Don't Drink the Water

This was the best ep in the back end of season 8!

After the last three eps I was genuinely mad about the way the show was handling storylines. But this EP brought back every thing I love about the show in the first place; the genuine connection between the 118, the calls, the callbacks of past calls, A Chris-Buck, Buckley-Daiz family reunion. Finally!!!

A few familiar faces I've been dearly missing for the entire season (Linda and Pepa) ...

It even dealt with grief in a way I wished last episode was coherent enough to do. The Chimney-Athena tension is intriguing to say the least. And with them tripped in the final I can't wait to see what will come of it.

Everything was perfect this episode. (Almost...If only Bobby was still here but alas...)

This might actually be one of my favorite episodes. I'm obviously still very upset about Bobby and will never be okay with that but it's nice to finally see some real grief within the characters. For a long time now things just happen and then an episode or two they are completely fine again. No dealing with grief, no talking, nothing really. This episode finally gives us what we've been wanting. We want to see how the characters feel because we feel it too. The acting from all of the cast was absolutely outstanding. I love this cast so much and I'm so happy we get to see them in new situations and broader emotions. Yes we've seen them sad in seasons long ago but this is refreshing to see. Again I really want Bobby back and it will never be the same but this episode way ecceeded my expectations. Very excited for season 9!

This episode genuinely felt like 9-1-1 again. They balanced personal storylines with the emergencies perfectly. Let the personal stories take front and center and then let the crazy emergencies add to it. This is what 9-1-1 was meant to be! I've been watching for years and truly, this episode is such a return to form for them. Hope this is continued into the finale. Still weird that this show can have such good episodes and then you get something like 8:16. Like how can this episode be so well done and the episode that is saying "goodbye" to Bobby so poorly done. Anyways, great episode. Definitely one of the best of the season and the direction was so well done.

They finally got the ratio of the screentime right, and also showed us what the past episodes were missing: the family ties of the 118.

What I didn't like was that how unrealistic it was that Athena is acting like shes didn't just lose the greatest love of her life and now she's back on the job all perfectly normal. Idk of they'll justify it as her coping mechanism but it just doesn't sit right with me.

The only thing they need to do next is bring Bobby back. At this point, I don't care what supernatural shxt they need to do to bring him back - I'll gladly eat it up and move along. Just. Bring him back.

Those who say we haven't moved forward with the plot are wrong. I want to clarify something: WE NEEDED TO SEE THE GRIEF. The fact that everything felt so bland in the last episode (which I still can't stand, just like I can't stand that Bobby is dead) is what made me appreciate this one even more. Seeing the emotions, the anger, the fear, the PAIN that cuts deep: Buck and Eddie hurt each other, Athena and Chimney hurt each other. And each one finds different ways to cope with the grief. It's part of the plot to finally see how the relationships change between them, if they move backward or forward, if they choose to stay or part ways. Beautiful, thank you.