Even when Bobby’s body blows away, his soul will stay.

This week Han, Cil, and Rachel discuss Season 8, Episode 17 “Don’t Drink the Water” and Episode 18 “Seismic Shifts” of 9-1-1, where we get to see our favorite characters navigating the messy aftermath of loss while trying to honor Bobby's legacy.

No surprise here, Buck and Eddie’s dynamic takes center stage in our conversation as they struggle to show vulnerability when they truly need each other the most. We also tap into the root cause of Buck’s decision to transfer: feeling unnecessary, and how this reflects his inner turmoil and isolation. Meanwhile, Eddie is desperate for Buck to pull him out of his own head like he normally does, but finds Buck buried behind a brick wall of stoicism, leaving Eddie to drown in his own survivor’s guilt and regret, unwilling and unable to ask for help. 

As the 118 navigates a building collapse, the camaraderie among the team showcases the strength found in vulnerability and we explore how grief can shake the foundations of each person and relationship, but it can also forge deeper connections. It’s all about those tight-knit friendships, the bittersweet moments, and how our heroes defy the odds and save everyone in an impossible situation, because they’re finally reunited doing what they were meant to do. 

Hen finds herself caught between Athena and Chimney, her besties, who are grappling with their own struggles in the wake of an unthinkable loss. Athena stops avoiding Chimney and bolsters him to channel his grief into preserving his found family in an Emmy-deserving speech that Bobby would be proud of. 

A hospital room sees the fire family finding its footing anew as they rally together to celebrate the joy of a new life while honoring their fallen patriarch, reminding the characters (and the audience) that while tragedy may shape our stories, it doesn’t define them. The 118 is their home, where they go when they’ve got nowhere else to go.

📔 Articles Mentioned

📰9-1-1’s Ryan Guzman Worried Eddie Might Be Killed Off — But Now He’s Hoping for a Season 9 Romance (Exclusive), Us Weekly

Episode Title inspired by “This is My Home” by Ingrid Michaelson

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Music by DIV!NITY 

Chapters

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:00:52) Welcome to Dispatch

(00:01:23) General Thoughts

(00:09:01) Abbreviated AF Episode Recaps

(00:10:58) Episode Themes

(00:14:01) Behind the Scenes

(00:20:55) Character Arcs

(00:21:10) Ravi

(00:25:24) Athena

(00:33:54) Chimney

(00:44:02) Needledrop

(00:49:24) Hen

(00:56:53) Buck

(01:05:46) Eddie

(01:26:06) Buddie - Kitchen Fight & Eddie’s Apology

(01:41:40) Buddie @ Building Collapse

(01:53:26) Buck Apartment Hunting

(02:01:21) Season Parallels

(02:17:03) Things We Would Change

(02:25:11) Take a Buddie With You & Outro