As a longtime fan of 9-1-1, I couldn’t help but get excited when the Season 9 promo went viral — teasing a meteor shower emergency and the unforgettable image of Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Athena (Angela Bassett) heading to space. Typically, 9-1-1 uses the first of its three-part premieres to ease viewers back into the action before unleashing chaos in the next two episodes. But this time, the premiere, “Eat the Rich,” jumps right into some of the most bizarre, imaginative, and delightfully unhinged calls the series has ever delivered.
The sudden death of Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) last season marked a major tonal shift for the show, leaving fans wondering how 9-1-1 could possibly move forward. Six months later, the Season 9 premiere answers that question with heart and humor. The firehouse has been renamed in Bobby’s honor — a touching gesture that not everyone, including Chimney (Kenneth Choi), feels comfortable with — and the 118 are still quietly grappling with his loss.
Despite the grief lingering in the background, the episode finds the perfect balance between absurd emergencies and genuine emotion. It’s a strange, fun, and surprisingly moving reset — one that proves 9-1-1 can still reinvent itself while honoring the heart of what made fans fall in love with it in the first place.
In 9-1-1 Season 9’s Premiere, the 118 Handles Some of Its Weirdest Calls Yet
9-1-1 has always thrived on chaos, and while it’s setting up a massive, space-bound disaster for the next two episodes, the Season 9 premiere reminds us how much fun the show can be when it leans into the bizarre. The 118 is running surprisingly smoothly without Bobby, thanks to Chimney (Kenneth Choi), who’s been serving as acting captain since the Season 8 finale. He’s great at leading the team, but not quite ready to take the captain’s exam just yet. Meanwhile, Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Eddie (Ryan Guzman) have teamed up as paramedics — a pairing that leaves Buck (Oliver Stark) hilariously jealous. His dramatic sulking to Ravi (Anirudh Pisharody) and outrage over Hen and Eddie’s “whale movie” hangout are comedy gold.
The episode’s first big call sets the tone: tech billionaire Tripp Houser (Mark Consuelos), facing protests over his shady app, takes his yacht out for a spin — only to get swallowed by a whale. The 118’s rescue is ridiculous in the best way. But the night’s most memorable call comes when a bus full of rowdy kids suddenly goes silent. The driver realizes everyone has passed out, manages to stop the bus, and soon learns that antifreeze fumes from a faulty engine poisoned them all. With no medical ethanol available, the 118 (with Athena’s help) improvise — by buying booze to save the day. It’s the kind of absurd, clever chaos that makes 9-1-1 such a blast to watch.
‘9-1-1’ Season 9 Premiere Confirms the Show Really Is Going to Space
9-1-1 wasn’t bluffing with its viral promo — the show is officially headed to space. “Eat the Rich” opens with a quick flash-forward to two astronauts dodging debris in orbit, teasing the chaos to come just two weeks after the premiere’s events. Back in the present, the episode lays the groundwork for how Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Athena (Angela Bassett) end up on that mission.
After the 118 saves billionaire Tripp Houser (Mark Consuelos) — yes, the guy who got swallowed by a whale — he’s so grateful to Hen for reviving him that he gifts the department a massive donation and offers her a spot on a trip to space, with one guest. Hen first asks Karen (Tracie Thoms), who heartbreakingly declines because her company is in a legal battle with Tripp’s. Cue the hilarious chaos as Chimney, Eddie, and Buck all start competing (and bribing) to be her plus-one.
Underneath the comedy, the episode gives each of them real emotional growth. Chimney admits he’s hesitant to take Bobby’s place as captain, afraid it might feel like replacing him, while Eddie reminds him that Bobby would want him to lead. Buck, meanwhile, confides to baby Robert that he doesn’t even care about space — he just misses Bobby and hates feeling left out. By the time Hen makes her decision, every character feels a little more grounded — even as 9-1-1 prepares to literally blast off.
In the Season 9 Premiere of ‘9-1-1,’ Athena Fights to Move Forward Through Her Grief
9-1-1’s six-month time jump helps the series recapture its classic tone — but it doesn’t erase the shadow of Bobby Nash’s death. The episode opens with the 118 dedicating their firehouse in Bobby’s honor, though Athena (Angela Bassett) skips the ceremony to bury herself in work. Still grieving, she spends weeks catfishing a suspect through a dating app for an undercover case, only for the FBI to swoop in and arrest him before she can finish the job.
Athena’s real struggle, though, isn’t with her suspect — it’s with her family. She’s blindsided to learn that Harry (Elijah M. Cooper) has dropped out of high school to work at a coffee shop. When she initially blames May (Corinne Massiah), Harry pushes back, telling his mother that she hasn’t truly been present since Bobby’s death. It’s a brutal confrontation — and while harsh, it forces Athena to face what she’s been avoiding.
Meanwhile, the 118 treats a woman named Gina (Tamra Moningham) suffering from flesh-eating bacteria — a case that mirrors Athena’s isolation. Through Gina’s story, Athena realizes how much she’s shut out those closest to her. The emotional wake-up call prompts her to promise that she’ll start saying yes to every invitation Hen extends. The line is delivered lightly, but 9-1-1 cleverly cuts to Athena gearing up for a literal launch into space with Hen — a witty setup for Season 9’s first major disaster and proof that even grief can’t ground 9-1-1 for long.
