#9-1-1 Season 5 Episode 1 Review: Panic

“#9-1-1 Season 5 Episode 1 Review: Panic”

It’s the end of the world as we know it.

And we do not feel fine, people!

Our favorite first responders were back in 9-1-1 Season 5 Episode 1 and to say this was a wacky, wild, and crazy hour would be the understatement of the century. Where do you even begin after an installment like that?

Eddie Is Ready - 9-1-1 Season 5 Episode 1

This show, you guys.

9-1-1 has a thing. And that thing is going above and beyond for their premiere episodes each season.

The tsunami comes to mind first because that was just next level with the special effects and just the whole idea of Los Angeles underwater. But having the town descend into madness, as technology literally broke down in front of our very eyes, was maybe the most fascinating “disaster” yet.

Starting things off with a flashforward was perfect, and it set the stage for the hour.

We knew we were going to get to a point where the streets were emptied, and everything was in disarray, but we didn’t know how we were going to get there. And you could things slowly breaking down as the minutes ticked by.

A ransomware attack is a terrifying thing. Think about the world we live in and how much we are intrinsically tied to basically everything. Phones, computers, cars, you name it. We all use them every single day, whether for pleasure, work, or whatever the case may be.

Hacking into one computer system can have a catastrophic ripple effect.

And that’s what we see play out here.

Much of last season was about the aftermath of Athena’s attack and her struggles with the job and the trauma from that event. Here she was placed right back into that trauma when the trial for Hudson started.

Athena Grant is one of the strongest characters on television. And her resilience is unmatched.

Asking her to essentially go toe-to-toe with the man who almost took her life takes an incredible amount of strength. Not to mention being there for the other Hudson victims and doing her very best to be strong for them as well.

It’s such a compelling story, but the whole time I was watching, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop because you knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time before everything went to crap, and of course, it goes right there when they’re all in the courtroom together.

As soon as the courtroom got overrun, you knew Hudson was going to escape. But to be honest, it didn’t feel like he was going to be found right away.

So, it was a little surprising when Athena was able to piece everything together so quickly and figure out just what Hudson was up to.

Hudson is a bully and a coward. He gets off on having the upper hand and asserting whatever dominance he thinks he possesses over women. It’s why he fired his lawyer in the middle of the courtroom. And why he wanted to be his own counsel in the first place.

Buck And Eddie Respond - 9-1-1 Season 5 Episode 1

He goes to Lila’s house to once again assert his “power,” but Athena bests him once again, and Ransome gets there before he can take off in the wind with his kidnapping victim.

If you were thinking what a fantastic way to wrap up this story in that moment, join the club. But that momentary sigh of relief makes what happens next all the more devastating.

Listen, Ransome is a recurring character, but he’s been through A LOT with Athena. And he’s become someone that the audience can trust. So, yes, his death is both shocking and incredibly sad.

Lile becoming a disillusioned mess that’s fallen prey to the charms of a sociopath was not at all something that I saw coming. And that’s a testament to the way the story played out that it was such a shocking moment.

And just like that, we’re back to where we started with Ransome on the loose. And now Athena is going to have to piece together another puzzle in the dark.

The 118 were bouncing all over the place making rescues, and damn, it was nice to have them back cracking jokes and helping people.

There wasn’t that one BIG rescue here, but you know there will be many on the horizon. Instead, the focus here was more on the little things and characters—especially Eddie, who had a little medical setback of his own.

There is always so much happening on the show, with lives hanging in the balance weekly, that you can forget about all the traumatic events each of the main characters have gone through.

For Eddie, he’s only a few months removed from the sniper shooting. And while he’s back to work and seemingly fine physically, he suffers a panic attack that catches him by surprise.

It makes sense that Eddie would be anxious, though he’s not ready to admit it. There can sometimes be a warped perception of anxiety-like you have to be in a troubling setting or under duress to be anxious, and that is simply not true.

You can be sitting outside on a beautiful day enjoying nature and suddenly be stricken with this overwhelming sense of darkness and pain that can almost mimic a heart attack.

That’s what happens with Eddie when he’s just minding his business trying on suits and collapses on the ground.

Where this story is headed is unclear, but if it gives us more Eddie and some more insight into his mental state after a domestic terrorist attack? That sounds very intriguing.

And loop in best buddy Buck being worried about Eddie? Yes, please. Some of the best moments on this show will always lay with Buck and Eddie, and it will be so great to see them back again.

It’s great to see everyone back again! We’ve missed you, 9-1-1!