9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 8 Review: Malfunction

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There was a lot of anger and resentment floating around the 118. 

Both Eddie and Hen were struggling on 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 8 and their peers were left wondering what was going on with two of the strongest people at the firehouse. 

For Hen, stressors at home were keeping her distracted. And for Eddie, his underground fight club was getting out of control. 

Going Rogue Tall - 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 8

Hen and Eddie are both the kind of people who appear on the surface to have it all together and fully under control. But underneath it all, they're barely hanging on. 

Eddie still harbors a lot of anger towards Shannon, and himself. There are things in Eddie's past that he's never forgiven himself for. 

And he never was able to forgive Shannon while she was alive.

Now that she's gone, he finds himself struggling with the conflicting feelings of being upset with a person who is no longer living, while also dealing with the everyday realities of life without her again. 

Eddie Spars - 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 8

And on top of that, there's the trauma from the tsunami that both he and Christopher are no doubt still feeling. 

The fight club, which went from being lit by burning trashcans to a full octagon, was a way for him to let out his anger in a manner that was more productive than brooding and getting into fights with strangers. 

But it took a dark turn when he almost killed someone when the rage inside of him took over, and he kicked someone square in the face.

He can hide behind the rules of having to secure a knockout, but it seems like when Eddie is in the ring that anger inside him manifests and he's out for blood. 

Serious Athena - 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 8

Lena may not be the most interesting character this show has ever seen, but she does care about Eddie, and for that, we can respect her. And she wasn't wrong in her assessment of Eddie being a bad friend. 

How often were their conversations centered around Lena, and what was going on in her life? None that we were privy too. 

It feels like more than anything else, Eddie has a hard time being open with others in a way that allows for a mutually beneficial friendship. 

We've seen it at times with Buck, but it's been scarce this season as the two have been at odds. 

A Tender Moment - 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 8

Here's hoping his talk with Bobby allows him to face his demons moving forward instead of trying to fight them away. 

Hen: Karen, you're not the only one feeling the loss.
Karen, I, I don't know how to do what you do, Hen. How to just, put it away.
Hen: I haven't put anything away. I'm sad, too. I got really attached to the idea of a new baby.
Karen: Oh. I guess maybe that's the difference. Those embryos were just an idea to you. But each one of them was actually a part of me.

Hen was suffering in a different way than Eddie, but suffering all the same. 

It had been three weeks since she and Karen lost the embryos, and Hen was soldiering on and going to work, but Karen was seemingly having a harder time getting back to "normal". 

People grieve in all types of ways and there's no blueprint on the correct way to mourn the loss of anything. 

But Hen's ability to keep on going and not miss a beat was hard for Karen to understand. Just as Karen's grief, and her subsequent actions, were hard for Hen to wrap her head around. 

The entire situation spilled over to the job, as Hen was zoning out and making small mistakes that a perfectionist like Hen never makes. 

It was worrisome, and Athena did the right thing by getting Hen to talk about her pain and realize that it was okay to feel the feelings she was feeling. 

Hen may be ashamed of her feelings, but they were valid, and they deserved to get explored. She never got a chance to talk to Karen freely this hour, but it's a conversation that needs to take place in the future. 

Unfortunately for Hen, it may be a while off as tragedy struck at the episode's end. 

On The Move - 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 8

The previews weren't subtle in the way they depicted a heartbroken Hen crying with Athena by her side, and as the hour came to a close, it felt like I barely breathed waiting for something disastrous to take place.  

From the few minutes we spent with Evelyn, she seemed like a bright, talented young woman with a loving family and her whole life ahead of her. 

But in the blink of an eye, she was gone. 

Even though we saw the crash from both perspectives, it doesn't come across as someone being completely at fault. If I missed something, please let me know in the comments, but it appears to be a tragic accident. 

Distressed Hen - 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 8

Hen's anguish was palpable, and as is often the case, Aisha Hinds gives a powerful performance as the enormity of the situation hits her face and comes to a crippling crescendo when she sees that Evelyn has passed away. 

For all the rescues and miraculous recoveries, the sad reality is that not everyone makes it out of every accident. 

And 9-1-1 handles these emergencies with care, crafting a full story for every victim.

It's a powerful tool for a procedural and it's one of the many things that set it above so many others. 

Victim Down - 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 8

Loose Ends 

  • It will be a major missed opportunity if we don't get to see Bobby on skates in the future! And speaking of Bobby, that mullet was a masterpiece. 
  • Glad they followed up with Athena's arc from 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 7 and let us know she was suspended. Even though she found Emmett's killer, she didn't exactly go about it the right way and that suspension makes sense.
  • All of the emergencies this week had cringe-worthy moments, but the top two had to be the fingers being skated over and the blood squirting out of Jerome when they removed the shelf. 

It was an emotional hour, and I'm sure you guys have lots of thoughts about the episode as a whole. 

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below. And also start your predictions for what may happen during the midseason finale, which is just around the corner. 

Remember, you can watch 9-1-1 online anytime via TV Fanatic!

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Malfunction Review

Editor Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 (22 Votes)

Whitney Evans is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lover of all things TV. Follow her on X.

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9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 8 Quotes

Bobby: A wardrobe malfunction can be the most dangerous part of figure skating.
Chimney: So how come you know so much about figure skating?
Bobby: My partner Heidi Shatsky and I were Twin Cities junior champions three years running.
Eddie: I always thought you were a hockey player, Cap.
Bobby: Who says you can't do both?

Buck: Found two fingers, Cap. Still looking for the other ones.
Eddie: Hey, I got the pinkie!
Buck: All right. Three down, one to go.