S04.E01: The New Abnormal

[jewel21]

When the Hollywood Reservoir dam breaks, Bobby and the 118 race into action to save passengers on a city bus that has crashed into a building several stories in the air. Maddie must first locate, and then rescue, a trapped cyclist, and Athena helps an agoraphobic woman evacuate her home. Meanwhile, the team adjusts to life as first responders during the pandemic. Bobby worries if Athena is ready for field duty since recovering from her physical and psychological injuries; Chimney takes extreme precautions around a pregnant Maddie; and May begins a surprising new job.

Airdate: 1/18/2021

[mojoween]

This is the first show of the different ones I have watched this season where I wasn’t annoyed with all the pandemic touches.  I guess it seems more organic for this series.

Nobody being dead seemed a little preposterous to me.  Feels like femoral artery guy should have passed out at the very least.

[gonzosgirrl]

They handled the pandemic well, but seriously when is Athena going to stop going into questionable situations without backup? 

The bus accident was cool!

[Lady Calypso]

43 minutes ago, mojoween said:

This is the first show of the different ones I have watched this season where I wasn’t annoyed with all the pandemic touches.  I guess it seems more organic for this series.

I think what helped is that they went right into it being a part of their world, so it felt more organic. Plus, they didn't have the characters constantly taking off their masks to talk and we saw them sanitize, which others shows haven't done well. 

Lots of fun stuff with the premiere, which is on par for the show. The song choice for the episode was on point, as was the bus pun as the bus hurdled through the window. And the kid on the bus, CJ, was a lot of fun as a minor character. 

Athena still goes in without backup. I was hoping that would be a major change for her going forward, but alas, she may never get a partner on this show unless forced. I like her police captain so maybe she'll enforce something?

Michael's cute boyfriend is the ER doc from last season! Awesome to see him hanging around!

May becomes a dispatcher, which is literally no surprise since they hinted at it. She did a good job in this episode. 

Chimney is staying with Buck! I do see Maddie's point about wanting him there instead of with her brother, while she's with HIS brother. 

Some great moments this episode, even the montage with the biker that did make me sad. Overall, thrilled for the show to be back.

[bilgistic]

I don't get Athena's consternation at May not immediately going to college. She's working at a job she likes and is good at and has a future in, so what's the problem? She can take classes/train as she grows into the job/field. College isn't for everyone, never has been, and the pandemic has at the very least been a time when people are reevaluating career and schooling choices, among so many others.

I'm glad my goofy guilty pleasure show is back.

[Raja]

28 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

I don't get Athena's consternation at May not immediately going to college. She's working at a job she likes and is good at and has a future in, so what's the problem? She can take classes/train as she grows into the job/field. College isn't for everyone, never has been, and the pandemic has at the very least been a time when people are reevaluating career and schooling choices, among so many others.

I'm glad my goofy guilty pleasure show is back.

Consider May is just a generation removed from can't go to most colleges 

[marceline]

As soon as that bus crashed through the wall I thought, "9-1-1 is back baby!" Then the explosion on top of it? Yep. Loved it.

I see no problem with May taking a gap year. Save money, stay close to home, build some skills that will help her a lot in post-pandemic America.

The way Athena barged into the house was bad. If something had been wrong inside, she didn't have probable cause so it wouldn't have held up in court.

[tennisgurl]

"You cant throw me under the bus!" *Gets immediately hit by a bus.* 

Oh 9-1-1, how I have missed you. 

I think that they handled the pandemic stuff pretty well, certainly better than a lot of other shows that can never commit to masks or not and no one ever seems to watch their hands, despite the pandemic clearly happening. It probably helps that emergency personal would naturally be more aware of health and safety and that the pandemic seems like something they would naturally deal with a lot, but without it becoming the whole plot. All of the rescues were really good, and while it seems to be pushing plausibility that everyone would have survived all of the crazy stuff happening, I am glad that they gave us mostly happy endings. The show usually does a really good job at getting you invested in the people they rescue, even if they are just in a few scenes. CJ was an especially likable character, and I felt quite emotionally invested in the poor biker and her flashbacks to losing her husband. 

The bus accident and the biker trying to get away from the wave of water all looked really great. 

I get why Chimney wants to be extra careful, but I think its time for them to be back in the same place. I do find it really funny that they are both living apart but are roommates with each others brothers. In general it was nice checking in with everyone, and I am especially glad that Michael is officially dating that cute doctor he met. May taking a gap year to work at the call center isn't a bad idea at all, she has shown an interest in it before and with schools being online now is actually a good time to take a gap year and get some more real world skills. With how Athena said "gap year" I thought that May was spending the year sleeping on the couch eating Cheetos. 

"At least its not a Tsunami" Too soon Eddie, too soon. 

Damn it Athena, did you not learn your lesson about going into houses without backup? 

[Empress1]

6 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

May taking a gap year to work at the call center isn't a bad idea at all, she has shown an interest in it before and with schools being online now is actually a good time to take a gap year and get some more real world skills.

I laughed when Maddie asked if May was sure she wanted to stare at a screen and May was like "That's what college is right now." Which: true.

When the woman in the conference room asked if she was far enough away for the guy to remove his mask I thought "NOPE." Wear masks AND stay 6+ feet apart. 

I am not agoraphobic but right now, I don't go anywhere I don't have to go. When the agoraphobic woman said "It's not safe out there" I thought "I get it."

14 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Chimney is staying with Buck! I do see Maddie's point about wanting him there instead of with her brother, while she's with HIS brother. 

I assume they're doing this because Chim and Buck have the same amount of risk going out into the field and Maddie and the brother have similar, smaller amounts of risk (I actually wondered if Maddie could do her job from home) since they're not interacting with as many people. (Does the brother work? I forget.) But I understand wanting to be with your person. I also understand not wanting to take risks when your person is pregnant.

The cyclist really got to me. For one, I am a cyclist (and I do wear a mask when I ride). Second, that montage was really affecting, showing how small her world got. Her calling to check on her husband because she couldn't physically be with him made me tear up.

[iMonrey]

I don't understand how the bus wound up on an upper floor. I saw the flood hitting them and then it seemed to push them through the window but I would assume at ground level. Did the tidal wave actually lift them up five or six stories high?

[mojoween]

I hope it was entirely coincidental that lady called to check on her husband at the exact moment he passed away, because otherwise how awful is that?  They didn’t even call her?

[gonzosgirrl]

55 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I don't understand how the bus wound up on an upper floor. I saw the flood hitting them and then it seemed to push them through the window but I would assume at ground level. Did the tidal wave actually lift them up five or six stories high?

I was listening but only half watching - I thought the bus was on a ramp on the highway and got washed off/over? Did I dream that? LOL

[anna0852]

No, that's what happened 

[tvgoddess]

I expected more activity in this thread as I was highly anticipating the premiere. Just me then, I guess. Anyway, I'm trying to stay somewhat non-spoiled this season so the episode did not disappoint. It started out strong with the music, which is always a highlight in my book and just kept going. I haven't watched much new TV at all so far so I don't have any comparisons with other pandemic shows. This was my first. It was kind of overwhelming and going back to March and then month by month was at first a little funny, then not so much, then downright painful. The guest characters were great, CJ and biker lady being the highlights - what a sad story she had. But also the bus driver and the office workers (damn, it's been so long since I've been in the office, I'm guessing that's what it would be like without the bus lol). 

I don't have many complaints, I thought it was an excellent opening to the season. I like most was expecting at least one death, it seemed pretty unrealistic, but other than that I'm okay. Maddie was not annoying but just really cute with Chimney. It was a good ensemble showing but I did notice that Eddie hardly had any lines except one main one, and I'll just say I didn't miss him.

Anyway, just really glad my show is back. 

Edited January 19, 2021 by tvgoddess

[Empress1]

6 minutes ago, tvgoddess said:

I haven't watched much new TV at all so far so I don't have any comparisons with other pandemic shows.

Of the new shows I'm watching, a couple of them don't acknowledge the pandemic at all - it doesn't exist in the world the characters live in. A couple of them do acknowledge it via wearing masks and talking about it (on This is Us they wear masks and talk about testing and quarantining), but they also behave in ways that go against what we're told to do (e.g. taking the masks off to talk). I think this and All Rise are the only shows I'm watching where everyone is masked up pretty consistently, they're not taking them off to talk, they're using sanitizer, they're acknowledging that the virus is killing people, and they're saying straight up that folks have been in the house for months on end. The people in this world are taking the virus seriously, which makes sense given who they are. 

[Irlandesa]

5 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I think this and All Rise are the only shows I'm watching where everyone is masked up pretty consistently, they're not taking them off to talk

They kind of do.  They all rode up in the elevator without masks on.  And did they ever explain why the 911 operators didn't wear masks?

But this is similar to All Rise and Superstore where they wear masks in public areas and then take them off for conversations; although All Rise has a lot more plexi glass. 

[Empress1]

17 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

And did they ever explain why the 911 operators didn't wear masks?

Weren't they? May wasn't but Maddie's supervisor was, wasn't he (I'm not sure if he's her supervisor - the guy who was beat up last season)? There was also Plexiglas between Maddie and May.

I assumed that the firehouse is in each other's bubble, hence the no masks in the elevator - they were with their own, so to speak, and then put them on to make things safer for the people they were interacting with.

[Irlandesa]

5 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

May wasn't but Maddie's supervisor was, wasn't he (I'm not sure if he's her supervisor - the guy who was beat up last season)? There was also Plexiglas between Maddie and May.

They were if they were walking around but when they were at their stations, they weren't.  But the stations were kind of in open air in the same room which is why I thought they'd be wearing masks while on a shift. 

Or at least I expected them to a detail that the masks muffled the voices too much for them to be clearly heard.

[kicotan]

So now that Maddie is pregnant she doesn’t have to wear all black with an emphasis on covering up. She can proudly show off her figure.  Ugh.  I wonder if it’s the show or her that decides that.

6 hours ago, Empress1 said:

Of the new shows I'm watching, a couple of them don't acknowledge the pandemic at all - it doesn't exist in the world the characters live in.

With all due respect, I wish more shows were like that.  TV shows like 9-1-1 are fiction, not “reality TV”.  Many folks (me included) watch programs to relax and enjoy the story, to escape for a brief period of time to a fictional place.  If I wanted to see complete mask compliance and social distancing in action I’d watch the local news or go for a ride.

[Empress1]

1 minute ago, kicotan said:

With all due respect, I wish more shows were like that.  TV shows like 9-1-1 are fiction, not “reality TV”.  Many folks (me included) watch programs to relax and enjoy the story, to escape for a brief period of time to a fictional place.  If I wanted to see complete mask compliance and social distancing in action I’d watch the local news or go for a ride.

I semi-disagree, but what really irks me is shows that acknowledge the pandemic but have people behaving in ways that are unsafe. "Gee, this COVID thing is terrible!" and then people are in a big group without masks. That drives me crazy because it stresses me out (I take COVID very seriously, have from the start). I would rather have shows not acknowledge it than half-assedly acknowledge it. (Some reality shows aren't acknowledging it either - Married at First Sight just started and there is not a mask in sight. Big party scenes with people breathing all over each other.)

I Googled to see if Jennifer Love Hewitt was pregnant and she doesn't appear to be. Her face looks fuller so I wondered if she was pregnant IRL.

[kicotan]

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I would rather have shows not acknowledge it than half-assedly acknowledge it.

Exactly.  If they want to run with reality, then be consistent with the mask wearing social distancing rest of us.  If not, then don’t even include it in the narrative. 
 

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I Googled to see if Jennifer Love Hewitt was pregnant and she doesn't appear to be. Her face looks fuller so I wondered if she was pregnant IRL.

She’s pregnant on the show...so now it’s ok for her to wear something other than black and show off her figure, where as before, she’s just another woman that after the passage of time, is a more full figured gal and should cover that up by wearing black, unflattering garments.  Sorry, I’m a costumer and it bugs me when any woman on a TV show who doesn’t look like they turned 18 yesterday or is pregnant becomes relegated to black suit jackets and baggy clothing.

[sadie]

7 hours ago, kicotan said:

Exactly.  If they want to run with reality, then be consistent with the mask wearing social distancing rest of us.  If not, then don’t even include it in the narrative. 
 

She’s pregnant on the show...so now it’s ok for her to wear something other than black and show off her figure, where as before, she’s just another woman that after the passage of time, is a more full figured gal and should cover that up by wearing black, unflattering garments.  Sorry, I’m a costumer and it bugs me when any woman on a TV show who doesn’t look like they turned 18 yesterday or is pregnant becomes relegated to black suit jackets and baggy clothing.

I can’t believe in Hollywood they can’t find a costumer that can do a better job with Love Hewitts wardrobe. It’s awful, I could dress her in a more flattering way out of my local Target. The odd fitting black slacks, the weird polo shirts, c’mon show, she’s a beautiful woman that they have managed to make look awful and it has bugged me from the beginning. Even the new haircut is just bad and the opening scene in that tank top with her boobs sticking out was just a travesty. You don’t have to be a size 2 to dress well. 

[meatball77]

20 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I semi-disagree, but what really irks me is shows that acknowledge the pandemic but have people behaving in ways that are unsafe. "Gee, this COVID thing is terrible!" and then people are in a big group without masks. That drives me crazy because it stresses me out (I take COVID very seriously, have from the start). I would rather have shows not acknowledge it than half-assedly acknowledge it.

 

SVU is one of the worst.  They take their masks off whenever they are inside and talking.  They go in small rooms and apartments and yell without masks.

[mandolin]

There was an awful lot of masking and unmasking at random times. If everyone is inside a building moving around, they should have them on ALL THE TIME. I can suspend disbelief, but I'm over the lack of correct mask usage and social distancing. Do it or ignore it.

[limecoke]

I love this show and I’m glad it’s back...BUT...why is everything a huge, gigantic, major disaster?  It’s exhausting.

Chim, go home to your baby-mama. She needs you. You need her. I get the caution but you’re missing out on a precious time together. 

Edited January 21, 2021 by limecoke

[shapeshifter]

On 1/18/2021 at 9:23 PM, mojoween said:

This is the first show of the different ones I have watched this season where I wasn’t annoyed with all the pandemic touches.  I guess it seems more organic for this series

On 1/19/2021 at 8:35 PM, Irlandesa said:

And did they ever explain why the 911 operators didn't wear masks?

My oldest daughter is a 9-1-1 operator. If she doesn’t have her mask on At All Times, she gets written up unless she can make it look like she just took it off to get a drink. 
And she can’t work remotely because of privacy issues with the calls.
 

On 1/19/2021 at 12:47 PM, Empress1 said:

When the woman in the conference room asked if she was far enough away for the guy to remove his mask I thought "NOPE." Wear masks AND stay 6+ feet apart

Seriously. But then it looked like they were 12 feet apart, so I handwaved it since they did have the characters at least communicate about different people’s concepts of mask safety. 

 

On 1/21/2021 at 2:35 PM, mandolin said:

There was an awful lot of masking and unmasking at random times. If everyone is inside a building moving around, they should have them on ALL THE TIME. I can suspend disbelief, but I'm over the lack of correct mask usage and social distancing. Do it or ignore it. [on TV]

Yes. Do the masking correctly or at least have the characters acknowledge that they know they are not doing it correctly. 

Still, this show was better about masking than L&O SVU and All Rise. I appreciated the way Peter Krause (Bobby) deliberately removed his mask to talk to the young man with Asperger’s/Autism. Without saying anything, it was obvious he was making a decision about what action was more likely to save a life. 

And with such a fast paced show, I didn’t have time to dwell, heh.

Edited January 24, 2021 by shapeshifter

[ROEHUNTER]

Anyone else notice the box that had the lock would have easily opened enough to get inside without having to break the lock, it had a fairly long cable.

"Shrug"

[Giuseppe]

What happened to the utility worker who was standing in front of the dam when it burst? And why in god's name did he just stand there?? I kept expecting him to show up in some end-of-episode montage, but I don't think we saw him again, so maybe he didn't make it.

Quote

@iMonrey said: I don't understand how the bus wound up on an upper floor. I saw the flood hitting them and then it seemed to push them through the window but I would assume at ground level. Did the tidal wave actually lift them up five or six stories high?

As fun as the bus crash was, it was also pretty far-fetched (unless there's a real life case I'm not aware of). First, that the bus was pushed off a bridge and into a building in the first place (and I didn't notice any water coming in the building, not to mention the bus being bone dry after the crash), and also, how lucky that it crashed perfectly right into a floor, and not between two floors, which could've ended up collapsing the building. As it was, I'm surprised the team rode up the elevator without making sure the structural integrity of the building hadn't been compromised. But, it was a great visual/rescue so I'll forgive them, lol.

Anyway, like the rest of you, very glad to have this zany show back!

 

Edited January 24, 2021 by Giuseppe

[momo]

I like how they did the pandemic montage- very relatable!  

[PamelaMaeSnap]

I also wondered about that poor utility worker. I think he must have been a casualty given the deluge that swept him away. 

Thanks, show, for one more natural disaster to worry about ... I didn’t have enough! 

[shapeshifter]

5 minutes ago, PamelaMaeSnap said:

I also wondered about that poor utility worker.

Any chance he'll show up this week?

[Clanstarling]

 

On 1/19/2021 at 6:03 PM, Irlandesa said:

They were if they were walking around but when they were at their stations, they weren't.  But the stations were kind of in open air in the same room which is why I thought they'd be wearing masks while on a shift. 

Or at least I expected them to a detail that the masks muffled the voices too much for them to be clearly heard.

I noticed at least one plexiglass partition at one of the stations, so I'm guessing that's why they were able to unmask.

On 1/21/2021 at 7:14 PM, ROEHUNTER said:

Anyone else notice the box that had the lock would have easily opened enough to get inside without having to break the lock, it had a fairly long cable.

"Shrug"

I was really looking at it for the same reason - the cable was threaded through a latch that wouldn't open up wide. But whether or not the long cable would make a difference, I don't know.

On 1/23/2021 at 5:50 PM, Giuseppe said:

What happened to the utility worker who was standing in front of the dam when it burst? And why in god's name did he just stand there?? I kept expecting him to show up in some end-of-episode montage, but I don't think we saw him again, so maybe he didn't make it.

I would have liked a little bit of his story, since his wife was clearly worried about him being there (or the quakes at least). I think he just froze. Even if he was able to think logically, he knew he wasn't going to outrun what was happening.

[Moose135]

2 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Even if he was able to think logically, he knew he wasn't going to outrun what was happening.

You can run, but you'll only die tired...

[Irlandesa]

6 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I noticed at least one plexiglass partition at one of the stations, so I'm guessing that's why they were able to unmask.

But plexiglass only block the large and direct particles.  They do nothing about the breathing particles unless they're practically floor to ceiling.  They weren't.

[Clanstarling]

58 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

But plexiglass only block the large and direct particles.  They do nothing about the breathing particles unless they're practically floor to ceiling.  They weren't.

That may be true. But some of the measures in lots of places are far from perfect, and I've seen these kinds of measures around town. So it's semi-realistic, so far as I can tell.

Edited February 8, 2021 by Clanstarling

[Irlandesa]

5 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

That may be true. But some of the measures in lots of places are far from perfect, and I've seen these kinds of measures around town. So it's semi-realistic, so far as I can tell.

I've seen those as well but they don't replace masking where I've seen them.