9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 17 Review: The Show Swings From One Of The Season's Worst Episodes To One Of Its Best Thanks To Its Biggest Strength

The penultimate episode of 9-1-1 season 8 demonstrates the impact of Bobby's death better than his funeral. The first-responder drama is still favoring small time jumps, not wanting to let the audience sit with their sorrow for too long. But even as the characters attempt to move forward in their own ways, and even as the show regains some of its light tone, "Don't Drink the Water" does a far better job of showcasing what the absence of Captain Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) actually means for those who loved him.

It doesn't absolve the glaring missteps of "The Last Alarm," like how a scene featuring Bobby's mother, Ann Nash (Lesley Ann Warren), was cut to give more time to a typical case-of-the-week. But in my time reviewing 9-1-1, I've noticed the series sometimes needs two tries to get things right. Eddie (Ryan Guzman) moving to Texas needed a couple of episodes before it zeroed in on what really mattered, which is his relationship with his son. Bobby's death, as well, is far more effective the further we get away from it.

9-1-1 Checks In On Everyone's Level Of Grief

A Devastating Pre-Credits Scene Sets The Tone

"Don't Drink the Water" immediately starts off on the right foot with a short scene that is more effective than anything in the previous episode. It's a flashback to a time when Ravi (Anirudh Pisharody) was still a probie. The 118 is gathered around a table, and Ravi is in a hurry to eat an appetizing meal. But as the leader of the 118 explains, they all wait to eat together as a family.

Bobby then shares stories of the full moons that the 118 has shared together, where all sorts of strange things happen, including delivering babies on yoga mats back in season 1. The whole team, including Henrietta (Aisha Hinds), Howard (Kenneth Choi), and Eddie erupt in boisterous laughter. It's possible, even probable, that Buck (Oliver Stark) is remembering the moment as more significant than it actually is. He's probably remembering them laughing more than they did, but he doesn't really see himself in the flashback. He just sees the people he loves, all together, smiling and happy.

It makes it all the more devastating when the flashback ends, cutting to Buck sitting at a table at the firehouse alone. In a great bit of facial acting from Stark, he's holding back tears that don't quite fall. The contrast in sound is excellent as well, juxtaposing the noise of a family feast with the dead-silent isolation that Buck feels. It might be the best scene of the episode. But, thankfully, the rest of "Don't Drink the Water" is also strong.

After the title sequence, the focus shifts to Athena (Angela Bassett) with May (Corinne Messiah) and Harry (Elijah M. Cooper). Even though Athena can't differentiate between the three different shades of white that she's asked to choose between, she tells her kids that she doesn't plan to sell the house. This surprises Harry and May, who expected that she might after Bobby's death. They are less surprised, though, about her announcement that she plans to go back to work.

It's a sweet little scene that makes the case that Messiah and Cooper should be welcomed back to the cast more often, but it also draws attention to the fact that we've heard nothing from Michael (Rockmond Dunbar) about Bobby's death. Dunbar left 9-1-1 under controversial circumstances, but at one point, Bobby and Michael were close. It's weird that Athena doesn't at least get an off-screen call from her ex and the father of her children.

The last stop, before we transition to the big two-part emergency of water that catches fire, is to check in on Henrietta and Eddie. They're in Hen's kitchen with Karen (Tracie Thoms), worrying over Buck. There's some back-and-forth about whether Hen should aim to be the new Captain and if Eddie should return to the 118 or accept a job at the Texas Fire Department. Hen isn't sure. Neither is Eddie.

More than the specifics of these brief scenes, it's the fact that the characters are talking to each other and about each other. That's what "The Last Alarm" lacked, leaving its cast to portray different reactions to loss in their separate concerns. The biggest strength of 9-1-1 is that it's the rare long-running network show without major changes to its main cast. It's a mystery why the script doesn't lean in on that built-in chemistry more than it does. But when it does, it works.

9-1-1 Taps Into An Emergency That Works

The Show Doesn't Have To Go Big

Buck goes to confession, encountering Father Brian (Gavin Stenhouse). The priest, who has had run-ins with Bobby and Eddie, doesn't really factor into the episode much. But it's funny to hear Buck clarify that he's not Catholic, learning the steps of confession on his phone. The scene exists for two reasons. The first is to remind viewers why, other than Athena and possibly Howard, Buck will have the toughest time moving on from Bobby's death.

Whereas his cohorts have enough going on in their lives and the emotional maturity to accept the fact that they may well drift apart, Buck has always struggled with the concept. He's struggling right then with how the 118 is drifting after their shared loss, no longer speaking or sharing a meal. Father Brian leaves him alone to talk to the loved one he's missing, not realizing it's Bobby Nash, and Buck wonders aloud if the 118 even needs him.

His sadness is interrupted by a tiny tremor of an earthquake, which contaminates most of the water supply in Los Angeles. As always, with these 9-1-1 emergencies, the specifics don't matter. What does matter is that, for the first time in several weeks, the central emergency is fun.

There's a montage that runs through Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and the other dispatchers responding to the procedural's classic zany distress calls. Highlights include a man burping fire and Josh (Bryan Safi) advising a caller to start running away from bodies of water. The show also brings back former one-off guests like Lorna (Phoebe Neidhart). After she starts breathing fire during an already stressful dentist's appointment, Buck recognizes her as the woman who turned blue from toothache medicine in season 3.

Athena runs into a familiar face of her own, responding to a call that involves Greame Quay (Sam Roach). Athena bonded with the Cart Cop back in the season 8 episode "Wannabes." Still not on speaking terms with his parents, Greame has moved on from punishing those who abandon their shopping carts in the parking lot to messing with people who leave their laundry in the washing machine beyond the allowed time.

It all works, including a scene where Maddie advises a caller to essentially snorkel toilet water to keep from suffocating in her burning bathroom. It proves that the series doesn't have to imitate a somber feature film on a network budget when trying to do these big two-part events. It's enough to be a little inventive, a little light-footed, and to bring in guest stars capable of making the audience care about their fates even a little bit.

Buck & Eddie Have Another Electric Scene

They're Different From Any Other Pairing On The Show

About halfway through "Don't Drink the Water", Buck has a confrontation with Eddie. There's some tension between the two roommates. Buck is upset that Eddie didn't tell him that he's eying a job with the El Paso Fire Department. Eddie, for his part, is upset that Buck has been spiraling since the funeral and would have made Eddie's new job all about his own feelings of abandonment.

Eddie's line is cutting, which is kind of funny because it's so undeniably true. But what I appreciate about it, what I like about Eddie getting in Buck's face and pointing his finger a moment later, is that it highlights what makes Buddie different than other 9-1-1 pairings — they actually fight. It's personal, a little hurtful, and nothing like what you'd ever see from Maddie/Howard and Hen/Karen. The former have been through too much hell to hurt each other, while Karen and Hen have, for at least the past few seasons, been the picture of domestic stability. That's similarly true of Bobby and Athena.

I love that Eddie thinks enough of Buck to pick a fight with him,, even if he's hurtful in the process. Buck complains that everyone is tiptoeing around him, afraid to tell him the truth. When push comes to shove, though, Eddie sees Buck as an equal and someone who can handle brutal honesty. He trusts the relationship they've built to know that they'll survive it.

The confrontation nicely weaves in Eddie's immediate reaction to learning of Bobby's death. It doesn't absolve how Eddie is barely present in "The Last Alarm." It's a nice recovery, all the same, with Eddie admitting that he struggled to break the news to Christopher (Gavin McHugh). It's very well done from both Guzman and Stark, both of whom are pitch-perfect.

The next morning, Buck wakes up to find a note that Eddie has gone to the airport. He takes this to mean that Eddie has gone back to El Paso, but he's picked up Christopher from the airport, which is the first time that he's been in the same room as Buck since the 9-1-1 season 7 finale.

I hope that they'll have at least one meaningful scene together in next week's finale, but, perfectly, this is Eddie's apology. It speaks volumes about their friendship that, for the time being at least, a casual but direct admission of remorse is all that it takes. Eddie smiles, watching Christopher, Buck, and his Aunt Pepa (returning guest star Terri Hoyos) all together. It's a closing note that, with reasonable justification, should resurface those Buddie hopes.

Athena & Howard Are A Long Way From Reconciliation

But They Can Agree On One Thing

"Don't Drink the Water" has a lot of conversations that don't solve anything. Buck doesn't really get anything out of his confession to Father Brian. Eddie and Buck argue to no conclusion. Even the Cart Cop doesn't heed Athena's advice. The chat between Athena and Hen, about whether she should take Bobby's job, raises more questions than it answers. It hints, for a moment, that both women are unsure about what their next career moves should be.

Those questions are left unexplored because Athena can't leave Hen's house fast enough when she sees Howard. She is not only angry at him for making the call that speeds up Bobby's burial. She's angry because he survived and Bobby didn't. Howard can't blame her, but this version of Howard, who feels defeated by the situation but is still present for his family and friends, is far more believable than in the funeral episode. As sad as he is, he is still a husband and a father. The penultimate episode makes this explicit, with Howard working to set up the baby's crib.

Athena echoes similar sentiments in a conversation with Karen later, explaining that she doesn't blame Howard. She just can't look at him without seeing Bobby. It's a deft choice to have Karen be the peacemaker. She's connected to the group through Hen. Though she may be closer to some of the 118 than others, she has enough distance to calmly try to keep everyone from splintering into 'Team Athena' and 'Team Chimney.'

Her efforts are rebuffed, continuing the solid subversion of heartfelt conversations going nowhere, and Athena says that she only needs to be professional with Howard from now on. I suspect that will be tested by whatever happens in the finale.

The Finale Has Several Worthwhile Threads To Address

It Feels Like A Genuine Two-Parter

The finale leaves us with one last subversion. The 118 respond to a burning building, which would be typical in usual circumstances. It's seemingly impossible to handle when water itself is flammable. Thanks to some quick thinking from Maddie, the crisis is averted. The real trouble happens when Athena responds to a conflict involving Graeme again. He's now accused of stealing the panties of the jock's girlfriend, which Graeme vehemently denies.

Athena looks ready to wash her hands of the whole situation, advising Graeme to get in touch with his family before going back to her cop car. But before she can drive away, the entire building collapses. It's a solid setup for the season 8 finale, with Graeme's fate hanging in limbo, along with the unresolved stories of Athena, Howard, Buck, Hen, and Eddie. It's also a reminder that 9-1-1 can swing wildly, delivering a terrible episode one week before regaining ground the next.