#911fandom

Season 9 of 9-1-1 Isn’t Stagnant — It’s Holding Its Breath

So today’s Theory Time is… not exactly a theory.

It’s more like me thinking out loud.

Because we’re basically at the end of Season 9 of 9-1-1, and I realized something: this season feels different.

Now, this is just my perspective — you can absolutely disagree.

But the more I think about it, the more I feel like 9-1-1 is a show that has gone through very distinct phases, depending on where it lived.

The “Three Lives” of 9-1-1

When it started on FOX, the show felt much more like a classic procedural.

Then, when it moved to ABC, something shifted.

We got: – deeper character work – stronger focus on relationships – a big emphasis on family

Those seasons are where we saw the most important developments in terms of personal lives, emotional arcs, and relationships.

And then… it changed again.

With the move to Hulu, the show feels like it has taken on another identity — one that explores characters in ways that maybe weren’t possible before.

I might be wrong, but even Buck’s bisexuality seems to emerge in this newer phase.

So it’s not a bad thing — but when you rewatch everything back-to-back, you can feel it.

Like the story has small waves. Not inconsistency — but a kind of narrative unevenness.

Season 9: A Season of Stasis

Season 9, to me, feels like a season of pause.

And I think that’s intentional.

After the death of Bobby, everything becomes about rebalancing.

Every character is trying to find: – their place – their identity – their direction

But here’s the thing:

I don’t think they fully get there.

Emotional Growth… Without Real Change

This season is very introspective.

We get emotional processing. Internal movement.

But on a practical level?

Almost nothing changes.

No new relationships. No major life shifts. No real career changes.

Everyone feels… stuck.

Like they’re in a holding pattern, waiting until they’re ready to actually move forward again.

The only exception, maybe, is Howard 'Chimney' Han, who suddenly has to deal with being captain — and what that means for his identity.

We see something with Hen Wilson too, through her illness.

But overall?

The core characters — Evan Buckley and Eddie Diaz especially — don’t actually evolve in a concrete way.

They process. But they don’t move.

The Only Real Shift: May & Harry

The only real breath of fresh air this season?

May Grant and Harry Grant.

Because they bring something new.

We’re following them into new phases of life — personal, professional — and that naturally creates movement.

Everyone else feels like they’re standing still.

Grief as the Structure of the Season

The more I think about it, the more I realize:

Season 9 is structured entirely around the stages of grief.

We actually see them play out, step by step.

– Denial → (Episode From 1 To 6) – Anger → (Episode From 7 to 9) – Bargaining → (From 10 to 12 – Depression → (From 13 to 16) – Acceptance → (From 17 to 18)

And acceptance doesn’t mean moving on.

It means integrating the loss — and learning how to live with it.

Why Season 10 Needs to Change Pace

If Season 9 is about processing…

Season 10 has to be about movement.

We need: – real decisions – real changes – real direction

And interestingly, even the actors seem to feel this.

Oliver Stark has said he wants Buck to grow more on a professional level.

And it makes sense.

Buck can’t stay in that “figuring it out” phase forever. At some point, he needs direction.

Same for Ryan Guzman with Eddie — who has expressed interest in exploring Eddie’s military past more deeply.

And honestly? That’s exactly what the character needs.

Because right now, Eddie feels… frozen.

After everything with Chris, after everything he’s been through, he’s retreated into safe spaces: – the 118 – home

And while that makes sense emotionally, it also stops his growth.

What Could Come Next (Theory Mode 👀)

If I had to imagine directions for Season 10:

– Eddie could evolve by working with veterans, helping others process trauma (similar to what Sam does in Marvel) – Buck needs something unexpected — something that forces him to confront not just his own issues, but someone else’s, in a way that reflects them back at him – Ravi needs a storyline that exists independently of May — something tied to his background, maybe even his family and cultural identity – Harry needs real challenges, not just the “light” version of becoming a firefighter

Because right now, there’s so much untapped potential.

Final Thought

Season 9 feels like a transition season.

A necessary one.

A season where both the characters — and the writers — are trying to find a new balance after losing Bobby.

But Season 10?

It can’t stay in that space.

It has to move forward.

And honestly, if Season 10 ends up being the final one (I hope not)… we’ll know it immediately.

Because the story will start shifting toward closure.

So What Do You Think?

Do you feel it too?

That Season 9 isn’t about change… but about preparing for it?

Looking back: Eddie and His abuelos

Go Check out Duo of Diaz’s/ @smolfunpenguin fic on Ao3 based on my fanart

Character Meltdown: May Grant Deserved Better — and 9-1-1 Knows It

How a once-sharp supporting character became a disappointing “main” by accident

Hook: I Knew This Meltdown Was Coming

It was only a matter of time before May Grant became my Character Meltdown.

Because the thing that hurts the most isn’t when a character is written badly from the start.

It’s when a character is written brilliantly for years… and then the show forgets why we loved them.

And that’s exactly what’s happening with May on 9-1-1 right now.

Why May Worked So Well in the Beginning

May’s introduction wasn’t “Athena’s daughter.” It was May as a person.

She was a teenager dealing with bullying, social pressure, and the brutal reality that being “pretty” doesn’t protect you from being targeted. The show didn’t sanitize it. It gave her storyline weight.

Her suicide attempt was devastating — but narratively, it also made a promise:

This isn’t a background kid we’ll forget. This is a character who’s going to grow.

And for a while, 9-1-1 actually kept that promise.

The Tsunami Episode: The Moment She Became More Than a Side Character

Then came the tsunami episode.

May trapped with Athena. Forced into action. Forced to hold it together. Forced to help someone else while terrified herself.

That’s one of the most effective “coming-of-age” pivots the show has ever done.

It didn’t just put her in danger — it proved she had courage and capability under pressure. It showed a version of May who could become an adult protagonist.

That episode didn’t just develop her.

It reframed her.

The Call Center Era: May’s Best Growth Arc

When May takes time off from USC and starts working at dispatch, it becomes the strongest stretch of her character development.

It’s the first time we see her truly in the adult world.

She’s not a kid in Athena’s house anymore. She’s a colleague. A trainee. A person learning how to be useful when things are messy and real.

And that season gave her something even better than romance:

purpose.

The Claudette storyline, the call center fire, “MayDay” — all of it cemented May as someone who belongs in the center of the show’s moral universe.

And the Bobby moment? Iconic.

May saying she has “two dads” is one of the most emotionally grounded lines the series has ever written. It wasn’t cheesy — it was earned.

And Then… The Show Dropped Her

After all that, May finally goes back to school.

And once she’s in college?

She basically disappears.

Then she returns later and the show acts like the last few years of growth didn’t happen — or worse, like it doesn’t matter.

That’s the real problem.

May was more of a “main character” when she was technically a supporting player than she is now that she’s supposedly more present.

The Current Version of May Feels Smaller Than the One We Earned

Here’s what we’re getting lately:

May as emotional support for Athena. May as emotional support for Harry. May as “around,” but not driving anything.

And yes — it makes sense that she would show up for her family. That’s consistent with who she is.

But the moment Athena stabilizes and Harry finds his direction, May’s story should naturally pivot to the big question:

“Okay… and what about me?”

Instead, the show doesn’t ask it.

So May becomes a prop.

And that’s wild, considering everything they built.

The Ravi Problem: A Relationship That Feels Like a Shortcut

Then the show tries to give her “a storyline” by tossing her into Ravi’s orbit.

And I’m sorry, but it reads like a narrative shortcut.

Not because I’m anti-romance for May — I’m not.

But because this doesn’t feel like something that grew from May’s character journey. It feels like something inserted so she’s not just standing in Grant family scenes.

It’s “Here! A pairing! Now she has plot!”

May deserves a romance that emerges from who she is and what she’s becoming — not a random spark meant to create instant buzz.

The Missed Opportunity: May’s Adult Life (Work, Home, Identity)

If I were writing May’s return, the arc would be obvious:

Start where the show did: May supporting Athena and Harry.

Then, once those fires calm down, we shift to May asking:

What career do I want? What kind of life do I want? Who am I when I’m not needed by my family?

Let us see her apartment. Her routines. Her friendships. Her loneliness. Her ambition. Her uncertainty.

Let us watch her build her adult identity the way the show once let Buck and Maddie and Eddie build theirs.

Because May’s entire call center era was proof she’s drawn to helping people — just not necessarily in the same way her mom is.

A path like social work would make so much sense: a bridge between her education and the purpose she found at dispatch.

It would also naturally connect her to the 118 and Athena’s cases without forcing it.

That’s how you write a character into the show’s ecosystem without reducing them to “someone’s daughter.”

The Relationships That Could’ve Actually Served Her Story

May doesn’t need a love interest first.

She needs connection that reflects her growth.

The show had so many options:

A real sibling dynamic with Harry where they talk about identity and purpose. A mentor reconnection with Maddie, now that May is older and they can meet more as equals. A bridge with Buck through Bobby — because both of them see Bobby as “father” in different ways. Even revisiting Eddie as a trusted sounding board, since they already built a quiet but meaningful rapport at dispatch.

Any of these would have felt like continuing the story that already exists.

Instead, we got a sudden romantic detour that doesn’t address the big missing piece:

May’s vocation.

The Tragedy: She’s Being Written Younger Than She Used to Be

And this is the part that genuinely frustrates me.

May used to feel like the most mature young character on the show — because her writing respected what she’d survived and learned.

Now she feels smaller. Softer. Less defined.

Not because May is immature.

Because the writing is treating her like she has nothing going on unless she’s attached to someone else’s storyline.

That’s not just disappointing.

It’s a downgrade.

Final Thought: May Was a Main Character Before the Show Realized It

May Grant used to be one of the best examples of how 9-1-1 can build someone quietly over time.

She wasn’t loud. She wasn’t constantly on screen. But when she showed up, it mattered.

Right now, it feels like the show doesn’t know what it has.

And that’s why this is a meltdown — because I love this character.

I don’t want May to be “support.” I want her to be a person with direction again.

When “Easy” Becomes Dangerous: Ravi x May (9-1-1)

This isn’t calm analysis.

This is the kind of Theory Time that happens when you love a show enough to feel physically disappointed by it.

And yes — I’m talking about 9-1-1.

I’m behind (Italy problems). I hate spoilers. I actively avoid them.

But you can’t exist in this fandom without seeing things.

And what I’ve seen about May and Ravi? It feels like my worst narrative fear coming true.

Let’s break it down properly.

This Is Not About Shipping

Before anyone jumps there: no.

This is not me being delusional about another ship. This is not jealousy. This is not “they didn’t give me what I wanted.”

This is about structure.

It’s about storytelling integrity.

If May and Ravi had been built carefully, slowly, with emotional groundwork, I might not ship them — but I would respect it.

That’s not what this feels like.

This feels convenient.

The Ravi Problem: Five Seasons of Almost Nothing

Ravi has been around since season four. Since “Jinx.”

That’s years.

What do we actually know about him?

• No real origin deep dive. • No meaningful personal arc. • No exploration of family, trauma, ambition, or internal conflict. • No visible evolution.

Every core character in this show has had at least one origin-focused narrative expansion.

Buck. Eddie. Maddie. Chimney. Even Karen.

Ravi?

Background energy.

That’s not a criticism of the actor. It’s a criticism of the writing.

If you suddenly elevate him through romance instead of development, you’re not building him — you’re attaching him.

And that’s lazy.

The May Problem: From Growth to Narrative Limbo

May had early development.

Dispatch. Emotional beats. Family tension. Clear growth trajectory.

Then she stepped away for college — fine.

But since her return?

What is her arc?

Where is her adult life? Her apartment? Her career? Her inner conflict?

We’ve seen her as support.

Daughter. Sister.

Not protagonist of her own journey.

And now?

She becomes narratively relevant because she’s paired.

That’s the part that makes my stomach turn.

The “Leftover Characters” Syndrome

This is the real issue.

It feels like two underdeveloped characters being paired because they’re the only ones left “available.”

Chimney and Maddie are stable, like Hen and Karen. Athena is grieving. Buck and Eddie are locked in their narrative orbit. Harry has an active arc.

So who’s left?

May. Ravi.

Put them together.

Done.

That’s not organic storytelling. That’s roster management.

And it’s beneath this show.

Relationships Should Follow Growth — Not Replace It

If you want to build a couple:

First build the individuals.

Give them: • Personal arcs. • Independent stakes. • Emotional depth. • Evolution outside romance.

Then let their paths cross.

But if the relationship is the first real development either of them gets?

That sends a terrible message.

“You matter now because you’re in a relationship.”

That’s not empowerment. That’s narrative dependency.

And yes, from a feminist perspective, that bothers me deeply.

May should not become central because she’s dating someone.

She should become central because she’s compelling.

The Bigger Fear: Is This the Beginning of Narrative Shortcuts?

This is where it stops being about one couple.

After Bobby’s death, early season nine was powerful. Focused. Intentional. Emotional.

Harry’s arc? Excellent. Compact but meaningful.

That’s good writing.

But when I start seeing convenient romantic shortcuts used as forward momentum?

I get nervous.

Because I’ve seen this before.

I dropped Doc (the italian and original versione of tv series) for this exact reason: narrative choices that ignored established character growth.

And I watched the renewal battle for Manifest knowing that sometimes fewer seasons with integrity are better than dragging something past its natural lifespan.

If the trade-off for longevity is cheaper emotional storytelling?

End it earlier.

Protect the legacy.

This Is Disappointment, Not Hate

I respect this production.

That’s why this hits.

If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t be this angry.

But when a show capable of layered character work makes what feels like the most obvious, safest, lowest-effort pairing choice?

It scares me.

Because 9-1-1 has always been better than easy.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe they’ll surprise me. Maybe they’ll build something meaningful.

I hope they do.

But right now?

It feels obvious, banal, easy and small.

These Episode Ideas Would Go INSANE on 9-1-1

So this isn’t really an episode breakdown.

It’s more like… a train of thought. A bit chaotic, a bit inspired by everything I’ve been seeing lately — especially the Reschioverse panels and the answers that have been coming out of those events.

I couldn’t attend (I’m in Italy, so… impossible 😭), and even Paris isn’t an option for me right now. So I’m just here, watching from afar and thinking:

what if 9-1-1 leaned more into something we used to have a lot of in 2000s TV?

Where Are the Themed Episodes?

Because here’s the thing.

If 9-1-1 had aired in the 2000s, we would’ve already had way more themed episodes.

And yes — we’ve had some: – Halloween episodes – big event episodes – even a few contained storylines

But I’m talking about that very specific 2000s vibe.

The kind of episodes that come back again and again across different shows.

The Ones I Don’t Love (But Still Think About)

Like bottle episodes.

They’re classics — characters stuck in one place, forced to interact.

Not my favorites… unless they’re used to push a relationship that wouldn’t otherwise exist.

For example?

If Eddie and May were trapped somewhere together and forced to talk, I’d take it. At this point I just want them to interact again like actual human beings 😭

Then there are loop episodes.

Also very 2000s. Also not my favorite — because everything that happens usually gets reset anyway.

The Ones I Actually Want

But there are other types of episodes that I love — and that I’ve actually been writing into my fanfic (Unscheduled, currently… way longer than I ever expected 💀).

These are the ones I wish the show would try.

Doppelgänger Episode

Not in a sci-fi way.

More like: same actor, different character.

A lookalike.

Someone who looks exactly like one of the characters but isn’t them — and slowly starts infiltrating their life.

At first, everyone assumes it’s the same person.

Then things don’t add up.

And suddenly you have tension, paranoia, and a completely new way to explore the character.

The “Dark Self” Episode

This one is so good for character work.

A character starts seeing a version of themselves — not real, more like a hallucination triggered by trauma.

But it’s their worst version.

Their shadow.

The one that tells them: “You’re not who you think you are.”

It forces them to confront everything they’ve been avoiding.

And from an acting perspective? It’s always incredible to watch.

Split Cast Episode (Girls Night vs Boys Night)

This is such a 2000s trope and I LOVE it.

You split the cast: – one group (girls night) – one group (boys night)

Two completely separate storylines that slowly start overlapping without them realizing it.

Everything goes wrong. Obviously.

And then it all connects at the end.

It’s chaotic, it’s fun, and it shows characters in a completely different dynamic.

Time Capsule Episode

This one would be perfect for 9-1-1.

Imagine they find a time capsule from the 1950s — back when the 118 existed in a completely different form.

Inside it?

Clues. Objects. A forgotten story.

And through that, we see the past.

Same actors — different characters.

Very much like those old-school episodes where the cast plays different roles (if you remember Roswell, you know exactly what I mean).

It would be emotional, nostalgic, and visually so interesting.

Undercover Episode

This one I NEED.

Imagine Buck being used as an undercover asset because he looks exactly like someone the police need.

He’s not a cop. He’s not trained for this.

And suddenly he’s in a completely different world.

It’s the perfect excuse to see a character we know in a totally new role.

The Karaoke Episode (But Make It Hurt)

Yes, we’ve had karaoke before.

But I want one where it’s not just fun.

Where the songs actually reveal things.

Confessions. Feelings. Truths that come out indirectly.

That’s when those episodes hit.

What 9-1-1 Is Missing (Maybe)

One thing I’ve been thinking about is how the show doesn’t really use long-term villains.

We get big events, sure.

But not many season-long antagonists.

And I think it could work.

Not all the time — but maybe once every few seasons.

Something that builds slowly, connects characters, and leads to a bigger payoff.

My Fanfic Took a Life of Its Own

The funny thing is — my fanfic started as a ship story.

Just Eddie and May.

And now?

It’s turned into a full ensemble story: – multiple arcs – themed “episodes” – long-term villains – character-driven storytelling

I didn’t even plan it that way.

It just… grew.

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/80186596

Final Thought (aka: Let’s Spiral Together)

So yeah, this wasn’t an episode breakdown.

It’s more like a “what if.”

What if 9-1-1 experimented a bit more with these formats?

Some of them would probably feel out of place.

Some might not work at all.

But some?

Could be incredible.

Your Turn 👀

If we’re going full 2000s-style chaos:

What kind of episode would YOU want to see?

Bottle episode? Undercover? Time capsule? Something completely unhinged?

Rule: Share one line from a wip that could be a spoiler, but on its own is not.

“….He and Pete are making plans with Luci and the rest of the kids to go and finally visit Bobby after all these years, considering Bobby’s clear across the country in LA”