Spoilers forward!
After an entire run of episodes devoted to discussing the intricacies of loss of life and grief, this season’s fifth episode brings extra of those themes utilizing two occasions: Halloween and Día de (los) Muertos. Combining disturbing sequences with foolish and/or unserious emergencies, Día de los Muertos manages to carry all of it to viewers: disappointment, laughter, one shocking costume (Ravi’s), enjoyable, and an unfathomable void.
“I know death. I’ve seen it. Felt it. Fought it. I’ve saved some people I never really knew, and lost others whose names I’ll never forget. One way or another, they all haunt you.”
The episode begins with an Eddie Díaz voice-over as he finds himself in the course of a colourful, stunning procession for the Día de Muertos, as he thinks about his relationship with loss of life. We’ll circle again to this later, because the episode goes again per week to the emergencies solved by the 118:
- A automotive accident and a operating over attributable to issues in a driver’s Halloween costume;
- An enormous, inflatable pumpkin balloon will get unfastened and rolls down the streets of L.A.;
- A supposedly possessed younger girl who’s really contaminated with tetanus after being saved caught in a closet in opposition to her will for “losing her faith” and making an attempt to go away her spiritual group;
- The person who was run over within the automotive accident from the opening is discovered disrupting a burial within the cemetery and is identified with strolling corpse syndrome.
“Día de los Muertos” – 9-1-1. Ryan Guzman as Eddie. Picture: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2025 Disney. All rights reserved.
In the meantime, the characters cope with Bobby’s loss of life, every in their very own means: Eddie is reconnecting with Catholicism due to him, Harry makes use of Bobby’s turnouts as a Halloween costume to Athena’s shock, and Buck believes Bobby’s ghost is haunting his new residence.
“Tonight, they say the veil is thin. That the dead walk among us, if only for a little while. Is that just something we tell ourselves to ease the ache? Or is it real?”
Eddie goes to mass, praying, however nonetheless feels that that’s not for him. Faith is one thing that brings Eddie nearer to his aunt Pepa and his grandma (or abuela, as she’s known as) Isabel. It’s additionally a central theme of the “possessed” lady emergency, which exhibits how faith can be utilized as a instrument of manipulation, violence, and concern. Because the episode ends together with his abuela dying and Eddie’s with Pepa in the course of the procession, the firefighter finds a center floor to his dilemma. He can reconnect together with his tradition, have traditions with Christopher, and honor Bobby, Isabel, and Shannon with out shedding his id within the course of. He can discover consolation in beliefs aside from the normal ones; as Isabel says in her final scene alive, what’s love if not an indication of God’s presence?
The emergencies on this one have been so well-thought-out; they resemble conditions we’d see within the previous days of 9-1-1, in these golden first seasons, the scene of the “possessed” lady within the church as a standout. Nevertheless, the 118 nonetheless feels odd, the interior dynamics of the group weirder than ever. Everybody seems to be both bored, indignant, or passive-aggressive — it’s clear that they’re all grieving Bobby’s absence. Even Buck’s pleasure for having found what was retaining him from recreating Bobby’s well-known snickerdoodles — he’s processing his loss and making an attempt to attach together with his pals to allow them to heal collectively, and possibly issues return to regular. However he can’t try this, and the 118 feels essentially the most disconnected it’s ever been.
“Do they stay with us, somehow? Hear us when we speak their names?”
“Día de los Muertos” – 9-1-1. Picture: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2025 Disney. All rights reserved.
Buck and Eddie’s relationship illustrates that; even when they’ve been at odds ceaselessly in current occasions (first as a result of Eddie was shifting to Texas, then due to their shared grief over Bobby), this episode was the primary one through which we don’t see them making up after a struggle. The battle began within the premiere — Buck, jealous of Hen and Eddie’s friendship — hasn’t been introduced up once more both, and with the midseason finale occurring subsequent week, I’m undecided there’s sufficient time to tie all unfastened ends this 12 months, with many issues left for the remainder of the season (if they aren’t forgotten). However that is 9-1-1, so who is aware of?
Lastly, Athena and Harry are at odds as a result of Harry determined to put on Bobby’s turnouts as a Halloween costume. Bizarre factor for him to do, huh? Grief is totally different for everybody, certainly. Athena will get rightfully mad, fearing Harry is an excessive amount of of a kid to hitch the LAFD. Ultimately, they each have a heartfelt dialog; a lot earlier than Bobby entered their lives, Harry was already being impressed by his mother. He needs her to note him, to be happy with him — and whereas I’m not satisfied that is the trail Harry ought to be following, this appears sufficient to appease the state of affairs for now.
“Are they really gone if we still hold them in our hearts? If we remember?”
Día de los Muertos will get it proper when it additional develops Eddie’s connection together with his household and tradition, making him rethink his relationship with faith, loss of life, and grief in an exquisite, touching means, with the heartbreaking, peaceable passing of Isabel as a memorable ending. It additionally excels relating to the emergencies, bringing all of the enjoyable and thrills this present was recognized for. Nevertheless, the unfathomable void left by Bobby’s loss of life stays.
Is he actually gone, tho?
His loss of life remains to be not convincing; the dearth of a physique, the Wrath of Khan references, the Work Track lyrics whereas he stated goodbye to Athena — no grave can maintain my physique down, I’ll crawl residence to her… This present is at all times doing the craziest stuff in essentially the most shocking methods, so all these breadcrumbs will actually quantity to nothing? Why go away the clues that would result in an explosive return and one of the memorable arcs of community TV, and ignore them in change for… This bizarre new regular?
That is related for the current evaluation, by the best way, because the episode is about Bobby (similar to every thing has been since he left the present). For now, 9-1-1 appears like Buck’s first makes an attempt to recreate Bobby’s well-known snickerdoodles. Is it good? Sure. Is it proper? Nicely… One thing is lacking. And whereas the lacking items are the purpose, this season should flip the tables quickly and produce one thing refreshing to maintain issues fascinating sufficient. If it does not, this present will turn out to be actually exhausting actual quickly.
Be happy to go away a remark along with your impressions and theories. Thanks for studying!
