After me rightfully complaining all season about the lack of Roxie and Taylor development, 9-1-1: Nashville Season 1 Episode 13 “Small Potatoes” finally delivered. And while I wish the episode was a little bit more balanced for both women, it was great to see them get a chance to be in the spotlight. Roxie got into that whole mix up with a girl with a potato that spiraled into this guilt that we didn’t know Roxie was carrying. And Taylor trusted her gut in the face of a questionable career move.
So let’s dive into 9-1-1: Nashville Season 1 Episode 13 “Small Potatoes”!
MORE: Need a reminder of where we left off? Read our review for 9-1-1: Nashville Season 1 Episode 12 here!
Roxy and the Potato
I shouldn’t be surprised that 9-1-1: Nashville used a potato inserted inside of someone to jumpstart a storyline about guilt, bad parenting, and a court case. But why am I surprised when 9-1-1 sent Hen and Athena to space. This is tame in comparison. Nevertheless, I did like how this episode dug at who Roxie is. Because besides the random comment or two that we see her having in the firehouse or during a call, I don’t know much about her.
“Small Potatoes” allowed Roxie to be the one that needed support. She has shown time and time again that she is the strong one. She’s the strong one when she’s with her patients and she’s the strong one when she has to have someone’s back like her captains when he was having panic attacks. This time around Roxie was the one getting support, especially from Don, as this bad parent tried to shift the blame from themselves over to Roxie.
By the end of the episode, I feel like I know a treasure trove of new details about who Roxie is. She’s a woman with incredible guilt but a huge heart. And she puts her patients above anything else because of her past. She’s the kind of woman who learns from her mistakes because she fears lives depend on it. And I really hope 9-1-1: Nashville takes the time to build out her fears a little bit more but also her dreams. Because I know Taylor’s dreams. But I don’t know Roxie’s.
Taylor Staying True to Herself
One of my biggest fears when it came to Taylor starting to date Blue is that any character development that we would get with her would be tied to him. And Taylor deserves better than that. Color me surprised when 9-1-1: Nashville “Small Potatoes” gave Taylor character development based on her own actions. She helped save a father and daughter with her firefighting skills and her stunning voice. That got her an opportunity with a big producer. Not her connection with Blue and his mom Dixie. She did it all on her own.
Like what happened with Roxie by the end of this episode, I feel like I know a bunch of new things about Taylor after she went and told that producer no. Firstly, she’s not going to follow a path that doesn’t ring true to her. Also she enters and exits every room with a grace that that producer lady wishes she had. And three, the kind of person that Taylor is will make it far no matter what. Because people don’t just like her. People love her. And it’s because of her strength, charisma, and big heart.
I do feel though that “Small Potatoes” did give a little bit more time to Roxie this episode in comparison to Taylor. And I’m hoping that as 9-1-1: Nashville progresses as a show, they find more balance with their characters. But I also just hope in general that we get to see more of Taylor in the same way we did in this episode. Great that she’s in a relationship with Blue, romance moves nations after all. But I want to continue knowing who Taylor is independent of anyone else. Tell me her dreams, show me her fears, and for the love of God please have her and Roxie having adventures out there together.
Love a good female friendship.
And Another Thing
By this point, if you’ve been reading my 9-1-1: Nashville reviews, you know that I don’t like Don. I can barely stand Blue. But I think that this episode found a way to not tone down these characters, but make them a little bit more complimentary. The first half of 9-1-1: Nashville was very much this Dynasty drama that I just couldn’t click with. And the more that the show moves forward, you’re seeing found family elements emerge.
The found family aspect that stood out to me in “Small Potatoes” was during the Don, Blue, and Taylor conversation. Don could have made a very clear point how Blue is his son and she needs to be careful with his heart. But Don came out in defense of Taylor and called her his daughter. And it was a way of 9-1-1: Nashville establishing to the viewer that just because Blue is Don’s son, doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have a close relationship with Taylor. He does.
Now what I need 9-1-1: Nashville to do is continue to build on this found family aspect. Let’s mix things up a little bit too. I need more of Ryan and Blue bonding. Because those two seem like they’re totally ok now but it’s fallen flat. But I also think I need to see Roxie and Blue together. That’s a combination that we haven’t really explored and it could be either fun or a big old disaster. Either way, I need the show to mix up the combos. Then they can build on the found family of it all so no matter what ridiculous thing comes their way, we as the viewer stick to the show because of family.
After all, 9-1-1 has had viewers come back for nine seasons despite the buffoonery because the found family was just so good.
9-1-1: Nashville airs new episodes Thursdays at 9 pm ET on ABC.
