9-1-1 Season 4 Episode 9 Review: Blindsided

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It’s hard to figure out if Chimney has the worst luck in the entire world or the best.

The man has had more things happen to him than most everyone else in the 118, it seems, but he still manages to come out the other side every single time.

On 9-1-1 Season 4 Episode 9 he was blessed with the birth of his daughter and the agony of finding out that his brother was close to death.

Eddie on the Scene - 9-1-1 Season 4 Episode 9

Albert has been an excellent addition to the 9-1-1 family. Though the show has struggled to incorporate him at times, there is a place for him. And it was not his time to go.

Not for us viewers, and especially not for Chimney.

The relationship between Chimney and Albert hasn’t always been smooth. Still, they found their groove, and they’d developed a relationship that was less awkward siblings who didn’t know one another and more siblings on the road to forging an actual bond.

The juxtaposition of Albert’s rescue and Maddie giving birth was beautifully done, but it’s a shame that Maddie didn’t get to have that birth montage without the fear of whether or not Albert was going to make it hanging in the air.

Freeway Crash - 9-1-1 Season 4 Episode 9

It was hard to be excited for Maddie when you were holding your breath and waiting for that tell-tale beep to show up on the monitor.

Luckily, Albert will be okay, and Maddie and Chimney are now proud parents and ready to open up a new chapter in their lives.

The way the entire freeway crash was horrifying to watch, as the whole thing was made that much worse by the cries of Jacob in the backseat as his mother drove out of control until she eventually couldn’t avoid a head-on collision.

The mother was impaired, but it wasn’t until Athena found the alcohol in the car that everything clicked into place.

In Labor - 9-1-1 Season 4 Episode 9

Athena’s initial response was anger and disgust at the prospect of a mother driving drunk and endangering the lives of her son, herself, and so many others on the road. And it’s not the wrong reaction to have per se.

How many people have to die tonight because she was drunk and stupid?

Athena

But it did hit home for Bobby, and it conjured up a lot of feelings that will more than likely stick around with Bobby for a while.

Sobriety is a lifelong journey. It’s something you have to work at and care for, and Bobby knows that better than anyone. He has put in the work, and he continues to put in the work, but there are reminders all around of his past, and it’s not something he can run from.

The alcohol and the burn victims were stark reminders of his past, and although he wasn’t ready to open up to Athena about things, he was able to hit a meeting and talk through the emotions of that night.

Athena on the Scene - 9-1-1 Season 4 Episode 9

But one meeting won’t be enough for Bobby, and it feels like he and Athena need to have those conversations about his past.

9-1-1 has always done a great job in showing the highs and lows of sobriety through Bobby’s eyes, and they have another opportunity to show what it’s like to be triggered and how you handle that using coping skills and your support system.

Athena: Bobby, you are nothing like that woman.
Bobby: I am exactly like that woman. The day I forget that, that will be a very dangerous day.

Because Bobby was right. The day he stops believing he’s an alcoholic could be a very bad day for him.

The hour was emotional outside of the crash and the ramifications, too, with Hen and Karen dealing with the very real prospect of Nia leaving them permanently and reuniting with her birth mother.

Heartbreaking Loss - 9-1-1 Season 4 Episode 9

Nia has become such a fixture in Hen’s life, and to her, it just doesn’t seem right that it’s being taken away from her so suddenly.

But as hard as it is to admit, Karen is right. The role of a foster parent is to take a child into your home, care for them, support them and help them in any way you can. But it’s not meant to be a permanent placement in most cases.

And while you go into that knowing that’s a fact, it can’t be easy to let a child whom you’ve grown to love go so quickly.

Both Hen and Karen deal with the inevitable in their own individual ways, with Hen more outwardly anger and Karen just trying to hold on and do what she needed to do for her family.

Chimney Helping Out - 9-1-1 Season 4 Episode 9

It’s a sad ending for their family but a hopeful one at the same time. Nia was loved and cared for by a fantastic family, and now she gets to be reunited with a mother who is hopefully going to show her that same love back.

While it was a heart-pounding installment like always, things ended on a promising note for everyone. And as we start our journey toward the end of 9-1-1 Season 4, we can use all the hope we can get because you know it’s going to be one hell of an emotional ride.

Odds and Ends

  • Jee-Yun Buckley Han is a stunning name, and it’s going to be so fun to see Maddie and Chimney as parents now.
  • If we don’t get Uncle Buck jokes at least once a week, the writers will have let me down.
  • There is more to the whole May and her high school bully story, right? They kind of just dropped that in and left it hanging a bit. They haven’t done much with May since earlier this season, and it does feel like she’s due for a new storyline.
Crash Scene - 9-1-1 Season 4 Episode 9
  • After a lengthy break, it was good to have the series back and good to see our favorite first responders once again!
  • Norman Bates! What a terrible thing to put a person through!

Let me know all your thoughts about Maddie and Chimney and their new addition and whether or not you think Bobby and Athena are going to have some trouble moving forward.

Make sure you watch 9-1-1 online right now so you can join the conversation!

Buck on the Scene - 9-1-1 Season 4 Episode 9

Blindsided Review

Editor Rating: 4.3 / 5.0
  • 4.3 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.2 / 5.0 (10 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 4 Episode 9 Quotes

Bobby: Maddie still having false labor?
Chimney: I know kids are supposed to test your patience, but I thought she'd at least wait until she was out of the womb.

Hen: What are our options?
Deidra: For?
Hen: For protecting Nia.