9-1-1 Season 9, Episode 7 ‘Secrets‘ is both a somewhat flashy and often entertaining hour—with a Buck that is being about as Buck as its possible to be, and a Hen that is trying to cover the sun with her fingers, and a confusing and frustrating hour if one looks even a tiny bit under the surface. Particularly because at this point of the season, it still feels like the show has absolutely no direction.
But the individual storylines are kind of a bummer, too. Hen is so OOC I almost had to double check if I was watching the right show, because I don’t know this person she’s become during the time jump. We’re teased an Eddie storyline that never really materializes, because God forbid, we actually get to explore who Eddie is. And we engage a little bit with Buck’s sexuality, only for that to end up being the butt of the joke.
Haven’t we been here before? And even if we haven’t, are these the kind of storylines that we really want to see going forward? I know my answer already. Sure, this is more or less a fun episode, and I will always advocate for more of that. But, can we get some development too?
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HENRIETTA WILSON, WHY?
Will the real Henrietta Wilson please rise? Because I don’t think she’s in ‘Secrets’. Instead, we get the Henrietta Wilson that is indeed keeping what’s wrong with her from her family and closest friends, but to add insult to injury is acting like she’s somehow in the right for doing so. Like her wife was wrong to look through her stuff and pay attention to their credit card statements.
As a result, we are robbed of so many good scenes of her—and the people around her, coming to terms with Hen being sick. This would have been the perfect opportunity to give us some good HenRen content, instead of just needing Karen to be the one to yell at Hen, or to allow the Hen and Chimney friendship to be more than a thing we remember is important. Instead, we get this…
And this is a Hen that’s so out of character I don’t even recognize her. Three months and she said nothing? Three months and no one noticed anything? Is she really this disconnected from reality? Are the people around her so bad at paying attention? And don’t get me wrong, I understand that shows need drama. But if you need your characters to act out of character for the drama to work, we have problems.
And 9-1-1 Season 9 has problems. A lot of them. I just didn’t think Henrietta Wilson was going to be at the top of my list.
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IS THIS EVER GOING SOMEWHERE?
Almost as frustrating as Hen turning into a completely different person than the one we know and love is getting the setup for an Eddie storyline that we’ve needed, one that explores the way he is indeed punishing himself and using Chris as a shield, only for it to end up being nothing. Not to mention being teased with the possibility of Buck engaging frankly with his sexuality, only for it to be played for laughs.
What are we doing here? Can this show really handle an ensemble? Because it really doesn’t feel like it at this point. The show went ahead and killed Bobby—which no one wanted—and his death was supposed to affect everyone, but it hasn’t. And even when the show has remembered what they did, it’s been very selective about how and when to pull out the grief and who is allowed to feel it.
It’s about time we explore Eddie’s dating life, or lack thereof, in a way that feels honest and that ties back to all the setup the show has done about it. It’s about time we explore Buck’s bisexuality beyond just who he sleeps with, and how “funny” it is that he slept with “siblings.” No, wait. It’s way past time. So, what, exactly, are we waiting for?
MORE: We’ve been saying it’s time for Buddie for a while.
ARE WE BEING BAITED?
I think this is a fair question to ask at this point, especially after an hour that sees Eddie engage with the idea of dating as basically an exercise to prove Buck he’s wrong, and a Buck who—despite his conquests—seems more interested in Eddie’s love life than his own at times. Because there’s nothing about ‘Secrets’ that says the answer to this is yes, outside of subtext. And there’s nothing that says the answer is no. But just the fact that the question feels like it can and should be asked, again, is worth bringing up.
The Buck and Eddie thing has never been just people reading into things. The show has indicated, time and time again, that Buck and Eddie are important to each other. That they’d go the extra mile for each other. That they are not just friends, but best friends, the kind of best friends that are a little co-dependent and weird. That, in and of itself, doesn’t mean anything.
But the show has also given us a healthy amount of subtext regarding Eddie’s sexuality and established Buck’s bisexuality while it continues to put the two in situations that, if they weren’t of the same sex, would clearly feel romantic coded. This episode is another example of that. And yet it’s not the only one. We’ve been here before. Again, and again.
If you add to that the narrative that has been established via comments from people involved with the show—including a recent interview with Tim Minear, where he said “I think the possibility of [Buddie] is what’s exciting,” the question now becomes: are we being baited? Or does the show ever plan on paying off the clear setup that they themselves have, at this point, admitted to? It’s a good question, and one that needs an answer, sooner rather than later.
MORE: Remember when 9-1-1 killed Bobby Nash because “realism”? We’re still mad.
Things I think I think:
- Hen, what are we doing? Three months?!
- Sure, palpate the area.
- What do you mean what is that, Buck?
- Why would you wear a chastity belt?
- “Also, his dom.”
- Why is everyone so shocked at the idea of BDSM?
- Eddie, my dude, we need to talk about your repression.
- “Something about two perfect weirdos finding each other.”
- Why were you thinking about
- “You’re punishing yourself, Eddie.” Look, it is a good point. I’m not quite sure he enjoys it, but I do think that at this point he’s so used to it that things won’t change unless something happens.
- And he is using Chris as a shield. That part is also right.
- Good, call her out, Karen.
- Yeah, why haven’t you told Chim!
- “This is so reckless, Hen.”
- When Karen is right, she’s right.
- This is the worst decision Hen has ever made, and she willingly went up to space.
- Eddie truly doesn’t seem interested in any of these women.
- “I may have misread her eyeline.”
- Look, I really enjoyed this club scene. I just don’t know what it’s setting up.
- I know this happens, but how do you get to delivery without knowing you’re pregnant?
- Good on Buck for having fun. Now, say “bisexual.”
- “When would I ask their last names?”
- Ravi and Eddie having a lot of fun at Buck’s expense is hilarious, but it would have been better to get an actual conversation about Buck’s sexuality. Or, like, both? Could we have done both?
- YOU USED THE Q-WORD? Chim, how dare?
- Let Buck stay, Hen. Come oooon.
- At least she got out. Still, this is not my favorite storyline. To say the least.
- WAS IT A GROUP TEXT? RAVIIIII.
- Eddie and Ravi in the background.
- A couple is worse!
- Buck is like hell no.
- “Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out how to a half. I don’t think I’m ready to be a third.”
- The guy looking at Eddie LOL
- “Why? We’re best friends.”
- You did get him in trouble.
- “You don’t trust me, Hen. And I need to be able to trust you, and I don’t.”
- Wow, did he really say you’re done at the 118?
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of 9-1-1 Season 9, Episode 7 ‘Secrets’? Share with us in the comments below! Check out our Tales From the 118 podcast if you also want to listen to our reviews. On Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Plus, if you want to leave your own rating/comment about the show, you can do so in our 9-1-1 hub!
9-1-1 airs Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.
