There’s no show quite like Ryan Murphy’s Fox procedural “9-1-1.” On the surface, it has a lot in common with other shows about doctors, cops, and firefighters. Each episode sees the crew tackling whatever emergencies come their way that day. But “9-1-1” traffics very heavily in two narrative strategies: metaphor and exaggeration. Many episodes tackle a specific topic, whether it be the idea of superstition or the feeling of being under pressure, and tie everything in that episode to the titular concept.
When “9-1-1” episodes are not tied together in a beautiful thematic bow, they tend to depict the most extreme emergencies imaginable, hence the exaggeration. The Los Angeles depicted in the series has experienced every possible disaster under the sun, including tsunamis, earthquakes, blackouts, cyber-attacks, plane crashes, explosions, sharks on the freeway, and escaped zoo animals. The more extreme, the better. Amazingly enough, many of these events are actually based on real 9-1-1- calls, as unbelievable as they seem.
It’s hard to narrow down the best episodes of “9-1-1” because they’re all so utterly bonkers (in the best possible way), but someone’s gotta do it. It’s time we take a look at the 14 best “9-1-1” episodes, ranked for your reading pleasure.
14. Worst Day Ever (Season 1, Episode 4)
One of the biggest mysteries of the first season of “9-1-1” is what really happened to Bobby’s (Peter Krause) family. We get an important glimpse into Bobby’s past in “Worst Day Ever,” which tracks the aftermath of a plane crash. The crash itself is terrifying, as they always are, and the rescue operation is extremely dangerous. Bobby almost loses his life trying to save a woman who was flying with her son, but they both make it out alive in the end. However, this causes Bobby to relapse, and Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Buck (Oliver Stark) find him in a bad way. Clearly, this all has to do with the death of his family.
Meanwhile, Athena finds herself trying to control the chaos at the airport, leading to one of Angela Bassett’s greatest monologues thus far. She boards a plane to find that the airport police have tied up a man with duct tape when he tried to get up. She gives an impassioned speech about how the airline CEOs are the bad guys in this situation, not the customers, and all of the passengers erupt in applause. It’s extremely silly, but also so darn entertaining, and Bassett delivers every line like it’s a Shakespearean monologue. This early episode started to give viewers a taste of what the show could really be like at its best, though the reliable dynamic of the team hadn’t perfectly coalesced yet. True greatness was yet to come.
13. Heartbreaker (Season 1, Episode 6)
Holiday-themed episodes of any show tend to be fan favorites, and “9-1-1” doesn’t disappoint in this regard. The Season 1 episode “Heartbreaker” is a Valentine’s Day episode, and boy does it deliver. More of a goofy episode than a serious one, “Heartbreaker” tracks a series of romances gone wrong. First, a man tries to propose to his girlfriend while in an airplane, and it causes broken heart syndrome — yes, it’s a real thing — and she almost dies. Buck and Abby (Connie Britton) also go on their first date in this episode, though it doesn’t quite go to plan. Buck chokes on a piece of bread and Abby has to give him a tracheotomy right there in the restaurant. Sexy first date, right?
And then there’s Athena’s evening, which really takes the cake for absurdity. She responds to a call about a domestic disturbance and finds a woman who seems to be a little unhinged. She leaves the house, has a crazy car chase while delivering a heart for a transplant to a hospital, and then returns to the woman and finds out she’s a literal serial killer who has murdered her Valentine’s Day date.
It’s an amusing — and at times harrowing — take on the titular subject, and it’s one of the first truly great themed episodes of the series. Buck and Abby are such a fun couple, and the fact that Buck has a near-death experience on their first date is hilarious apropos. It’s probably the best episode of Season 1 and Connie Britton is an absolute delight, but it’s not until the next couple of seasons that the show would really hit its sweet spot.
12. Defend in Place (Season 5, Episode 8)
For obvious reasons, some of the most dramatic episodes of “9-1-1” focus on emergencies that involve the main characters or their loved ones being in danger. Season 5’s “Defend in Place” is a real heart-squeezer, as it deals with an emergency that threatens the lives of hundreds of souls, as well as a character we’ve become fond of. When there is a fire at the hospital where Michael’s (Rockmond Dunbar) boyfriend David (La Monde Byrd) works, it’s total chaos.
First things first, they have to evacuate the newborn babies, which they do by handing them down the fire truck ladder, assembly-line style. Kind of cute, right? Then they have to deal with the rest of the patients and employees at the hospital, which includes a newly cancer-free patient who sacrifices himself to save the life of the nurse who took care of him. But one of the most exciting parts of the episode is the surgery that’s in progress while the fire rages. David is in the middle of brain surgery when the fire starts, and he refuses to leave until he’s finished and the patient is safely sutured up.
Michael is extremely worried for David, of course, and the scene that depicts Michael, Athena, and the woman whose boyfriend is in surgery praying together is extremely moving. Thankfully, David and his patient both make it out alive, and a joyful reunion is had by all (including an engagement for Michael and David). It’s a really well-structured episode-long emergency, though it’s not quite as memorable as some of the other city-wide disasters.
11. Desperate Times (Season 5, Episode 2)
Your child being abducted by a violent sociopath is probably one of the worst things that can happen to a parent, and that’s exactly what Athena and Michael face in Season 5. Athena is so busy chasing Jeffery Hudson (Noah Bean), she’s forgotten her own family could be a target, which results in Harry (Marcanthonee Reis) being kidnapped.
But that’s not all that happens in this episode, which takes place during a chaotic city-wide blackout. Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) is struggling with postpartum depression, Eddie (Ryan Guzman) needs to have a chat with Ana (Gabrielle Walsh), there’s a dramatic helicopter rescue involving a heart transplant, and Bobby and Hen face down a rabid alpaca.
During all of this chaos and heartbreak, we also see one of the most heartwarming calls on the show to date, delivered to us by one May Grant (Corinne Massiah). A woman calls 911 because her son’s ventilator is running out of batteries, and May does some quick thinking to save the day. She realizes someone down the block has solar panels, so she instructs this woman to work together with her neighbors in order to get power to the young boy with the ventilator. Their mission is successful, and when the mother looks out across the yard to see all the neighbors smiling with their extension cords, it’s hard not to get emotional. Though Harry’s kidnapping is a shocking turn of events, it’s actually May’s heroism that gives this episode a spot on the list. Jeffery Hudson’s storyline frankly goes on for longer than it should.
10. The One That Got Away (Season 3, Episode 16)
Buck is such a lovable character, and he’s so easy to root for. Unfortunately for our mopey hunk, he struggles a lot in his personal life after Abby’s departure, and he’s always searching for that feeling of belonging and acceptance. Buck makes an unexpected friend in Season 3 that really throws him for a loop. Red (Jack McGee) is a retired firefighter who Buck meets in a bar one night. They quickly strike up a friendship, but as Buck learns more about Red, he starts questioning his own life.
Red’s fellow firefighters used to be a family, but now they’ve drifted apart, and Red is lonely after losing the woman he loves many years ago. Buck worries he’s going to end up like Red, bitter and alone, and this thought completely depresses him. He is even more shocked to find out that Red is dying and has no one to be with him at the end. Being the big-hearted guy that he is, Buck organizes a last goodbye for Red at the hospital, bringing together a group of firefighters to salute him as he’s wheeled out, and letting him ride in the firetruck one last time.
There are several other developments in this episode, but it’s a treat to get to see Buck really dig into his emotions — which Oliver Stark plays brilliantly — and reckon with his abandonment issues. As it turns out, it’s just as compelling to watch Buck experience personal growth as it is to watch him race into a burning building. This episode is up there with the best of the best, though it doesn’t have as much action as we’ve come to expect.
9. Chimney Begins (Season 2, Episode 12)
The “[insert character here] Begins” episodes of “9-1-1” are some of the most beloved episodes of the series by fans, and it’s easy to understand why. It’s really rewarding to get to see the origin stories of the characters we’ve come to know and love and realize that they’ve not always been the heroes we know them to be. Chimney (Kenneth Choi), for example, had a rather circuitous journey to the firehouse.
He used to be something of an entrepreneur, trying (and failing) to come up with the next great commercial invention. He also worked at a bar with his best friend-slash-adopted brother, Kevin (James Chen). When there’s a fire at the bar and he saves the day, he decides he should become a firefighter. Kevin joins him, but then tragically dies on a call, devastating Chimney and Kevin’s parents. Chimney also struggles at the 118 prior to Bobby’s arrival, as his captain constantly ignores and belittles him.
It’s also important to note that all of this is happening as Chimney is fighting for his life after being stabbed by Maddy’s abusive ex-husband, Doug (Brian Hallisay), right outside of her apartment. It’s an emotional whirlwind alright, and it also gives us a lot of really important insight into who Chimney is and what he’s been through. It’s the second-best “Begins” episode thus far, and it’s only bested by one that makes us even more teary-eyed.
8. 7.1 (Season 2, Episode 2)
While some of the emergencies that take place in the “9-1-1” universe seem pretty implausible, the fact that the show is set in Los Angeles means there’s one disaster that’s always on hand to shake things up: earthquakes. The Season 2 earthquake emergency spans two entire episodes, and it’s a real doozy. The first episode of the season caught the audience up about where the characters are at in their personal lives, but the second one is entirely action, and it’s gut-wrenching.
The emergencies are numerous. Athena is driving her cop car with a car thief in the back when the freeway literally collapses underneath her. She saves a man from a burning car by ordering said car thief to drive a nearby cement truck over to cool things down. It’s genius, really. The 118 are sent to a collapsing hotel, where Buck and Eddy set out to rescue a sleazy boss and his annoyed female employee. She survives, he doesn’t — no tears there.
On the first floor of the hotel, the rest of the gang tries to save a high school basketball player and preserve his future career. Hen tries to find a missing girl and gets trapped under debris in a cliffhanger ending. Also, it’s Maddie’s first week of work as a dispatcher and she’s stressed. The episode is a non-stop thrill ride filled with an equal amount of touching and distressing moments, a balance that the show really excels at. And yet, there are even more gripping disasters to come.
7. Under Pressure (Season 2, Episode 1)
Season 2 sees some big shake-ups for the “9-1-1” gang. Abby has left and Buck thinks she’s still coming back (what a hilarious joke). Maddie arrives in town after finally leaving her abusive ex, and the 118 welcomes a new firefighter, the handsome veteran Eddie. As the title suggests, everyone is feeling a little stressed in this episode (and yes, the titular song does play near the end).
It’s a wonderfully ridiculous episode of the show, and the first few calls the 118 go on are delightfully unhinged. A tour bus drives off a cliff, a bottle of hot sauce gets stuck in a man’s neck, a YouTuber puts a cement-filled microwave on his head and sinks to the bottom of a pool, and an electric worker has his arm blown off by a manhole and it flies into a residential swimming pool nearby. Oh, and Buck and Eddie have to disarm a live grenade inside the ambulance. Is that enough excitement for you?
Meanwhile, our beloved heroes are feeling the pressure in their personal lives as well. Buck feels threatened by Eddie and is worried he’s going to take his spot, and Athena is worried about going public about her relationship with Bobby. Maddie is understandably worried about the situation with Doug and needs to decide what to do next. All of the aforementioned problems eventually work themselves out — even the live grenade — and it’s a smart, snappy episode that really gets the ball rolling for the season as a whole. But because Seasons 2 and 3 or so excellent overall, this is just the beginning.
6. Blindsided (Season 4, Episode 9)
There’s nothing like a dramatic parallel to really get the blood pumping. Think of the brilliant baptism-slash-assassination scene at the end of “The Godfather,” or all the cross-cutting from Christopher Nolan films. Okay, so “9-1-1” is not exactly on the level of Francis Ford Coppola, but the melodrama really hits the spot. Case in point: “Blindsided,” wherein several life and death situations happen simultaneously.
The main plot of the episode follows a deadly pileup on the freeway that was caused by a drunk woman driving with her son in the backseat. The devastation it wreaks is intense, and the casualties just keep piling up. The 118 thinks they’ve accounted for everyone until dispatch tells them they’ve missed someone — surprise, it’s Albert (John Harlan Kim), Chimney’s half-brother. Albert looks pretty near death, but Chimney isn’t there to look after him because he’s also in the hospital, watching Maddie give birth to their baby girl.
The cross-cutting between Maddie in labor and Albert fighting for his life is totally gripping and provokes a kind of emotional whiplash. Are we supposed to be happy or heartbroken? Luckily, Albert pulls through and is able to meet his niece, but, like everything else in this show, it was an odyssey to get there. The disaster itself isn’t the most riveting incident we’ve seen in the series, but the emotional revelations are moving enough that the episode deserves a prized place on this list.
5. The Taking of Dispatch 9-1-1 (Season 3, Episode 14)
“The Taking of Dispatch 9-1-1” is exactly what it says on the tin. This time, the emergency takes place inside the call center, rather than outside of its walls. Josh (Bryan Safi) actually plays an important role in this episode, as the situation at hand all goes back to a horrible date he went on that left him beaten and mugged. The emergency is this: A group of criminals takes over the dispatch center so they can rob a museum and route any calls away from the scene of the crime.
It all gets very complicated and by the end of the episode, we learn that the boss of the operation is not who we thought they were. Buck and Chimney arrive at the scene of the crime because they’re worried about Maddie, and the two of them team up with Athena in order to save the day. It’s fun to see these characters work together when they never have before, and the mystery-solving element of the episode is compelling as well. Plus, the drama inside the call center is legitimately adrenaline-inducing. It’s not the most realistic episode of the series (though that’s rarely the goal here), but it’s incredibly fun. We don’t quite get the character development featured in the very best episodes of the series, which is why it doesn’t clinch the top spot.
4. Buck Begins (Season 4, Episode 5)
Bobby may be the captain of the 118, but Buck is its beating heart. He’s also one of the most emotional characters in the show, and we finally learn the root of his abandonment issues in Season 4. We always knew there was something weird going on with Buck and Maddie’s parents, but in Buck’s origin episode, we get the full picture. In the previous episode, Buck has just learned that he had a brother named Daniel, who died when Buck was just a baby. In fact, the reason they had Buck was so that he could be a bone marrow transplant for Daniel, which it turned out he wasn’t.
Buck never knew this family secret, but he always felt neglected by his parents, which we see through flashbacks. Buck was constantly acting out and getting hurt growing up, but Maddie was the only one who cared enough to look after him. All of the scenes between a younger Buck and Maddie are absolutely heartbreaking, as it’s so clear how much Maddie loves Buck but, also how much she had to hide from him because of Doug.
In the present day, Buck nearly loses his life trying to save a man in a factory fire after everyone else has been ordered to evacuate. He’s feeling emotionally wrecked and lost, but he knows saving people is what he’s good at. It’s a truly beautiful and moving episode, and Oliver Stark proves once again that he’s equally good at being both an action hero and a sensitive soul. Very few episodes can match the emotional intensity of this one.
3. Fight or Flight (Season 2, Episode 13)
Maddie’s storyline following her courageous decision to leave Doug is one of the most moving narratives in the entire series, and Season 2 really takes her on a journey of survival. Maddie thought she had successfully escaped Doug by moving to LA, but he eventually finds her and ingratiates himself into her life by befriending Chimney. Rather than focusing on several emergency calls over the course of a day, “Fight or Flight” only follows one emergency: Maddie’s.
After Doug stabs Chimney and leaves him for dead, Buck immediately realizes that he must have taken Maddie. Even though she’s not technically on the case, Athena and Buck go on a mad hunt for Maddie and eventually discover that they’ve gone to Big Bear. But they’re too late, and it’s up to Maddie to save herself. Buck is worried sick about his sister, but Athena reminds him that Maddie is strong as hell and she can survive this.
And survive Maddie does. She kills Doug in the woods by stabbing him repeatedly, and then instead of giving up right then and there, runs through the snow while bleeding out. It’s an emotionally harrowing hour of television, and though it can be soap-operatic at times, the intensity never wavers. Buck and Athena actually make a great team, and Buck and Maddie love each other so much it makes one’s eyes water. As far as character development goes, this is some of the best we’ve ever seen, but there’s one disaster that bests them all.
2. The Searchers (Season 3, Episode 3)
Two-part “9-1-1” episodes always deliver action and heartbreak, and Season 3’s two-parter is no exception. In fact, it features some of the most jaw-dropping and heart-wrenching moments in the entire series. In the third episode of the season, sweet-hearted Buck has lost track of Christopher in the chaos and he fears he’s gone forever. He spends half of the episode becoming more and more desperate in his search, and he almost gives up and tells Eddie he’s lost his son when they both see Christopher, safe and sound. It’s one of the most poignant moments in the series, in part because we know Buck feels so guilty for even losing Christopher in the first place.
The rest of the episode is just as action-packed. Lena (played by wrestler Ronda Rousey), is looking for her captain, Ronnie (Leonard Roberts), who happens to be stuck with Athena. Ronnie tells Athena his arm needs to be amputated, and she doesn’t hesitate to do as she’s told. Meanwhile, Maddie has the bright idea to save a bunch of people trapped in an apartment building by using a young girl’s drone, and Chimney saves the day when she shows up in a UPS truck. The entire episode is electrifying (in more ways than one), but it’s Buck’s pain over losing Christopher that really tears at our heartstrings. Just look at that sad boy’s face. Once Christopher is safely located, the episode isn’t quite as gripping as its predecessor, which is why there’s only one choice for the top spot.
1. Sink or Swim (Season 3, Episode 2)
Frankly, “Sink or Swim” belongs on this list simply by virtue of the fact that a network TV show was able to depict a disaster as massive as a tsunami destroying the Santa Monica Pier and flooding the streets of LA. But, even as impressive as that feat is, what really makes “Sink or Swim” the best “9-1-1” episode are the emotional through-lines. First, there’s the heart of the episode(s), Buck and Christopher. Buck does everything humanly possible to protect Christopher, eventually safely depositing him on top of a firetruck and managing to rescue about a dozen other people in the process.
Meanwhile, Athena and May find themselves in a traffic jam that turns deadly because of an electric current in the water. May is trapped in the car with a dying woman and actually succeeds in saving her life. Maddie has a rough time at the call center as she listens to a man drowning over the phone and still has to keep answering other calls. Per usual, Jennifer Love Hewitt does some great weepy acting here. Also, Ronda Rousey’s character — who is actually great — climbs up a Ferris wheel that is now stuck in the middle of the ocean.
It’s a gripping episode from start to finish — the emergencies never cease — and it really illustrates what makes the show so addictive. That balance between high-octane action and emotional punches hits a perfect sweet spot here. “Sink or Swim” has everything: astonishing action set pieces, life-or-death rescue maneuvers, and enough emotional tension to knock out even the most stoic of viewers. It can’t be beaten.
