The ABC first responder drama delivers big swings and several cliffhangers before its summer break
“9-1-1” wrapped up Season 7 with big swings, jaw-dropping moments and one cliffhanger that will have viewers talking all summer long.
Finishing up a stellar first season in its new broadcast home on ABC, the first responder drama from showrunner Tim Minear picked up immediately after the heartbreaking fire at Bobby Nash’s (Peter Krause) and Athena Grant’s (Angela Bassett) home, with Bobby fighting for his life and Athena ready to get revenge on those she thought were responsible. Meanwhile Eddie (Ryan Guzman) faced the fallout of his affair with Kim (Devin Kelley), the woman who looks just like his late wife, after his girlfriend Marisol (Edy Ganem) and son Christopher (Gavin McHugh) walked in on them kissing.
But there were also moments of joy, like Buck (Oliver Stark) and Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) ending the season on a good note, and Chimney (Kenneth Choi) and Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) helping Hen (Aisha Hinds) with her custody troubles.
Here’s a breakdown of the most shocking moments from the “9-1-1” Season 7 finale:
Bobby suffered a cardiac arrest after the fire
Episode 9 ended with Bobby collapsing outside his burning home after saving Athena from the blaze. The finale kicked off with a doctor telling Athena that his heart stopped for 14 minutes from smoke inhalation, but paramedics were able to resuscitate him on the way to the hospital.
The doctor emphasized to Athena that there would be no answers to Bobby’s condition until he woke up — the possibility of which was still a mystery. She also reminded Athena that Bobby had signed a directive for no extraordinary measures to be taken to keep him alive should his body not be able to recover, meaning he would be unplugged from machines should he not wake up after a certain amount of time.
Athena plotted revenge
As Bobby’s condition remained uncertain, Athena suspected that Amir (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) was responsible for setting the fire at her and Bobby’s home. Athena told an unconscious Bobby that she made this tragedy happen after inviting Amir into their home, in hopes that their kindness would help Amir forgive Bobby for his part in the Minnesota fire that killed both of their families many years before.
Driven by the rage she felt for what happened to her husband, Athena pledged to take matters into her own hands and seek justice for what happened. She then left the hospital and returned to her home to get her gun. After running into a neighbor and asking to borrow her car, she called Maddie using the neighbor’s phone — seemingly to keep her actions out of police visibility — and asked her for Amir’s address, claiming he’s “in danger.”
Athena then rushed to his home, as Maddie warned Chimney about Athena acting strange. Maddie, Chimney and Hen then connect the dots about Amir’s connection to Bobby, and why Athena might suspect Amir.
Amir denied the accusation, and the real arsonist was revealed
Athena confronted Amir at gunpoint about the fire, which he vehemently denied having a part in starting. The pair found common ground, as they both had experience searching for revenge and justice after a loved one had been wrongly killed in the past. Amir made Athena see that, like her, he would never resort to murder as a method of retribution.
Still doubting his intentions, Athena agreed to let him give his side of the story formally at the police station. But as she hoped to take him to the precinct, she and Amir noticed a truck pulling up to his home. Amir recognized the men in the truck as cartel members whom he and Bobby had encountered in Episode 8, and the likely people irresponsible for the fire at Bobby’s home.
As Athena called for backup, Amir decided to turn himself over to the men to give her time to find help and rescue him.
Athena started another life-saving fire
Athena followed Amir’s captors to a warehouse and called the police for backup, as Amir faced the grandfather of a coyote he had encountered with Bobby in Episode 8. After revealing he had teamed up with the U.S. government to strike a deal and get himself out of the cartel, the man admitted to going rogue and setting Bobby’s house on fire for revenge for his grandson’s death.
While Amir confronted the man, Athena stayed out of sight and set the stage to start a fire and distract the kidnappers. Just as the man was about to kill Amir, Athena revealed herself to the men and started the fire. The men were arrested as they attempted to escape, and Athena helped Amir escape without injury.
Bobby woke up
After finding justice for their tragedy, one of the officers at the scene told Athena that someone had been trying to reach her. Viewers then watch as Athena rushed to the hospital and found the firefighters of the 118 surrounding Bobby, who woke up and was expected to make a full recovery.
Athena then finally called her kids to let them know what happened, and the family reunited to help them start to rebuild their lives after the fire.
Christopher decided to move away with Eddie’s parents
After finding Eddie and Kim together, Christopher locked himself in his room and refused to speak to his father. Bucks visited his friend to see if he could talk to Christopher for him, but a knock at the door interrupted those plans. Eddie then learned that Christopher called his grandparents and told them to fly to LA from their home in Texas to help.
The reunion forced Eddie to admit his affair with Kim, and how he had thrown his life into chaos after meeting the woman who looked so much like his late wife Shannon. His parents empathized, but they let him know that Christopher asked them to go back to Texas with them for a while. Eddie was hesitant at first, but then agreed to let him take the space move on from the shock.
Speaking with Buck, Christopher admitted he was devastated seeing Kim and thinking she was his mom. Though Christopher was still angry and refused to look his father in the eye, Eddie reassured his son that he loves him, and that he’ll be ready to go get him back as soon as he’s ready to return.
Chimney and Maddie got custody of Mara
Things seemed dire for Hen and Karen (Tracie Thoms) after the lost custody of their foster daughter Mara — after a corrupt local politician intervened in the adoption in retaliation of Hen not saving her son after an emergency.
The finale saw as Hen hoped to reunite with Mara, but kept facing roadblocks to getting her family back together. Near the end of the episode though, the family comes to Chimney and Maddie’s for dinner and the pair have a surprise. They announced that they were granted emergency placement of Mara so she wouldn’t have to be left at the group home — and they will be her temporary guardians while the crew works to get her back into her rightful place with Hen’s family.
Amir convinced Bobby not to quit firefighting
After being released from the hospital, Bobby visited the ruins of his home. Amir stopped by and the pair shared a frank conversation. Bobby still believed he didn’t deserve all the blessings he’s worked for since the fire in Minnesota, but Amir made him see that whether he deserved it or not, Bobby worked to rebuild his life and create the family he now has, both at home with Athena and with the firefighters of the 118.
Though he may never forgive him for the fire that killed the love of his life, Amir told Bobby he admired him for the way he rebuilt his life — and encouraged him to stay on as fire captain of the station and keep building his legacy.
One last surprise
After a few days go by, the episode’s final moments find the firefighters of the 118 coming together, wondering why there’s no acting captain listed in the roster for the day’s shift. For a second it seemed as though it was a way of surprising the crew when Bobby made his triumphant return to work after getting the all-clear from the doctors.
But then former 118 captain Vincent Gerrard (Brian Thompson) appeared, asking Bobby what he was doing back at the station. He shared the news that he’s returned as captain of the 118, coming out of retirement to fill the leadership void left after Bobby handed in his resignation before the ordeal at his home.
Chimney and Hen, who remember being terrorized in their probie years at the station under Gerrard’s watch, ask Bobby how he didn’t know this was happening. Gerrard said that Bobby’s resignation led to this predicament, before telling the crew to line up for inspection in ten minutes.
How will the new leadership affect the future of the 118? How will Bobby get his job back? See you this fall “9-1-1” fans.
