The second half of the 911 season 9 premiere was a rollercoaster of emotions, both thrilling and heart-wrenching in myriad ways. The episode saw the team juggling multiple emergency calls while Athena and Hen found themselves in perilous space, revealing new dynamics that hinted at what was to come in the season.
Hen and Athena's journey to space began with an interview format, where they, along with other "everyday heroes," shared their reasons for wanting to venture into the cosmos. However, it was clear that space travel was not something Athena would have normally sought out, her motivation tinged with a sense of duty rather than pure excitement.
Meanwhile, her son Harry was struggling to cope, burdened by the emotional weight of their recent loss of Bobby and the impending space mission. May served as a vital support system for Harry, as did Buck, who understood the impact this was having on him.
Despite the scheduled launch proceeding, Tripp received news from a colleague about a potential geomagnetic storm on the horizon. Rather than cancelling the mission, he made the brave decision to send the everyday heroes, including his fianceé Tricia, into space, aware of the dangers involved.
Karen watched the launch with the rest of the 118 and their families, only to learn of the storm from a coworker. Horrified by what was happening, she worked tirelessly to find out what was going on as the satellites connecting them to the space capsule and its five occupants went offline.
As the storm hit Earth, the 118 were sent out on calls despite having the day off. Buck, aware of Harry's distress over Athena's space mission, convinced Chimney to let him join their calls. Harry's anxiety was not something Denny and Mara wanted to see, so they allowed Christopher to do a ride-along when he was just eight years old.
Despite Chimney's prudent decision to keep Harry safe in the truck, Harry proves to be a heroic figure when they need assistance in the hospital. When Buck finds himself trapped in the lab after rescuing an injured doctor, Harry answers Chimney's call and brings an axe, saving the day and preventing any serious harm from occurring.
Meanwhile, on the astronauts' side, they find themselves spiraling out of control in space, unable to communicate with mission control. Parker, one of the crew members, manages to unplug and restart the control panel, but the effort causes his heart to stop. Hen steps up to the plate, resuscitating him in zero gravity, displaying remarkable calmness and skill.
With little else they can do without communication from Earth, Karen discovers a way to connect to the ship using satellites not owned by Tripp. She goes to dispatch for help, and Terry manages to connect them to Hen's phone, allowing her to communicate with them. Tripp is also connected, trying to help them regain Earth's orbit and return home.
However, even after getting the thrusters working again, a new problem emerges: fire is coming out of the ship's vents. They have only a few minutes to speak with Karen before they are disconnected.
With the stakes raised even higher for those trapped in space, we eagerly await how they will make it back to Earth safely. This episode was well-executed, keeping us on the edge of our seats despite two of the 118's own being stuck and in need of help themselves.
One of the best parts of this episode was witnessing Buck's mentorship of Harry. It was hinted that May and Harry spent weekly time with Buck, and Buck was there for Harry when he needed to talk through his feelings. Seeing Buck take on a leadership role with Harry in this regard showed how far he has come and his ability to recognize that Harry needed help.
It almost feels as if this episode is setting the stage for Harry to not just comprehend the reason behind his mother's unwavering dedication to helping others through her profession, but also to pique his own interest in becoming a firefighter. This would be a magnificent way to further embed Harry within the 118 and continue the intertwined bond between the Grant family and Bobby's team.
We would be remiss if we failed to acknowledge Tracie Thoms' breathtaking performance in this episode. Thoms brought to life every emotion Karen could possibly experience, from the initial sting of trying to tamp down her feelings about Hen's space mission without her, to the raw fear and relentless determination she displayed in her efforts to assist her wife in any way possible. Karen is one of our most beloved characters on the show, and she truly shines during this exhilarating opener.
With such a thrilling start to the season, we eagerly anticipate the unfolding of the rest of the season, at least once we've ensured that Athena and Hen return safely to solid ground.
