For weeks on end I have been dreading 911: Nashville. And for the longest time I thought it was because I was bitter about what happened with Bobby Nash in the main 9-1-1 series. Now that I’ve watched 911: Nashville Season 1 Episode 1, I’ve come to realize that the reason I’ve been dreading this show is because I don’t know if I’m ready to trust ABC with my heart again.
I didn’t want to fall in love with a bunch of characters just to lose them because the rules had changed on the original 9-1-1 series even though we hadn’t established the rules of 911: Nashville yet. I felt that dread as I started to watch this show. But I found myself shaking it off the more that I watched. Because 911: Nashville isn’t 9-1-1. And if I’m going to judge it, I’m going to judge it for what it gave me during its pilot episode; nothing.
MORE: Meet the Cast of ABC’s 9-1-1: Nashville
I felt nothing for this cast. I wasn’t moved by Captain Don Hart’s sweet apple pie attitude straight from Hallmark about how Blue was meant to be there with them in the firehouse. (And that feeling comes even if I like Captain Hart for being so Hallmark.) Then there was his son Ryan. I wasn’t convinced by his disdain for Blue suddenly joining them despite not attending the Fire Academy. Even Blue himself, I didn’t care about him feeling seen in that first incident he experienced with the bridal party. If anything I felt shocked at having this young man learning on the field, the true height of nepotism, like the lives of those they’re rescuing weren’t worth having trained firefighters.
9-1-1 as a franchise has done some really dumb things. On 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 1 you had a billionaire get eaten by a whale and then they’re sending Hen and Athena to space. That is Fast & Furious level buffoonery. But those are emergency buffooneries. This buffoonery of letting an inexperienced young man out onto the field where people are literally putting their lives in your hands, it’s irresponsible. And if the pilot is going to set the precedent on how this show is going to go, it’s irresponsibility from the head down thanks to Captain Don Hart.
Then there’s Blue.
Having a job as a stripper is not my problem with Blue. People have to make their money somehow and that’s okay. My problem comes with the writing and directing in his introductory scene. It feels like the show took notice of the complaints about lack of diversity when it comes to 911: Nashville and they decided to fix it with this heavy-handed stripper scene with a rude white woman blocking an Asian woman and her friend in a wheelchair. Of course the valiant Blue isn’t going to stand for that so he steps around the white woman and gives the girl in the wheelchair a lapdance. Also don’t forget that they had to show an effeminate gay man to check that diversity box too.
So what can 911: Nashville do when it comes to diversity? Because I don’t want people that are reading this review to feel like I got some diversity and now I’m complaining about it. Even though that’s exactly what I’m doing. What 911: Nashville can do is normalize POC or LGBTQ+ storylines. Don’t treat it as if it’s othered. Normalize it and expand on storylines with your actual POC characters aka Roxie and Taylor. Give these two the same love and time you gave to Don, Ryan, Blythe, and Dixie. If you do that then you don’t have to do heavy-handed scenes that scream, “See??? We’re diverse!”
In the midst of all this complaining about 911: Nashville, I have to say that LeAnn Rimes as Dixie Benning’s made me feel something. And this is coming from someone who was not for this domestic drama entering into my 9-1-1 life. But I liked what Rimes was giving us as an actor. If we’re to believe what Blythe said, Dixie is manipulating Blue. She is using her child to inflict pain on others and to keep him close to get what she wants. That’s vile and calculating and exactly what you want in an interesting character.
Overall, 911: Nashville Season 1 Episode 1 isn’t a dumpster fire of a premiere. It’s just lackluster and doesn’t have the emotional depth or characters to get you to come back for Episode 2. But I do know that I gave 9-1-1 enough grace to grow on me despite some of the bumps in the road in Season 1. So I will be giving 911: Nashville a chance. Let’s see what they do with it.
Additional thoughts about 911: Nashville Season 1 Episode 1:
- I should not have laughed as hard as I did about that girl being dragged around in the air by that kite. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
- Since when does 9-1-1 dispatch have video cameras? I live in NYC and I don’t have that. Tennessee, are you good? You look like you doing good!
- Yes, the singer in the pilot episode is an actual country singer. His name is Kane Brown. And according to Google he garnered a mass following on social media and followed it up with a single called “Used to Love You Sober.’
- A part of me wonders if this show would have done better on Hallmark
- Because Chris O’Donnell’s Don Hart was very much giving Hallmark
- No shade to Hallmark either. The films and shows there work because wholesome is their beat
- And I feel like Captain Hart would fit right in
- Ryan was talking about how firefighters make less than 60K a year. Look at you trying to be relatable while your family is rich and you’re clearly working at the prettiest firehouse I have ever seen in my life
911: Nashville airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.
