At This Point, I Think Chim and Maddie Are Cursed on '9-1-1'

Last week’s episode certainly wasn’t the first time this season that Chim or Maddie have been put in mortal peril: in fact, Maddie’s still recovering from her last near-death experience. Only five episodes ago, Maddie was being held hostage by a serial killer in a two-episode arc which culminated in her miraculously surviving having her throat slit. Recovery has been no walk in the park for Maddie, either – the episode "Disconnected" saw Maddie struggling to use her voice following her kidnapping. While Maddie is still healing from this incident, she’s also pregnant with their second baby and undoubtedly needs a break from the stress. With all of these events happening back to back, it's no wonder that we feel like they might be cursed.

Tragedy Has Brought Chim and Maddie Closer Together

Despite the fact that this season has been particularly tough on them, near-death experiences have often resulted in important character moments, conversations, and bonding for the couple. When Maddie first came to LA in Season 2, she was far different from the Maddie we know today– she was escaping from her husband, Doug (Brian Hallisay), who had been abusive and left Maddie fearing for her life. Even her brother Buck was surprised to see her after her marriage had left her isolated. Unfortunately, though, that wasn’t the last of Doug: he returned to kidnap Maddie out of vengeance, and she was forced to kill him in her escape. While the kidnapping left Maddie with trauma and guilt that it took her a long time to escape from, leaving Doug behind ultimately led Maddie to be able to move on and live her life without fear once more. Chim, too, learned important lessons from his first near-death experience. When Chim was impaled through the head with rebar in Season 1, his miraculous survival helped him to realize that his previous relationship wasn’t right for him, ultimately leading him to Maddie.

That said, the traumatic experiences didn’t stop when Chim and Maddie finally got together. Maddie’s first pregnancy went without a hitch, but upon giving birth to their daughter, Maddie began to struggle with serious postpartum depression as the result of a thyroid condition. Faced with the fear that she could harm their daughter, Maddie left for Boston, where she stayed until ultimately beginning treatment and coming home with her family. Their relationship was put on pause by Maddie’s illness, but the two ultimately fought for each other and came back stronger than ever. As if they hadn’t suffered enough, Chimney then came down with encephalitis on their wedding day, which led him to wander Los Angeles to evade visions of Maddie’s ex, Doug.

New ‘9-1-1’ Season 8 Promo Teases a Deadly Second Half to the Contagion Breakout

We have to wait until next week?!

 

 

 

Maddie and Chimney Deserve a Break

While it seems like a good bet that Chim will be able to make it out of the lab alive, Maddie and Chimney have undeniably had it worse than most of the characters on this show. To be fair, no one has an easy time on 9-1-1, but with their baby boy on the way, it’s time the couple got a break for a while – though Jennifer Love Hewitt herself disagrees. “I think the audience doesn't love that these things happen to Maddie,” she said in an interview with Collider’s Therese Lacson, “but the truth is, these episodes are the most who Maddie is. Maddie is a woman who was put on this planet to fight over and over and over and over again.” In his own interview with Collider, Kenneth Choi, however, agreed that “…we have to have roadblocks and obstacles thrown in our way, but as a fan of the show, I'm really hoping that they have some time to breathe and enjoy wedded bliss, and each other, and their daughter, and their family, because they never really seem to be able to catch a break.” The man isn’t wrong. After eight seasons of turmoil for these characters, they deserve a breather.

Are Chim and Maddie Cursed?

Despite their many, many near-death experiences, I think the 118 just tends to be pretty unlucky: while the show has explored superstition on plenty of opportunities, Maddie and Chim probably aren’t actually cursed. Still, if I were them, I’d be wondering the same thing myself. Maddie and Chimney have had a lot of joy over the course of the show: they’re about to welcome their second child, they’re happily married, and they’ve built a beautiful life for themselves in LA. Still, I get the feeling that as long as the two are in the world of first responders, they’ll never quite be safe. Maddie and Chim, please invest in bubble wrap: and then wrap yourselves in it a few times.