S05.E13: Fear-O-Phobia

[jewel21]

Athena investigates a robbery at a gas station that takes an unexpected turn when the would-be victim turns the tables on her assailant. Bobby and the 118 race to rescue a novice diver who panics while in a shark cage, and a house sitter terrified of spiders. Eddie reaches his breaking point, Chimney returns to the 118 and Maddie shares some news with Buck, who realizes he has to come clean with Taylor.

Airdate: 04/11/2022

[gonzosgirrl]

Nope. Nope. Noooooooooooooooooooope.  🕷️

[gonzosgirrl]

Sorry show, I am over Eddie. This whole PTSD thing is out of left field (mostly) and unearned.  Let Buck take Christopher and send Eddie off to rehab forever.

The gas station scene was awesome though.

[anna0852]

Can't say I didn't expect that with Maddie and Chim. Felt very real and very sad.

[Maverick]

 Damn, y'all.  Coco Hernadez is hard. core.  

 The thing I love about this show is the deft hand the writers have.  The way that can take disparate scenes and weave them together into a cohesive story with an overarching theme that creeps up on you.   Why it took almost 30 seconds for to realize this week's theme was "fear".   Yes kiddies, we're talking about fear today.  And won't you be my neighbor?  If you're not too afraid, that is.  

[stonehaven]

I hate spiders but that scene where the guy was wrapped in a web made me jump.

Great episode overall....and I have hope for Buck and Taylor but Taylor believing that it was a random chick he made out with will haunt both of them eventually.

My mom and I were thinking Chimney and Maddie will get back together but I think not as Maddie seems to have pulled away from Chimney. (I definitely saw some hostility between them making me think their break up wasn't as amicable).

 

[t7686]

It’s realistic but I’m annoyed that after all that time waiting, they break up Chimney and Maddie. What was the point then? Chim (and the poor actor) could have stayed on the show. I’m starting to like Lone Star better, I think. 

[Irlandesa]

I knew where the spider story was going (well not the web but that they'd escape) and I got the willies during that whole part.  But they left those damn doors wide open.  Are they just going to let all the spiders out?  Is anyone MINDING THE SPIDERS? Sorry.

I recognize gas station lady from The Profiler. 

I am over the PTSD stuff with Eddie too but I really did like the scenes between Buck and Eddie.  Given that they had almost the same discussion with Bobby about coming back before they're ready and are such good friends, I've been waiting for them to have it.

15 minutes ago, stonehaven said:

My mom and I were thinking Chimney and Maddie will get back together but I think not as Maddie seems to have pulled away from Chimney. (I definitely saw some hostility between them making me think their break up wasn't as amicable).

I didn't see hostility.  I think there's discomfort because Chimney asked about the bath and she's afraid of giving her child a bath since she almost killed her the last time she did it.  And she probably felt judged but more because she was judging herself than I think he intended to judge her. I think he just wanted to know. 

Overall, I enjoyed the episode.  Having a thematic episode feels like an old school ep.  The only thing I didn't love was the awkwardness between Buck and Lucy. 

[shapeshifter]

53 minutes ago, stonehaven said:

Great episode overall....and I have hope for Buck and Taylor but Taylor believing that it was a random chick he made out with will haunt both of them eventually.

Ooo. Right.
I can hear Buck's voice telling Taylor:
Well. The thing is. She was some random chick. Some random chick who worked at another fire house. But then. See. The thing is. The next day. The day after the kiss. She showed up at our house to work.

 

37 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I knew where the spider story was going (well not the web but that they'd escape) and I got the willies during that whole part.  But they left those damn doors wide open.  Are they just going to let all the spiders out?  Is anyone MINDING THE SPIDERS?

I guess that just leaves me and you, @Irlandesa, to mind the spiders (and find the ones that escaped) because nobody else is doing it. 🤣
I thought the spider that climbed in bed with the pet sitter must've been pregnant and hatched a whole bunch of spiders that were full grown in 2 days.😦
And now, kids, we know why it's good to have a fire extinguisher🧯 in your house or apartment, because C0² takes care of spiders.🕷️🕸️

[threebluestars]

1 hour ago, Irlandesa said:

I recognize gas station lady from The Profiler. 

 

Erica Gimpel! And I often feel like the only person on earth that remembers Profiler. It was SO good.

[BooksRule]

I was lying on the couch watching and the spider scenes really made my arachophobia kick in.  And it didn't help that right at the part where the spider starts creeping towards the guy in bed, one of my cats tickled my foot with her whiskers (totally innocent. I was infringing on her napping spot).  I jerked my foot back, which was lucky for her, because I could have instinctively moved in the other direction and punted her across the room.  

Good on Hen for figuring out the jumper's problem.  Which reminded me--have we seen Hen attending classes lately?  Is she still in medical school?

[possibilities]

I am not sure where I knew the fearless woman from, but I never saw the Profiler, so it must have been something else. The only thing I remember is that I liked her and was excited to see her again. And also, while I get that the extreme fearlessness was not good, I was in awe of her and cheering for her when she disarmed the robber. I also liked the gas station employee who intervened. It's great to see they didn't feel it necessary to have a man save the day.

I'm not sure how I feel about the Maddie-Chim break up. I don't like that they didn't show us what happened. I don't need the mystery or the suspense. I just want to see the story, but they're asking us to wait around while they dribble it out. Why? It seems like a lot of tv is doing this lately and I find it annoying. Are they just going to expect us to accept "we realized it was over" and that they always had a disconnect but blamed it on circumstances and now they are just giving up and not even trying to work it out? ANd why is it better for their kid if they just split, vs if they at least try a little first?

I didn't think Chim was asking about the bath for any hidden reason. I took it as just being a reflex. Parents always ask questions when they come home after leaving the kid with someone. Everything okay? Did she eat? Have her bath? Did she go down ok? It's like the parental chekclist. But yes, it was awkward that Maddie got so flustered. To me, that says she has more to deal with, and it wasn't great that they decided to pretend it was nothing. Granted, she worked it out on her own, but still-- I just don't like the dynamic where they don't talk, or if they talk we don't see it.

Buck and Taylor are depressing me. 

Eddie is a scary dude. So glad Chris has Uncle Buck, who is a dumbass in general but seems to be pretty sane with Christopher.

What the hell with the fish? They took fish home from that rescue?? They "got paid in fish"? I thought 911 responders get a salary, and don't get paid by the people the rescue and also aren't allowed to accept "gratuities"?

I actually had a hyperbaric treatment and it's amazing. Mine was done in a proper chamber, though, not a freezer. 

How did the spider get out? Why did the habitats have gigantic doors instead of small openings to stick the tongs in, for the feedings? 

We did get to see both the newbies are assets in the field. The guy with the spider rescue and Lucy with the diver. They're trying to make us like them, unlike what Lone Star does with newbies.

Chim actually thought he could go away for 6 months and not be replaced. And I guess Maddie is not going back to the Call Center. Hmmn.

[Maverick]

 I assume the city had to reimburse the fishery for all the product they pulled out to create the chamber so they were allowed to keep it. 

[Irlandesa]

Didn't they have to lower the temperature in the freezer?  I'm guessing that made the fish unsellable because it didn't maintain a specific temperature but still basically edible so they got to keep it.

[jewel21]

23 minutes ago, BooksRule said:

 I jerked my foot back, which was lucky for her, because I could have instinctively moved in the other direction and punted her across the room.  

I know I shouldn't laugh, but I laughed, heh. 

The spider scene wigged me out, but surprisingly I was able to keep my eyes open during the feeding montage. It was when it crawled on the bed covers that I physically revolted and covered my eyes. 

[izabella]

54 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I am not sure where I knew the fearless woman from, but I never saw the Profiler, so it must have been something else. The only thing I remember is that I liked her and was excited to see her again. And also, while I get that the extreme fearlessness was not good, I was in awe of her and cheering for her when she disarmed the robber. I also liked the gas station employee who intervened. It's great to see they didn't feel it necessary to have a man save the day.

I know her from the tv show "Fame!"  "Fame!  I'm gonna live forever!"

[possibilities]

I looked her up. I know her from Veronica Mars. She was Wallace's mother.

[Mediocre Gatsby]

Yikes what a bummer of an episode, focusing on some of my least-favorite characters. The only part I liked was Gas Station Lady. There have been enough shootings at gas stations in my neck of the woods (California) that I'm going to keep that "hit him with the hose" in mind. I kind of thought she'd set the guy on fire with a spark when she drove away. 

I'm hoping for better next week. 

 

[UnknownK]

2 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Didn't they have to lower the temperature in the freezer?  I'm guessing that made the fish unsellable because it didn't maintain a specific temperature but still basically edible so they got to keep it.

No, they turned the freezer off so it would warm up. When the power was cut the fish had to be moved out or they would spoil and I assume the city had to pay for it (and the hole in the freezer door) and the fire department decided to eat it.

The spider thing was kind of stupid. If the owner had lost a spider there AND the thing had laid eggs AND they hatched they would have died because there is no food in that empty room for the half a dozen full grown spiders we seen run out of the web. Also wouldn't the guy have woken up and ran after the first bite?

Most guys are reactionary so asking your GF to move in after you drunkingly kissed another woman and realized how much you love the one you have seems logical in the way some people think. The old buck would have just had sex with the woman and not even cared.

Chim and Maddie breaking up seems very real to me. You have somebody you love that just dumps your baby off at work and runs away for 6 months. You are worried as hell, leave your job and look for her for all over the country thinking she is going to hurt herself. Finally you find her and all the bad things you were worried had happened didn't and then you are left with anger and wonder who the hell the other person really is and why you want to be with them.

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, possibilities said:

I am not sure where I knew the fearless woman from, but I never saw the Profiler, so it must have been something else

Erica Gimpel is a H!ITG! who shows up everywhere as both a regular (God Friended Me) and as a guest star (everything from the OG Roswell to L&O).

4 hours ago, possibilities said:

while I get that the extreme fearlessness was not good, I was in awe of her and cheering for her when she disarmed the robber. I also liked the gas station employee who intervened. It's great to see they didn't feel it necessary to have a man save the day.

ITA! Possibly best bit on either of the 9-1-1 shows ever!

 

 

[Lady Calypso]

I think Maddie/Chimney breaking up was the right call. I think their relationship has had a lot of issues, mostly external, and a break could do them good. They couldn't just go back to the way they were with everything that's happened. I think both need some time apart to heal and figure themselves out. I just wish it hadn't been discussed offscreen. That was a conversation that should have been held onscreen. That being said, there's been a lot discussed offscreen this season. 

It does seem like Chimney doesn't trust Maddie with Jee, just with some of his reactions to her. It's understandable, but also just sad to see.

Poor Taylor. I didn't think I'd ever feel sorry for her, but poor girl is going to get her heart broken again. Buck's being such an asshole. Regardless of his reasons, he allowed Taylor to break out of her lease, move ALL of her stuff in, and THEN broke the news to her once she was settled. Then, he additionally LIED to her about who he kissed, and is still withholding that information as Taylor graciously gives him another chance. 

Taylor is gonna lose it when she learns the full truth. If she decides to break everything in Buck's apartment, I wouldn't blame her. I'd actively encourage her to do so, actually. 

Still not a fan of Lucy. Especially since they shoehorned her as the person to figure out how to save the man on their call. It's just poor writing, on their end. Arielle Kebbel is such a great actress, but she's portraying such a shitty character. Not just with her introduction, but now with her solving cases.

The spiders case was...yeah. I did get a chuckle out of Bobby hightailing it out of the house immediately. The case with the fearless woman was very, very good.

Eddie's stuff was underutilized. I do think Eddie's had a lot of PTSD that he's buried for so long, but I wish they focused more on that. His breakdown scene was surprisingly really good, but the ending of the episode was so abrupt.

[marceline]

I really want some follow-up to Spider Man. Was he rendered unconscious for days? Did they give him anti-venom at the hospital? That scene reminded me of a horror movie from 70s starring William Shatner where spiders invaded a whole town. 

I just want to punch Buck. When he asked Taylor if she was coming back and she said that he had left her with no place else to go, I felt that in my bones. What he did to her was manipulative as hell.

Good job re-traumatizing your kid, Eddie.

[cameron]

9 hours ago, threebluestars said:

Erica Gimpel! And I often feel like the only person on earth that remembers Profiler. It was SO good.

I know her from God Friended Me where she wore those crazy necklaces all the time.

[EllaWycliffe]

6 hours ago, UnknownK said:

Chim and Maddie breaking up seems very real to me. You have somebody you love that just dumps your baby off at work and runs away for 6 months. You are worried as hell, leave your job and look for her for all over the country thinking she is going to hurt herself. Finally you find her and all the bad things you were worried had happened didn't and then you are left with anger and wonder who the hell the other person really is and why you want to be with them.

Not to mention Chim apparently spent his life savings and in most places imploded his career hunting for her when honestly Maddie could have shown a modicum of maturity and just called him or if she couldn't face him, called Buck and spread the news she was seeking mental health care.  And Maddie seems kind of blasé about how she ran off, like it all just has to be understood.

 

1 hour ago, marceline said:

I really want some follow-up to Spider Man. Was he rendered unconscious for days? Did they give him anti-venom at the hospital? That scene reminded me of a horror movie from 70s starring William Shatner where spiders invaded a whole town. 

Yes, Kingdom of the Spiders! On the one hand this was hilarious, on the other, tarantulas don't spin webs like that and Spider Man would have felt being bitten.

 

1 hour ago, Lady Calypso said:

Eddie's stuff was underutilized. I do think Eddie's had a lot of PTSD that he's buried for so long, but I wish they focused more on that. His breakdown scene was surprisingly really good, but the ending of the episode was so abrupt.

With Eddie I just wish they'd make a decision. I'll be honest, I wouldn't be sad at all if Eddie just decided to retire and move back to Texas. The PTSD is coming out of no where and can it? Yeah... but its fairly rare and more likely Eddie would have been having problems since he left the service years ago. 

I liked the fearless woman too and honestly I liked that we had some fun patient rescues this episode.

[gonzosgirrl]

 

9 hours ago, izabella said:

I know her from the tv show "Fame!"  "Fame!  I'm gonna live forever!"

This is where I know her from, but I swear every time I see her my first thought is Whitney Houston's sister from The Bodyguard. They are not the same person ( Michele Lamar Richards) but dang, they could be.

[possibilities]

59 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

honestly Maddie could have shown a modicum of maturity and just called him or if she couldn't face him, called Buck and spread the news she was seeking mental health care.  And Maddie seems kind of blasé about how she ran off, like it all just has to be understood.

That really is weird. She was able to tell Buck where she was, but swearing him to secrecy about it... it kind of implies she was fleeing Chim, specifically, and that she didn't care about the worrying. I can buy she was so upset and self-immolating that she didn't realize Chim would worry, but that is a deep degree of crazy unless Chim is an abuser. And we really haven't seen anything to suggest he is or was.

So if it's all supposed to go back to her PTSD from the previous marriage, they need to clear that up, and not imply that it was all just caused by the PPD with thyroid issue. And if it was all the chemical imbalance that was corrected once diagnosed, she should be sane enough to realize it's not just handwavable now that she's sane. Typically, when you're sane, you can acknowledge how upsetting and insane the behavior was. 

This is what gets to me about the story. Maddie seems very disconnected from reality, still. She's on the surface functioning better, but has not at all seemed to care about the separation or the way her break with reality affected anything. 

I'm not saying she needs to hate herself. But once you come to your senses, to just not have any feelings at all about what happened? It's not how sane people operate.

And Chim seems kind of shell-shocked, but to just smile and go back to normal without any process being shown at all... it's weird. They should both be in counseling, individually and as a couple, even if they're not interested in getting back together. They can't just pretend nothing happened and co-parent as though the situation isn't full of red flags and unexplained mess.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Overall, I enjoyed the episode.  Having a thematic episode feels like an old school ep. 

I had the same thought while I was watching, that it felt very much like an "old-school," Season 1 episode. They used to do a lot of crazy, over-the-top rescues like the spider guy and the fearless woman.

I couldn't figure out what the hell Eddie was talking about at the end though. He kept saying they all died, even though he saved them? Is it that he rescued a bunch of soldiers in Afghanistan (or wherever he was stationed) but later they all killed themselves? I didn't understand what set him off either.

Quote

I'm not sure how I feel about the Maddie-Chim break up. I don't like that they didn't show us what happened.

I thought they did show us what happened and they spent the entire episode on it last week. I came away from that episode thinking they should break up because the relationship had changed in a fundamental way that was irrevocable. I didn't need to see them hash it out during a car ride. It was pretty clear to me by the end of last week's "very special" episode.

[shapeshifter]

2 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Is it that he rescued a bunch of soldiers in Afghanistan (or wherever he was stationed) but later they all killed themselves?

Yes. And the reason he found out was because his therapist suggested:

• "Maybe you should talk about your pain with someone who shares it. Think about that first trauma. And then talk to someone who can understand exactly what you've been through."

So Eddie called the 4 people he rescued from a downed helicopter and they had all since died --apparently by suicide.

[Racj82]

10 hours ago, possibilities said:

I looked her up. I know her from Veronica Mars. She was Wallace's mother.

I was about to say! Come on guys. That's Wallace's mom right there. No need for me to look it up. She was also a long standing social worker on ER. Side character but she is involved in a big way with the crazy dad that tries to go on killing spree over his kid that concludes with Rampage.

I also feel weird. I have fears like everyone else but they don't manifest themselves when I'm just watching stuff. I'm not scared of spiders in the general sense but those things....no no no. At the same time, I'm not freaking out while watching them on screen. They aren't in my home. My fear triggers are all reality based. Not when I'm watching stuff on TV.

Chim and Maddie can still find there way back to each other. Nothing was a waste of time. They would never be able to jump back into their own dynamic. They both need time. It's OK. IMO.

 

[kwnyc]

11 hours ago, possibilities said:

What the hell with the fish? They took fish home from that rescue?? They "got paid in fish"? I thought 911 responders get a salary, and don't get paid by the people the rescue and also aren't allowed to accept "gratuities"?

 

It may have been that the fish wasn't suitable for sale (after their storage unit became a hyperbaric chamber...) and rather than throw it away, they gave it to the firefighters.

Also: Erica Gimpel is a wonderful actor and it's always good to see her. And the gas-station manager has become a recurring character: response from 9-1-1: Did you get robbed again? And she used her scene very well. SO glad the robber got hit on the head, stripped to his undies and had to be sprayed down.

1 hour ago, EllaWycliffe said:

On the one hand this was hilarious, on the other, tarantulas don't spin webs like that and Spider Man would have felt being bitten.

Yeah, this. Giving spiders a bad name...like when they made llamas out to be dangerous prey animals in the zoo episode! I mean, they didn't show any of the doors open and the pet-sitter was really good at the job. I know people who have tarantulas (we had bearded dragons for years), and they are sweet little creatures who only bite when they feel threatened. (And, as Hen pointed out, are not poisonous. Good thing she goes to Imaginary Medical School!).

So yes, the pet sitter would have felt a bite (it doesn't paralyze people!) and probably squished the spider and had to apologize to the owner. So there is my misplaced anger at spiders being demonized! ;-)

Also, Buck remains unbelievably stupid. I think he DOES care for Taylor, but she's going to have to decide whether she wants to be with an idiot. 

Eddie can go away for long-term therapy as far as I'm concerned. He's not that great an actor, and there are plenty of other folks out there who could take his job. (Presumably his son could go live with the grandparents, though I hope the show wouldn't shoehorn Christopher in with Buck and Taylor.)

 

[possibilities]

I have a question about reality. Do people who are about to jump call to talk to the 911 people? I know there is a tv/movie device where murderers monologue first, to give time for a hero to rescue the person who's about to be killed, and I assume that doesn't happen IRL. But I actually have no idea if the kind of call the jumper in this episode made is the same thing or if it's just the same writing device as the monologuing of violent criminals.

I do know that people thinking about suicide call hotlines sometimes. But do they wait til they're on the ledge and then refuse help? Or is it just people who either want help to not get to that point, or who did something like take pills already and then realized they want help. Our jumper was refusing help, and I just wondered if that's a thing that actually happens.

[scruff]

So  Maddie   ghosts   and   Abandons   Chim   and   their  child   for   months   on   end    without    even  a   Postcard    being  sent.   Yet   now    she   is   supposed   to   be   the   victim/ good  girl/  martyr /  hero ?    Are  you    f'ing   serious ?

She  was Not   even sorry    for   what   she  did  and  put  Chim  through.   She   practically  BLAMES    and GASLIGHTS  Him     for  all   her   choices   and   behavior ?    Seriously  ?      Chim   is    supposed  to   be  the  bad  guy  now ?       Give  me a   f'ing  Break. 

What  Maddie   did   to  Chim  was    Vile,  disgusting,  despicable  and   reprehensible ,   yet   she   is   practically   taking  NO responsibility.      We   are   supposed  to   feel    sorry    for  her  now    and    villianize and demonize   Chim ?       BS ...

The   fact   that   Chim   can   even LOOK at  her   after   everything  she  did and  put   them  through  is a   Testament  to  his  character  and  goodness as a  Person.     When  in   Reality   he   should  be   Sprinting   to   any  and  all  courts   and  petitioning   for   Sole Custody   of   his    child. 

The  hypocrisy  here  is    comical and sad.  If  the  gender  roles  in this   situation were   flipped   everyone  would  be  "outraged"...   Chim   would  be  character  assassinated ...    He  would  be  "   evil,   horrible,  a  dead beat  dad,  a  emotional  abuser, etc  "    

Yet    we  are   supposed  to  cheer  Maddie  on now   and   look   and  be  understanding and     supposed  to  give her a    Pass  for   everything  ?

what   complete   and  utter BS

[Crashcourse]

I hadn't seen Erica Gimple since Fame.

[possibilities]

5 minutes ago, kwnyc said:

my misplaced anger at spiders being demonized!

I actually don't think it's misplaced. I don't know enough about the spiders in this episode to know if they were inaccurately portrayed, but I don't like when a show isn't able to separate portrayal of a phobia from portrayal of what the real danger is. I felt that way about the llamas, too. A llama COULD be dangerous if frightened, but thought the way they showed that was totally outside reality.

[kwnyc]

Thank you. I don't have a tarantula, but if someone said to me: "would you take this one, or it will be put down?" I would. (And learn EXACTLY how to handle it.) 

[Racj82]

7 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I actually don't think it's misplaced. I don't know enough about the spiders in this episode to know if they were inaccurately portrayed, but I don't like when a show isn't able to separate portrayal of a phobia from portrayal of what the real danger is. I felt that way about the llamas, too. A llama COULD be dangerous if frightened, but thought the way they showed that was totally outside reality.

I just can't this show too seriously. I know there are serious events that happen but a lot of things are hyped up for drama. I would never look at a animal in a situation on this show and think the situation in question would go down the exact same way. I take everything with a grain of salt here.

[kwnyc]

7 minutes ago, Racj82 said:

I just can't this show too seriously.

SHARK ON THE FREEWAY! ;-)

[Lady Calypso]

36 minutes ago, possibilities said:

So if it's all supposed to go back to her PTSD from the previous marriage, they need to clear that up, and not imply that it was all just caused by the PPD with thyroid issue. And if it was all the chemical imbalance that was corrected once diagnosed, she should be sane enough to realize it's not just handwavable now that she's sane. Typically, when you're sane, you can acknowledge how upsetting and insane the behavior was. 

I think that the reason for her running away was due to her PPD (so she wouldn't hurt anyone else again), but the reason for her staying away was to deal with her other issues. As she said last episode, the reason for her not returning to Chimney was because she needed to learn to stop running away, something she did a lot, well before she met Chimney. And I don't think she's stopped doing that, so she clearly has a ways to go. 

And I hope that's Maddie's story for the rest of the season, to deal with the consequences of her actions and figuring out a way to...not necessarily just make amends, but to be better and not do anything like it again. 

But I do agree that the show REALLY messed up with how they handled Maddie taking off and Chimney taking off to find her. They could have kept him in LA and not had him shipped offscreen, but because they made the choice to have Chimney leave for all of 5A (if it was the actor needing time off, it's more understandable), they needed to find a reason for him to stay away...except they really did a poor job of that, as it also made Maddie look really terrible.

They should have had Chimney find Maddie immediately, or had Maddie call him and tell him that she needed time, instead of all this drama over Chimney not knowing where Maddie really was or if she was safe for six months. Had Chimney found Maddie right away and stuck around until she was ready, it would have been way better. The show has made some bizarre choices this season with the characters. They could have had Maddie/Chimney still break up, but not have the whole "Maddie hurt Chimney by never telling him where she was or if she was ok for six months" plot hanging over the couple. 

[izabella]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

I have a question about reality. Do people who are about to jump call to talk to the 911 people? I know there is a tv/movie device where murderers monologue first, to give time for a hero to rescue the person who's about to be killed, and I assume that doesn't happen IRL. But I actually have no idea if the kind of call the jumper in this episode made is the same thing or if it's just the same writing device as the monologuing of violent criminals.

I do know that people thinking about suicide call hotlines sometimes. But do they wait til they're on the ledge and then refuse help? Or is it just people who either want help to not get to that point, or who did something like take pills already and then realized they want help. Our jumper was refusing help, and I just wondered if that's a thing that actually happens.

The Golden Gate Bridge has suicide hotline phones on the Bridge, so maybe some do try to call someone to talk before making a decision.  Not everyone, obviously.

Edited April 12, 2022 by izabella

[izabella]

57 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

I think that the reason for her running away was due to her PPD (so she wouldn't hurt anyone else again), but the reason for her staying away was to deal with her other issues. As she said last episode, the reason for her not returning to Chimney was because she needed to learn to stop running away, something she did a lot, well before she met Chimney. And I don't think she's stopped doing that, so she clearly has a ways to go. 

And I hope that's Maddie's story for the rest of the season, to deal with the consequences of her actions and figuring out a way to...not necessarily just make amends, but to be better and not do anything like it again. 

This episode made it seem like they are just going to sweep her 6 month disappearance under the rug.  It seems they are deliberately choosing not to have Maddie feel an ounce of remorse for the way she disappeared.  By showing Chim just totally over it and fine about both the disappearance and the end of the entire relationship, I am under the impression we're supposed to handwave her behavior and move on without a moment's thought.

And no, she hasn't stopped running away.  Right now, she is running away from her relationship with Jee Yun's father, for no apparent reason.

Edited April 12, 2022 by izabella

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

I couldn't figure out what the hell Eddie was talking about at the end though. He kept saying they all died, even though he saved them? Is it that he rescued a bunch of soldiers in Afghanistan (or wherever he was stationed) but later they all killed themselves? I didn't understand what set him off either.

 

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

So Eddie called the 4 people he rescued from a downed helicopter and they had all since died --apparently by suicide.

It wasn’t all suicide. One was in a car accident, one ODed, and the woman we saw him call shot herself. I can’t remember the 4th one but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t suicide. So 2 out of 4 lol.

I didn’t really like this episode but I’m hoping it was because it’s my first time actually watching live after having binged the whole thing in a couple weeks. That happens to me a lot when I do that.

I was really hoping Taylor and Buck would break up. Buck has never had a lick of chem with any of his love interests imo so I wish they’d just give up on him having romantic relationships.

I’m sad they broke up Chim and Maddie but it does make sense and I feel pretty confident they’ll end up back together eventually so I’m looking forward to watching their ~journey~ lol. 

I was glad to see Albert again. I hope this means he’ll be back more now. I also like the 2 new team members so I wouldn’t mind seeing more of them.

[Lady Calypso]

21 minutes ago, izabella said:

This episode made it seem like they are just going to sweep her 6 month disappearance under the rug.  It seems they are deliberately choosing not to have Maddie feel an ounce of remorse for the way she disappeared.  By showing Chim just totally over it and fine about both the disappearance and the end of the entire relationship, I am under the impression we're supposed to handwave her behavior and move on without a moment's thought.

And no, she hasn't stopped running away.  Right now, she is running away from her relationship with Jee Yun's father, for no apparent reason.

I actually disagree with this. I don't think they're sweeping it under the rug; it may not be that well written, but I think they are dealing with it. Their break-up is because of Maddie running away. I don't think they're done for good, which is why I think they will deal with it (because it has to lead to them getting back together, if that's the plan). I do think Maddie has regrets. She showed her regrets last episode, when she apologized. She obviously feels badly for what she did and she has acknowledged that what she did was wrong. But focusing on what she did isn't going to change anything; it's choosing what she does now that will be important to her growth. 

I also don't see Chimney over it. He clearly has issues with Maddie being alone with Jee, and Maddie had to face her fear of bathing Jee after what happened. It's only been one episode; I truly believe there's some work to be done, but I don't think they're sweeping anything under the rug.

Now, ask me at the end of the season and, depending on what happens, I could end up agreeing. 

[shapeshifter]

41 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

It wasn’t all suicide. One was in a car accident, one ODed, and the woman we saw him call shot herself. I can’t remember the 4th one but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t suicide. So 2 out of 4 lol.

True. But the way the deaths were described seemed to me to leave it open to interpretation.
Based on my familiarity with traumatized veterans going back as far as the Vietnam era, the car accident may not have been so accidental. And the death of the rescued soldier who had chosen to go back for another tour made me wonder if he was one of those who would continue re-upping until he was killed. 
You are correct that they didn’t say 4 suicides, but there was nothing in the script to counteract my interpretation. 
I mean, for example, none of them died of cancer.

Did anyone else here wonder if all four were suicides?

[peachmangosteen]

I just didn’t get that impression personally. I feel like they would have point blank called them all suicides if they were. This show isn’t exactly subtle lol. But I don’t think it really matters anyway. The only real point is that ‘they’re all dead’ and Eddie is all messed up about it.

Speaking of, am I the only one that was laughing hysterically at Eddie just repeating ‘they’re all dead!’ lol?

[tennisgurl]

Did you guys get what the theme was? I think it might have been fear, but I'm not totally sure, it was so subtle I found it a bit confusing...

I did like having a theme episode, it felt more like old school 911. The rescues were all pretty solid, especially the lady who lost her ability to feel fear. Spiders don't even scare me and I thought the spider cocoon was seriously freaky. What happened to the spiders? Are they just crawling around now? 

I am glad that Maddie and Chim are both back, but I am sad that they broke up. After everything, its just so depressing that it still couldn't work out, even if it makes sense. I still think a lot of this was unnecessary, especially now that we know Chim and Maddie are broken up, but I think they seem to be handling the aftermath pretty well. They still care about each other, are trying to be good co-parents even after breaking up, but its still rough. Maddie feels guilty about leaving and feels nervous being with Jee and Chim is still hurt at Maddie leaving and also feels nervous about leaving Jee with Maddie, even though he feels bad that he feels that way. 

I am over this Eddie drama, his war related PTSD has come out of nowhere, but I did like his ending scene with Buck. Buck makes a lot of dumb choices, but he really is a great friend. Now if only Buck could be a better boyfriend, this Taylor thing is an absolute mess. 

I really liked Ruth, the gas station lady, who is just totally over people trying to rob her who helped save the day.

[marceline]

1 hour ago, peachmangosteen said:

It wasn’t all suicide. One was in a car accident, one ODed, and the woman we saw him call shot herself. I can’t remember the 4th one but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t suicide. So 2 out of 4 lol.

The other one died in-country. 

Every single one of these deaths could be suicide or circumstance except the one who shot herself. I think the ambiguity is on purpose.

I wish that Carlos' shrink hadn't just told him to talk to someone who has been where he is and expressly recommended that he go to the VA or a support group. Him reaching out on his own was a bad idea because he wasn't emotionally prepared for bad news. 

Edited April 12, 2022 by marceline

[UnknownK]

9 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I am over this Eddie drama, his war related PTSD has come out of nowhere, but I did like his ending scene with Buck. Buck makes a lot of dumb choices, but he really is a great friend. Now if only Buck could be a better boyfriend, this Taylor thing is an absolute mess.

I think you forget that he was shot by a sniper on the job, his motherless kid freaked out that his father was going to die on the job, and then he had to take a non dangerous job that gave him no outlet for burning off adrenalin and feeling needed. Eddie needs to save people and when that was taken away he cracked from the PTSD and when he found out the people he did save during his greatest moment in war died anyway he lost if completely.

[tennisgurl]

11 minutes ago, UnknownK said:

I think you forget that he was shot by a sniper on the job, his motherless kid freaked out that his father was going to die on the job, and then he had to take a non dangerous job that gave him no outlet for burning off adrenalin and feeling needed.

I do remember all of that, I suppose my issue with the story isn't wondering why Eddie as a character is going through this now, but what the narrative purpose is. Eddie has been through so much over the course of the show that I do not get why we need even more drama with him at this point, its just exhausting. Its variations of the same story over and over, and its happened to so many characters, aren't the writers tired of doing the same things over and over? What can Eddie having all of these issues and not working with everyone else really bring to the story? Its not as lame as when Eddie joined an underground cage fighting ring, at least this all feels mostly organic to the characters, but it feels like an unnecessary subplot that takes away from the aspects of the show that I like. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

She  was Not   even sorry    for   what   she  did  and  put  Chim  through.   She   practically  BLAMES    and GASLIGHTS  Him     for  all   her   choices   and   behavior ?    Seriously  ?      Chim   is    supposed  to   be  the  bad  guy  now ?    

I saw nothing in this episode to suggest we're supposed to see Chim as a bad guy.

Quote

I am over this Eddie drama, his war related PTSD has come out of nowhere,

I was initially under the impression his PTSD had to do with getting shot last season. Did that trigger memories of his tour of duty? The whole storyline is badly written and confusing.

RE: The spiders - I can see how maybe one got out but how did that many of them escape? Did the house sitter leave multiple cage doors open? Or are the spiders just that evil? 

[UnknownK]

The show is a drama so we get drama. Shows make flawed characters that are at times very unlikable so they can give them a redemption arc along with the case (or rescues) of the week.

Outside of Chim and maybe the kids would you want to be around any of these characters in real life?