There’s something to be said for 9-1-1 managing to hit the most absurd comedic beats in one scene and transition directly into the heartfelt the next, and it does not feel quite as unbelievable as it sounds.
9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 5 was an interesting hour, to say the least, with three competing storylines almost fighting for dominance — some hitting their mark more than others.
This was another heavy character-driven hour, which again, coming off the heels of the three-part extravaganza, felt very earned.
For Hen, 9-1-1 Season 7 has seen her ups and downs (mostly ups), as Interim Captain highlighted, but it hasn’t ventured much into her home life.
That changed here as Hen and Karen prepared to bring a newborn into the Wilson household, and you could tell just how joyful and grateful they were as they sat around the Buckley-Han table and perused through hand-me-downs.
Hen and Karen have wanted this for so long, and they’ve deserved it.
They took the news about no longer homing a newborn in stride, and their attitude was truly admirable. It must be devastating, especially when you’re so close and many different things have been put into motion, but how upset can you be knowing this tiny little bundle of joy will be staying with family?
Hen and Karen are kind-hearted individuals, and the second Dierdra brought up Mara, you could see their faces melt at the idea of getting this young girl out of the system and providing her with some stability.
I know many expected Hen and Karen to get a newborn, but pivoting to this story makes a lot of narrative sense and opens them up to a lot of exploration.
I’m not quite sure how old Denny is now, but with him and Mara being so close in age, there are a lot of stories to tell about this new blended family and what will continue to be a transitional period for them beyond just what happened during this hour.
If I had one minor quibble about the trajectory of this story throughout the hour, it’s how the encounter with Mara in their bedroom was set up in a way to almost seem like the beginning of a horror film, and that didn’t sync up with the actual sadness surrounding the whole story.
There was obviously something from Mara’s past that had her watching them and clinging to her literal security blanket. And finding out what happened was truly devastating.
Side note: I won’t pretend to know all the laws of the land, but were Athena and Maddie allowed to do what they did? Can you pull a child’s records and a 911 call just because someone wants them?
It felt like they may have perhaps skirted the rules and the law, but what they discovered allowed them to move forward with Mara now that they better understood her past.
Hen and Karen didn’t want to be two more people in a long line of people who failed that little girl, and yes, Denny is their son, and they must protect that little boy with everything they have.
Mara hurting Denny was a big deal, but it wasn’t as black and white as it may have first appeared on the surface. And Hen and Karen recognized that, and it’s why they wanted to know more about Maura.
To do right by her instead of casting her aside because they couldn’t read her mind.