The final episode of 9-1-1 season 8 attracted a huge number of viewers. 9-1-1 season 8 began on September 26. The season began with a three-part premiere and ended on October 10. The premiere chronicled a new type of disaster, which saw an unimaginably massive swarm of bees invade Los Angeles. The disaster was called the Bee-Nado, referring to the swirling cloud of insects. 9-1-1 season 8 features an ensemble cast that includes Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Oliver Stark, and Aisha Hinds. The series will continue to air weekly episodes on Thursdays.
According to Collider, the final episode of the Bee-Nado part of 9-1-1 season 8 attracted a huge number of viewers. The episode, titled “Final Approach,” garnered 10.42 million views in seven days across multiple platforms. This was a huge increase from the live viewership of the 9-1-1 episode on the same day, which reached 5.52 million. The multiplatform viewership was 89% higher on the same day, showing significant growth. The 18-49 demographic was particularly strong, with a 2.01 rating and a 294% increase on live and same day.
Since the 9-1-1 promo videos, the Bee-Nado has become the most talked-about element of the show this season. After all, it’s arguably the series’ most bizarre disaster to date, offering something more detached from the usual reality. The viewership numbers show that the Bee-Nado’s impact extends beyond viral online chatter, to having a tangible impact on the series’ overall viewership. These strong debut numbers bode well for the rest of season 8, as those who were impressed with Bee-Nado may be more likely to return for more 9-1-1.
In addition to the impressive numbers, Bee-Nado episodes have been well-received by fans. The first three episodes all have good ratings on IMDb, but the ratings have actually increased with each subsequent episode. Even after Bee-Nado ended, “No Place Like Home” still has an impressive 8.4/10 on IMDb, showing that audiences continue to love the season. If 9-1-1 Season 8 can continue to have views and reception like this, it will be a great season.
While these 9-1-1 Season 8 numbers are impressive, they don’t surprise me at all. Over the years, the series has tackled large-scale disasters, including the tsunami of season 3 and the cruise ship disaster of season 7 of 9-1-1. This left viewers like me wondering what 9-1-1 season 8 could do to top previous seasons in terms of scale. Despite the absurd premise, the show managed to do it again with Bee-Nado, and how its viewership reflects that decision.
