Lab Rats

The episode felt really out of place. It didn't have the 9-1-1 feel, apart from the unrealistic handeling of a big emergency, but we accepted that a long time ago. ;)

Eventhough 9-1-1 is always ambitious in having these huge scale emergencies, this felt off. This episode was obviously written with a goal, which was not the continuation of the storyline, but to be an episode with a shockfactor.

It really felt like a one off. I missed the interactions between the characters, the family feel. There was more time for flashy, high-budget, signs than there was for connection.

The emotions of the episode were reserved for one moment and wouldn't it have been great to feel the angst and worry through the characters' eyes in the rest of the episode... They had such a good opportunity with this storyline for character'- and relationshipbuilding. Too bad the writers weren't interested in writing an episode for their show, but more interested in... I don't even know what the point was.

We've survived snipers, lightning strikes, tsunamis, earthquakes, beenados, serial killers and throat slashes, pirates on cruiseships, to only name a few... But we've not survived the writers' whim. 💔

I think the real issue that we're experiencing right now is that Tim Minear doesn't understand his audience. Most people watch 911 as a comfort show. We watch for the silly emergencies and the found family feel. There are a thousand other shows we could watch if we wanted our main characters to be at deaths door. The fact that they always got out of the most impossible situations alive is why people watch. There's comfort in knowing everything is going to be okay. Tim wrote the show he wanted to write but forgot the audience he was writing for. When people talk about this show in the future this is the episode that people will point to and say 911 jumped the shark.

As Peter Krause said in an interview at the end of the previous season (S7, 2024);

"The characters in the show have survived so many horrible and life-threatening accidents, like characters from Looney Tunes cartoons - none of which ever died. So in keeping with the language of the show, we are incredibly resilient characters. We go through things and we come back ... We want to speak to people's resilience and, in Bobby's case, redemption. So, I don't know if killing off characters is necessarily a part of the language of the show - at least not the main characters."

... and yet, here we are.

I love you, Cap.

I am so deeply disappointed with this episode (the last one wasn't better).

As a fan, I feel disrespected by the writers of 911. How did they manage to write this big emergency without including one of their main characters ???? Eddie deserved to be part of this, especially if Bobby's death is real (which I believe it won't be).

How come the writers couldn't include Eddie's reaction to his death but they manage to include Tommy's? Tommy who was not part of the 118, Tommy who had racist and misogynistic attitudes towards Chimeny and Hen?

The writing was lazy (it had some good parts) but Eddie's absence was so loud that I couldn't feel the emotions the characters were supposed to portray.

One thing I need to give to 911: it sure loves to give screen time to racist characters (and actors).

I gave this a three and I really only did so because the main cast, particularly Peter Krause, Angela Bassett and Kenneth Choi were fantastic and deserve their flowers for their amazing performances.

9-1-1 used to be my comfort show. I could tune in every week and watch my favourite characters go THROUGH it and still know that everybody would be okay in the end. That's what set it apart from other shows. You knew the main cast were safe.

Killing Bobby Nash of ALL characters, is just such a baffling and ridiculous move. He is the soul of this show. The one all other characters turn to for support and guidance. If this had been done because Peter had wanted to leave, that would be one thing. But knowing that isn't the case now from reading post episode interviews, and that it was a creative decision? Well. Big mistake.

And to do it in this way? With Bobby isolated from everyone and dying alone in a horrific way, with nobody there to hold his hand? Particularly cruel.

And on that, I must address the Eddie of it all, or lack there of. He deserved to be in this episode. Bobby and Eddie had their own relationship. Eddie saw him as a friend and mentor. The fact that he was completely kept out of this episode, and the last? Completely insane and stupid. And dare I say it, cruel. He is a MAIN character. Could they not have spared 10-15 seconds in that ending montage to show him reacting via phone call? Instead we saw Tommy, a side character that much of the audience cares very little for? Insane. I and I'm sure many others would have much preferred to see Eddie take Tommy's place in that sequence. We deserved to see that. Instead we're told that, like much of Eddie's story this season, takes place off screen. Infuriating.

Peter and Angela bring in a LOT of viewership and therefore, ratings. I hope the creative team and writers take note of the criticism they are receiving in spades after this arc, and make some serious changes. I'm giving them until the end of this season to make a decision about whether I'll return for season 9 or if I let this show go completely. I'm positive I'm not alone in that thinking.

Farewell Bobby Nash and Peter Krause. You deserved better than this, thank you for 8 years.