No more stabbings, or rebar through the head, or abusive exes, or fatal illnesses, please!
There are a lot of television shows that like to put their main characters in perilous situations, and ABC’s 9-1-1 is notorious for doing just that. Whether it’s Bobby and Athena dangling from a capsized cruise ship or Buck getting struck by lightning, no character is safe from disaster. However, no two people on the show have been put through the ringer more than Maddie and Chimney (a.k.a. Chim). Since they first met in Season 2, they have been a truly sweet pair that audiences can’t help but find themselves rooting for. But instead of offering these lovebirds the chance at happiness, the 9-1-1 team has ensured that Maddie and Chim have faced one catastrophe after another (many of which threatened to tear the couple apart).
Maddie and Chim Were Already Struggling Before They Got Together in ‘9-1-1’
As individuals, Maddie and Chim have experienced their fair share of strife. Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) started out with a traumatic childhood. Her brother, Daniel, died of leukemia (a secret that was kept from Buck almost his entire life until Season 4). She became an ER nurse and married a man named Doug (Brian Hallisay, Hewitt’s real-life husband), who turned out to be incredibly abusive. After fleeing from his clutches, Maddie moved in with Buck and became a 9-1-1 dispatcher (but not before surviving quite a lot).
Chim (Kenneth Choi), whose real name is Howard, also went through his fair share of crises. After a flash fire broke out where he and his buddy Kevin worked, the two men decided to become firefighters. Kevin was later killed in the line of duty, which affected Chim in a major way (including inspiring him to become a paramedic). In Episode 3 of Season 1, Chim was in a horrible car accident and a piece of rebar actually went right through his skull. He miraculously survived the head injury. Despite the trauma they both experienced in life, Maddie and Chim seemed destined to be together when they met in Season 2.
Maddie and Chim Have Faced Multiple Obstacles on ‘9-1-1’ Together
At first, it seemed like the couple’s burgeoning romance was going to be one of the more lighthearted story-lines in the series. But then, in Episode 11 of Season 2, Maddie’s ex, Doug, resurfaced. He stabbed Chim, attacked Maddie, and kidnapped her to the site of a remote cabin in the mountains. Maddie was ultimately able to overpower him (resulting in Doug’s death), but the harrowing experience definitely took a toll on Maddie’s mental health. Luckily, Chim survived the stabbing as well, but the two characters realized their relationship wouldn’t ever be the same as it was before the violent events took place.
It seemed like Maddie and Chim were getting some positive news when Maddie announced she was pregnant towards the end of Season 3. Their daughter, Jee-Yun, was born in Season 4, but before audiences could revel too much in the couple’s happiness, another blow was dealt. In Season 5, Maddie, suffering from post-partum depression, left Chim and Jee-Yun, saying, “Jee is not safe with me — not now…I know you’re going to take really good care of her. And she’s better off without me. I love you. I love both of you. And I’m really sorry.” Chim ended up going on a quest to find Maddie and bring her home, which led him to learn that Maddie had tried to kill herself. They both realized they needed to heal from the prior events in order to move forward as parents to Jee.
‘9-1-1’ Loves To Snatch Happiness Away From the Couple
In Season 6, the couple had seemed to reconcile and were in a good place. Similarly to Maddie’s pregnancy, fans thought 9-1-1 was finally going to let Maddie and Chim exist peacefully. In Episode 17, the couple got engaged (but not before there were some antics about a lost engagement ring and Chim possibly getting cold feet). Maddie was the one who ultimately popped the question, saying, “You’re my lifeline, and it is really funny you losing this ring and me finding it. It turned out to be a total blessing because it just reminded us why we’re so perfect together, and it brought us right back to where we’re supposed to be.”
But in true 9-1-1 fashion, the actual wedding couldn’t take place before one of the parties was placed in mortal danger once more. This season, in the latest episode, Maddie was all dolled up in her wedding gown at the venue, until everyone realized that Chim was missing. The episode turned into a wild chase to find the groom. While the whole crew took to the streets to track him down, audiences followed Chim in his dazed state. It was immediately clear that Chim was incredibly confused and thought that it was actually 20 years prior. The team later figured out that Chim had contracted viral encephalitis on a prior call; the more time he was out wandering the street, the more likely his case would be fatal. The hour was a heart-pumping race against time to find Chim before it was too late.
The episode ends with Chim being found (largely due to the help of his deceased friend, Kevin, who appeared as an angel). Chim received the necessary medical treatment, but while in the hospital, he realized he didn’t want to spend one more moment without being married to Maddie. The two tied the knot in the hospital, surrounded by the whole 118 Firehouse team. But fans of the show are now pleading with the 9-1-1 writers to let the couple just enjoy their honeymoon phase (and their entire marriage!) in peace. These two kind-hearted souls have definitely been dealt enough curveballs, and they deserve to just exist on the show as characters that can focus on saving other people’s lives, without having to constantly be in danger themselves.
Even Choi said in an interview with Collider,
“I hope the writers read this: I want to explore happiness and joy and success in a loving relationship!… I’m really hoping that they have some time to breathe and enjoy wedded bliss, and each other, and their daughter, and their family, because they never really seem to be able to catch a break.”
Though Choi acknowledged that showrunner Tim Minear said that without conflict and drama, characters are more likely to be written off the show. So it’s not likely that 9-1-1 will completely stop putting their characters through the wringer, but for now, Chim and Maddie should be allowed to remain trauma-free for as long as possible.
