Carpe diem!

That was the theme of 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 11 as various accidents surrounded people who were stepping outside their comfort zones to embrace life.

Some of them were at least. There was also the one guy who just couldn’t deal with losing his house.

After a lengthy break, it was good to be back with the men and women of the 118 and beyond. The breaks may be long, but it’s very easy to jump right back into the action and not feel like you need much time to catch up.

We were heavy on the Chimney this hour, and that’s never a bad thing. Chimney is often the comedian and voice of reason, a role he plays well, but it’s nice when he’s able to expand beyond that bubble.

Albert’s arrival threw Chimney off completely. And let’s be frank, he ruined his birthday.

Is it selfish to want your birthday to be all about you and not about a brother you’ve never met?

Albert is a great person, and seeing everyone rally around him so quickly was great to see.

And quickly embracing him as one of their own is what the 118 does bet. But you can’t fault Chimney for being a bit jealous and unnerved by his arrival.

And Albert was doing the most upon his arrival.

He showed up on Chimney's door unannounced, integrated himself within his friend group without asking, and he did all this on his birthday.

While he meant well, it was still a lot for Chimney to process. Albert was excited and curious, but he didn’t think much about boundaries.

For Chimney, Albert’s presence brought to the surface a lot of unresolved feelings he had about his father, and although lashing out at Albert in the middle of the bar wasn’t the greatest look, it was important for him to be honest.

Chimney was so excited when he thought his father remembered his birthday, and then to find out he was merely calling about Albert was a crushing blow. It was just another reminder that his father didn’t care.

Coming face-to-face with the son his father did care about was like an overload of emotions he wasn't prepared for.

But after his outburst, it was good to see Chimney show some self-awareness.

If Albert is going to stick around, we're going to need to see his relationship with Chimney expanded. Chimney has a beautiful family within the 118, and a beautiful brother in Albert.

The situation also opened Chimney back up to the Lee’s, and his decision to introduce them to Maddy was a great step for Chimney.

Plus, can we examine how close and solid Chimney and Maddy are right now? Their relationship has been plagued from the start, but they finally seem to be in a place where they are both emotionally stable and ready to give it an honest go.

There were some other family dynamics at play within the Grant family, as Michael faced brain surgery.

May is still technically a child, but she’s old enough to recognize the severity of the situation, even when the adults around her are trying to shield her from things.

Her talk with her father was candid and frank, and I can see where Michael walked away from it with a certain amount of clarity he didn’t have before.

He was so consumed with worrying about himself and his family that he stopped living. He wasn’t embracing the present anymore because he was so consumed with the future.

That thought process makes sense, but it has to scare the hell out of his family because they know that without the surgery, it’s very possible that he doesn’t make it.

Ultimately, it’s Michael's choice how he wants to approach his tumor, but this feels like it’s going to be a battle moving forward.

Per usual, all of the rescues were creative and interesting, but none more so than the man who was rendered speechless right before he was going to approach his crush.

Lucky for him his crush had paid just as much attention to him as he did, but even so, it was a great scene and a perfect encapsulation of seizing the day.

Now granted his friend had to take matters into her own hands on his account, but everything worked out in the end.

And at the end of the day, that’s all you can hope for when you take a chance.

Loose Ends

• After so many setbacks, Buck is healthy, happy, and thriving! How long do we think this will last?

• The skydiving accident was inadvertently the biggest PSA against skydiving. But Buck and Eddie looked so cool on top of that truck, making the rescue. And the mother asking them if they were single was priceless.

• Karen and Hen are foster parents to a beautiful little girl, and all is right in the world.

• There’s been some gruesome injuries over the three seasons of 9-1-1, but guts protruding out of a man’s back is easily top 10.

Alright, guys, we’re back for the second half of 9-1-1 Season 3. And while it was subdued by 9-1-1 standards, it was still a good time, and I’m excited to hear what you guys thought.

Was Chimney right to frustrated with Albert’s arrival?

Do you agree with Michael postponing his surgery?

What are some of the more gruesome injuries you remember from past seasons?

Drop all your comments down below, and remember watch 9-1-1 online right now to get caught up!

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