This week’s episode of 9-1-1 was not the easiest to get through. Usually this show throws in some humor but not in this episode. “Home and Away” reminded us that first responders have a very difficult job and some days are just depressing. There isn’t always a light at the end of the tunnel, and this makes us appreciate firefighters and paramedics even more.
Finding Maddie
At the beginning of “Home and Away,” Chim is still processing Maddie leaving. And he’s not handling it all that well. When Buck comes to check on him, Chim is obsessing over the video of Maddie, trying to find a reason why she’s gone. He thinks she’s in danger. Obviously she’s not, but it’s easier for him to believe she was kidnapped or that someone was out to hurt her instead of thinking Maddie abandoned him.
Later, he discovers that Maddie took their daughter to the hospital, and he starts to understand why she left. But he wants to be there for her and decides to go find her. We’re happy that he went after her despite what Buck thinks. We’re usually on Buck’s side, but in this case, Maddie doesn’t need to be alone. She needs Chim. And we’re happy that Eddie talked to Buck and helped him see Chim’s perspective.
Kenneth Choi was amazing in this episode. He brought all of the emotions and made us understand what Chim was going through. We hope he brings Maddie home safe and sound.
Devastating Loss
As Chim dealt with his personal life, the rest of the 118 was called to a horrific accident. A truck plowed through a high school parade injuring and killing multiple people. Hen and Eddie rescue a cheerleader who, when they ask her what her name is, says “Makayla.” We had a feeling that she wasn’t Makayla and was asking about her friend instead. Unfortunately, we were right, but this discovery wasn’t made until after Makayla’s parents believe she’s alive.
Losing a child is always absolutely devastating, but even more so after thinking your child is okay. We really can’t image what MaKayla’s parents’ heartbreak. We also feel for Cassie’s parents. They must have relief in knowing their daughter is alive, but feel guilty for being happy since MaKayla didn’t make it. This entire situation was awful, but we have to give it to the writers. They showed us what real firefighters and paramedics face every day. We don’t know how they do it, but we appreciate them and are thankful for them.
Prodigal Daughter Returns
May also faced challenges in “Home and Away” at the call center. The “prodigal daughter”, as Josh called her, returned to the call center. At first we were super impressed by how Claudette handled that first 9-1-1 call, but then we were angry at how she treated May. Yes, May’s young, but that doesn’t give Claudette the right to walk all over her or make fun of her age. We understand that this job is important, but Claudette talking down to her isn’t going to help May become better at her job. We need Maddie to hurry up and return so we can get rid of Claudette.
While May struggled at her job, she was an awesome big sister to Harry this week. She was there for him just by bringing him ice cream and listening to him talk about his feelings. She encouraged him to not hold everything in. It’s okay for him to be mad at his parents. We know that Athena and Michael didn’t mean for Harry to get hurt, but after what happened to him, it’s understandable that he would be angry.
Other Thoughts:
- We don’t focus on it enough, but we love Hen and Chim’s friendship. They are always there for each other, and we loved that Hen came and told Chim goodbye before he took off in search of Maddie.
- Athena broke our hearts at the end of the episode when she broke down. It’s going to take a while before she’s over what happened to her and to her son.
What did you think of “Home and Away“? Leave a comment and let us know.
