BREAKING NEWS: 9-1-1 Takes Disaster to a Whole New Level

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9-1-1 Season 8 kicks off with one of the strangest emergencies in the series’ history: a tornado of killer bees (colloquially dubbed “bee-nado”). With roughly 14.8 million of them swarming Los Angeles, the first responders get creative as they deal with situations they could’ve never been trained for. Along with this unique premise, the Season 8 premiere also sees Police Sergeant Athena Grant (Angela Bassett) tasked by the FBI to transport an inmate back to Los Angeles to testify in a sex trafficking case. Seems easy enough for her, until it’s revealed that the prisoner she’s escorting is Dennis Jenkins (Glenn Plummer), the man who killed her fiancé, Emmett Washington (Jeff Pierre). What makes matters even worse is that, in exchange for his cooperation, Dennis will be granted early release.

Athena begrudgingly accepts the job because Dennis won’t testify if she doesn’t escort him. Despite the palpable tension from Athena, she protects Dennis from a group of hitmen who want him dead due to some information he has on his Jeffrey Epstein-like former cellmate. When they switch flights to evade these killers, a large swarm of bees causes their plane to collide with a light aircraft, setting up the events of Season 8, Episode 2 “When the Boeing Gets Tough…” Although 9-1-1 Season 8 starts off on a lighter note, writers Tim Minear and Ted Griffin subvert expectations and deliver a stressful, but inspiring story in its second episode.

Athena Grant Straps In for One of the Best ‘9-1-1’ Episodes

Angela Bassett's Athena Grant on a destroyed plane in 9-1-1

9-1-1 Season 7’s big emergency featured Athena and her husband, Robert “Bobby” Nash (Peter Krause), trapped on a sinking cruise. Despite them having marital issues moments beforehand, this catastrophe brought them closer than ever. But in Season 8, Episode 2, they’re physically thousands of miles away from each other as Athena worries for her life. The collision with the small aircraft knocks out the pilot and co-pilot of the airliner Athena is on, leaving her as the only one capable of landing the plane. However, just because she’s a first responder doesn’t automatically mean she’s a pilot all of a sudden. Realizing that she might not make it, she tries to call Bobby, but his new job as a tech advisor on a TV set keeps him occupied. Even with a short voicemail, Bassett’s line delivery is enough to pack in just how much Athena loves Bobby.

A flight trainer, Jimmy (Anthony Azizi), gets on the line with Athena to guide her through landing the plane. It’s fine, though, he’s done this many times… with students on flight simulators. Luckily, a young boy, Gem (Carter Young), is a big fan of planes and helps Athena find the right buttons to stabilize the Boeing, even with the gaping holes in it. The tender moments between Gem and Athena provide a much-needed balance through the many wild events of the episode. After finally hearing Athena’s voicemail, Bobby goes full knight-in-shining-armor mode and takes a firetruck with Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark) to the airport. It’s unclear what Bobby plans to do, but his heroic drive is in high gear to do whatever he can to help Athena. While Athena and Bobby’s relationship has been through ups and downs, 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 2 is a nice reminder of how much they care for one another.

‘9-1-1’ Season 8 Episode 2 Shows That Anyone Can Be a Hero

Before attempting to fly the plane, Athena admits to the passengers that she’s afraid and tells them not to panic and help however they can. Thanks to Maddie Buckley’s (Jennifer Love Hewitt) help, she connects Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz (Ryan Guzman), Henrietta “Hen” Wilson (Aisha Hinds), and Howard “Chimney” Han (Kenneth Choi) to the passengers over the phone and guides them through triage. Even with the limited amount of resources, the 118 paramedics rely on their quick-thinking to come up with temporary solutions for the injured victims. Even in the face of danger, the passengers are able to step up and be capable first responders. Who would’ve thought a concept as silly as bee-nado would be the cause of one of the best episodes of 9-1-1?

“When the Boeing Gets Tough…” continues the series trend of using multi-episode emergencies to test the characters in uniquely dire situations, and showcase what makes each of them special. Although a majority of the characters don’t physically interact with one another, the power of communication is on full display. This episode demonstrates that with the right guidance, even the impossible can be possible.

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