Spoilers forward!
9-1-1 has all the time flirted with the horror style; there are many moments within the first seasons that may very well be a part of a Last Vacation spot film. With the present not too long ago leaning towards a comedy route, particularly on this eighth season, Voices continues the pattern that began with Sob Tales final week, delivering a thriller with some surprising slasher moments.
After Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) is kidnapped by Amber (Abigail Spencer,) Chimney (Kenneth Choi) and Athena (Angela Bassett) should work collectively to determine what occurred. Contemplating that Maddie is pregnant with their second youngster and he or she went lacking throughout her first postpartum, Chimney is apprehensive that one thing related is likely to be occurring once more — particularly with Amber doing something in her energy as a detective to offer the impression that it was Maddie’s alternative to depart. However Athena isn’t satisfied, becoming a member of forces with Rick Romero (Danny Nucci) to find if what occurred to Maddie is related to the Weepy Killer case. In the meantime, Maddie is preventing for her life utilizing her strongest weapon, her communication skills, to attach with Amber and escape.
“Voices” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Jennifer Love Hewitt as Maddie, Abigail Spencer as Amber. Photograph: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2025 Disney. All rights reserved.
It’s all the time a pleasure for me when 9-1-1 goes loopy and delivers thrilling moments. As a horror fan, there’s a lot right here to be delighted with, particularly contemplating that this present is giving us eighteen episodes a yr — the entire episode is filmed and directed to maintain the viewers on the sting of their seats, biting nails of hysteria. The final ten minutes are particularly insane; when Amber slashed Maddie’s throat with a knife in true horror film trend, I gasped out loud, then jumped out of my seat speechless. Chimney simply arrived at Amber’s dwelling, Athena simply found every little thing that Amber did, and all of this results in a tense ending.
However (virtually) every little thing’s wonderful ultimately. Amber is killed by Athena, Maddie, and Chimney are alive, their unborn youngster (a boy!) is okay, however her voice, her strongest weapon, the factor she makes use of probably the most to work and to attach with individuals (and to a sure level, to attach with us, the viewers, too) is generally passed by now, which implies that no less than for some time, Maddie may not be a dispatcher anymore. The episode additionally offers with Maddie’s new being pregnant in a approach that makes a callback to the primary one; all this horror is meant to be about Maddie coping with her previous and preventing as soon as once more to remain within the lives of those she loves. In the meantime, Chimney can be coping with what occurred after Jee-Yun was born, stricken by the opportunity of Maddie leaving them once more however refusing to surrender on her.
“Voices” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Kenneth Choi as Chimney, Abigail Spencer as Amber. Photograph: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2025 Disney. All rights reserved.
Loads is going on right here, and I feel the episode suffers from it a bit. Amber was simply launched within the earlier episode, which implies that Voices serves each as her backstory (she has a number of personalities because of a kidnapping she suffered when she was a teen, and apparently her mother didn’t give her sufficient love) and her ultimate moments. Perhaps that’s an excessive amount of for the time given; it’s straightforward to attach with what Maddie and Chimney are going by as a result of we’ve identified them for years and we love and root for them, nevertheless it’s arduous to attach with Amber — which is by no means Abigail Spencer’s fault, who delivers some highly effective moments with what she’s given. Kenneth Choi and Jennifer Love Hewitt additionally ship some superb, riveting scenes, and I like that they each had a while to shine this season. After every little thing that occurred to Maddie on this episode, I hope there’s extra to return for Maddie and Chimney quickly.
Lastly, an enormous (even when brief in time) second of Voices occurs when Eddie (Ryan Guzman) leaves L.A. and says goodbye to Buck (Oliver Stark.) That one is large as a result of Buck and Eddie spend the entire episode with this rigidity between them; Buck is harassed as a result of Maddie is lacking but additionally due to every little thing altering in his life, together with Eddie’s departure. And whereas Eddie drives them to locations so perhaps they will discover her someplace, this rigidity between them grows. Of their ultimate scene, not a lot is alleged, as there’s this sense that each of them are holding what they need to say underneath lock and key.
“Voices” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Ryan Guzman as Eddie, Oliver Stark as Buck. Photograph: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2025 Disney. All rights reserved.
And whereas Buck is the one who appears extra explicitly devastated by Eddie transferring to Texas, it’s clear to me that Eddie is the one repressing issues and making an attempt to persuade himself that every little thing is okay — not as a result of he doesn’t need to keep, however as a result of he can’t permit himself to let no matter he’s bought occurring with Buck maintain him from making amends along with his son. From “It’s not nothing” to “This factor between us has been messy and arduous, however I hope , you do matter to me,” Eddie does something in his energy to inform Buck that he cares for him and for what he feels, even when he can not let it get in his approach again to Christopher (Gavin McHugh). I additionally beloved that Eddie appeared again to Buck earlier than getting in his automobile; such a pleasant, tender ultimate contact to the entire thing between them.
9-1-1 delivered Buddie storylines with explicitly romantic implications two episodes in a row — two episodes of them arguing like a married outdated couple adopted by a goodbye hug on a wet, cloudy afternoon, in a storyline that has some callbacks to the Abby one within the first season. If something romantic associated to Buddie was arguably subtext in earlier seasons, since season seven their relationship has leaned in direction of an enormous change, and all indicators level to this alteration lastly occurring earlier than this season ends.
All in all, Voices is an efficient, shocking episode, even when it tries to inform too many issues in such a short while. It options some form of Jee-Yun (Bailey Leung/Hailey Leung) team-up with Mara (Askyler Bell) to ship vital details about Maddie’s kidnapping to the adults, which implies that Karen (Tracie Thoms) can be again to a small however heartwarming particular look. And the best way Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Chimney’s friendship was highlighted right here was so lovely; there’s a scene wherein Chimney tells Hen that ought to go and be together with her household, and he or she replies to him one thing alongside the best way “I’m already with my household” and that was so cute and vital. After this, we return subsequent week with a Bobby (Peter Krause) targeted episode directed by Aisha Hinds, and I’m enthusiastic about this one.
Now inform me how you’re feeling about this episode! Be happy to depart a remark along with your impressions and theories, and thanks for studying!
