In which sad, attractive people assist the residents of Los Angeles
Choking by snake.
Sex in a fire truck.A baby trapped in the plumbing.
The pilot episode of9-1-1wants you to know that this isn’t your mom’s procedural drama.
Credit: FOX
Well, maybe it is.
I don’t presume to know what your mom does or doesn’t like.
Let your mom live!
Overall, the show ends up more glossy than edgy.
but there are some excellent action sequences.
The unfortunate and unnecessary voice-over that bookends the episode.
She doesn’t even say “y’all,” you guys.
Still, the voice-over cheapens the episode.
We get it: We’re watching a show about people who chose to runtowarddanger.
And yes, those people deal with emergencies both professionally and personally.
We don’t need the premise hammered home; it’s why we tuned in.
Take Abby Clark, for instance.
There’s also Officer Athena Grant, no-nonsense member of the LAPD.
In uniform, it’s clear that she’s in control of any situation.
Grant stops the ambulance that is about to leave for the hospital with Buck and the baby inside.
Buck has no idea who he’s yelling at.
Don’t mess with Athena Grant, dude!
Unfortunately, at home in her very cozy-looking knitwear, Athena Grant has no control over her current situation.
Her relationship with her husband Michael (Rockmond Dunbar) is troubled.
Even their two kids notice that Mom and Dad can barely be in the same room.
They have no plans to get divorced yet, which, um, is complicated.
The news does not go over well with the kids.
It’s like a mini two-person play.
There is one more very attractive, very sad person risking his life to save people.
Meet Krause’s Bobby Nash, a captain in the Los Angeles Fire Department.
He’s also very troubled.
To make things worse, Bobby’s new priest uses Katy Perry’s “Firework” as his ringtone.
Hasn’t this man suffered enough?
When Buck pulls the same exact move asecondtime though, Bobby has reached his limit.
You know he won’t stay fired for long though, right?
The real showcase piece of the episode is the final rescue.
Two men have broken in and she needs help.
They’ve just moved into the house so Lily doesn’t know the address.
Abby calms Lily down and asks her a few questions for narrow down where Lily’s house might be.
Technology is crazy, you guys.
Naturally, the responding officer is Athena Grant.
Grant doesn’t want to tip off the home invaders.
Why not use a fire truck instead?
But there he is, in his civilian clothes.
The siren trick works, and Abby leads Buck and Grant to Lily’s house.
The phone is still on, so Abby, Grant, and Buck can hear everything.
As the guys chase Lily, Abby yells for one of the robbers, Petey.
She tricks him by pretending to help him get away from the cops to make it save Lily.
It’s very convincing.
The two guys walk into the backyard, where Officer Grant is waiting to arrest them.
Petey makes a run for it and tosses Lily on the front yard.
Petey hops on a motorcycle (sure!)
and starts firing his gun at Grant (okay!)
All Abby can do is listen and wait.
Abby gets an acknowledging, congratulatory nod from her boss and then gets right back to work.
There are more calls to answer and more chicken nuggets to be saved!
Buck rolls into the firehouse ashamed at how lightly he took this job.
Buck is getting another chance.
It’s just another day protecting the people of Los Angeles.
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