After a very entertaining pilot, I’m glad to report that the second installment of 911 dials up the crazy even more, starting with an insane and thrilling teaser. The young guy hanging in mid-air when the roller coaster breaks down in the middle of a ride is intense on its own, but to see him let go and drop to death is admittedly jaw-dropping and unexpected. The toll it has on Buck, however, goes a bit off the rails (horrible pun intended) as he goes from being miserable to having sex with his therapist to being fine all within the span of one episode. It’s quite jarring but also expected from a show that seems to be fast-paced and willing to juggle multiple subplots every week.
Luckily, the incredible cast does a fantastic job keeping some of the show’s adrenaline-packed storylines grounded. This is particularly true for both Angela Bassett and Connie Britton, the former who nails every delivery and conveys more with one look than a thousand words, and the latter who looks as if she’s been an actual 911 dispatcher for as long as her character. While it’s unfortunate that she doesn’t play as big a role in the action this week as she does in the pilot, Abby’s interactions with Carla, the nurse from in-home services, still prove to be a delightful and amusing distraction.
Maintaining that perfect mix of comedy and crazy within its cases will probably be the show’s biggest struggle every week. If the writers are lucky, they might end up with something as special as Grey’s Anatomy, and they already have a main character whose mother has Alzheimer’s so it looks like they’re on the right track.
Emergency Bits
– One of my favorite things about this show so far is that it has firefighters, cops, first responders, a 911 dispatcher and now a nurse. How cool is that?
– Loved the reveal that the guy being attacked by the Doberman dogs is actually a burglar, not the homeowner. How could they have possibly guessed though, honestly?
– The woman blaming Buck for her brother’s death was very overdramatic. I wish they’d gone for something a little more subtle for this one.
– Did anyone else feel like it was too soon for a cliffhanger like the main character walking in to find her daughter overdosed? Also, I’m not ready for the teen angst that might await us because of this.
– Speaking of things moving so fast, the show has already been renewed for a second season! Let’s hope FOX doesn’t regret this.
9-1-One-Liners
Chimney: See, your problem is, you’re looking at every job like it’s a long-term relationship. They’re one-night stands, man. In that moment, they mean everything to you, but once the morning comes, it’s on to the next one.
Athena: You know why they make us wear these uniforms, right? Cops, firefighters, paramedics?
Chimney: Sex appeal?
Buck: So people can easily identify us.
Athena: Both true, but it’s also for our own good. Because when we take the uniform off at the end of the day, it symbolizes letting go of all of the sad, crazy, inhumane things we’ve seen that day.
Abby: I’ve had to listen to people die before. The silence after they stop talking is like no other kind of quiet.
Woman: What did she say to you?
Bob: Who?
Woman: The girl on the Eiffel Tower.
Bob: We never get that far in the story.
Abby: Sometimes the right kind of no is better than the wrong kind of yes.
Conclusion
An entertaining follow-up to a very promising show. Ryan Murphy could have another winner here.
Chris Rating
B
Chris thanks for taking over coverage. I won’t be reviewing it every week but I’ll definitely keep watching. I really enjoyed this second hour and agreed with everything you say. I didn’t even notice the Grey’s Anatomy parallels so that was hilarious. Also, how awesome was Angela Bassett discussing the importance of uniforms? I never really thought of it like that! Looking forward to reading more of your reviews!
Loved the uniform line too! So good. Excited to cover this one! 😁😁