less about Marisol almost being a nun and the physical aspect of their relationship suffering from it, but more about Eddie’s struggles when his relationships get a little too serious.
We saw how things played out with Ana, and this was eerily similar, sans the panic attacks.
Eddie’s not scared to commit, but he obviously needs more time and different circumstances as it relates to opening himself, his family, and his home up to someone.
(Now, we have seen him do that with someone else, but I digress.)
The thing with Marisol wasn’t that he didn’t like her or anything, whereas, with Ana, they were never going to get past her being Christopher’s teacher. He liked Ana just fine, but so much of that relationship revolved around him feeling like he was doing the right thing for his son and not for himself.
And that was just doomed from the start.
Outside of the whole not dating people you rescue or meet on calls, I can’t even say Eddie and Marisol are doomed because I don’t know anything about Marisol outside of the stray tidbits they’ve dropped in her brief appearances.
So, I’ll take Eddie at his word when he says he likes her, but then he admits that he doesn’t know her when they decide to un-move her in?
If you don’t really know someone, how much can you like them?
Regardless of all that, Eddie was going through it during this hour, from his Catholic guilt to his pent-up frustration, and even after a talk with Bobby, nothing clicked for him until he talked with Buck.
And even then, it was almost by chance that it dawned on him that he needed to stop avoiding his home and talk to the woman.
Should they have just broken up right then and there? I mean, you could easily say yes. I don’t necessarily think moving someone in and out in a matter of days sets you up for long-term success.
But their decision to stay together felt like two people thinking they may be on the cusp of something but also realizing they don’t know each other enough to know that, so they decide to take a step backward and get to know each other, all while un-doing a ridiculously big commitment.
I have a headache.
I adore Eddie Diaz, but trying to get invested in a relationship that doesn’t make much sense on the surface has been a chore.
Regarding relationships, we picked up right where we left off with Buck and Tommy going on their date. And what a date it was.
Buck was a disaster, and it was cringe-worthy at best, but he was trying!
He’s sitting across from Tommy, who presents as highly confident and like he’s very much lived in his skin. And Buck’s not not that, but everything is new and bright, and he just needed a minute to adjust.
I loved that the writers chose to take Buck in a direction where he was adjusting, but there wasn’t any doubting his feelings for Tommy or what was happening, just him being ready to let others in.
Namely Eddie.
When Eddie and Marisol approached the table, you would have thought all his exes were coming over to say hello after leaving the Buck Buckley hate club.
He was petrified to see Eddie, so he overcompensated in an incredibly awkward way. There’s no other way to describe it.
But I never thought he did it because he was embarrassed by Tommy, their date, or anything. It felt more like he needed a minute to think things through (which was the theme of the hour, huh?)
Tommy wasn’t wrong to want to take a step back, and I have to imagine he has a lot of questions about the Buck and Eddie dynamic and where exactly he’s poised to fit in. But the way he left him on the sidewalk was rather upsetting.
Poor Buck was left standing there all confused, recognizing he did something wrong, even if Tommy didn’t fully put him on blast or anything. And I wished Tommy had been willing to at least talk to Buck outside of just telling him he wasn’t ready.
Did he owe that to Buck? Technically, no. I guess he didn’t. But it would have been nice to see some grace extended.
It was very interesting that after the “dumping,” Buck was seemingly more concerned with the fact he lied to Eddie than Tommy leaving in that ride share with nary a regret.
But doesn’t that make sense? Eddie is THE person in his life, and it would make sense to feel consumed with guilt that you were keeping something from them.
But it’s also okay to keep some things for yourself until you’re ready to share them with others.
How beautiful was that scene between Buck and Maddie? We’ve seen the siblings share some intense and memorable moments, but this may have been their best one yet.
Buck didn’t even mean to let it slip that he’d been on a date with Tommy, and when he did, he doubled down on his not being a fraud and not being ashamed, and Maddie picked up on the slight line of tension, but she didn’t push.
Okay. I don’t think you’re a fraud. I just think that maybe you’re not sure of your own feelings yet. And if there’s something that you need to tell Eddie, you will. Just in your own time.
Maddie [to Buck]
She didn’t bombard him with questions or make him feel he needed to say more than he was ready to. It was such a sweet way for Buck to share that moment and for Maddie to understand what he needed from her.
The same could be said for the scene between Buck and Eddie later, which was a lighthearted and tender moment between the two.
Buck had been heavily stressed ever since the date. You could tell in his demeanor just how much he was struggling with lying to Eddie and how to tell him the truth.
And when he admitted the truth, it wasn’t as if Eddie goaded him into it or anything. Eddie made an assumption that made perfect sense given the information he was working with, and Buck simply corrected him.
There was no judgment in Eddie’s reaction. He absorbed the information and immediately activated his Buck protector mode, and you could see just how much it meant to Buck for him to have his back.
They’ve always had each other’s backs, and they always will. But even while knowing that, sometimes you need that reminder.
Oliver Stark and Ryan Guzman have such an intimate understanding of their characters.
And it came through in that scene when Buck took that deep breath, letting out all the worry that’d been festering inside, and Eddie turned back at the door with a look of resolution to make sure he didn’t leave without firmly showing Buck he had his back in more ways than with just words.
Buck and Eddie’s relationship will always be so special to me.
There was no way Buck and Tommy’s story was going to finish before it was given a real shake, and that’s fine. Buck is in major infatuation mode, and I think most of us can probably relate.
There’s something to the first big crush on someone where it’s just all you can think about, and you’ll be dammed if you don’t at least try to give it your all.
I’ll forever be perplexed why it’s Tommy, but it is. And inviting him to the wedding was certainly a choice! But if Buck is happy, then call me Pennywise with how much I’m smiling for him or something!
Oh, before we wrap, THAT CLIFFHANGER!
Maddie: Why are you dressed like that?
Buck: Uh, it was a themed party.
Maddie: What was it? Pastel and puke?
Buck: No, 80s. I’m Crockett. He’s Tubbs.
Eddie: He’s Tubbs. I’m Crockett. This isn’t my puke. I don’t think.
No one thought the Madney wedding would go off without a hitch, but are we about to get a Hangover-style flashback hour with the boys having the bachelor party from hell, which results in Chimney going missing?
Please say yes.
9-1-1 excels at the quirky hours, and I feel good about this next one. As long as Chimney is okay, they can throw all the shenanigans out there to see what sticks and then throw some more.
Bring it on.
Loose Ends
- Eddie picking up the photo of Marisol in her nun uniform and immediately thinking it must have been a Halloween photo she just decided to have framed was unintentionally one of the funnier moments in an episode filled with them.
- Hugs are a luxury on 9-1-1, and that felt like the first Buck and Eddie hug in 75 years.
- As lovely as some of the more emotional emergencies can be, sometimes you need silly. And that first emergency was so funny. Buck grabbing his neck and Eddie limping out at the end were peak comedy.
- This extra section is filled with many Buck and Eddie tidbits, but they were bringing it during this hour. The Miami Vice was just perfection. And I love that they both wanted to be Crockett.
- Everyone looked so beautiful for the big day! Even though things are about to get messy, everyone, minus the two boys, will look great while navigating the chaos!
- Television magic is there being a thousand restaurants in LA, and Eddie STILL finding Buck and Tommy at their little table.
- Denny is the sweetest little kid. From the second he met Maura, you could tell he wanted to protect her, and I think that’s just neat.
The bad news is there’s a mini-hiatus to get through now, but the good news is there is still plenty more 9-1-1 on the horizon!
As always, you can react to the episode below, and let me know what you think is in store for us when the series returns!
Whitney Evans is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lover of all things TV. Follow her on X.