Multiple personalities, indeed! Can you fathom that it took an astonishing 116 episodes into "9-1-1" for a major narrative arc centered around dissociative identity disorder to unfold? I must admit, I felt rather naive for not immediately deciphering the twists when Detective Braeburn, or shall we say Amber, abducted Maddie at the cliffhanger of last week's episode. Yet, the revelation is delightfully over-the-top, transforming "Voices" into a heart-pounding conclusion to this two-part saga. Here's to hoping the latter half of season eight continues to surpass our wildest expectations; I'm more than ready to put the underwhelming "bee-nado" fiasco behind us.
Maddie, our courageous dispatcher (sorry, Josh, for the momentary oversight), is the first to uncover the truth about Amber's — let's affectionately (or perhaps not so affectionately) call her Braeburn, as Maddie does repeatedly to forge a personal bond — extraordinary condition. Upon waking, Maddie finds herself shackled in a dimly lit basement, with her captor none other than Amber, or rather, a fluctuating version of her. There's a sinister Amber and a compassionate Amber, with the former harboring kidnapping intentions. Though confused by the multifaceted personalities, Maddie manages to piece together fragments about the Bullock case, realizing Amber orchestrated everything, including the misleading 911 calls. Amber had hoped to convince Maddie it was all a charade, but when confronted with evidence, she framed Bullock instead. Despite Bullock's fake suicide seemingly wrapping things up neatly, Amber fears Maddie might have sensed something amiss — perhaps the achingly obvious fake voice on those 911 calls — and alerted Athena. Thankfully, she hadn't, but Amber's paranoia is understandable.
Back at Maddie's abode, Chimney returns from Eddie's farewell dinner, toting mouthwatering leftovers, only to realize his beloved wife is missing. His friends rush to his aid, but Chimney is beside himself. Given Maddie's history of running away amidst postpartum depression, it's natural to suspect she might be responsible. However, Hen wisely points out that if Maddie is experiencing a mental health crisis, they must find and assist her. Chimney files a missing person report, and who should be on hand to lend a hand but their favorite detective, Amber Braeburn. Abigail Spencer shines in this episode, particularly in her scene where she subtly manipulates Chimney for information. You can see he's oblivious to her dark side lurking just beneath the surface. She gleans crucial intel, such as Maddie's pregnancy and past suicidal thoughts. Meanwhile, Athena, albeit suspicious, fails to see the rat in plain sight. The timing of Maddie's disappearance is questionable, even if Bullock couldn't have been the culprit. Could he have had an accomplice?
But Maddie isn't passively awaiting rescue. She's frantically attempting to escape, making commendable progress until her captor reappears. In a rush, Amber prepares a fentanyl-laden needle — surely this would be discovered during an autopsy, alongside Maddie's other wounds, but I digress; I'm no criminal genius. As Amber prepares to strike, Maddie pleads for a chance to pen a farewell letter to Jee-Yun. Seeing the potential benefit for both, Amber agrees. Reading Maddie's heartfelt words awakens the softer side of the serial killer, introducing us to Peter, a deeply troubled alter. He's upset about the entire ordeal and not pleased with Maddie's attempts to talk him into suicide during their 911 call. (It's unclear whether the Bullock plot was Amber's meticulous scheme or a byproduct of her mental illness, but logic isn't everything.) Maddie implores for another opportunity to assist him, and Peter, or perhaps Amber once more, concedes. Jennifer Love Hewitt continues to pour her soul into these scenes, adding depth to an inherently absurd storyline.
Take heart, Athena is as diligently Athena-ing as ever. She converges with Detective Romero to scrutinize the autopsy findings of Bullock. The pathologist immediately affirms that Bullock's demise seems a suicide at first glance—his finger rested on the gun's trigger. However, there was a nearly fatal concentration of chloroform in his bloodstream, hinting at Amber's possible bulk purchases of the substance. Both detectives resolve to consult Jayna, hoping she might shed light on a potential athena and Romero instinctively suspect Isabelle, Bullock's estranged wife, but her alibi stands scrutiny. Dead-ended, Athena proposes they search for similar 911 calls involving matching victims Jayna's profile, all the while aware that time is of the essence, given Maddie's disappearance and Amber's brazen re-abduction of Jayna. Poor Jayna.
A specific call stands out, potentially invaluable—a victim who had escaped her captor's clutches. As she was a minor then, her identity remains redacted. Athena and Romero expedite to dispatch, where Josh obligingly furnishes them with the audio from a quarter-century-old call. The caller reveals she fled from a chloroform-wielding kidnapper. Lo and behold, her name was Amber Braeburn. Athena's mind races to the conclusion: Amber is behind the murders of those girls and Jayna's kidnapping, using Bullock as a scapegoat. (Personally, I'm still baffled. Traumatic experiences can trigger dissociative identity disorder, but when did Amber's split personality morph her into a beast? And who is Peter, anyway? These questions linger unanswered, inviting wild speculation.)
Before Athena and Romero set course for Amber's lair, Josh informs them Chimney is en route there. Prompted by Mara's revelation that Jee-Yun overheard a wailing voice in their home on the night Maddie vanished, Chimney realized Maddie hadn't left voluntarily. He won't dawdle for Amber to answer her phone with this critical update.
Amber is engrossed, neglecting her ringing phone. She descends to the basement with Jayna, ostensibly offering Maddie a chance at redemption, though it seems more like a setup for further trauma. Just as Amber prepares to end Jayna's life, adding to Maddie's psychological burden, Chimney's knock echoes through the door. Amber chloroforms Jayna anew (her addiction to the substance is apparent) and prepares to ascend. Maddie, who had covertly freed herself from bonds only to be thwarted by a locked basement door, seizes the moment, assaulting Amber from behind. Her effort is brave but ultimately futile. Amber, merely irked by the disturbance, calmly slits Maddie's throat. The swift, harrowing act elicits an involuntary, harrowing vocalization from me, mirroring Maddie's realization of her fatal wound.
Amber remains eerily composed as she converses with Chimney upstairs, her demeanor a mirror to Chim's when Athena phoned him with the bombshell revelation that Amber was the kidnapper. Smartly aware that Athena has onto her trail, Amber swiftly trains a gun on Chimney. Just as tensions peak, Maddie, still visibly bleeding, bursts in to subdue Amber with a hammer, bringing a slasher-film-worthy climax to this dramatic turn. For those versed in the antics of horror franchises like 'Scream' (which also featured a voice modifier), we know that the antagonist seldom stays down for good. With Chimney attending to Maddie's wound, Amber, rising stealthily behind him, readies a deadly shot. But Athena arrives at the nick of time, delivering a fatal blow to Amber. This scene, replete with chaos and bloodshed, stands out even by the graphic standards of '9-1-1'.
Mercifully, Maddie and her unborn child survive this harrowing ordeal. My heart couldn't have borne any more anguish. Nevertheless, "Voices" concludes on a melancholic chord. Eddie's departure, this time definitive, looms heavy. Buck aids him in loading the U-Haul, and all that remains is a poignant farewell. I won't accuse this scene of pandering to shippers' whims; let Eddie's words speak for themselves. "I acknowledge our entanglement has been messy and trying," he confides in Buck. "I hope you understand how much you mean to me." They lock eyes for a prolonged moment before embracing—a hug, plain and simple. The subtext lingers subtly, perceived or overlooked according to one's inclination; my point is merely that the writers are acutely aware. Eddie assures Buck that he and Christopher are but a phone call away, then departs with Buck's freshly baked chocolate-chip protein cookies. Buck's devastation is palpable, echoing my own sentiment.
