Point of Origin finally reveals what happened to Bobby’s family. The show has kept his backstory a mystery until we discover through a series of flashbacks that Bobby lived with his wife and two children in Minnesota before his addiction problems led to an accident that killed them all in a fire. The revelation is even more devastating as Bobby attempts to save his family, but the building is built using cheap, flammable facade materials that eventually cause the entire building to burn down. It’s a haunting sequence, and even though it lacks subtlety, it makes Bobby’s outburst in the opening teaser all the more reasonable.
The driving force of this episode is without a doubt Peter Krause. I was never a huge fan of him before (I had sat through the entire first season of The Catch for unknown reasons), but 911 feels like the perfect showcase for the actor. Whether he’s assuming a leadership role as the captain, or breaking down in that gut-wrenching confession Krause displays a range of emotion in the span of an hour and is absolutely charismatic in every scene.
Less appealing is the Abby/Buck romance. The two finally meet face to face this week, and while their rescue mission is admittedly amusing, there isn’t enough chemistry between the actors to keep viewers invested. It’s understandable that the writers are looking for their very own MerDer, but if it’s not the age difference that’s causing this relationship to seem a bit off-putting, it’s certainly the tense, uncharismatic scenes these two seem to share every time. And maybe the phone sex? Yeah, that could be it too.
Emergency Bits
– I love that there’s at least one OMG moment on this show every week, and I’ll admit I was sitting on the edge of my seat to see what kind of disaster was in store for the wedding in the cold open. I can’t say I was disappointed when was interrupted as the floor collapsed under the guests in horrifying fashion.
– This week’s C-subplot: Hen’s ex Eva is up for parole and needs her to vouch for her, but Hen’s wife does not approve.
– Fine decision casting Laura Allen as Bobby’s wife. I don’t think I’ve seen her since the short-lived and hugely underrated TV show Awake in which she worked alongside Jason Isaacs.
– I need that inflatable pizza slice in my life.
– Not enough Athena this week, but at least she finally met Abby too, even though it was brief.
9-1-One-Liners
Buck: Where’d you get such a beautiful brain?
Daughter: Probably Target.
Bobby: So, that is the most amount of time I have ever spent with a woman I want to have sex with, without actually having sex with her.
Abby: My mom?
Buck: It’s that nightdress. It’s so hot.
Conclusion
I’ve accepted that this show is not high art by any means, but that doesn’t stop it from being consistently entertaining every week.
Chris Rating
B