9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 12 Sees Maddie Facing Her Fears & Eddie Caught In a Lie

“How do you kill a monster that’s already useless?”

It’s a strong query that Maddie should face throughout 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 12 when the results of what occurred to her manifest and rob her of one among her most prized possessions.

It was a heavy hour for Maddie, nevertheless it additionally marked the beginning of one thing new for Eddie as he began his Texas journey and reconnected with Christopher. And we obtained one other strong hour within the again half of this entertaining eighth season.

9-1-1 tends to maneuver on in a short time from storyline to storyline, and in some methods, that may be an excellent factor as a result of your present won’t ever grow to be stagnant when new tales are popping up at each flip.

However contemplating the high-stakes conditions this present thrives on, there are occasions when extra exploration is important, and sadly, generally that’s bypassed for the subsequent huge factor.

We see that always, within the aftermath of traumatic conditions during which characters are emotionally scarred or bodily harmed, they’re again to work the subsequent episode, and nary a point out is fabricated from what they beforehand endured.

Fortunately, the sequence explored the fallout from Maddie’s kidnapping throughout 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 10 as a result of Maddie was nearly killed, and it could have been doing the storyline a major disservice to not discover Maddie’s trauma within the aftermath.

Night time terrors are extraordinarily frequent after experiencing traumatic occasions. Maddie was upfront with Chimney ultimately about what she was going by way of, and that’s been a beautiful side of the Madney relationship to see addressed this season.

Whereas Maddie might not have informed Chimney instantly concerning the terrors, she did inform him as a method of transparency. Since Maddie left throughout 9-1-1 Season 5, there was a concentrated effort between the pair to be open and trustworthy, particularly because it pertains to Maddie’s psychological well being.

As odd as it could sound, Maddie has discovered the decision middle to be a protected place general as a result of it’s the place she might help folks. As a former nurse and now dispatcher, Maddie’s helped numerous folks within the worst moments of their lives, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that her voice is one among her items.

Maddie needed to return to work to get again to doing the job she loves, however was it too quickly?

Actually, whether or not she’d gone again in the end, there was no technique to put together for her response to being again within the seat and on a name that might convey again into focus the final time she took a name and what occurred to her because of that.

The truth that it was a younger youngster as effectively looking for assist elicited its personal set of fears with Maddie, and because the name progressed, her voice step by step disappeared, solely exacerbating the worry till she couldn’t communicate in any respect.

It was a devastating second for Maddie, who’s been the recipient of so many devasting moments on this sequence, however discovering out she had Psychogenic aphonia was a real kick to the intestine due to every thing she’d endured.

She escaped a serial killer and was instrumental in Amber by no means having the ability to damage anybody else ever once more, but even in her dying, she was taking one thing from Maddie. She was taking her reward.

You can see the pure ache on Maddie’s face as she needed to sit there with Chimney and the physician, listening to them talk about her and never having the ability to bounce in and ask questions or advocate for herself in that second by utilizing her voice.

Jennifer Love Hewitt was so good throughout this hour when she needed to rely solely on her facial expressions to indicate the viewers what the ache of shedding her voice was doing to her.

She was at a whole loss, and I appreciated that Chimney was proper beside her, however he additionally didn’t have all of the solutions as a result of that’s actual.

Sure, you wish to help your spouse and do every thing you’ll be able to to assist them cope with their ache, however you’re additionally at a loss, and all you are able to do is simply be there in order that they know they’re not alone, even if you happen to can’t repair it.

For Maddie, the lack of her voice simply made her much more indignant on prime of what she’d already been feeling about the whole state of affairs, and to really feel like there’s nothing you are able to do about it? Effectively, that must be hell.

I wasn’t certain how lengthy they had been going to have Maddie on this state as a result of, as beforehand acknowledged, there are occasions the sequence hangs onto storylines, however there are different instances they work time beyond regulation to wrap issues up throughout the hour.

Had been we going to see Maddie again in remedy, or may she work by way of this on her personal?

Athena stopping by to speak with Maddie was a beautiful scene, and contemplating Maddie usually doesn’t have that connection to the remainder of the characters, it’s at all times good when these two get collectively.

Contemplating Athena was closest to the state of affairs, having labored with Amber after which succeeded in bringing her down, she was the proper individual to spend time with Maddie and assist her course of a few of the state of affairs.

Athena has her personal regrets about what occurred, whereas Maddie actually has hers, nevertheless it was essential for her to listen to from Athena of all folks, who usually looks as if probably the most fearless individual on the planet, that there’s a technique to push by way of any worry or doubt she might have.

Worry will solely win if you happen to let it, and Maddie might not have felt like worry was holding her again, nevertheless it actually did play a component.

Her first name again was triggering, and her worry and nervousness about what may go incorrect this time left her speechless. But it surely didn’t should be the top of it. Athena helped Maddie understand that it received’t be as a result of she’s a fighter and stronger than possibly even she is aware of.

I had a sense after the dialog with Athena that this may be a case of one thing occurring that might breakthrough Maddie’s nervousness basically, one thing so huge that she would have the ability to communicate with out even eager about it.

And that did occur when she couldn’t spot Jee for a couple of minutes whereas out on the park, which is each dad or mum’s worst nightmare.

Jee was protected and sound inside a couple of seconds, however that worry? The all-encompassing feeling like your coronary heart is about to tear out of your chest worry? Maddie pushed by way of all of it to scream out for her little woman, and it was an impactful scene for Maddie and the viewers.

The scars from that day with Amber and every thing that got here earlier than it should take time to heal.

Maddie obtained her voice again, however she’s nonetheless therapeutic and can proceed to. Being again at dispatch and serving to folks does convey her peace, and ending the hour together with her again at her desk, with a deep breath out and in, was a pleasant technique to finish this a part of Maddie’s therapeutic journey.

Maddie wasn’t the one one on a journey throughout this hour.

Eddie made it to Texas, and we lastly obtained into his Texas arc, which has been teased since 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 8.

Is it odd to say that this specific storyline was entertaining however concurrently disappointing?

I’ve needed to see development within the Eddie and Christopher story all season, however they’ve by no means given us a lot. Eddie’s journey this season has been mainly about him lacking Christopher, with a aspect journey to beginning to forgive himself.

However other than that, we noticed two wildly completely different FaceTime calls between the daddy and son bookending the beginning of the season and the midseason level, and that was it.

Christopher was nonetheless upset and standoffish together with his father once we noticed him briefly throughout 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 1. The subsequent time we noticed him speaking to Eddie, his feelings had cooled, however we by no means noticed any of that.

All we noticed was Eddie feeling like his son was slipping away from him. And in that second, he knew that he’d given Christopher lengthy sufficient and wanted to be the place he was.

Eddie left Los Angeles to be there for Christopher and extra current in his life than he had been in the previous couple of months. Uprooting his complete world was mandatory for him to be the current father he has strived so onerous to be.

So, now we get Eddie in Texas, however we don’t get a single dialog about something that preceded Christopher’s choice to reside together with his grandparents.

Am I asking them to constantly talk about what occurred with Kim? Completely not, however we haven’t even seen Eddie have an trustworthy dialog with Christopher about his emotions surrounding Shannon and why he began a friendship with Kim.

If these varieties of conversations have occurred or are occurring, they’ve all been performed off-screen, which enormously undermines the integrity of this storyline.

Eddie has apologized however Christopher’s not a seven-year-old child anymore. He’s sufficiently old to hearken to his father clarify why he made sure selections and his recognition of the ache it brought on him.

If these sorts of conversations have taken place or are happening, they’ve all been off-screen.

Once we meet Eddie in Texas, not a lot time has handed, however from the primary time we see Eddie and Christopher work together, there’s one other noticeable shift between the pair, and you may’t assist however surprise how they obtained from level A to level B.

Eddie was doing his Eddie factor in Texas, which was looking for work and doing no matter he may to get Christopher to love him once more. And as unhappy as that will sound, it’s not unusual for a dad or mum to really feel like they’ve let down their youngster.

Eddie has been in a fog ever since Christopher left, however being again with him bodily didn’t mechanically raise it. There was nonetheless a chasm, in all probability as a result of they nonetheless hadn’t had these powerful conversations.

Shopping for the PS5 felt like bribery, however not a lot for his love as only a semblance of affection.

Christopher has at all times been so pleased with and reverent of his father, and instantly, having your son begin to really feel like a stranger and wonder if they even such as you a lot anymore is a devastating feeling.

Eddie wasn’t able to face any of that head-on, so he selected to lean right into a lie quite than be trustworthy with Christopher—and his of us, for that matter.

9-1-1 has a severe dad or mum challenge, as in quite a lot of the grownup characters’ dad and mom are simply messy folks with a wide range of points and questionable parenting abilities, and the Diaz dad and mom have at all times match into that mould.

And whereas we’ve seen Ramon and Eddie begin to restore their relationship over time, we are able to’t say the identical for Eddie and Helena, and you may inform at that dinner that she was greater than able to overstep Eddie the minute the chance arose.

She’s at all times needed to dad or mum Christopher the way in which she noticed match and the way in which she thought he wanted, bypassing her son. She’s seemingly unaware (or possibly all too conscious) of how her meddling comes throughout, however she appears uncaring as a result of she thinks she’s at all times proper.

Helena has at all times introduced as realizing higher than Eddie, like she had a leg up as a result of she was there at first when Eddie was away and attempting to supply for his household. And as an alternative of being supportive upon his return, she felt to say herself as the higher possibility for his personal son.

So, these previous months in Texas have been about Helena dwelling her greatest life and attending to dad or mum Christopher the way in which she’s at all times thought he needs to be parented.

There’s quite a lot of good story to mine there, particularly with Ramon seemingly within the center, but additionally not as a result of he by no means truly says something to Helena when it’s wanted, however we took an enormous detour from any of that to get into Eddie’s Uber arc, which was enjoyable but additionally extraordinarily random.

Eddie not attending to be a firefighter was clearly devastating from knowledgeable standpoint as a result of he was banking on that job, nevertheless it additionally devastated him as a result of he felt prefer it was yet another technique to disappoint Christopher.

Did he suppose he would get away with mendacity to Christopher and his dad and mom till Captain Morales got here round in a couple of months and informed him the hiring freeze was up?

Eddie was so determined to stop himself from failing that he didn’t suppose past his restricted scope of what he may do within the second to stop the rift with Christopher from rising even additional.

Clearly, together with his essential help system in Los Angeles, Eddie took each alternative to FaceTime Buck when he was feeling down, and he wanted Buck’s reassurance and recommendation maybe greater than he wanted something.

When Eddie talked about packing up his ball and going residence after not getting the firefighter job, he wanted Buck’s light however agency reminder that he wasn’t there to do something however be Christopher’s father, and that was to stay his primary precedence.

Eddie felt so dangerous for himself that he actually wanted somebody who understood him higher than anybody to inform it to him straight and never maintain again.

And that’s at all times been the great thing about Buck and Eddie’s relationship. There’s a belief there that enables them to be susceptible in a approach they aren’t at all times with others of their life.

Eddie going from that dialog to doubling down on the lie and turning into the perfect Uber driver he might be was a spotlight of the hour.

There’s a false impression about Eddie that he’s stoic and simply strolling sarcasm, however there’s a talkative, personable oversharer buried deep down in there, and it got here out in full drive whereas driving folks round.

The poor man was incapable of studying the room, and it was embarrassing but additionally slightly endearing since you’d swear he’d by no means been round folks in his life with the way in which he was performing.

Getting his act collectively and principally turning into an Uber driver chameleon was the one approach he would ever excel at that job, and it was good to see him discovering some pleasure, even when it was considerably fleeting and tied to a lie. Pleasure is pleasure generally, folks!

It was at all times going to come back crashing down as a result of you’ll be able to’t inform a lie as elaborate as having a complete job you don’t have and assume you’ll by no means get caught.

Whereas I used to be fearful that this may trigger a setback in Christopher and Eddie’s relationship, it doing the other was a pleasant shock, however as soon as once more, it felt like a missed alternative for the 2 of them to speak concerning the previous.

Their discuss was candy, don’t get me incorrect, and it was good to see Christopher vocalize his want to have his father there with him, nevertheless it felt like, once more, we missed so many steps to get there.

Christopher shifting away, and Eddie subsequently shifting away, WAS a BIG deal. After all, we needed to get to the purpose of seeing them reunite once more, however we missed a lot of what truly obtained them there.

That’s why this was an entertaining story general, nevertheless it additionally left me wanting a lot extra ultimately.

Free Ends

• RIP Denali, and hiya, Toyota Prius! That truck has been part of Eddie for the reason that battle membership days, so it appeared becoming that he removed it now when he was again in Texas and purging a lot of his LA life. No truck, no firefighting. God, I hate to suppose what might be subsequent.

• There was no follow-up on final week’s improvement of the Buck and Eddie of all of it. However we nonetheless have six extra hours to go this season!

• The pizza man within the parking storage was an appropriate emergency, nevertheless it didn’t actually slot in the remainder of the hour. It was like they forgot there was no actual emergency exterior of the one with Maddie and simply threw it in there for giggles.

• Eddie’s wardrobe morphing again into a ramification from Texas Digest was jarring! And that Texas home is a sizzling mess. Can Buck go to so Eddie can get a second opinion on how one can make that place actually pop?

Even when I used to be disenchanted with sure decisions, it was one other enjoyable hour, and you may’t take that away from it!

As at all times, I’d love to listen to what you considered this one and what you’re trying ahead to seeing over the remainder of the season!

Please drop your feedback beneath so we are able to talk about.

You possibly can watch 9-1-1 on ABC at 8/7c on Thursdays.

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