S05.E12: Boston

[jewel21]

Chimney is determined to find a missing Maddie amongst the chaos of St. Patrick's Day.

Airdate: 03/28/2022

[Snazzy Daisy]

 

 

[anna0852]

It's a Criminal Minds reunion!

[Lady Calypso]

This is probably the first episode in season 5 where I felt genuinely moved. THIS was a great 9-1-1 episode, even if it diverted away from the typical formula a little bit.

Poor Maddie. I think they did an excellent job at explaining her leaving and staying away all these months. Her not feeling safe enough to be around her daughter or Chimney makes perfect sense. Even though she got the medical help she needed, it was a much longer road for her emotional wellbeing. 

Now, it doesn't really make sense for why Chimney stayed in Boston all these months. I think they tried explaining it, but since this covers the first half of the season when Maddie/Chimney had been missing, there were only so many paths they could have taken.

I think even Maddie's support friend, Kira, had a purpose in Maddie's storyline, a little bit. Her friend had trouble getting better just for herself, so she latched onto Maddie as a way to keep going. But once Maddie was about to leave, her friend crashed hard. Plus, it's AJ Cook. Hi, AJ Cook!

Overall, a very strong episode. A lot of emotion behind it and I actually did find myself liking the guest stars involved. Hi, Eli! I'm pretty sure you were in a previous Chimney episode. 

And that ending? Aww, so sweet.

[EllaWycliffe]

How are Maddie and Chimney affording this several months long existential crisis?

As someone with a thyroid disorder, I appreciate the awareness but I am AMAZED Maddie has low thyroid and didn't gain a pound. 

Edited March 29, 2022 by EllaWycliffe

[Stats Queen]

11 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

How are Maddie and Chimney affording this several months long existential crisis?

As someone with a thyroid disorder, I appreciate the awareness but I am AMAZED Maddie has low thyroid and didn't gain a pound. 

Same here with the low thyroid.

Also amazing to me how they can afford several months of not working and Chimeny having a job when he returns. That’s not how things happen in the real world.

i really do like the show and I like how they touch on issues and sturggles without being preachy, but more thoughtful.

[Lady Calypso]

33 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

How are Maddie and Chimney affording this several months long existential crisis?

As someone with a thyroid disorder, I appreciate the awareness but I am AMAZED Maddie has low thyroid and didn't gain a pound. 

Chimney mentioned that he was running low on funds (so he likely had some money saved up and has been using that). He's been staying at his friend Eli's house, so he saved some money there. Maddie paid in cash for the first six months for an apartment (not sure if she took that out herself or if the women's centre helped her out). And I assume she had some other money stored up for other necessities. So they did end up explaining that a little bit. At least their major expense in housing was explained.

 

[anna0852]

Maddie received a $400,000 check after her abusive husband died. I'm assuming a good chunk was spent on her inpatient treatment. 

[Snazzy Daisy]

"I swear to god I have been feeding her normal portions". Hahahaha, I miss Chimney! 😂

Love the dynamic and great chemistry between KC and JLH. Chimney and Maddie are more believable as a couple than Bobby & Athena.

9-1-1 always nail the emotional part, no doubt about it. But they need to put more thoughts on the logical parts of the storytelling with better understanding of the characters that they developed. Chimney’s impromptu road trip, leaving his career, raising his child in someone’s basement for months, exposing her to unknown circumstances during the pandemic when he has great support system back in LA - these don’t make sense. Chimney should be able to stand on his own, character wise.

Another thing that bothers me is the inconsistencies of Jee Yun. Come on show! 🙄

Edited March 29, 2022 by SnazzyDaisy

[cameron]

6 hours ago, SnazzyDaisy said:

"I swear to god I have been feeding her normal portions". Hahahaha, I miss Chimney! 😂

Love the dynamic and great chemistry between KC and JLH. Chimney and Maddie are more believable as a couple than Bobby & Athena.

9-1-1 always nail the emotional part, no doubt about it. But they need to put more thoughts on the logical parts of the storytelling with better understanding of the characters that they developed. Chimney’s impromptu road trip, leaving his career, raising his child in someone’s basement for months, exposing her to unknown circumstances during the pandemic when he has great support system back in LA - these don’t make sense. Chimney should be able to stand on his own, character wise.

Another thing that bothers me is the inconsistencies of Jee Yun. Come on show! 🙄

Noticed the different Jee Yon's also.

 

[Empress1]

9 hours ago, anna0852 said:

Maddie received a $400,000 check after her abusive husband died. I'm assuming a good chunk was spent on her inpatient treatment. 

I was about to say - she waffled about taking the money (which, fuck that, take it) but I guess she decided to, and part of that funded this time.

[gonzosgirrl]

In 2022, is it really that difficult to locate someone, especially when you're in the same city for weeks (months?)? 

I love Chim/Kenneth and I like Maddie/JLH, but this whole thing was so contrived. And count me among those who don't think Chim/Kenneth needed to be written out for so long just because JLH needed mat leave. This story wasn't worth it, IMO.

Oh, hello Albert. Where've you been?

I did not recognize AJ Cook until @anna0852 pointed out the Criminal Minds reunion.

[EllaWycliffe]

49 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

In 2022, is it really that difficult to locate someone, especially when you're in the same city for weeks (months?)? 

No.

I'm also going to call bullshit on Maddie receiving in patient mental health hospitalization by either paying cash or under an assumed name. ETA Also how could she be accessing her money and Chimney not be able to use that to find her?

49 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

I love Chim/Kenneth and I like Maddie/JLH, but this whole thing was so contrived. And count me among those who don't think Chim/Kenneth needed to be written out for so long just because JLH needed mat leave. This story wasn't worth it, IMO.

This could have been more easily resolved or less ridiculously resolved. Maddie has post partum, fine. Maddie goes to a hospital for a bit for help. Chimney takes some time off to support his wife. We don't see Maddie or Chimney for a bit. No ridiculous dumping the baby at the fire station and running off, no endless chase with baby in tow. Not every situation needs to be a ridiculous situation, show.

 

eta to remove accidental photo unrelated to 911

Edited March 29, 2022 by EllaWycliffe

[AdorkableWitch]

I have a sneaky suspicion this might be a back door pilot for 9-1-1: Beantown.

[iMonrey]

This episode was fine but I never missed Maddie and would have preferred if she was just gone for good. The show really doesn't need her, especially since we have May working the 911 calls now. 

Bobby told Chimney he has a job waiting for him back home but didn't he just hire a replacement for him last week? I'm not sure when that phone call was supposed to have taken place (possibly before the new hire) but I'll be interested to see if that job offer still holds. 

I also don't think Chimney and Maddie should just get back together, either. Sure, she's fine, but maybe it's best if they just co-parent for awhile. I'm not sure how a marriage comes back from something like that. (They are married, right?)

[chlban]

I turned it off 5 minutes in. I will try once more, but too much JLH and her angst and I am done. Most of the way there already. This show ain't what it used to be. If I want personal and family drama, I would watch This is Us. No JLH. Get back to the action. 

Edited March 29, 2022 by chlban

[kwnyc]

14 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

How are Maddie and Chimney affording this several months long existential crisis?

 

Maddie inherited money from her dead husband...she paid for her room in cash. As for Chim? Eli was letting him stay, and maybe he's on paid family leave?

But I appreciate that the show went there to talk about mental illness, other health conditions, and the journey back to wellness. SO different from the Rob Lowe Show. 

I think, as suggested above, it might be a good idea for them to co-parent for awhile while Maddie gets back on her feet. And they still seem to be in some kind of couplehood, especially agreeing to communicate their needs to each other. And damn, they both need counseling about their feelings of guilt and need to save the world.

Edited March 29, 2022 by kwnyc

[EllaWycliffe]

The withdrawals of cash can be traced. Most landlords of nice places aren't going to accept wads of cash from someone choosing their apt based on how close it is to their therapist. And again medical treatment inpatient care at a well known hospital under a fake name paying cash? She got 400k. That's not really a lot of money for mental health treatment.

As for Chimney, FMLA is only paid leave if he's the sick one, and he's not. Its three months max.

I know, I am picking, mostly because the storyline was annoying from the get go. Feel free to ignore me :)

[AdorkableWitch]

My partner is a firefighter/paramedic and with overtime it is easy to bank ridiculous amounts of PTO. Los Angeles County might also have paternity leave as well. I didn't really have to suspend too much disbelief that he had the time to take.

[shapeshifter]

The episode was much better than I expected, but that's not saying too much, heh.

I know babies are all different developmentally, but I thought it was a bit of a stretch that a child that young would say "Mama" after hearing Maddie sing the song. 
I guess I can fanwank that Chimney had been playing a video for Jee-Yun of Maddie singing that song to Jee-Yun, and saying "Mama" over and over.🤷‍♀️

 

15 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

As someone with a thyroid disorder, I appreciate the awareness but I am AMAZED Maddie has low thyroid and didn't gain a pound. 

JLH's post-pregnancy face did look thinner than when we last saw her, but she appeared to have a lot of left over pregnancy pounds around her middle under the tent-shaped coat. Maybe they even wrote the thyroid bit to explain her real-life postpartum weight gain? 
I didn't think it was as bad as when shows have people taking anti-psychotics for schizophrenia and showing them as emaciated instead of ballooning.

[gonzosgirrl]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

JLH's post-pregnancy face did look thinner than when we last saw her, but she appeared to have a lot of left over pregnancy pounds around her middle under the tent-shaped coat. Maybe they even wrote the thyroid bit to explain her real-life postpartum weight gain? 

This was my thought as well. In fact, I wondered if they had filmed some of those scenes while she was still pregnant.

[Irlandesa]

3 hours ago, AdorkableWitch said:

I have a sneaky suspicion this might be a back door pilot for 9-1-1: Beantown.

That's what I was thinking although I believe the initial talk was for Florida.

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Bobby told Chimney he has a job waiting for him back home but didn't he just hire a replacement for him last week? 

I also don't think Chimney and Maddie should just get back together, either. Sure, she's fine, but maybe it's best if they just co-parent for awhile. I'm not sure how a marriage comes back from something like that. (They are married, right?)

I think they hired a long term temp and possibly a replacement for Eddie since Eddie isn't on leave; he switched jobs for good---in theory. 

And Chim and Maddie aren't married but breaking up because of a severe case of PPD mixed with a thyroid issue when they love each other and share a newborn probably won't be the first step.  Nor should it be.

[anna0852]

I won't be surprised at all if there is reference to Maddie and Chim going to couples counseling in future episodes 

[tennisgurl]

I am really glad that we are finally back with Chim and Maddie, this whole story has gone on for far too long. As contrived as it was for Chim and Maddie to run into each other on the other side of the country as Chim just so happened to arrive to help Maddie's new friend, I was still touched to see them reunite and getting to see Maddie with her baby again. Maddie has gone through so much, I am really glad that she finally got the help she needs, although its certainly not like this is the end. I am guessing that she will need to keep seeing a therapist and she and Chim really need to think about seeing a marriage counselor. They seem to be on the road to being back together, but I can imagine there is still a lot more to unpack. 

The guest stars were all solid, nice having a bit of a Criminal Minds reunion! I think this story could have been handled better, but I do like the way they handled this during this episode, I appreciate them talking about these issues surrounding mental and physical health in a way that feels relatable and not preachy. Its always good to be reminded that things like depression cant be stopped just by someone they love "fixing" them or there being some easy cure all. 

Hi Albert! Why are you letting your pet worm live on your face?

The show has felt a bit off lately, but this episode had those nice 911 emotions, I hope that this means we are back on track. Now Maddie just needs to get home and smack some damn sense into Buck.

Edited March 29, 2022 by tennisgurl

[Crashcourse]

I know she's been through a lot, but I just hope we won't have to see Maddie's blubbering face anymore. 

[kwnyc]

3 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

As for Chimney, FMLA is only paid leave if he's the sick one, and he's not. Its three months max.

 

Depends on the state. Some states now give up to four months with pay, and FMLA is also for a family member who has to take care of someone (like a baby).

[Madding crowd]

I thought this episode was ridiculous. Chimney leaving his job and driving all over the country with a baby, Buck recognizing Boston from a few seconds of church bells, numerous people with assorted injuries requiring volunteer medical people and Chim and Maddie meeting up on the street. In real life Maddie would seek help under her insurance in her own town and communicate with Chim so he knows where she is. I understand her need to be by herself but you don’t have to go across the country to do so. I’m guessing they are testing a spin off in Boston. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

I think they hired a long term temp and possibly a replacement for Eddie since Eddie isn't on leave; he switched jobs for good---in theory. 

Bobby hired that new EMT as a full-time replacement for Chimney because he didn't know if Chim was ever coming back. And they hired that other girl to replace Eddie. Those were permanent hires. For what it's worth, I believe the conversation they showed between Bobby and Chimney where Chimney was promised that his job was waiting for him was supposed to be a flashback before those new hires. But I don't know where Chimney fits in now. 

[DearEvette]

I don't mind JLH and would have been fine if she had stayed, but I am not invested in an entire episode of her issues and Chim off to find them.

That said this was a fine episode mainly because this show remembers it is a 911 show and still had a fair number of different types of emergencies to respond to.  The chaos of St. Paddy's day and drunken revelry was well mined both for the various rescues and a nice touch of comedy.  911 Lonestar really should take notes on how to incorporate the basis of the show, i.e. first responder duties into personal life issues. 

It does feel like it really could be a backdoor pilot.

[Raja]

3 CSI's, 3 FBI's, 3 make that 3 currently playing NCIS's. Even if FOX has less airtime to fill than CBS they found a formula and will ride it until it falls.

As for ridiculous set ups the franchise has been that from it's very first scene when young probationary Buck steals a truck for a broad daylight hookup inside it on the city streets

Edited March 30, 2022 by Raja

[Asha124]

Maddie and Chim are not married so he couldn't track her money and she could've checked into the hospital under her name because Chim has legally no right to know if she's there.

[HerkyJerky]

On 3/28/2022 at 11:36 PM, SnazzyDaisy said:

Chimney and Maddie are more believable as a couple than Bobby & Athena.

AGREED!

[Empress1]

18 hours ago, gonzosgirrl said:

This was my thought as well. In fact, I wondered if they had filmed some of those scenes while she was still pregnant.

Yeah, she’s definitely noticeably bigger than she was. (No judgment.) She carries her weight in her midsection; her face looks the same. (I think she looks better with longer hair.)

[Clanstarling]

20 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

The withdrawals of cash can be traced. Most landlords of nice places aren't going to accept wads of cash from someone choosing their apt based on how close it is to their therapist. And again medical treatment inpatient care at a well known hospital under a fake name paying cash? She got 400k. That's not really a lot of money for mental health treatment.

I got the impression that the apartment building frequently housed outpatients, though I don't know why I got that impression. I don't recall what people at the hospital called Maddie, but since she and Chen aren't married, it is possible she used her own insurance.

The various faces of Jee Yun were, I think, supposed to different flashbacks and current time. It was disconcerting, though. When I saw she had teeth, I was surprised, and again when she had a very full head of hair. But I think it might track given it the episode covers the entire period from Maddie's leaving to them finding each other.

The meeting was contrived of course - aren't they all in shows on TV? But I thought they laid the circumstances out reasonably well.

I'll be glad to get back to the "normal" series though, and hope that while they continue to cover issues, they get back into their silly rescues mode again.

[anna0852]

13 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

I got the impression that the apartment building frequently housed outpatients, though I don't know why I got that impression.

When Maddie paid the landlord cash he asked if she was with the program at the hospital. I got same impression you did.

[marceline]

I'm glad the saga of Chimney and Maddie is over. I know JLH has her detractors but I thought she acted her ass off in episode even if the writing was erratic. The look in her eyes when she finally saw Chimney really got me. That said, let's get everyone back home and get them integrated back into the story with the larger cast. I want Chimney back on the job and Maddie to get back a support system. Maybe once that happens we can settle on a baby to play Jee-Yun because that was distracting. 

 

16 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Bobby hired that new EMT as a full-time replacement for Chimney because he didn't know if Chim was ever coming back. And they hired that other girl to replace Eddie. Those were permanent hires. For what it's worth, I believe the conversation they showed between Bobby and Chimney where Chimney was promised that his job was waiting for him was supposed to be a flashback before those new hires. But I don't know where Chimney fits in now. 

I said last week that the new guy is basically a Red Shirt. He's going to die horribly and Chimney will get his job back.

[Empress1]

18 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

I got the impression that the apartment building frequently housed outpatients, though I don't know why I got that impression.

The landlord asked if she was “part of that program at the hospital.”

Re: landlords taking cash, I’ve known a few people who have lived in apartments where the landlord actually required it.

[EllaWycliffe]

3 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

I got the impression that the apartment building frequently housed outpatients, though I don't know why I got that impression. I don't recall what people at the hospital called Maddie, but since she and Chen aren't married, it is possible she used her own insurance.

Its extremely hard to "disappear" but still access your funds. Chimney may not have filed a police report but he's friends with Bobby who knows Athena pretty well and Athena can (and has in the past) abuse her power as a cop to get access to Maddie's information. I think the hospital was calling her Maddie Buckley at one point and I do agree there was was a vibe that the apartment building was used to outpatients.... but paying cash.

I'm just saying in patient mental health care is expensive and 400k isn't a lot of money in the face of that. And Maddie is no stealth ninja. 

Honestly, knowing the actress was pregnant, I would have liked this plot to be less dramatic. She almost drowns the baby, she is hospitalized, Chimney takes some time off to help her, maybe even a "well, at least we have good insurance and that settlement to make sure Maddie gets great care" comment. The cross country run with baby in tow to search for Maddie was silly... and I mean, I am ok with Los Angeles having a tsunami, an 8.4 earthquake, a psychopath rapist hunting Athena and Hen going to part time night medical school (a plot that has yet to be mentioned this season).

[iMonrey]

Quote

Honestly, knowing the actress was pregnant, I would have liked this plot to be less dramatic. 

I don't think she was pregnant when she shot this. She had her baby in September of last year. Hard to believe this episode was filmed prior to that. I think the first half of the season was filmed last summer and the ones we're seeing now they started shooting early this year.

[kwnyc]

I meant to say that I liked the St. Patrick's Day cases in Boston: ax-in-the-head guy and "bagpipe lung." Who knew? St. Patrick's Day in Eastern cities is definitely a scene, so they chose the day well.

[Clanstarling]

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I don't think she was pregnant when she shot this. She had her baby in September of last year. Hard to believe this episode was filmed prior to that. I think the first half of the season was filmed last summer and the ones we're seeing now they started shooting early this year.

She may not have been pregnant when this episode was shot - but she was when the story line started. I hate when they foist traumatic story lines on pregnant actresses, even when it's a topic worth covering (post-partum depression, I mean). 

[Andyourlittledog2]

I didn't particularly like this episode.  It seemed like an obvious set up for a new branch of the franchise, whether it materializes or not.  And the base of the story is the silly 'Chim takes the baby cross country to find his wife who doesn't want to be found'.  It also had that whole vibe of 'entertainment show does an important PSA' or adult afterschool special that drives me nuts most of the time. All that said, it had one moment that made me laugh out loud. Because what more explanation could 911 need? 

We've got a piper down!  A piper is down!!!!

That absolutely killed me.

 

 

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by Andyourlittledog2
Withdraw this part because I'm too tired to discuss it. Sorry.

[izabella]

4 minutes ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

I didn't particularly like this episode.  It seemed like an obvious set up for a new branch of the franchise, whether it materializes or not.  And the base of the story is the silly 'Chim takes the baby cross country to find his wife who doesn't want to be found'.  It also had that whole vibe of 'entertainment show does an important PSA' or adult afterschool special that drives me nuts most of the time. All that said, it had one moment that made me laugh out loud. Because what more explanation could 911 need? 

I can't handle the premise of it - Maggie running away like that for 6 months, and Chim chasing across the country with a baby to find her.  The absurdity cheapens the message, which is unfortunate.  I would have like this story line much better if Maddie had gone through this with Chimney.  They could have found a hospital for her nearby, and she could have controlled the level of contact from none to visits with Chim, and later with the baby so she wouldn't have missed 6 months of her life.  That progression, and the struggles, could have been educational and dramatic without coming off as a PSA.  But I guess that wouldn't have worked since the actress was on maternity leave? 

10 minutes ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

We've got a piper down!  A piper is down!!!!

That absolutely killed me.

That was my favorite part of the episode!

11 minutes ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

I will say this though, about the whole beginning of this tired saga -- what the hell was Maddie doing putting a baby that age, who could not even sit up yet, in a regular size bathtub, and filled with that much water?  Seriously, I question that entire scene.  She wasn't young, ignorant, or on drugs. She was depressed and tired. But depression and tiredness does not make you do that. She is a solidly middle class woman raised by solidly middle class parents and is a nurse. She has every baby accquotrement known to parents, surely she has a baby bath tub for infants that age. I do not believe for a minute she would ignore the baby bath, which is easier to use, and just dump her tiny baby in a regular bath tub that way. It makes no sense, not even if you are sad and tired. High, yes. But not just sad and tired. The show needed that scene to set the stage but I reject that scene entirely.

I'm not clear on Jee Yun's age or the timelines.   Maddie said she was gone 6 months.  Did Chim say Jee Yun was 18 months old?  If so, then Jee Yun would have been a year old when Maddie gave her that bath.  But that doesn't make sense since it hadn't been a year since she was born and Maddie's PPD started, had it? 

[shapeshifter]

31 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

She may not have been pregnant when this episode was shot - but she was when the story line started. I hate when they foist traumatic story lines on pregnant actresses, even when it's a topic worth covering (post-partum depression, I mean). 

Maybe it was JLH’s idea to the PPD story? 
My daughter recently had a different post-partum condition other than the thyroid one in the episode, but that also was initially confused as PPD, but fortunately her husband noticed when she started slurring her words and saved her life. My daughter also had another complication that was missed, and after that was treated, she got back all her energy and is now a wonderful mom. So it wouldn’t surprise me if this episode was inspired by JLH having a baby in the middle of the pandemic when health care has been stretched so thin, and perhaps JLH experienced or saw other moms experiencing medical issues that she thought they should do a PSA arc about. Or maybe someone else associated with the show?

Regardless, they did a good job with it, but it really felt like I was watching a doctor show at times, and I don’t watch doctor shows. 
Oh.
Wait.  
I guess this is sort of a medical show.   
Whoops.   
I may have to consider quitting. Especially if the soap opera elements continue. 

[marceline]

I gotta admit that hearing Sarah McLachlan's Full of Grace damn near ended me. That plus the Angel reunion over on Lone Star made me feel extra Gen-X-y.

[Irlandesa]

9 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I got the impression that the apartment building frequently housed outpatients, though I don't know why I got that impression. I don't recall what people at the hospital called Maddie, but since she and Chen aren't married, it is possible she used her own insurance.

Maybe I'm confusing apartments but he mentioned the traveling nurses program at the hospital.  There are nurses who travel around the country to help out local hospitals when there are staffing shortages and there are short term rentals who cater specifically to this group.  During COVID, traveling nurses could make a lot of money. So I think that's the program he referred to--not outpatient services. 

9 hours ago, marceline said:

I said last week that the new guy is basically a Red Shirt. He's going to die horribly and Chimney will get his job back.

Yep. Of the newbies, I'd rather keep Jonah than Lucy, though.

3 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

She may not have been pregnant when this episode was shot - but she was when the story line started. I hate when they foist traumatic story lines on pregnant actresses, even when it's a topic worth covering (post-partum depression, I mean). 

I think she currently has the kind of postpartum body that many women would have after having their third kid at the age of 42.  I think we're so used to Hollywood pregnancy recoveries where the belly is flat a mere week or two after delivery that it's unusual to see a woman who still has the weight.  The thinness is always credited to genetics and I'm sure that's true for some but, let's face it, there are also surgeries for those who don't have those genes. 

[Clanstarling]

4 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Maybe it was JLH’s idea to the PPD story? 
My daughter recently had a different post-partum condition other than the thyroid one in the episode, but that also was initially confused as PPD, but fortunately her husband noticed when she started slurring her words and saved her life. My daughter also had another complication that was missed, and after that was treated, she got back all her energy and is now a wonderful mom. So it wouldn’t surprise me if this episode was inspired by JLH having a baby in the middle of the pandemic when health care has been stretched so thin, and perhaps JLH experienced or saw other moms experiencing medical issues that she thought they should do a PSA arc about. Or maybe someone else associated with the show?

Regardless, they did a good job with it, but it really felt like I was watching a doctor show at times, and I don’t watch doctor shows. 
Oh.
Wait.  
I guess this is sort of a medical show.   
Whoops.   
I may have to consider quitting. Especially if the soap opera elements continue. 

That's certainly a possibility. I had postpartum depression with my second child. It's bad. I don't mind the storyline, it can do a lot of good. It just kinda bugs that there's rarely a pregnancy on a show that doesn't have some major complication. 

As for her postpartum weight, I think it's time to normalize what a postpartum body actually looks like (clothed) Women feel so much pressure to get back to "normal" it's unfair to them. I think I only knew one woman who bounced right back.

[Diana Berry]

On 3/29/2022 at 11:25 AM, AdorkableWitch said:

I have a sneaky suspicion this might be a back door pilot for 9-1-1: Beantown.

Agree.  Wonder if Maddie would go back into nursing ?

[shapeshifter]

On 3/29/2022 at 11:25 AM, AdorkableWitch said:

I have a sneaky suspicion this might be a back door pilot for 9-1-1: Beantown.

4 minutes ago, Diana Berry said:

Agree.  Wonder if Maddie would go back into nursing ?

Are you thinking Maddie and Chim would stay in Boston for this spinoff?
And maybe they don't kill off the new guy?

 

[juliet73]

6 hours ago, izabella said:

I can't handle the premise of it - Maggie running away like that for 6 months, and Chim chasing across the country with a baby to find her.  The absurdity cheapens the message, which is unfortunate.  I would have like this story line much better if Maddie had gone through this with Chimney.  They could have found a hospital for her nearby, and she could have controlled the level of contact from none to visits with Chim, and later with the baby so she wouldn't have missed 6 months of her life.  That progression, and the struggles, could have been educational and dramatic without coming off as a PSA.  But I guess that wouldn't have worked since the actress was on maternity leave? 

This!  I thought JLH did a great job in the flashbacks at the beach and at the hospital, but I would have much rather had someone at the beach notice her in the ocean and called 911.  She is saved and enters a treatment facility locally and her and Chimney go through this together - off screen.  

Once Maddie started out patient therapy, I thought the episode went downhill quick.  Nobody in the group session noticed JJ from Criminal Minds was drunk?  And JJ relapses because Maddie is getting better and is ready to go home?  They were friends for like 5 mins.  Who was watching the baby while Chimney was sitting outside the hospital for months and while he was volunteering?  Buck recognizing the church bells? Come on!

On the plus side, no Lucy and no know it all 911 operator, who come to think of it, I actually haven't seen in the last couple of episodes.  

I really hope this wasn't a backdoor pilot.

Edited March 31, 2022 by juliet73