“Disconnected” deals with the aftermath of the two main stories that 9-1-1 season 8 has been focused on since its return from hiatus. Save for an extended emergency, which features a familiar face, the episode is split between Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) returning to work after being kidnapped and Eddie (Ryan Guzman) adjusting to life in Texas and attempting to rebuild his relationship with Christopher (Gavin McHugh). Both stories have strong points, but Maddie’s is the more clear-cut winner.
When it was teased that Maddie would once again go through a life-threatening ordeal, there was a bit of frustration. The character had already been through enough hardship to last a lifetime, thinking back to her abusive marriage and her post-partum depression, and it seemed a bit repetitive to put her in peril after a happy pregnancy reveal. But the resolution of the kidnapping arc concludes beautifully and justifies it. I don’t know that the same could be said, just yet, for Eddie’s move away from the 118.
Maddie’s Eager To Go Back To Her Job
But She Faces A Major Setback
“Disconnected” begins with Maddie, all smiles, as she returns to her dispatch desk and takes her first call. Despite the cheery song accompanying Maddie as she settles back into a familiar rhythm, there is something off about the scene. Sure enough, it turns out to be a nightmare that ends with Maddie getting her throat slit. She wakes up, startled, and clearly not having yet processed her near-death experience with Amber Braeburn (Abigail Spencer).
The next morning, despite admitting to Howard (Kenneth Choi) that she regularly has these same nightmares, Maddie wants to go back to work. The two introductory scenes clarify the stakes well. The nightmare is short and sweet, etched out in broad strokes by director Tessa Blake, particularly in how Maddie’s throat is gushing blood as her co-workers smile at her. It’s also nice that Howard trusts Maddie’s instincts enough not to argue when she says she needs to go back to helping people.
Note: “Disconnected” is written by Molly Green & James Leffler.
Her instincts, all the same, are pretty off. After being greeted by Josh (Bryan Safi) and Sue (Debra Christofferson), both of whom seem to be unsure of how to ease their friend back into it, Maddie talks to a young boy who’s trapped in his apartment. It catches fire after some popcorn-related mishap, and Maddie has to talk him through the steps to safety. Before long, Maddie’s voice starts to fade. Within a few minutes, her voice is completely gone.
Josh takes over the call, and the 118 is able to save the boy and his father. In a later scene, during a visit to the doctor, it’s revealed that Maddie is suffering from psychogenic aphonia. It’s a condition wherein the loss of voice is due to intense emotional distress. The doctor recommends that Howard and Maddie try exercises and vocal rest, especially after learning what Maddie has been through.
The goal and the difference of the Braeburn storyline start to come through in Maddie’s scenes with Howard and Athena (Angela Bassett). Unlike with Doug (Brian Hallisay), Maddie was able to face her abusive ex and put an end to him when he ultimately tried to kill her. Maddie doesn’t get the same closure with Braeburn, typing to Howard: “How do you kill a monster that’s already dead?”
Athena doesn’t answer that question for Maddie. She can’t. But when she visits the dispatcher in her home, Athena tries to help Maddie realize that she’s operating from a place of fear, and that’s what’s keeping her from doing her job. It might be the best scene of “Disconnected”, helped by the solid friendship between Maddie and Athena. It’s good that Athena acknowledges that she never suspected Braeburn, visibly bothered by the fact, but it’s even better just to see her talking to Maddie in a regular scene.
Regardless of how big or small a TV cast might be, writers tend to get locked into certain scene partners, and it is a little bit rare to see variation. 9-1-1 is no exception, tending to favor established relationships when deciding how to spend its screentime. It’s understandable, especially since the procedural regularly includes so many guest actors, but there’s a certain spark in watching two characters that don’t get to share the screen that often.
Eddie’s Eager To Fix Things In Texas
He’s Also Dealing With An Unexpected Setback
Eddie’s side of “Disconnected” begins with him meeting a new Captain for a potential job. The interview goes well, even if Eddie’s potential boss isn’t exactly sure whether the new hire will stick around for long. Eddie assures that he will remain in Texas, although Bobby (Peter Krause) has made clear that Eddie can return to the 118 whenever he wants. Eddie departs with the sense that he’s got a new job in the bag, splurging on a PS5 to get Christopher’s forgiveness.
It’s also important, though, to just see Buck and Eddie being there for each other, a little bit removed from the speculation over whether or not they’ll end up together.
As he later tells Buck (Oliver Stark) in a video call, Eddie doesn’t get the job due to a last-minute hiring freeze. Although it’s not the focus of “Disconnected”, Eddie’s financial situation seems almost dire. He’s spent all of his savings on a house that is falling apart on every level, with water leaking from the ceiling, lightbulbs exploding, and shelves tumbling out of place in quick succession. It’s presumably the same house that, earlier in 9-1-1 season 8, Eddie says is all he can afford.
Financial struggles aren’t depicted much on television. The thinking may well be that it would pierce the escapist, aspirational bubble that the medium is meant to provide. But it is refreshing to see money not only discussed but having an actual and immediate impact on how Eddie lives his life.
The immediate impact is that Eddie debates whether he should return to Los Angeles and rejoin the 118. At least then he would be able to provide for Christopher. Buck’s reaction is everything. He’s tempted, he pauses for a moment to consider what he should say, but he tells Eddie he should stay in Texas with Christopher. There isn’t much happening with Buddie in this episode compared to recent weeks, but what does happen is meaningful on two fronts. It is meaningful that Buck is the one giving advice for a change, solidifying that he’s accepting of his best friend being away.
It’s also important, though, to just see Buck and Eddie being there for each other, a little bit removed from the speculation over whether or not they’ll end up together. It has been too long since Guzman and Stark were able to just bounce off each other in a low-stakes storyline that resolves in an episode, with only glimpses and small previews occurring since the show’s move to ABC. If it is the case that Buddie is going canon, they should have more scenes together. Most of those scenes shouldn’t just be teasing whether or not they’re in love.
The 118 Rescue God (Sort Of)
A Recognizable Guest Star Gets Into A Zany Accident
One of the criticisms of 9-1-1 since its move to ABC is that the weird emergencies and larger-than-life guest characters have tended to take a backseat to whatever is going on in the main story. “Disconnected” doesn’t flip that focus, but it does feature an extended rescue for the 118 that harkens back to the procedural’s early days. Rob Benedict, known for recurring as Chuck Shurley/God on the long-running Supernatural, plays a pizza delivery guy who routinely avoids his responsibilities. He’s late for court (for unpaid parking tickets) when his car swerves disastrously and ends up dangling off the edge of a building.
9-1-1 is obviously having a bit of fun with the story. We’re introduced to Benedict’s character on a video call with the judge and his lawyer. He’s indifferent to the happenings in court right up until the point where he could plummet to his death in a fiery explosion. It’s amusing to see his increasingly anxious lawyer (Jessica Kemejuk) attempt to make excuses for him. It’s also fun just how unsurprised the 118 is. Henrietta (Aisha Hinds) quips as soon as she arrives on the scene. Bobby doesn’t give that much of a reaction.
The pizza delivery guy ends up okay, of course, thanks to Howard’s suggestion that he should try to exit his vehicle from the trunk. He even learns to stop weaseling his way out of his obligations, allowing Athena to handcuff him as he watches his car nosedive off the building and burn. He goes through an entire character in all of a few minutes, in the miraculous way that 9-1-1 used to do all the time, and the whole thing plays like a fun throwback.
Eddie Finds A Way To Stay In Texas
But His Reconciliation With Chris Should Be Just Beginning
Eddie sells his car to begin working as an Uber driver. He gets off to a rough start, talking too much when riders would prefer he stay quiet and offering his opinion where it isn’t needed. Just like last week’s episode, where Buck is oblivious to how annoying Ravi (Anirudh Pisharody) finds him, it’s hard to buy that Eddie is suddenly so socially awkward that he fails to pick up on the blatant social cues he’s getting from his passengers. He even rants to a lawyer about how much lawyers suck.
For anyone who needs a speedy refresher, Christopher is in Texas because he felt betrayed and confused by the fact that his dad was caught kissing a woman who looked exactly like his dead mom.
It does lead to some funny cross-cutting between the different passengers. Eddie offers a mint to one, and it looks like he’s talking to the couple who are feverishly making out in the backseat. He’s actually talking to Aubrey (Sol Romo), and she tells him, rightly, to shut up and drive. Having done the same job in the past, Aubrey tells Eddie what passengers want out of their drivers and gives him some advice on how to maximize his earnings and tips. Romo has a good spark with Guzman, and I’d be happy to see her pop up again.
Aubrey’s advice works like a charm, at least until he unknowingly picks up Christopher and his friend. Eddie is embarrassed to be a driver for an app and not a firefighter. But he’s even more embarrassed to have lied to Chris again. This, the lying part, in a video call with Buck, is the only time that “Disconnected” mentions why Christopher is in Texas to begin with.
Christopher is in Texas because he felt betrayed and confused by the fact that his dad was caught kissing a woman who looked exactly like his dead mom. That does not come up during their reconciliation at the end of the episode. I do think that 9-1-1 is pacing itself and will eventually address the issue that drove a wedge between Eddie and Chris before they go back to Los Angeles. Helena (Paula Marshall) and Ramon (George DelHoyo) are still lurking at the edges of the frame as Eddie’s overbearing parents, but the absence is glaring here.
There are positives in the concluding scene between father and son. Chris asks Eddie to return the PS5. Although mostly unspoken, it’s a sign that Chris has matured and more fully appreciates that his dad is going through a tough time. McHugh’s presence and the relationship between Eddie and Chris make 9-1-1 a richer show. I’m excited to see how their reunion is handled from here, despite this week’s mixed bag.
Maddie Finds Her Voice Again
The Resolution Works In A Few Different Ways
“Disconnected” finishes with Maddie back at her job, with her voice being heard clearly. Maddie regains her voice when she briefly loses sight of Jee-Yun (Bailey Leung) at the public playground. She screams out for her daughter in a panic, which is a fitting answer to the question of what would be accomplished by putting Maddie in danger yet again.
It shows that the thing she once ran from, the thing that brought her so much fear, is the very thing that brings her strength. With a second child on the way, the resolution underlines that Maddie is not the same person she was when she gave birth to Jee-Yun. The road to getting to this point has had some definite highs and lows, but 9-1-1 ends the Braeburn saga in the right place after four bumpy episodes.
9-1-1 season 8 airs Thursdays at 8 PM ET on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.
