Episode 1 of the seventh season of 9-1-1 opens with Athena engaging in a deceitful conversation with her therapist. Despite her reluctance, Athena finds herself coerced into joining Bobby on a cruise ship to commemorate their belated wedding anniversary. She fabricates a reason, claiming that her childhood trauma from watching "The Poseidon Adventure" has left her with an aversion to sea voyages. However, her therapist isn't easily fooled, sensing a deeper fear beneath her excuses.
Eventually, Athena confesses the truth, revealing her anxiety about spending quality time with Bobby away from their daily hustle and bustle. She fears that their marriage might lack substance if stripped of the constant chaos that surrounds them. This revelation is not only concerning for her therapist but also for us, the viewers. Despite her therapist's assurance, telling her to relax and enjoy the trip, it soon becomes apparent that the cruise isn't going to be as smooth sailing as hoped.
Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, the team is thrown into action when Maddy receives a frantic call from a jet fighter pilot. He informs her that he's lost control of his plane during a training exercise and has been forced to eject. Worriedly, he mentions that the aircraft is now out of control and could crash at any moment. Following protocol, the plane's transmission has been disabled, and it's now programmed to descend gradually.
Unfortunately, the plane's descent doesn't go as planned, crashing into the home of an elderly couple who seem to despise each other. While the wife escapes unscathed, her husband is trapped beneath a part of the wreckage. Led by Interim Captain Hen, the team rushes to the scene, attempting to free the trapped man from both his beloved chair and a dummy bomb lodged in the aircraft.
Hen reaches out to the pilot for assistance, and he offers to guide them through defusing the bomb. However, the pilot's instructions are fraught with confusion and near-fatal missteps. First, he tells the team to cut the red wire, but then remembers he forgot to mention the crucial first step: disconnecting the voltage fuse. Thankfully, Eddie hesitates, avoiding a potentially disastrous mistake. After disconnecting the fuse, the pilot instructs them to cut the green wire, adding to the already tense situation.
Fortunately, Chimney notices that the chair trapped beneath the wreckage is a recliner, and he uses this knowledge to save the day. Once the man is safely rescued, his wife's gratitude is oddly misplaced, as she seems more relieved to see the sofa gone than her husband alive. Her husband, for his part, doesn't seem too keen on living either, admitting that he'd wished to die just to escape her.
Witnessing this dysfunctional couple leaves Chimney deeply unsettled, causing him to reflect on his own relationship with Maddy. Taking Hen's advice, Chimney decides to take proactive measures to prevent their relationship from deteriorating to such extremes. He initiates date nights to infuse their relationship with freshness and excitement, hoping to stave off the calcification that seems to be creeping into their lives. However, their attempts at date nights soon turn into a tedious chore, leaving both of them feeling more frustrated than fulfilled.
On the flipside, Eddie reveals to Buck that Christopher has plans for a romantic rendezvous that weekend. Eddie enthusiastically suggests that it would be a delightful addition if Buck and his date could tag along. However, it transpires that Buck has parted ways with the death doula he was romantically involved with, while Marisol and Eddie's bond is steadily growing stronger.
Elsewhere, Bobby and Athena find their newfound tranquility on the cruise ship. Athena initially seems at ease, but her serenity is soon shattered. Guess who their table companions turn out to be? To their surprise, Norman and his wife Lola are now embracing the cruise lifestyle. If the names Norman and Lola ring no bells, you might want to rewind to episode 8 of season 2, where Lola caused a commotion by stripping to protest her husband's negligence. It's truly a memorable episode!
Despite their claims of being in a better place, Athena senses a different story when she notices how Lola's cheeks flush when a male server approaches their table. Athena, however, sees this as an opportunity to use them as a buffer, avoiding spending too much time with Bobby.
On the second day, Athena complains of feeling off and asks Bobby to join Norman and Lola while she takes a rest. Bobby opts to stay on the boat and attends an AAA meeting, sensing that Athena is avoiding him. He assumes it's because she's nervous about the cruise, but his attempts to talk to her are interrupted as her attention is drawn to the scratches marring Norman's neck.
Norman concocts a false tale about his fall during a bike ride away from the ship's hull. When Athena inquiries about Lola's whereabouts, he casually mentions that she is resting. However, Athena's detective instincts are piqued when she discovers that Lola and Norman did not spend the night in their room, and the maid stumbles upon bloodstained towels in their chamber. She hurriedly contacts Hen and begins to spin her theory about Norman's involvement in his wife's demise.
Bobby, exasperated, texts Chimney, urging him to advise Hen to discourage his wife's wild theories. Bobby believes Athena is grasping at straws and using this as yet another excuse to avoid him.
Meanwhile, at their home, Eddie confides in Buck, voicing his concerns about Christopher. The young man, unfortunately, has a reputation as a player and recently hurt one of his girlfriends' feelings over the weekend. Eddie asks Buck, a former player himself, to talk to Christopher since he might have some sage advice.
During their conversation, Buck learns that Christopher fears being left behind. He is angry and hurt by his mother's death, feeling abandoned by her. Eddie's heart breaks as he listens, and he hands Christopher a letter from his mother. She wrote it when he was a toddler, and the words, along with Buck's heartfelt talk, overwhelm Christopher.
Back on the cruise ship, Bobby's suspicions about Norman deepen after he witnesses Norman's interaction with another woman. He had assumed Norman was with his wife after confirming her return to the ship and a transaction made. Bobby and Athena alert the cruise security and interrogate Norman about his wife's disappearance.
In a surprising revelation, Norman claims that Lola was kidnapped by a group of men off the ship. The woman Bobby saw him with was one of the kidnappers sent to keep him in line. The Captain surmises that the kidnappers mistakenly identified Norman and Lola as an international smuggling couple and are seeking access to their Bitcoin account.
The Captain had already decided to alter the ship's course back to Los Angeles due to an approaching storm. Athena and Bobby vow to assist Norman in his predicament. The Captain instructs the security guard to apprehend the mysterious woman, but it's too late. She has already begun destroying the ship's communication center. The episode ends on a cliffhanger as armed men attack the ship, leaving its passengers and crew in peril.
