Some people in the world, like 9-1-1’s Hen Wilson, hate surprises. However, there’s nothing people hate more than being blindsided by their own invisibility. Hen and Eddie Diaz take the spotlight in Season 8, Episode 13, unexpectedly for Eddie since it appears that his subplot in Texas will take up residence for some time. But it’s refreshing to have Hen front-and-center, even if it means tapping into one of her biggest insecurities.
“Invisible” is small in scale compared to other big disasters that have happened in prior episodes of 9-1-1 Season 8, but it’s a welcoming change of pace. Often, in procedural shows that have gone on for several seasons, the characters stall their growth because there’s not more to tell about their own characterization anymore. But 9-1-1 is proof that people are an ever-growing species who have imperfections and fears well into their adulthood. There’s always something more to learn about who individuals are as human beings, and 9-1-1 puts that on full display in an insightful, touching episode.
Hen Wilson Is Surprised Left and Right on Her Birthday. Hen Gets the Opposite of the Birthday Treatment in a Grounded Episode. In “Invisible,” Hen finds herself just like that. The episode starts like a cheesy teen movie with the classic “trying on clothes” montage to boost Hen’s confidence on her birthday. 9-1-1 doesn’t actually divulge how old Hen is turning, but by the trope alone, she’s just as excited as any 16-year-old. Lo and behold, no one remembers her birthday. It starts with Karen, which is already a huge hit, and then it’s her kids, mother and the 118 crew. The only one with a stellar memory is her best friend, Athena.
Each and every slip crumbles her self-esteem until she blows up while advising a patient named Archie, who is already down on his luck. 9-1-1 plays off everyone’s forgetfulness as a funny rarity. The show utilizes lighter moments to cover the pain of the situation, like when Hen struggled to fit through the door frame with a giant bouquet of last-minute balloons and Bobby received a new machine similar to Hen’s name on her big day. But it also doesn’t sugarcoat the fact that forgetting a celebration of someone’s life always hurts.
Hen’s disappointment is framed similarly to a teenager being bummed they didn’t get the sweet 16 party or car of their dreams. Hen is coming from a place where she feels unseen and misunderstood, and it stings worse because she’d be the first to raise the banner and light the candles for anyone else’s birthday. It may not mean much to anyone else, but it’s the little things that 9-1-1 delivers in the story of “Invisible” that make people feel seen.
