Oliver Stark Anchors an Emotional 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 15 Filled with Grief and Hard Truths

It’s been a year in the world of 9-1-1 since we all lost Bobby Nash.

I’m not sure a single week has gone by that I’ve watched an episode without thinking about Bobby.

This year has gone by quickly, but Bobby’s loss is still deeply felt by everyone, and the series has not shied away from it.

Bobby’s death had a dramatic impact on the show. While some people can’t see it the same way or won’t return, the series has delivered quality episodes, especially in the latter half of 9-1-1 Season 9.

These episodes have entertained while recapturing the spirit of 9-1-1, balancing heartwarming and terrifying emergencies with character-driven stories.

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9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 15 was another solid hour on its surface, with overarching stories and a case that had Athena stepping into her detective shoes for the day.

Athena’s case was an odd one from the jump, with a man seemingly predicting his own murder and seeking out Athena’s help to solve it.

I love that within the 9-1-1 Universe, Athena is a mini-celebrity, even if it’s not broadcast that way. How could she not be?

Outside of the numerous cases she’s helped solve in Los Angeles, which would surely have made the local news broadcasts, she also landed a whole plane on the freeway, went to space, got stranded there for a hot minute, and lived to tell the tale.

Perhaps one of the most far-fetched aspects of 9-1-1 is that Athena can exist in public without being recognized.

The plane’s landing caught Bernard’s attention, who was in the business of recognizing good people.

The case of Bernard’s poisoning paired Athena up with a forgettable detective (I miss Romero!), and it dove into the realities of living a life that ultimately leaves you dying alone in a hospital bed of polonium poisoning.

I wanted to feel bad for Bernard, and a part of me did, but as the case progressed, it felt like he put his job above all, ultimately at the expense of everything else in his life.

That was his decision, and one he had to reconcile with, and to that end, is that really for anyone else to judge?

The case was super interesting, and then all of a sudden, the Russian mafia was brought into it, and things kind of went off the rails, as was the acknowledgment that the detective wasn’t going to do a damn thing about it.

That was super annoying because, obviously, it would have been wrong, but that’s also never truly been the kind of show 9-1-1 is. They don’t tend to leave murderers out there, especially with cases that are going to be wrapped up within one hour.

I should have known there was a twist to come, and the twist being that Bernard’s teacher-son poisoned him, honestly made me gasp.

The whole story was just sad. Bernard, using his final moments to apologize to his son and then die, not knowing that his son was the one who killed him, felt like a cruel twist to what was an obviously distressing story.

But it did highlight what the story was overall telling us: guilt and unresolved conflict left both men trapped in a cycle of regret that ultimately ended in tragedy.

I kept worrying this story was going to circle back to Bobby somehow, like they were going to discover Bernard had looked into what happened at the lab during 9-1-1 Season 8, or that he was going to die in a manner similar to Bobby’s.

I didn’t want Athena to have to confront all of that pain, and I’m glad that my expectations were subverted this time.

Now shifting to Buck’s storyline, my expectations about it, however, were right on target. To say there are complicated emotions around this one would be woefully misleading.

Addiction storylines are complex and nuanced, but don’t always get the thoughtful care needed to feel authentic.

And I truly hope everyone watching took care of themselves because this was a very heavy topic.

Let me first say that Oliver Stark is nothing short of captivating in this hour, portraying every physical and emotional aspect of Buck’s journey with such attention to detail. The storyline commands deference, and he delivers on every level.

Addiction is messy, difficult, scary, taxing, and a whole host of other emotions, and to do right by telling that kind of story is to show the harsh realities.

What people in active addiction go through, as well as their loved ones, can’t be handwaved away with platitudes. If you’re going to tell the story, then tell it correctly and show the emotional and physical effects of substance abuse.

Buck’s story began during 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 13, when he was involved in a car accident. Outside of seeing him struggle during 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 14 and taking pills at the end of the hour, it was not clear what was going on with Buck.

Was he addicted to pain pills? Or was he struggling with PTSD and taking medications to cope?

We got our answer early on in this one when Buck showed signs of drug-seeking behaviors, and the doctor he saw quickly flagged him for such.

Doctor shopping is a serious act, commonly associated with addiction, and in Buck’s case, we could see that he had already reached a pretty dark place. And that’s real.

Addiction does reach dark and scary places, and Buck was on the precipice of hitting an even more dangerous place than he already occupied.

There will likely be a lot of discourse surrounding the 118’s reactions to Buck throughout this one, and some of it will be unfair criticism.

Buck was irritable, sick, sweaty, and had all the signs of being in active withdrawal, but for those who are around someone every single day, it’s not so easy to spot something like that, especially when you have no reason to believe that anything is inherently wrong.

Eddie’s concerns about Buck previously seemed to be more rooted in his desire to make sure that Buck was being open and talking about his trauma. He knew Buck wasn’t okay, but he also didn’t know the extent, and chose to believe what his best friend was telling him.

If you’re not actively looking for signs of abuse or withdrawal, it’s easy to miss.

For Buck, while he was actively withdrawing, which can have a serious impact on one’s emotional regulation and thought process, the moment in the truck with Eddie was the moment you could tell he was ready to surrender.

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The scene was a bit frustrating, and one of those television moments in these stories that I don’t love. Buck’s trying to open up to Eddie and admit he needs help, all while Eddie is concentrating on literally stacking opioid bottles and not making eye contact with Buck.

It was meant to set in motion Buck almost taking the fentanyl before deciding against it, thus furthering the story, but it took me out of the moment because what could have been a real moment of connection was undermined.

Though in that vein, someone in active addiction would likely struggle having that kind of access to narcotics, and that’s why it was so profound to see Buck later confide in Chimney and get honest.

Buck’s willingness to stop lying to his loved ones was the first step toward getting the real help he needed, and while he was initially ready to be honest with one of the closest people in his life, choosing to tell his captain first showed a significant level of awareness.

While he may never have used it on the job, his actions were not in line with his duties as a first responder, and he put his trust in Chimney in that moment, letting the chips fall where they may, to do right by his job duties and also to help him facilitate the help he needed.

It was a really moving scene, perhaps the strongest of the hour, especially as it related back to Bobby and the acknowledgment of the overwhelming sense of grief that can sit and settle with you days, months, or years after it takes form.

I also appreciated Buck’s very simple plea that this wasn’t him, because that’s real. Addiction affects so many, and there’s always been a stigma about who it affects, when it can, and will affect so many lives without discrimination.

Now, one of the major issues television series have long had in their depiction of addiction is the way they “solve” it, often with it taking place over the course of a single episode, even if multiple days are depicted during that time.

In real life, recovery is a long-term, literal lifelong journey. It is not glamorous, but instead gritty and ugly, and shows don’t get into that in the ways that would truly show an audience what it looks like for both an addict and their loved ones to engage in the process of recovery, especially in its infancy.

Shows also often employ a parent or spouse’s love as the magical cure for everything, and while 9-1-1 doesn’t explicitly do that, it does have Buck detoxed at home, and that immediate collective care from family feels idealized.

Buck’s early days of recovery are also devoid of any sort of introspective therapy, which is often a valuable tool for recovery, so excluding it stood out as a missed opportunity to add more depth and realism to his journey.

Yes, Buck’s blessed to have a family who can help him with medical supervision through the physical aspects of early withdrawal, but early therapy, even limited, to help with managing cravings and early mood dysregulation, can be such an important piece of the early process.

I know 9-1-1 is built around found family, and this was another way to showcase that this family will always show up for one another; it wasn’t necessarily the most wholly accurate portrayal of this stage of the recovery process.

But it was really touching to see the love and care everyone had for Buck, and I was admittedly a little choked up to see everyone gathered around, reminiscing about Bobby and being the family we know and adore.

Ideally, the series will continue exploring Buck’s recovery beyond a quick arc, showing the process as ongoing rather than quickly resolved.

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Buck’s addiction, like Bobby’s, should be shown as a lifelong battle. On-screen portrayals of addiction need to reflect its true, ongoing nature, not a simplified version for television.

While Athena and Buck’s stories rightly took center stage, there was a small subplot with May and Ravi, and it would appear these two are on their way to becoming something, whatever that looks like.

Harry was very much giving Ravi the okay to be with May during 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 12, so his not calling her after their time together was a bit surprising. And it’s becoming increasingly irritating that we aren’t getting much of the early days of this pairing.

There are A LOT of characters to get to, and only so much screentime to go around, but these early days of getting to know a couple, seeing their interactions, and falling for them are some of the best moments for fans.

This hour, we got a cute conversation, alongside confirmation that May and Ian are NOT dating, even though they wanted us all to believe they were, so we could see Ravi freak out, but it wasn’t enough!

If May and Ravi are going to be the next big 9-1-1 ship, then we are going to need the series to invest some time in showing their dynamic and allowing it to flourish on-screen, not just off-screen.

Loose Ends

• I’ll say it again, Oliver Stark is SO good in this hour. Really strong work by him, as I felt every single emotion radiating off him throughout this episode.

• I really liked the short exchange between Buck and Chris, in which Buck lamented that no one trusted him anymore. Friends and family being distrustful and pushing for accountability are real emotions, and I’m glad they were shown, even if briefly.

• If May becomes a nurse, I would be all in favor of Ian being a recurring guest star! For starters, he seems great, and May will also need to have her own thing going on with separate characters, much like Maddie has at dispatch.

• The montage of everyone taking turns sitting with Buck, making food, and just spending time with him was a very nice sentiment, but these people have jobs and families, and it unfortunately doesn’t work like that in real life.
• Buck and Athena getting that moment to talk about Bobby was long overdue. Those two were so damn important to Bobby, and he would be so proud and overjoyed that they’re continuing to lean on one another.

There are only 3 episodes left this season! And while the show has been cooking, it’s kind of odd to think that outside of Buck and May’s potential foray into nursing, there aren’t really any other active storylines right now.

Everyone is just kind of chilling, so should we be scared for what they’re going to introduce to end this season?

Let me know what you thought about this hour, and also what you think may be to come this season!

You can watch 9-1-1 on Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.

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