Silly me for thinking this would be a lighthearted affair.
After a little midseason hiatus, 9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 6 brought us back to Maddie and Chimney's big day, which saw Maddie looking majestic and ready to walk down the aisle while Chimney was nowhere to be found.
What followed was the search for Chimney, which veered left in a way I didn't see coming.
I'll be honest here. Based on the promotions and the trailer's comedic aspects, I went into this hour thinking it would be enjoyable.
The trailer felt like we were in for an homage to The Hangover, and based on them already doing a play on The Poseidon Adventure to begin 9-1-1 Season 7, it wasn't unbelievable to think they could tap into another popular film for another storyline.
But nothing about this hour was funny, sans for the beginning, which fizzled out almost as quickly as it began.
We saw nearly every angle of the bachelor party leading up to the hour, and it WAS fun. Buck and Eddie letting loose in a way we never see was as outrageous and satisfying as you'd want it to be.
But it was far too short, and that's a shame because there was a foundation for a good time and a way to bring some levity to what ended up being a heavy hour.
I expected a funny, ha-ha blind leading the bling looking for Chinney affair, but instead, I was hit with a lot of pain.
And yes, I'm aware this episode was not about Buck, Eddie, questionable karaoke song choices, or anything else, but there was also a reason they chose to go this route with the party gone wrong, and it felt like an afterthought when all was said and done.
While many guessed that Chimney was kidnapped or simply lost and too hungover to make it to the wedding, it became clear early on that something else was at play when he straight-up didn't show up at the karaoke place.
The vibes at that bachelor party were low to start, and then finding out Chimney didn't even want the party in the first place made them even lower.
You've got to love Buck for trying, but the second someone says they don't want something, it's probably best to…not do the thing they don't want.
I'm not positive why Chimney didn't want the bachelor party, but considering the way the rest of the hour went, it was either meant to show some of the indecision present in Chimney about the trajectory of his life or the way they could have all Chimney's closest friends completely unphased by him not showing up to his own party.
9-1-1 never met a flashback it didn't like, and they did a few throughout this hour to highlight the weeks leading up to the wedding day and to inform the audience just what the hell was going on with Chimney.
The entire episode was jarring, but perhaps the biggest shift was from the chaos, joy, and debauchery radiating from the bachelor party scenes to an unwell Chimney getting carjacked, left on the side of the road, and then walking into traffic.
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Had the lead-up to the hour not been built around the bachelor party, then maybe Chimney being deathly ill would have been a consideration.
And I get it. There was a concentrated effort to keep all things about what happened to Chimney quiet, but the tonal shift in the hour is so abrupt that it can't be swept under the rug.
Seeing Chimney barely remember who he was and almost die on his wedding day was certainly not what I wanted from the Madney wedding experience.
Maddie and Chimney, both together and separately, have endured tremendous trauma, and it felt almost cruel to see that trend continue on what should have been a day of celebration.
I'm sure there will be a mixed reaction to how this story played out, with some liking it and others lamenting what could have been. I lay somewhere in the middle, but one thing I can't deny is the powerful performance Kenneth Choi brings to this hour.
Even though the wedding was at the center, this was Chimney's hour.
Thinking about where Chimney started on 9-1-1, he was a very confused guy. He was in this dead-end relationship with someone who didn't appreciate him, and then he almost died horrifically.
Meeting Maddie was like a lifeline for Chimney. Even though the beginning of their relationship was complex and delayed, it was obvious from the start that no matter what, their connection was always there.
Sue: Runaway bride?
Hen: Runaway groom.
The most interesting part about seeing Chimney stumble around Los Angeles with amnesia was that he still remembered who he was underneath all that: a brother, son, friend, paramedic, and lover of Maddie Buckley.
The back-and-forth cuts from Maddie at the call center to Chimney on the streets were tough, and again, I wondered why the decision was made to have this be how Maddie and Chimney's wedding day had to go.
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Drama, for the sake of drama, isn't good storytelling.
Poor Maddie was stuck in that dress trying to figure out why what should have been one of the best days of her life, one she'd fought like hell to get, was suddenly going up in flames, and more importantly, just what was wrong with the love of her life.
I did not expect to hear about viral encephalitis during this episode, and I did not expect to see Doug Kendall again.
Look, Chimney was hallucinating throughout the hour, his subconscious manifesting his worst fear alongside one of his biggest regrets. And on a certain level, I can understand why they chose this path.
Chimney didn't have cold feet so much as he was ill on the cusp of a significant life event, and his brain went to a bad place. It brought him Doug, someone who almost single-handedly ripped away the life he now had before he got to have it.
But Doug's presence was uncomfortable. Each time he showed up worse than the last.
Did we need to see Doug stab Chimney? Did we need to hear Doug mock Chimney relentlessly? Did we need to hear Doug make light of domestic violence?
The Doug of it all was deeply unsettling, and again, I question the need to include him in an episode that should have been overflowing with love, even if I can understand abstractly the purpose of his inclusion.
When Doug showed up the final time, and Buck was so close to finding Chimney on that patio, I assumed that would be the moment he was rescued and we could get past this pain and toward something better, but they actually surprised me by bringing Kevin in.
In hindsight, that beautiful scene of Chimney and the Lees sharing a meal on the anniversary of Kevin's death should have clued me into what was to come.
Kevin, as someone who was not only instrumental in the kind of man Chimney became but was also such an anchoring force for him for such a formative part of his life, being the person to pull him back to himself was so beautiful.
These are the moments 9-1-1 does so well. They have this ability to tap into something from the past and bring it full circle.
I may or may not have wept a little watching Kevin enter into Chimney's vision like a true angel, dressed down in his turnouts, literally helping Chimney pick himself up.
Sure, the 118 could have saved him. Or even Maddie, for that matter.
But it had to be Kevin and the Lees as well. Everything always comes back to found family, those people we choose for ourselves to be the people we love and trust with our lives.
I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it. And again, Kenneth Choi gave a performance for the ages here.
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Once Chimney woke up in the hospital, it was pretty damn obvious, with the lack of time left, that we were getting a hospital wedding. And let's be serious here: it's not exactly groundbreaking territory.
I'm pretty sure every medical drama in existence has had a hospital wedding at one point or another. This feels like another case of me having to explain that I get it before expressing my disappointment.
Is it fitting for Maddie and Chimney to get married in a hospital, given their professions and just their lives in general? Sure.
But would it have been nice to see the two of them get married in a grand ceremony surrounded by sunshine, the people who love them, and their boundless love for one another?
Would that have been such a bad thing?
Chimney was always fighting to get back to Maddie and Jee-Yun, and Maddie was fighting to get Chimney back, and I love that's such a cornerstone of their relationship. But can these two ever have a little bit of peace?
The wedding was sweet in the way hospital weddings are, and okay, fancy weddings aren't for everyone. But wanting something non-traumatic for this couple who've seen enough pain for multiple lifetimes shouldn't be a controversial opinion.
It was impressive they could fit everyone into that room, but it was also a very large hospital room, even by TV standards.
The show has made a big show about the Buckleys being a part of Maddie and Buck's lives now, even if we, as viewers, don't have to love it. And I would have loved to see Maddie walk herself down the aisle or even have Buck do it.
But that's a minor complaint in the long run.
Maddie: Marrying me is stressing him out.
Hen: Wrong. It's the one thing he didn't stress about at all.
Maddie: Maybe I got too caught up in the dream wedding. I was so excited about marrying him.
Hen: Listen, the only thing I'm sure about right now is that he couldn't wait to marry you.
So much of the hour was focused on finding Chimney, but it left a gap in checking in with Maddie's mental state. She was reeling, but an ever longer conversation between Maddie and Hen about what was happening would have been nice.
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We've never been blessed with enough Jennifer Love Hewitt and Aisha Hinds moments, two powerful actresses, and they play off one another so well as two of the most important people in Chimney's life.
They needed each other so much throughout this hour, and I'm happy the show has finally seemed to understand what that relationship could be.
Madney finally got married, and we all rejoiced.
While this hour was obviously and necessarily focused on finding Chimney, toward the episode's end, there was a sooty nod to Buck's newfound relationship with Tommy.
After Buck confided in Maddie and Eddie about him and Tommy, the series decided that outside of those pivotal conversations, everyone else would find out in a more public fashion.
And while that's perfectly fine, Buck has such meaningful relationships with so many characters that you can't help but feel slighted that we didn't get to see him and Hen or him and Bobby talk.
Tommy's presence in the hour was minimal, but when he did show up, I couldn't help but wonder what the long-term goal would be for these two. Tommy's coming to the bachelor party made sense. He's known Chimney for many years, and we know he has stayed in touch with him.
But he and Buck didn't seem to be on the same page regarding the whole 80s theme, nor did there appear to be any communication about him being on standby that evening, and potentially getting called in and then being unable to make it to the wedding.
That conversation felt like one the two should have had before he came to the party. But I digress. I don't know how all that works.
After their unfortunate first date and makeup coffee, their relationship is still in its infancy, and they'll need to dive a little deeper in the second half of the season.
Related: Lou Ferrigno Jr. Talks Return To 9-1-1, Tommy's Past & New Romance
By history, outside love interests have struggled to find their footing because it's not always evident to the audience why these characters we know and are invested in are so into the person they're seeing. They like them, and that's amazing, but why should we?
Again, I'm calling it a relationship for lack of a better word, but it's barely that at this stage, and there's time to show more and allow us to better understand their connection. If they truly have one, that is.
Witnessing Buck's journey continues to be a highlight, and I'll follow Buck's storyline wherever it takes us; I crave more! I want to see Buck explore and find out more about himself, including engaging in this new relationship.
But I'm still not sold on what it is about Tommy that has him so enraptured.
Luckily, they've got time! And with four episodes left, I need them to give me all the happy Madney, more of Buck's journey, Bathena's love, Henren passion, and Eddie realness.
I want it all.
Loose Ends
- We were robbed of the karaoke and party footage. Full stop. If anyone with the ability to get that footage released is reading this, I WANT IT.
- What song do you think Buck and Eddie performed together? I hope it was an 80s rock ballad in keeping with the theme. I know deep in my soul they crushed it.
- Speaking of the 80s theme, why were Buck and Eddie the only ones who dressed to the theme? I know that Chimney didn't want that party, but lord, I was hoping for some leg warmers and bright colors, and instead, we got…a henley.
- The emergency with the guy who was very ill was overshadowed by Chimney getting so sick, but it was deeply upsetting. He was probably so confused and looking for his fiancée and then even more confused when he was stuck and just getting sicker. How tragic and sad.
- Chimney's flashing memories of Maddie over the years were gutwrenching. That's really his whole life!
- I had so many ancillary questions after this one, like, did we find Chimney's carjacker? Who the hell paid for that hotel room damage? WHY WAS ABUELA AT THE HOSPITAL WEDDING, AND WE NEVER HEARD HER SPEAK?
- All those nice, contented smiles sent Buck's way, and then the utter confusion on the faces of the Buckleys. Ugh.
- Not to keep harping on this, but everyone being responsible the night before the wedding and getting a good night's rest. And then you have Buck and Eddie. You've got to love them.
Maddie and Chimney finally join Bathena and Henren in the married column, and now we get to see them continue to be the iconic couple they are!
If you loved this one, I love that for you. And if you had a mixed reaction like myself, I hear your pleas. Either way, I'd love to hear what you guys thought about the hour! So please let me know in the comments.
And do check out my chat with the man himself, Kenneth Choi, as we discussed all things Madney, love, and what's to come this season!