One of 9-1-1’s most compelling storytelling choices is its use of the “begins” episodes — flashback-driven stories that reveal formative moments in the lives of its first responders. These episodes often explore how the characters found their calling, but sometimes they revisit the past to help them confront the pain of the present. Season 9, Episode 4, titled “Reentry,” masterfully does both.
The episode balances Athena’s (Angela Bassett) present-day mission — helping to bring the Inara safely back to Earth — with flashbacks to her early days, portrayed by Pepi Sonuga-Rogers. When the ISS’s escape pod malfunctions, someone must risk their life to free it. Though Hen (Aisha Hinds) volunteers, Athena insists on taking the risk herself, confronting her grief over Bobby’s (Peter Krause) death in the process. “Reentry” stands out as a powerful, emotional hour of television — a story that transcends the spectacle of its premise to deliver one of Athena’s most human and heartfelt journeys yet.
In 9-1-1 Season 9, Episode 4, Athena Confronts Her Grief Over Both Bobby and Emmett’s Deaths
“Reentry” weaves together three versions of Athena (Angela Bassett), each grappling with loss and survival. In the present, she’s aboard the ISS, risking her life to free a jammed escape pod — only to become untethered and stranded in space. In the past, nearly eight years after Emmett’s (Jeff Pierre) death, Athena struggles to open herself up again when a kind stranger (Freddy D. Ramsey Jr.) shows interest. And in another timeline, during a pre-space interview, Athena insists she’s not a hero because she’s always been the one who lives — while the true heroes don’t.
Encouraged by her partner McCluskey (Karl Makinen) to move on, Athena buries herself in work, only to be shot while chasing a sniper — a reflection of how her own grief keeps wounding her. In space, her oxygen dwindles, and as she drifts further away, she envisions her younger self urging her to let go. What follows is one of 9-1-1’s most powerful moments: Athena rejects the temptation of surrender, arguing that the pain of loss is worth enduring for the love that makes it possible.
Angela Bassett and Pepi Sonuga-Rogers deliver extraordinary performances in this haunting scene, as Athena finally chooses to live — not just survive. In the present, she seizes Hen’s (Aisha Hinds) outstretched mechanical arm and pulls herself back to safety, ready to start again.
In 9-1-1 Season 9, Episode 4, Athena Begins Again — In Both the Past and Present
While “Reentry” ends 9-1-1’s space storyline, it’s really about Athena’s journey to heal. In the past, her partner McCluskey (Karl Makinen) dies after a shootout, urging Athena to move on from Emmett and open her heart again — advice that leads her to a young Michael (Rockmond Dunbar).
In the present, Athena’s courage in space mirrors that emotional rebirth. Lewis (Geoff Pierson) helps the crew escape the ISS safely, while on Earth, Tricia (June Diane Raphael) and Hen (Aisha Hinds) both find new beginnings. Athena reunites with May and Harry, apologizing for her distance since Bobby’s death.
Still grieving, Athena is finally ready to live again — though Harry’s plan to become a firefighter promises new challenges ahead.
