9-1-1 Review: Outside Looking In (Season 5 Episode 11)

In the three months that 9-1-1 has been on hiatus it seems that the writers have forgotten who some of these characters are. More importantly, they seem to forget the part of this show we love — the comraderies found at the 118. 

9-1-1 Season 5 Episode 11, “Outside Looking In,” fails miserably to get fans excited for the return of what is usually a highly anticipated show. 

While bringing in new faces is always a welcome change, it’s better done without the rest of the cast suffering for it. Creating tension between these new faces and the two most welcoming, open-minded members of the team is even more jarring than necessary.

I Can Be Brave Too

While it is true that most of this episode spits on the legacy this show has built over the last five years, there is still one thing that makes complete sense and is actually welcomed. I am, of course, talking about the bond between Christopher and Eddie. 

Their bond is one of the big reasons fans still tune into the show week after week. It’s just so heartwarming, solid, and smile-inducing — to put it plainly, they do the heart good.

So, it comes as no surprise that Christopher is the one to really wake Eddie up from this spiral he’s found himself in. The kid points out that while he may be scared of his dad’s job he knows he can be brave about it because his dad is brave every day.

This gets Eddie back on his feet and asking for his old job back.

Captain Bobby is Captain for a Reason

This brings us to our next point. Bobby Nash is another solid part of 9-1-1 that can always be relied on, no matter how terribly the rest of the episode goes — case in point.

While fans want Eddie back at the 118 as soon as possible, Bobby denying his request is actually a healthy step to take. It’s going to force Eddie to really dive into finding a way out of the mental health pit he’s fallen into.

Eddie may be mad at Bobby right now, but soon enough he’s going to get the help he needs and he will realize Bobby was just looking out for him. This is a good sign and one that the show has always been good at depicting — the positive mental health solutions/representation.

I just wish Eddie didn’t have to fall so far down the rabbit hole of loneliness and isolation to get the help he needs. It is utterly heartbreaking to see his mood completely shift when Bobby denies his request — more so than when he felt alone at the bar.

Eddie is going to need Bobby sooner than he realizes, I just hope he reaches out for that lifeline. 

Lucy and Jonah

While Bobby choosing Lucy and Jonah to join the 118 team in and of itself isn’t a disaster, the writers’ depictions of these characters from the go is. Instead of embracing that Hen and Buck should have reservations about these people but still welcome them, the writers felt it was necessary to add undue drama to the house dynamic.

Lucy is definitely a fiery addition to the team and if it weren’t for her indiscretion prior to joining the house I’d welcome her addition. Much, like the addition of Lena back in Season 3, Lucy could’ve added a bit of fun to the team.

But even worse than the treatment of Lucy is the treatment of Jonah. It’s as if the writers don’t want us to like these characters even a little bit — in anticipation of Chim and Eddie returning — which is such a shame.

Jonah deserves to be seen with respect considering his clear ability to handle the job at the same level, if not a bit better, as Chim. Yes, it’s logical that Hen is going to be wary of anyone who replaces Chim, but to be outright hostile toward them is not in her character. 

It’s like the writers have completely forgotten how kind Hen is even if she doesn’t fully trust you. Maybe they need to go back and rewatch 9-1-1 Season 2 Episode 9, “Hen Begins” to remind themselves of Hen’s “kill them with kindness” motif.

Buck 1.0 Would Be Ashamed — And That’s Saying Something

So, there are so many things wrong with this episode as it pertains to Buck. Not the least of which is his encounter with Lucy at the bar. However, let’s go back a bit further.

The writers don’t want us to believe that Buck and Eddie have any kind of feelings for each other and yet the episode starts with them having a family dinner together and then later at the bar Eddie seems to only focus on Buck. While yes, they can be best friends without it being romantic there is something jarring about Eddie only focusing on how left out he feels with the team as he watches Buck, not the whole group — just Buck.

However, I won’t get deeper into that because I’ve already laid out my feelings on the very obvious queerbaiting with 9-1-1 before. 

I will, however, dive into just how out of character Buck’s behavior is at the bar that entire night. It starts off innocently enough with Lucy flirting with him, but Buck 2.0 would’ve told Lucy he was seeing someone.

Even worse, he allows Lucy to kiss him, and then he pulls her in for a second kiss. Even the old Buck 1.0 wouldn’t have cheated on a serious relationship like the one he has with Taylor. 

Once again, it feels as though the writers have forgotten how much growth Buck has had over the last 5 years. If further episodes try to blame it on his drunkenness or his loneliness over missing Eddie then I will personally scream. 

Not only are those not valid excuses for cheating, but they are also not valid excuses for keeping all that information to himself when Taylor asks him what’s wrong. Buck is not acting himself anymore and it’s extremely disappointing to see.

Minor Emergencies

• How angry are other fans that Hen is convincing Buck to keep the indiscretion to himself after she knows how damaging that can be?
• I’m not the biggest Taylor fan, but no one deserves what she’s about to get hit with
• Lucy is a total badass and deserves better than to be immediately thrown into a cheating storyline. 

What did you think of this episode of 9-1-1? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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9-1-1 airs Mondays at 8/7c on FOX.

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