When Maddie left 9-1-1 followed by Chimney, there was a lot of concern among viewers that the characters wouldn’t return. In season 5, Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Chimney (Kenneth Choi) left their home and friends in Los Angeles, taking an extended break before returning nine episodes later no longer a couple. Maddie’s last prior appearance was in season 5, episode 3, “Desperate Measures,” with Chimney leaving to find her in episode 4, “Home and Away.” While there were production reasons for the break, namely Jennifer Love Hewitt’s own pregnancy, the in-universe 9-1-1 storyline to justify it ended up being one of its most realistic plot arcs — an honest portrayal of postpartum depression.
Maddie has had a hard journey since she replaced Connie Britton’s Abby. After giving birth to their daughter Jee-Yun at the end of season 4, Maddie began experiencing post-partum depression. This continued into season 5, resulting in her leaving her daughter at the firehouse with a video message for Chimney. After learning why she left, Chimney took Jee-Yun and went to find her, causing some fans to wonder if Chimney would leave too. They reunited in episode 12, but Maddie was not in a place where she could start a family with him as they’d planned, and she still had too much to work through before they could rekindle their romance.
Maddie And Chimney Leaving 9-1-1 Made Sense For The Story
Maddie’s Post-Partum Struggles Made For A Grounded Storyline For The Couple
An interview with executive producer Tim Minear initially suggested that there was more to Maddie’s story: “It’s a story that I don’t want to give short shrift to. It will end up creating a major complication for Season 5” (via TVline). The 9-1-1 season 5 complication he referred to could have been Maddie’s departure, but there was also more to Maddie’s arc once she returned.
Both Kenneth Choi and Jennifer Love Hewitt were still credited as 9-1-1 main cast members throughout Maddie and Chimney’s absence, so the chances that either would be written out permanently were always slim. After investing in Maddie and Chimney’s struggles bringing Jee-Yun into the world, 9-1-1 audiences would most likely find either of them being written out incredibly frustrating.
The break makes sense for 9-1-1’s narrative arcs, but behind-the-scenes circumstances influenced the decision too. In September 2021, Hewitt gave birth to her third child, and she needed time off from 9-1-1 for her pregnancy and maternity leave. Maddie’s departure both allowed Hewitt to take some time for her new baby and furthered Maddie’s plot. It was dramatic and gave weight to what the 9-1-1 character had been dealing with.
The phone call from Maddie to Buck was likely recorded in a studio, which would have been easier for Hewitt than being on-set. Her absence was designed to free Hewitt from filming requirements while keeping Maddie a plot-relevant character. When Maddie returned nine episodes later, it felt natural. Maddie has been through a lot, so taking a break from LA would have made sense even if Hewitt didn’t need the time off-screen. Moreover, Chimney’s departure also makes a lot of sense for the character.
Having him leave for a few episodes to look for her both advanced the plot and developed them as one of the best 9-1-1 couples. It’s also a strong message from the show that people dealing with post-partum depression don’t have to go through it alone and that support from family can be crucial. Their split further added to the realism of their story, showing the struggles of both of them.
How Realistic Was The Portrayal Of Postpartum Depression?
Maddie’s Postpartum Depression Is Portrayed Realistically
While many 9-1-1 fans were not happy that the series wrote Maddie out for a little while, the portrayal of her battle with post-partum depression is an accurate one. Both Maddie and Chimney admit to not realizing how bad things were for her until she left. Many new mothers and their partners don’t realize the importance of paying attention to mental as well as physical health right after the birth of a new baby as well. Jennifer Love Hewitt can attest to how mothers are treated after birth first-hand.
Hewitt spoke at length with TVLine about Maddie’s post-partum storyline. Fans might not have realized right away that for most of Maddie’s pregnancy storyline, Hewitt was also pregnant with her third child. Writing Maddie out for a short time was to allow Hewitt herself to give birth and take care of herself and her new baby before coming back to work. Hewitt told TVLine that filming Maddie’s postpartum experience helped her with her own:
And with the timing of everything, I also ended up sort of being on my own postpartum journey as I was filming her postpartum episodes. It was very interesting timing throughout the whole thing for her and I. It was actually very helpful. My postpartum was sort of rushed through because I had to give it all to Maddie. [Playing that character] gave me a place to put all the emotions. So it helped me, in real life, push through it probably a lot faster than I would have. I was very grateful for that.
Hewitt noted in her interview how important it is to make sure a mother is cared for right after having a baby as well, something she notes isn’t always handled properly, even by doctors. Hewitt was lucky because not only did she have the storyline to help give her an outlet for her own emotions, but she had people around her who recognized her struggles:
The after having a baby part is as important for the mom and for the partner of the mom to pay attention to. There’s a lot that happens. I literally just went through this where I had postpartum. Fortunately, I had people around me to pay attention and tell me that I didn’t seem like myself or that maybe I was struggling more than I was allowing myself to vocalize. I’m so grateful to be playing this storyline for people out there. I hope that they feel seen and heard and can help people who might be struggling and feel like they can’t say anything. I hope it helps somebody…
There are these very simple blood tests they do for women after [giving birth], and then they just send you out. They’re like, ‘Well, it looks fine. You must just be feeling weird.’ I appreciated that in Maddie’s storyline, we really get into how part of what happened to her was just a missed hormone panel that no one paid attention to because she fell into this rare category of people who needed this certain kind of thing for her thyroid.
While fans might have been frustrated at how 9-1-1 handled the storyline initially because Maddie disappeared, Hewitt’s need to take time away from the show and her own experiences demonstrate how realistic Maddie’s storyline really is.
