Spoilers forward!
9-1-1 has at all times flirted with the horror style; there are many moments within the first seasons that could possibly be a part of a Ultimate Vacation spot film. With the present just lately leaning towards a comedy path, particularly on this eighth season, Voices continues the development that began with Sob Tales final week, delivering a thriller with some sudden slasher moments.
After Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) is kidnapped by Amber (Abigail Spencer,) Chimney (Kenneth Choi) and Athena (Angela Bassett) should work collectively to determine what occurred. Contemplating that Maddie is pregnant with their second youngster and he or she went lacking throughout her first postpartum, Chimney is nervous that one thing comparable may be occurring once more — particularly with Amber doing something in her energy as a detective to offer the impression that it was Maddie’s selection to go away. However Athena isn’t satisfied, becoming a member of forces with Rick Romero (Danny Nucci) to find if what occurred to Maddie is related to the Weepy Killer case. In the meantime, Maddie is preventing for her life utilizing her strongest weapon, her communication skills, to attach with Amber and escape.
“Voices” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Jennifer Love Hewitt as Maddie, Abigail Spencer as Amber. Picture: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2025 Disney. All rights reserved.
It’s at all times a pleasure for me when 9-1-1 goes loopy and delivers thrilling moments. As a horror fan, there’s a lot right here to be delighted with, particularly contemplating that this present is giving us eighteen episodes a yr — the entire episode is filmed and directed to maintain the viewers on the sting of their seats, biting nails of tension. The final ten minutes are particularly insane; when Amber slashed Maddie’s throat with a knife in true horror film trend, I gasped out loud, then jumped out of my seat speechless. Chimney simply arrived at Amber’s house, Athena simply found all the pieces that Amber did, and all of this results in a tense ending.
However (nearly) all the pieces’s high-quality ultimately. Amber is killed by Athena, Maddie, and Chimney are alive, their unborn youngster (a boy!) is ok, however her voice, her strongest weapon, the factor she makes use of probably the most to work and to attach with individuals (and to a sure level, to attach with us, the viewers, too) is generally passed by now, which signifies that at the least for some time, Maddie may not be a dispatcher anymore. The episode additionally offers with Maddie’s new being pregnant in a approach that makes a callback to the primary one; all this horror is meant to be about Maddie coping with her previous and preventing as soon as once more to remain within the lives of those she loves. In the meantime, Chimney can be coping with what occurred after Jee-Yun was born, affected by the potential of Maddie leaving them once more however refusing to surrender on her.
“Voices” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Kenneth Choi as Chimney, Abigail Spencer as Amber. Picture: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2025 Disney. All rights reserved.
Loads is occurring right here, and I believe the episode suffers from it a bit. Amber was simply launched within the earlier episode, which signifies that Voices serves each as her backstory (she has a number of personalities because of a kidnapping she suffered when she was a youngster, and apparently her mother didn’t give her sufficient love) and her remaining moments. Possibly that’s an excessive amount of for the time given; it’s simple to attach with what Maddie and Chimney are going by way of as a result of we’ve identified them for years and we love and root for them, nevertheless it’s exhausting to attach with Amber — which is by no means Abigail Spencer’s fault, who delivers some highly effective moments with what she’s given. Kenneth Choi and Jennifer Love Hewitt additionally ship some wonderful, riveting scenes, and I like that they each had a while to shine this season. After all the pieces that occurred to Maddie on this episode, I hope there’s extra to come back for Maddie and Chimney quickly.
Lastly, an enormous (even when quick in time) second of Voices occurs when Eddie (Ryan Guzman) leaves L.A. and says goodbye to Buck (Oliver Stark.) That one is large as a result of Buck and Eddie spend the entire episode with this stress between them; Buck is confused as a result of Maddie is lacking but additionally due to all the pieces altering in his life, together with Eddie’s departure. And whereas Eddie drives them to locations so possibly they will discover her someplace, this stress between them grows. Of their remaining scene, not a lot is alleged, as there’s this sense that each of them are protecting what they wish to say underneath lock and key.
“Voices” – 9-1-1. Pictured: Ryan Guzman as Eddie, Oliver Stark as Buck. Picture: Christopher Willard/ABC © 2025 Disney. All rights reserved.
And whereas Buck is the one who appears extra explicitly devastated by Eddie shifting to Texas, it’s clear to me that Eddie is the one repressing issues and making an attempt to persuade himself that all the pieces is ok — not as a result of he doesn’t wish to keep, however as a result of he can’t permit himself to let no matter he’s received happening with Buck hold him from making amends together with his son. From “It’s not nothing” to “This factor between us has been messy and exhausting, however I hope you realize, you do matter to me,” Eddie does something in his energy to inform Buck that he cares for him and for what he feels, even when he can’t let it get in his approach again to Christopher (Gavin McHugh). I additionally liked Buck’s nervous scratching and Eddie’s anxious swinging arms throughout this scene, mixed with the best way Eddie appeared again to Buck earlier than getting in his automobile — so many good, tender particulars added by Guzman and Stark to this entire factor happening between Eddie and Buck.
9-1-1 delivered Buddie storylines with explicitly romantic implications two episodes in a row — two episodes of them arguing like a married outdated couple adopted by a goodbye hug on a wet, cloudy afternoon, in a storyline that has some callbacks to the Abby one within the first season. If something romantic associated to Buddie was arguably subtext in earlier seasons, since season seven their relationship has leaned in direction of an enormous change, and all indicators level to this modification lastly occurring earlier than this season ends.
All in all, Voices is an efficient, shocking episode, even when it tries to inform too many issues in such a short while. It options some form of Jee-Yun (Bailey Leung/Hailey Leung) team-up with Mara (Askyler Bell) to ship necessary details about Maddie’s kidnapping to the adults, which signifies that Karen (Tracie Thoms) can be again to a small however heartwarming particular look. And the best way Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Chimney’s friendship was highlighted right here was so stunning; there’s a scene during which Chimney tells Hen that ought to go and be along with her household, and he or she replies to him one thing alongside the best way “I’m already with my household” and that was so cute and necessary. After this, we return subsequent week with a Bobby (Peter Krause) targeted episode directed by Aisha Hinds, and I’m enthusiastic about this one.
Now inform me how you’re feeling about this episode! Be at liberty to go away a remark together with your impressions and theories, and thanks for studying!
