With Hollywood’s actors and writers currently on strike for better, fairer deals in an ever-shifting landscape, it feels a little bit like the entertainment industry is on fire at the moment. So what better time to discuss one of TV’s favorite firefighting families?
After six seasons on Fox, 9-1-1 is set to return for round seven sometime next year, this time as part of the ABC lineup. And while we’re excited for more adventures with the 118, we also have a few humble requests for when the firehouse eventually reopens.
Our hopes for Season 7 include a disastrous premiere (in the best way), new relationships deserving of viewers’ energy, more screen time for several supporting characters and, of course, another chance encounter with Austin’s 126. There’s also a recurring plot device we’d love the show to avoid if possible, and we’re pretty sure everyone will agree.
1.WANT: A Poseidon Adventure for Bobby and Athena
Season 6 ended with Bobby and Athena preparing to board a well-deserved cruise after surviving yet another season of hell on earth, but we have a sinking feeling that this ship of dreams was merely a set-up for yet another season-opening nightmare. Maybe it’s the Titanic vibes being thrown by that enormous vessel, or maybe it’s because Athena made it clear that they didn’t tell anyone about their trip, or maybe this show has simply conditioned us to always expect the worst. Maybe it’s all three.
Either way, we’re actually hoping for Bobby and Athena to find themselves in the midst of a Poseidon Adventure — and not just because it would prove us right, though that’s always a plus. Previous season openers have pitted these characters against an earthquake, a tsunami, a landslide, a parade of escaped zoo animals and, most recently, a blimp crash. Not only would a cruise-related crisis ensure that 9-1-1 makes a memorable splash with its ABC debut, but it would also prove that this famously over-the-top show can still outdo itself after all these years.
2. WANT: Relationships Worth Our Investment
Were we total #Buddie ‘shippers in 9-1-1‘s earlier years? Absolutely. From Buck and Eddie’s inexplicable chemistry, to Buck being like a second father to Eddie’s son, it felt like a thing that totally could have happened — especially on a show with Ryan Murphy’s name attached. When that Christmas elf mistook Buck and Eddie for husbands, he became our hero. And when Lone Star‘s T.K. thought Buck was hitting on him during the shows’ 2021 crossover event, oh how we giggled.
But we’ve come to accept, with much reluctance, that 9-1-1 is simply never going to go there with these two. In exchange, we humbly request satisfying romantic storylines for both characters. The show made a very big stink about their new love interests in the finale — with Natalia literally and metaphorically helping Buck get a new couch, and Eddie believing that Marisol was God’s gift to him — so we’re hoping for some serious payoff in Season 7. Basically, we need them to be in relationships that are engaging enough to make us forget all about what could have been.
3. WANT: Another Proper Crossover
Given that both shows’ schedules are now a total mystery, this is probably an even longer shot than it would have been otherwise, but don’t you think we’re overdue for another proper crossover between 9-1-1 and Lone Star? And we’re talking about a true crossover, one where characters from both shows are actually breathing the same air. (It’s fun to see them FaceTime each other, but exciting and fun are two very different things.)
4. WANT: A Closer Look at Lucy
First of all, we can see you rolling your eyes, and we don’t appreciate it. Just hear us out.
Arielle Kebbel’s character didn’t receive the warmest welcome from fans in Season 5, but the show basically doomed her from the start by introducing her as an obvious love interest for Buck. And while we were initially disappointed by Lucy’s sudden absence for most of Season 6, we now believe that a little time away was exactly what she needed. Her return in the final few episodes reaffirmed her as an interesting, nuanced character worth exploring outside of any connection to Buck.
Besides, she’s a total badass, and the 118 could always use another eye in the sky.
5. WANT: More Tracie Thoms
This one feels pretty self-explanatory, but Thoms is always a welcome presence on our screen. Or anywhere for that matter. That woman could show up at our own funeral, and we’d be like, “Yes, this was worth dying for.” Her chemistry with Aisha Hinds also makes Karen and Hen an absolute dream team, whether they’re playing amateur detectives or dreaming about expanding their family.
We’re not saying there hasn’t been enough focus put on Hen and Karen thus far, we’re just saying there’s no such thing as too much.
6. DON’T WANT: More Misery for Maddie
While we understand the importance of keeping things dramatic on, you know, a drama series, 9-1-1 seems to take a special delight in torturing Jennifer Love-Hewitt’s character. Maddie’s storylines have been mired in misery, from the time she had to murder her abusive ex-husband to the months she disappeared while struggling with postpartum depression. (The silver lining, of course, is that JLH is a fantastic dramatic actress, and she has more than risen to each of the occasions mentioned above.)
With her long-awaited wedding to Chimney on the horizon, things finally appear to be looking up for Maddie. Let’s keep it that way… at least for a little while?
