9-1-1 Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Stuck
Whitney Evans
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Guys, how long did it take you to realize the theme of this episode was being stuck?
Full disclosure, it took me way longer than it should have. Maddie's voiceover, in the beginning, didn't even tip me off to what was to come on 9-1-1 Season 2 Episode 4. It wasn't really until the tailpipe incident that I started to catch on.
Our characters were stuck. The victims were stuck. And frankly, we were stuck in the best possible way, watching another fantastic hour of television.
Fresh off three action-packed episodes, things cooled down a bit this hour, and it was a refreshing change of pace. The emergencies are the meat of this series, but without the characters, we aren't as invested in anything else. Giving them their time to shine is always welcome.
And in this episode alone we get to spend time with Eddie, Chimney, Buck, and Athena. It was like Christmas!
Related: 9-1-1 Season 2 Episode 2 Review: 7.1
Being the new guy, Eddie has integrated himself into the team and the fabric of the show seamlessly. From the jump, he has seemed like a solid, humble guy just looking to come to work every day and do his job. It's no wonder the team has completely taken to him.
Buck in particular.
Maddie: So, does this boy crush on Eddie mean you're finally ready to move on from Abby?
Buck: That's cute.
While part of me thinks Buck is wrapping himself up in just about anything that will get him to stop thinking about Abby, the bigger part of me thinks he genuinely respects Eddie as a person and sincerely wants to help.
Being a single part is extremely hard, and Eddie is doing the best that he can. But even so, there are times when no matter what you do, you need more help. And asking for that help is hard.
Pepa wasn't wrong for looking out for her sister, as she saw that it was perhaps too hard for her to watch Christopher as much as she was. Eddie was never trying to put his grandmother in a bad spot, and she was willing to help, but accidents happen, and I felt for Eddie at that moment.
He felt guilty, and he also felt, well, stuck. He has to work and make a living so he can support his son, but he doesn't have a reliable place to send him while he does that. An all too common problem in this day and age.
Related: 9-1-1 Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Help Is Not Coming
Luckily, Eddie works for a station that has a Bobby, a Buck, a Hen, and a Chimney. There were many feelgood moments this week, but none better than Christopher getting to ride in the firetruck and slide down a ladder.
Seriously, this show knows how to make water leak from my eyes!
Aside from Eddie, we also spent some time with Chimney, as he grappled with seeing Tatiana again and all the emotions that were still sitting with him after his accident.
Chimney does such a great job of deflecting with humor and making people feel at ease, that it's probably easy to forget that he's been forever changed by that one moment in time. He's been lying about his memories and holding in so much fear and grief.
Near-death experiences are life-altering in every sense, but Chimney only feels like he's stuck because he hasn't given himself a chance to process what he has been through. If you act as if nothing happened, then nothing is ever going to change.
So if seeing Tatiana again was what he needed to finally admit some of the things he's been feeling out loud, then I guess we can thank her for that. But that's it! We will not be thanking her for anything else.
Buck: You think it's weird I still live in Abby's place?
Bobby: Yes.
Buck: Me too. Don't tell anyone.
Buck and Abby. Abby and Buck. This relationship has been over for some time, but Buck is the only one who isn't ready to admit it yet. But it does feel like we are inching closer to that revelation.
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I say, let's find a resolution to this sooner than later. Buck is such a great character and relegating him to being the butt of jokes about his non-existent girlfriend does his character a huge disservice.
Moving forward, it's time to cut the Abby cord and let Buck fly free. I for one am content with Buck continuing to foster his relationship with Maddie and his bromance with Eddie.
Because let's face it, that bromance is everything.
Loose Ends
- All of the emergencies were thrilling, but the scenes at the rodeo bar and the girl with her head caught in the tailpipe were hilarious. I love when a show can poke fun at itself a bit and having all the ladies swoon over the guys was perfect. They really are an attractive bunch of firefighters.
- The escalator emergency was heartbreaking on so many levels, and for every sort of silly encounter the team has during the day, there are always those calls that can break your spirit and that was one of them.
- Athena turning down the lieutenant position is perfectly in line with what we know about Athena. She loves her job, and she's content with her life at the moment. She's not the same Athena who wanted that job. And pillow talk with her and Bobby? Yes, please! More of that.
9-1-1 continues to deliver and is making the whole sophomore slump phrase obsolete! So fanatics, how are you feeling about the season so far? Is there anything you want to see more often? Or less?
Drop me a line below so we can discuss and make sure you watch 9-1-1 online right now so you can join in the chat!
Whitney Evans is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lover of all things TV. Follow her on X.
