‘9-1-1’ Midseason Premiere: Chimney Kicks [Spoiler] out of the 118

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 7 “Secrets.”]

We have to admit: The ending of the 9-1-1 midseason premiere, which aired on Thursday, January 8, hurt. After all, it involves our favorite ride-or-dies on TV, Chimney (Kenneth Choi) and Hen (Aisha Hinds).

When the episode, titled “Secrets,” picks up, Hen has yet to inform anyone at the 118 or her wife Karen (Tracie Thoms) of what’s been going on with her, including a hand tremor and passing out. Instead, she’s trying to diagnose herself. Meanwhile, Buck (Oliver Stark) and Ravi (Anirudh Pisharody) decide to be wingmen for Eddie (Ryan Guzman) after comparing his love life to a very 9-1-1-esque call.

All in all, this episode is a return to form for 9-1-1 and exactly what we expect from the first responder drama: just the right combination of wild calls and character-based stories. It feels like the show may be settling into its new normal post-Bobby’s death in a way it couldn’t when the focus was on the space emergency for the first four episodes of the season. Read on for all the highlights.

The truth about Hen comes out in the worst way possible

As we learn through a conversation Hen has with another woman hooked up to an IV at the medical spa, she’s been there once a week for the past three months, tried every treatment the place has to offer, and still has “no idea” what’s going on with her. But she does have to face questions about the money she’s spending there and the vials of pills she has when she gets home. Karen has discovered both and calls her out on her recent behavior. Hen admits to having weird symptoms (rashes, muscle aches, migraines, nausea, and fatigue) and every blood test and scan being inconclusive. Hen says she’s running the show while the doctor at the spa is just making recommendations. Karen also tells her she needs to tell Chimney, as both her best friend and her captain, and she knows her wife hasn’t because she doesn’t want to get benched. If she doesn’t, Karen will.

Hen does fill in Athena (Angela Bassett), who, too, asks why she hasn’t told anyone. Hen admits the longer she kept quiet, the harder it was to confess. She knows she has to tell the others, but she loves her job and she’s not ready for this to be the end. Athena suggests it’s not, just the start of a new chapter.

'9-1-1' Crossover First Look: See Oliver Stark & Ryan Guzman on 'Nashville'

After Hen has to have Eddie help her deliver a baby during a call because of her hand tremor, she does try to tell Chimney, only for him to talk about how she’s stronger than the rest of them. But it’s on a call that interrupts them that Hen becomes experiencing more symptoms and just makes it out of a structure fire after rescuing a young girl — before collapsing in front of the 118!

At the hospital, Karen realizes that Hen never spoke to Chimney, and so once the paramedic/firefighter is awake, that tough conversation happens. Chimney asks why she didn’t tell him, and she explains that she was afraid talking about it would make it real, whatever it is. But as he points out, two dozen people saw her collapse at the scene of a fire, and now the entire LAFD command structure is calling him. What would have happened if she’d collapsed inside the building and been unconscious with a kid in a fire? She apologizes, and he tells her he’s sorry, too.

“I can’t have someone on the team who puts her life and the lives of her coworkers and the public at risk. I don’t believe you would’ve done this if Bobby were still in the captain’s chair,” he says. (Ouch! But is he right?) She doesn’t think that’s fair, and he knows it’s not, but, “You don’t trust me, Hen, and I need to be able to trust you, and right now, I can’t. If this were anyone else, I’d have to let them go.” She doesn’t think she should be any different, and he agrees. “You’re done at the 118,” he tells her before walking out of her hospital room. Wow. Something tells us it’s going to be harder for their friendship to recover than their working relationship.

Buck, Eddie & Ravi’s night out leads to a couple twists

After a call involving a man wearing a chastity belt that the 118 needs to cut off, Buck decides that Eddie can relate to him. “You are wearing a chastity belt of your own,” he tells his best friend. He hasn’t looked at a woman in a year. Eddie tries to argue that Buck hasn’t either, but Buck says that’s not true or the point. But Eddie can’t forget that the last woman he looked at sent his son halfway across the country, and so his focus is on Christopher. (Buck then says he’s using Chris as a chastity belt, and our reaction is the same as Eddie’s: Don’t put those two together, Buck.) Buck thinks he’s punishing himself and enjoying it, and so he and Ravi decide to play wingmen for Eddie so he can meet a woman in real life.

Ryan Guzman as Eddie, Anirudh Pisharody as Ravi — '9-1-1' Season 9 Episode 7

Disney/Christopher Willard

But rather than Eddie go home with someone’s number, it’s Buck who does — with both Jade (Jillian Murray) and Zane’s (Dean Geyer). He then goes out with both and brings both back to his place. The sex was “mind-blowing” with both, he tells Eddie and Ravi. In fact, he hasn’t felt something real with anyone since Tommy, and now he has two someones … who, as Ravi discovers by looking at their socials, seem to be siblings! He even bonded with Zane over both of them having a sister. Buck doesn’t think it’s that bad, that there’s a ton of gray area in modern love, but he still knows he needs to break it off with both of them.

And so he does just that, with what he calls a classy text. (Quote of the episode from Ravi: “Was it a group text on their family plan?”) However, then both show up at the 118 together, and Buck has Eddie and Ravi stay with him for the conversation that ensues that sheds some light on what’s really going on. Jade and Zane aren’t siblings but rather a married couple who practice ethical non-monogamy and are looking for a third. They want to keep seeing him together. Buck turns them down since he’s still figuring out how to be a half. The couple makes it clear the invitation remains open before Jade looks to Ravi and Zane to Eddie, leading to both firefighters walking off.

What did you think of the midseason premiere? Let us know in the comments section below.

9-1-1, Thursdays, 8/7c, ABC

More Headlines:

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.