911 – Seismic Shifts – Assessment: This Tragedy is the Finish of the Story

Spoilers forward!

Seismic Shifts wraps up the eighth season of 9-1-1, carrying all its flaws and a few of its strengths. After a constructing collapses, Athena and the 118 come to rescue the day, coping with a number of emergencies concurrently. Typical 9-1-1, besides that this time we’re coping with Eddie and Christopher about to depart to Texas as soon as once more, with Buck prepared to depart the 118 as a result of Bobby and Eddie gained’t be there anymore, and naturally, with Chimney, Hen, and Ravi devastated as a result of their chief isn’t there to steer them.

Even with slightly screentime, we get to care in regards to the victims of this episode. And the emergency is attention-grabbing as a result of the characters are all divided — Athena and Chim are trapped with two injured males, Buck and Ravi are trapped with one other one, in the meantime, Eddie decides to overlook the flight and comes to assist the staff.

So we get to see Athena and Chim making amends after becoming a member of forces to avoid wasting individuals (Chim is the one who does essentially the most right here, and he shines so much), Eddie saving Buck, Ravi, the injured man with them, after which serving to save different individuals, and so forth. It’s a pleasant episode within the sense that everyone is working collectively, and this collection is at its greatest when it remembers it’s an ensemble present.

Nonetheless, like many issues this season, the conclusion feels rushed and anticlimactic at occasions; there are too many issues occurring with too little time for them to be correctly and satisfyingly wrapped up. There are hints of who will be the subsequent captain (Hen, Eddie, however particularly and extra visibly Chimney, all of them have their moments right here to possibly make them choices for turning into captain within the subsequent season), there may be the battle between Chimney and Athena, there may be Eddie about to fly with Christopher again to Texas, there may be Buck that’s about to depart the 118, and naturally, there are the massive moments within the ending montage that actually might have been higher explored: Maddie giving beginning to their second little one, Hen and Karen formally adopting Mara, Buck in search of a brand new place to reside after Eddie and Christopher return, Athena promoting the home that she constructed with Bobby throughout the season… All of that could be a lot, and every one in all these occasions might have been explored throughout the previous 18 episodes. Besides that every one of them gained a fast 2-minute montage in the long run.

All of this to say that I really feel that their plan to make use of Bobby’s demise to spice up storylines and switch the sport was not a superb transfer, by no means — nothing that we’ve been in these previous three episodes justifies killing Bobby. No storyline (those that resulted from Bobby’s absence, those that existed earlier than) was correctly handled; all of the alternatives for large, satisfying moments with the characters had been wasted, and all for what? For one more large emergency that takes a lot of the screentime within the episode? Besides that this time, as a substitute of being on the sting of my seat, I used to be so assured nobody would die, not after Bobby simply died randomly. And even when anyone died, I don’t know if they may make me care at this level.

So, in a manner, very similar to this season, this finale was a wasted alternative. It had fulfilling moments, because it was a superb episode, however solely once you ignore context — in case you ignore that it is a season finale that wraps up the three episode arc that sends off Bobby, in case you ignore each storyline sidelined so this massive emergency can exist, then sure, it is a good episode. When you suppose an excessive amount of, although…

Typically, when a primary character dies, particularly when it’s an necessary one like Bobby was — we get to see this demise getting used to spice up highly effective, nice storylines. Once more, demise in fiction isn’t unusual, it occurs on a regular basis. It’s all about timing and execution — not solely of the demise itself, but in addition of what occurs subsequent. Right here, I’m not assured if those piloting the aircraft know what they needed to do after Bobby died, and I’m assured they don’t know what to do subsequent season with out Bobby.

“Seismic Shifts” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Kenneth Choi as Chimney. Photograph: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2025 Disney. All rights reserved.

By the best way, I like the Chimney monologue on the finish. Kenneth Choi is fantastic in embodying these highly effective strains, and I at all times admire it when this present provides him an opportunity to shine. As I mentioned, this episode has nice moments, and that is one in all them. Choi and Bassett are all nice of their roles this episode as they need to discover a option to work collectively. Have I discussed that Chiquita Fuller is again as Linda? I like her, even when she seems just a bit. Terri Hoyos’ return as Aunt Pepa was additionally nice, I like her too. And I don’t hate the montage in the long run utilizing Joel Ansett’s Tragedy Is Not the Finish — it’s a ravishing scene, and I’d be feeling far more emotional watching it if not for, , the context of all of it.

All in all, this season finale fails to wrap up the whole lot satisfyingly, and it fails to arrange a future for this present in a manner that may make individuals even want to tune in for the subsequent 18 episodes. It tries its greatest to honor Bobby, nevertheless it by no means reaches some extent that makes killing him justifiable. You recognize once you see the entire image and go “oh, I didn’t get why they did what they did back then, but I get it now — after seeing the whole picture, of course that was the right move! Things will be so much more interesting now!?” Yeah, I don’t suppose anybody was saying this after watching this, which is a pity — Seismic Shifts scratches the floor of some attention-grabbing themes with Chimney and Athena at occasions, and as a complete presents a imaginative and prescient of the 118 as a household that’s lovely and poignant… Simply not sufficient to make me need to come again sooner or later.

And what’s humorous? Currently, I’ve talked to some individuals who watch and love this present, and lots of of them had been assured that one thing large would occur to justify all of this. Possibly Bobby could be again, possibly he’d be trapped in a authorities lab being experimented on, possibly this is able to all finish with an enormous change that may flip this present into one thing else… You possibly can name them delusional, however I believe they’re simply in denial {that a} present they love so unhealthy would give you such bizarre selections of storytelling with no correct story deliberate. I say this as a delusional individual myself — these theories are an act of hope and kindness, a leap of religion that allowed some individuals to proceed watching this present they cherished a lot, even when it turned to low-cost methods for shock worth. It is a wild factor — this present has a loyal fanbase, it is peaking in viewership, all people was already speaking about it even earlier than Bobby died, and it has so many attention-grabbing characters with nice storylines to be explored… And but, even after a daring (silly, however daring) transfer, they resolve to take action little with the characters of their palms and the loyalty of their viewers. Peter Krause, you’re already missed a lot — all of us cherished and nonetheless mourn Bobby. And whereas this season ends with a tune telling us that “this tragedy is not the end of the story”, it’d as effectively be for a lot of, many individuals. And in a manner, for the present as a complete.

Be at liberty to depart a remark together with your impressions and theories.

And thanks for studying me this season! For everybody who’s studying weekly and leaving feedback, it has been a pleasure to share this house with you all. Even when I am uncertain there’s one other season of 9-1-1 in me, I am grateful for this time with you! Take care!