S07.E09: Ashes, Ashes

[Attatude]

On 5/23/2024 at 9:29 PM, agathapenny said:

So the thing is, that was a pretty good hour of television. But it just didn't feel like 9-1-1…..

I'm disappointed in this season so far, and I think the reason is that ABC seems to have turned this show into just another primetime drama. But there's a reason I don't watch most of those. I think the writers and all of the other powers that be need to watch some back episodes and get back in touch with what made this show unique and special so they can start over next season…..

I can't say there are many episodes this season that I would enjoy rewatching. Many more episodes like this, which was too deep a dive into the drama pool without enough comedy and action to balance it out and I don't know how long I'll stick around. They've got some of the best characters on television with one of the most talented casts. I hope they can right the ship.

I agree with everything you said except I didn’t think it was good TV.  At first I thought this season was off because of the strike and a shortened season. Several of the series I follow had abrupt cut offs of storylines in odd places throughout the season or no backstory to explain character motivation. I knew when I saw the elaborate and expensive ship scenes, like the upside down ballroom in the cruise ship, they were going to with flash and glitz over story.  I didn’t expect the rest of the season to be so out of character for the show. 

My first thought is that Peter Krause is leaving. That explains the Captain’s odd behaviors. It doesn’t explain why the writing of everything else has changed so drastically. After this episode, I don’t like it anymore.  I’m waiting until the finale to decide if I’m going to continue watching next season.

 

23 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Did ABC put Shonda Rhimes in charge of this show? WTF is going on? The last three shows have had no 911 calls at all, it's all intense personal dramas and soap opera character study. 

I've never watched Station 19, but I understand this is its last season, so I have to wonder if maybe ABC picked up 911 as a replacement for Station 19 and wanted it to be more of a drama so it could be paired with Greys Anatomy.

Kim showing up dressed as Shannon to give Eddy closure was beyond stupid. It was a new low for this show, and that's saying a lot. 

The entire arc with Bobby is retread and a huge downer. Mara screaming as the evil CPS workers dragged her away was traumatic. WTF is happening to this show? It used to be fun to watch, now it's painful. 

I doubt very much if they are going to write Bobby or Athena off the show, but at this point, I guess anything is possible. I just don't recognize this show anymore. 

I don’t watch Station 19 because of the soap quality.  ABC has unfortunately ruined 911.  What were they thinking?

Edited May 25 by Attatude

[agathapenny]

31 minutes ago, Attatude said:

I agree with everything you said except I didn’t think it was good TV.  At first I thought this season was off because of the strike and a shortened season. ... I didn’t expect the rest of the season to be so out of character for the show. 

I was trying to be objective, lol, about the kind of shows that are successful, but I don't watch because they're not my cup of tea. I was thinking more that the acting was great, as always. But yeah, I doubt, if this was my first exposure, that I'd watch again. This kind of non-stop angst-fest just gives me anxiety, rather than enjoyment.

I thought the show seemed a little off at first, but I put it down to growing pains from changing networks. I was willing to give it a few episodes to settle in. But it just got worse instead of better.

[Attatude]

40 minutes ago, agathapenny said:

I was trying to be objective, lol, about the kind of shows that are successful, but I don't watch because they're not my cup of tea. I was thinking more that the acting was great, as always. But yeah, I doubt, if this was my first exposure, that I'd watch again. This kind of non-stop angst-fest just gives me anxiety, rather than enjoyment.

I thought the show seemed a little off at first, but I put it down to growing pains from changing networks. I was willing to give it a few episodes to settle in. But it just got worse instead of better.

It’s very difficult to take a show from another network because it wasn’t doing well, use different writers and make it successful. I gave them a season to prove themselves. ABC is making poor choices this year with other series, too. I don’t have a lot of hope for this one.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

people think Eddie’s whole storyline with Kim is a dream but Buck also saw Kim at the station and I don’t think any of that is supposed to be a dream.

If it's a dream/coma, then Buck also seeing Kim is part of Eddie's subconscious, perhaps because Eddie wants it to be real, and/or because of the ol' coma trope of the person in the coma not wanting to wake up.

3 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

If everything happening to Eddie and Bobby is a dream then where is the actual show?

Unfortunately, that leaves us with this for the non-dream sequences:

4 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

I hate the story about Hen and Karen getting another child taken away. Stories like that are what scares people away from adopting. Hopefully a lawyer or even a tip to a journalist can change things.

 

[iMonrey]

12 hours ago, possibilities said:

And also Hen-- she was acting all whiney and flummoxed when she confronted the politician, and she just gave up when they took the kid? Hen is a fighter. I expected her to explain what really happened in the cases the politician was citing, and to tell the kid they would fight to get her back.

What is all this crying and helpless shit? 

I was disappointed with Hen too. I wanted her to tell Evil Councilwoman "Listen lady, I'm sorry your drug addled son refused medical help, but being an asshole and trying to hurt a kid like Mara won't bring him back or make up for the fact that you failed as a parent. I'll see you in court, because I'm suing your ass."

[Irlandesa]

40 minutes ago, Attatude said:

It’s very difficult to take a show from another network because it wasn’t doing well, use different writers and make it successful. I gave them a season to prove themselves. ABC is making poor choices this year with other series, too. I don’t have a lot of hope for this one.

The show wasn't doing poorly on FOX. It was the network's number 1 drama, I believe and it was a top 20 show simply based on pure live numbers.  But the production company behind 9-1-1, which used to be owned by FOX, got purchased by Disney.  That made the show more expensive for FOX to air since it lost access to the backend, like streaming and distribution money. That's why it was canceled.  FOX likely believed they'd make more money on a show they produce, even if it had lower ratings, than on an aging show where salaries start to go up.

And because the production company remained the same, they didn't lose access to writers or directors. Or at least not any more than normal turnover.  Many of the writers and directors in this season wrote and directed episodes in the past. 

That's not to say that ABC isn't asking for certain things or allowing for certain things that FOX didn't but I feel like it's a bit early to know. 

[Attatude]

1 hour ago, Irlandesa said:

The show wasn't doing poorly on FOX. It was the network's number 1 drama, I believe and it was a top 20 show simply based on pure live numbers.  But the production company behind 9-1-1, which used to be owned by FOX, got purchased by Disney.  That made the show more expensive for FOX to air since it lost access to the backend, like streaming and distribution money. That's why it was canceled.  FOX likely believed they'd make more money on a show they produce, even if it had lower ratings, than on an aging show where salaries start to go up.

And because the production company remained the same, they didn't lose access to writers or directors. Or at least not any more than normal turnover.  Many of the writers and directors in this season wrote and directed episodes in the past. 

That's not to say that ABC isn't asking for certain things or allowing for certain things that FOX didn't but I feel like it's a bit early to know. 

Oh thanks. I didn’t know that. Then the changes they made this season make even less sense. Why ruin a winning formula?  It’s not the same show. They have lost what made it work in the past.

[agathapenny]

2 minutes ago, Attatude said:

Oh thanks. I didn’t know that. Then the changes they made this season make even less sense. Why ruin a winning formula?  It’s not the same show. They have lost what made it work in the past.

Yup, it's not like they had something that needed to be fixed (the old adage certainly applies here: if it ain't broke....). They didn't take a show that was good in concept but failing in execution, or something they felt they could add an ingredient to and make it a hit. It was already a hit. For a lot of the things that they've now inexplicably taken away. Did they not understand why their own show was a success? It's pretty strange.

[Attatude]

2 minutes ago, agathapenny said:

Yup, it's not like they had something that needed to be fixed (the old adage certainly applies here: if it ain't broke....). They didn't take a show that was good in concept but failing in execution, or something they felt they could add an ingredient to and make it a hit. It was already a hit. For a lot of the things that they've now inexplicably taken away. Did they not understand why their own show was a success? It's pretty strange.

They have made other puzzling changes as well.  They must have reasons but I don’t understand them. Maybe they believe the younger viewers prefer melodrama and soap opera style to action.  

Someone also said they are showing the foster care system in the worst possible light.  I’ve dealt with the system before. It has flaws and children can be returned to their bio parents prior to adoption, so there are risks. An orphan, Maya’s age who is scheduled for adoption would never be pulled from the home for vague reasons like she was and the adoption denied based on a whim of a Councilwoman with a grudge.  Unless Hen and Karen had records of child abuse, the rest would not happen.  If they want to be socially responsible, that was a poor decision on many levels.  It also gives the women grounds for a huge discrimination lawsuit, since they both Black and gay, because the other side did not take Maya based on a credible threat to a child.  

 

[agathapenny]

13 minutes ago, Attatude said:

Someone also said they are showing the foster care system in the worst possible light.  I’ve dealt with the system before. It has flaws and children can be returned to their bio parents prior to adoption, so there are risks. An orphan, Maya’s age who is scheduled for adoption would never be pulled from the home for vague reasons like she was and the adoption denied based on a whim of a Councilwoman with a grudge.  Unless Hen and Karen had records of child abuse, the rest would not happen.  If they want to be socially responsible, that was a poor decision on many levels.  It also gives the women grounds for a huge discrimination lawsuit, since they both Black and gay, because the other side did not take Maya based on a credible threat to a child.  

 

Yeah, so with the story we've been given, I can understand the councilwoman wanting to take Mara away for revenge, if I squint and discard all common sense.

But what is utterly inexplicable is why the number of people who would have to go along with her demands would do so. They'd clearly be risking their jobs and, as you said, a lawsuit of epic proportions. I know that where I'm from politicians are most certainly not that all powerful that they can demand random public servants — who may work for an entirely different level of government (municipal, state, federal) — go along with their arbitrary revenge fantasies, seemingly without pushback.

[possibilities]

I really hope Amir isn't the one who started the fire. He was upset but he didn't seem depraved. They haven't given us any other candidates, but I really don't like the idea that Amir did it.

 

[agathapenny]

1 minute ago, possibilities said:

I really hope Amir isn't the one who started the fire. He was upset but he didn't seem depraved. They haven't given us any other candidates, but I really don't like the idea that Amir did it.

 

It would be a letdown, because it would be so unimaginative.

[michelec]

1 minute ago, possibilities said:

I really hope Amir isn't the one who started the fire. He was upset but he didn't seem depraved. They haven't given us any other candidates, but I really don't like the idea that Amir did it.

 

I'm seeing Amir as a red herring because it just seems way too obvious. That said, my REALLY off the wall theory is it's a groupie of the real estate rapist (Jeff?) avenging his death. Otherwise, I got nothing. 🥴

[possibilities]

I can't get over the lack of smoke alarms. Also, why would Athena be passed out on the floor in that pose, looking like she was sleeping peacefully. Wouldn't she know to crawl out? Wouldn't she have shouted at some point before she lost consciousness? Or tried to cover her face?

 

[shapeshifter]

18 minutes ago, agathapenny said:

Yeah, so with the story we've been given, I can understand the councilwoman wanting to take Mara away for revenge, if I squint and discard all common sense.

But what is utterly inexplicable is why the number of people who would have to go along with her demands would do so.

[shapeshifter waves hand in class 👋]
Ooo. I got this.
Councilwoman Olivia Ortiz presents a bunch of cases in file folders of situations in which Hen's actions were questioned — including the asleep-at-the-wheel vehicular manslaughter(?) incident — in a menacingly deep but calm voice intoned by actor Veronica Falcón. She's done her homework. Taking away the child was probably mostly just to add to the list, demonstrating Hen had a foster child removed from her home. Hen was correct in saying that the Councilwoman was using a child as a pawn to get revenge. 

I agree that:

On 5/24/2024 at 2:50 PM, marceline said:

the councilwoman will end up in a situation where she needs help from 911, Hen will save her, and the councilwoman will change her mind.

but will it happen before the end of this season?
Or maybe the Councilwoman dies and Hen and Karen have to deal with the mess. 
IDK.

 

[agathapenny]

45 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

[shapeshifter waves hand in class 👋]
Ooo. I got this.
Councilwoman Olivia Ortiz presents a bunch of cases in file folders of situations in which Hen's actions were questioned — including the asleep-at-the-wheel vehicular manslaughter(?) incident

She wasn't asleep at the wheel though, and it was proven that the traffic signal had malfunctioned, causing that crash. Hen was not at fault. 

There's really no way to make this more plausible, I'm afraid.

[MaryHedwig]

9 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

I hate the story about Hen and Karen getting another child taken away. Stories like that are what scares people away from adopting. Hopefully a lawyer or even a tip to a journalist can change things.

Ok, Let's just decide the Hen/Karen story is a dream as well.

[Bobcatkitten]

the part that makes the Hen story even more ridiculous is she literally received a medal of honor at the same time!

[Realitystarr]

I put off watching the season to binge it this weekend.

I skipped the first 3 episodes because I hate how this has turned to the Athena show.

That  montage at the end sure does seem like  they are writing out Bobby which sucks. I like him a lot more then Athena, who annoys me.  I'd rather they kill Athena off.  

As for how the show has gotten worse since it's moved to ABC when it's been doing well the entire time is just like when a good  food brand gets sold to a conglomerate  because it's so popular. Then they go on to change the  ingredients and recipe and it's no longer good. 

I probably will stop  watching the show if they get rid of  Peter Krause.

 

 

 

[eel2178]

21 hours ago, Calvada said:

 it seemed the fire started outside and then moved into the house.  I want to know how a fire captain's house doesn't have smoke detectors. 

Whomever started the fire had spent some serious time studying fire patterns and accelerants and the like. Had Amir been that obsessed?

It looked as though the fire had been set to first completely surround the house (would that have set off indoor smoke alarms?) before creating flashover fires through the ceilings of each room in the house which would have destroyed mounted smoke detectors pretty quickly. Once the fire was indoors, there wouldn't have been much place to go to escape from it since outdoors was already engulfed in flames.

It would, however, seem strange that a fire captain living in LA didn't have an outdoor sprinkler system set up to turn on automatically if a wildfire came through the area. Heck, after his past experience, why wouldn't Bobby have insisted on an indoor sprinkler system, too?

Whomever it was had to have had access to both the complete indoors and the surrounding outdoors of the house but managed to keep the fire contained to a single property. That took some serious knowledge and effort. Again, is Amir that obsessed?

[anna0852]

The thing about smoke alarms and sprinkler systems is that somebody who knows what they’re doing can disable them. If that fire was deliberately set then whoever did it was probably smart enough to disable the alarm systems. No point in committing arson if your victims know about it right off the bat. 
 

I have smoke alarms in my house and all I’d have to do to disable them is remove the batteries. And I’m sure an external sprinkler system probably has some sort of water control handle can be turned on and off.

Edited May 26 by anna0852

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, Realitystarr said:

I skipped the first 3 episodes because I hate how this has turned to the Athena show.

The first 3 episodes were the best for me, but then I enjoy disaster flicks — the cheesier, the better. Tornadoes, volcanoes, meteors, earthquakes, ice ages, etc.

I might only watch the first episodes of next season.

[j5cochran]

First episode of season eight -- Bobby steps out of the shower....

 

[possibilities]

I really don't think it's Amir. They might do a story where he gets blamed, though. 

 

[iMonrey]

19 hours ago, possibilities said:

Also, why would Athena be passed out on the floor in that pose, looking like she was sleeping peacefully. Wouldn't she know to crawl out? Wouldn't she have shouted at some point before she lost consciousness? Or tried to cover her face?

I couldn't figure out why Athena was unconscious either. I think maybe she was supposed to have passed out from smoke inhalation, but there wasn't enough smoke in the room for that to have happened.

12 hours ago, anna0852 said:

I have smoke alarms in my house and all I’d have to do to disable them is remove the batteries.

Who was in the house long enough to remove the batteries from the smoke detectors though? 

Really, it's hard to spin any of this to make sense. 

[anna0852]

10 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Who was in the house long enough to remove the batteries from the smoke detectors though? 

Really, it's hard to spin any of this to make sense. 

Both Bobby and Athena work full-time jobs and are out of the house during the day. Someone who is motivated enough to set that kind of fire is most likely motivated enough to slip into the house without leaving signs of forced entry and disable the smoke alarms. 

[Clanstarling]

On 5/23/2024 at 9:29 PM, agathapenny said:

I can't say there are many episodes this season that I would enjoy rewatching. Many more episodes like this, which was too deep a dive into the drama pool without enough comedy and action to balance it out and I don't know how long I'll stick around. They've got some of the best characters on television with one of the most talented casts. I hope they can right the ship.

I see what you did there 😄 bravo!

On 5/24/2024 at 12:43 PM, eel2178 said:

As soon as he said, "You have a lovely home," I thought he was also thinking, ". . . and I'm going to burn it to the ground."

I sure hope not. It was really too much for Athena to ask of a man who lost his family because of Bobby, and it must have been torture for him. But he seems like a good man, who has good boundaries.

22 hours ago, possibilities said:

I can't get over the lack of smoke alarms. Also, why would Athena be passed out on the floor in that pose, looking like she was sleeping peacefully. Wouldn't she know to crawl out? Wouldn't she have shouted at some point before she lost consciousness? Or tried to cover her face?

 

 

[eel2178]

16 hours ago, anna0852 said:

The thing about smoke alarms and sprinkler systems is that somebody who knows what they’re doing can disable them. If that fire was deliberately set then whoever did it was probably smart enough to disable the alarm systems. No point in committing arson if your victims know about it right off the bat. 
 

I have smoke alarms in my house and all I’d have to do to disable them is remove the batteries. And I’m sure an external sprinkler system probably has some sort of water control handle can be turned on and off.

Good point. I thought the setting of the fire was pretty diabolical, but I didn't go that far into the abyss of evil.

[eel2178]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I couldn't figure out why Athena was unconscious either.

Maybe she was drugged?

[shapeshifter]

20 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I couldn't figure out why Athena was unconscious either

17 hours ago, eel2178 said:

Maybe she was drugged?

Even though Bobby told the medics she was suffering from smoke inhalation, I assumed Athena must’ve been drugged — like a gas so they wouldn’t notice anything in time.

But I also prefer most of it being a dream.

 

On 5/25/2024 at 10:50 PM, eel2178 said:

Whomever started the fire had spent some serious time studying fire patterns and accelerants and the like. Had Amir been that obsessed?

It looked as though the fire had been set to first completely surround the house (would that have set off indoor smoke alarms?) before creating flashover fires through the ceilings of each room in the house which would have destroyed mounted smoke detectors pretty quickly. Once the fire was indoors, there wouldn't have been much place to go to escape from it since outdoors was already engulfed in flames.

It would, however, seem strange that a fire captain living in LA didn't have an outdoor sprinkler system set up to turn on automatically if a wildfire came through the area. Heck, after his past experience, why wouldn't Bobby have insisted on an indoor sprinkler system, too?

Whomever it was had to have had access to both the complete indoors and the surrounding outdoors of the house but managed to keep the fire contained to a single property. That took some serious knowledge and effort. Again, is Amir that obsessed?

I assumed it was Amir who set the fire because of how MJW really sold his maniacal rage in the close-up of his heavily made-up/scarred face when he looked at Bobby’s happy family pictures.

But after reading the posts here about how it had to have been an expert arsonist, I’m not so sure.

Maybe MJW was just selling a red herring?

Edited May 27 by shapeshifter

[Clanstarling]

Although Amir being the arsonist is certainly believable, all the notes are there, I think that's a bit too much on point. He's spent his life (post fire) nursing and helping others. TV shows do like a bait and switch now and then.

I do like the dream idea. Though all three major events can't all be dreams. Unless they Bobby Ewing the whole season.

[eel2178]

1 hour ago, Clanstarling said:

Although Amir being the arsonist is certainly believable, all the notes are there, I think that's a bit too much on point. He's spent his life (post fire) nursing and helping others. TV shows do like a bait and switch now and then.

Typical Hollywood trope: the person who assumes the holier than thou caretaker role after a tragedy is using it to mask his over the top psychotic rage over what has happened to him, particularly common among burn victims (the movie Popcorn immediately come to mind, but I know there are others).

[MrsDixon2U]

Lawd knows melodrama is my kink but there was so much angst going on, that even I wanted a rescue to break up the drama. On the one hand you have a cast with superb actors who breathe such life into the written word & their characters, that if you are a show runner, on a new network, you might be hard pressed not to highlight the powerhouse you have in your arsenal to try to lure in new viewership. On the other hand, that strays away from the main premise of the show irritating some long-time viewers in the fandom. Hopefully with a full season to work with- S8 will once again find the sweet spot between drama, humor, & action.

Having said that this episode is fantastic! We have Bobby spiraling, Athena Buck-ering, Henren suffering, Eddie doofusing, and Bathena serving. I see dead people, red flags, red eyes, red herrings. We have the twins of Satan emerging- Capt. Gerard & Councilwoman Ortiz, Amir being scapegoated, the Wilson household in emotional distress, Eddie re-traumatizing Christopher, Buck being the voice of reason, the Bathena fight leaving no crumbs eating everything in its wake, the Grant-Nash home up in flames and the cherry on top of this sh*t sundae- Bobby in cardiac arrest. My word I’m breathless.

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, MrsDixon2U said:

the Grant-Nash home up in flames

Probably not apropos of anything, but didn't Athena's ex, Michael Grant, who is an architect, design their home?

[Emily Thrace]

On 5/25/2024 at 3:01 PM, possibilities said:

I really hope Amir isn't the one who started the fire. He was upset but he didn't seem depraved. They haven't given us any other candidates, but I really don't like the idea that Amir did it.

 

I wonder if it's that Amir is in contact with other survivors of the fire in Minnesota and one of them followed him and started the fire.

I suspect this season is suffering from the shortened season more than anything else. They are trying to shove a lot of character stuff into a lot fewer episodes. I also wonder if they spent so much on the cruise ship disaster they ran out of budget for the later episodes.

[possibilities]

I hope they haven't changed their minds about NOT leaving the season ending on a cliffhanger.

I wonder if it takes longer to film the recuses and 911 calls. Maybe the character drama is just faster to produce on a compressed timeline.

I wouldn't say I'm an optimist, but I try to at least have hope til proved definitively wrong.

[MrPissyPuppy]

On 5/24/2024 at 9:47 PM, Calvada said:

Amir started the fire, right?  His anger when seeing the pictures, certificates, and awards was so obvious.  And it seemed the fire started outside and then moved into the house.  I want to know how a fire captain's house doesn't have smoke detectors.  But I assume - completely unspoiled - Athena will rise from her hospital bed, conduct a solo investigation, and arrest Amir next week.  

I think that's a misdirect and it's going to be Bra'tac - errr I mean Herman the rancher whose son was killed by Amir, who set the house on fire or had someone else do it.   The cartel was really into torching vehicles and they stole Bobby's truck so would have been able to check out the registration and get the address. 

Edited May 28 by MrPissyPuppy
hiccups

[shapeshifter]

7 minutes ago, MrPissyPuppy said:

I think that's a misdirect and it's going to be Bra'tac - errr I mean Herman the rancher whose son was killed by Amir, who set the house on fire or had someone else do it.   The cartel was really into torching vehicles and they stole Bobby's truck so would have been able to check out the registration and get the address. 

Excellent theory, and thanks for the Bra'tac reference! 
👽

Edited May 28 by shapeshifter

[Calvada]

2 hours ago, MrPissyPuppy said:

I think that's a misdirect and it's going to be Bra'tac - errr I mean Herman the rancher whose son was killed by Amir, who set the house on fire or had someone else do it.   The cartel was really into torching vehicles and they stole Bobby's truck so would have been able to check out the registration and get the address. 

That's a good theory.  I wondered if Amir could use fire as a weapon, with the possibility of it spreading to other homes and injuring/killing others.  However, given the violent nature of cartels, I think they would kill Bobby and anyone else in the house first in some horrible way, then set the house on fire.  There's no guarantee the fire as it happened would kill them, as we saw.

One thing I noticed was how Bobby, having just suffered a medical event which stopped his heart, managed to turn and fall on his back after falling to his knees.  Isn't it more likely he would have face-planted?    

[jabRI]

Eddie is just a mess, this storyline is ridiculous.  Agreed with above comments that he and Shannon were a train wreck, no way they were going to make it in the long run.  He needs some deep therapy, he damages so many people around him.

 

I also don't think it was the nurse.  At this point we don't even know if its arson.  

Yeah, tried of the all-powerful 'councilwoman' that can interject in all agencies and courts, please! as if she had that clout! can't remember all the details about her son, but sure Hen was exonerated.  But Maya's transformation seemed a bit rushed.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, jabRI said:

At this point we don't even know if its arson.  

What were those exploding tanks that we saw for a millisecond?

[Calvada]

4 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

What were those exploding tanks that we saw for a millisecond?

I thought they were propane tanks for a gas grill.  

[possibilities]

If it's not arson, and turns out to be some kind of mistake (like if Athena's kid came home drunk and accidentally set things on fire?) and Bobby forgives whoever is responsible.... that would be a huge shift in his internal self-forgiveness, and maybe he would stop being depressed and wanting to retire and say good-bye.

[Ursula Parrott]

On 5/24/2024 at 1:26 PM, marceline said:

I remember an interview Krause did after the cruise ship episode where he mentioned that he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to do the physical stunts. I don't think he's leaving the show. If he is, they've done a great job of keeping that under wraps. But maybe they're setting the stage for him to do less stunt-y stuff.

They need him back next season so he can be another Bobby in the shower alive after all in the season opener.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 5/25/2024 at 10:53 PM, anna0852 said:

The thing about smoke alarms and sprinkler systems is that somebody who knows what they’re doing can disable them. If that fire was deliberately set then whoever did it was probably smart enough to disable the alarm systems. No point in committing arson if your victims know about it right off the bat. 
 

I have smoke alarms in my house and all I’d have to do to disable them is remove the batteries. And I’m sure an external sprinkler system probably has some sort of water control handle can be turned on and off.

Except Bobby is a fire fighter who lives with a cop. Assuming the arsonist is Amir it will be hard for me to accept that he is some kind of master criminal who figured out how to break into the house without Athena realizing and disable any smoke detectors. Especially since it's not like he has been plotting this for years he met Bobby like a week ago. And it would also assume they they don't have a security system or smoke detectors that are monitored.