9-1-1: Season 3 Episode 16 “The One That Got Away” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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While not a Christmas episode, Buck meets the ghost of Christmas future and it shakes him to his core.

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Directed By		Millicent Shelton
Written By		David Fury
Aired (FOX)		4/27/2020
Introduced This Episode
John “Red” Delacroix	Jack McGee
Cindy	Deborah May
Jeffrey	Noah Bean

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

A Serial Rapist – Athena, Jeffrey

What begins with thinking she is arresting a man reckless with his drone evolves into learning said man is a peeping tom, and then discovering he is a rapist. Thus giving us, through this man named Jeffrey, one of the biggest cases we’ve seen Athena take on in a long time.

Every Life Counts – Hen

With Evelyn, from episode 8 of this season, still haunting Hen, it makes losing anyone who could have been saved hard on her. So with losing someone due to nurses and doctors not listening to her, she oversteps with the next person who could die on her watch and does what could have gotten her reprimanded. However, with her quick thinking and medical skills saving the man’s life, while told not to act rashly again, she is praised for saving a life.

The One Left Behind/ Standing – Red, Buck, Cindy, Maddie

It has been a long time since we’ve seen Buck date. Heck, unlike Eddie, there hasn’t even been possible girls who could fit the bill. So with Buck making another major save caught on camera, he wants to celebrate but is forced to do so by himself. For if it isn’t significant others, it is people having children, and this leaves Buck wondering who does he have at the end of the day?

This becomes an even more fearful thought when he meets a retired firefighter named Red whose life was being a firefighter, and due to that, he has nothing else. There are no grandkids, children, his friends he only sees during funerals, and the love of his life? Cindy? Well, we come to learn she has dementia.

But, in one of Red’s final days on this Earth, Buck reminds him he isn’t forgotten by having every firefighter he knows salute Red and Bobby lets him drive in the captain’s chair.

However, even with doing a wonderful thing for Red, Buck can’t shake him off. Leading to Maddie trying to calm him down, but it seems she is part of the reason he has this fear of ending up alone, for she left him twice. But, with him coming to her rescue and allowing her to integrate into his life, it seems she is ready to fully commit to her brother, and pinky swears she won’t abandon him. Which you know is serious since she calls Buck by his government name, Evan.

What Must Also Be Noted

1. Buck still thinks about Abby, and she’ll show up in the two-part finale.

Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs

You can be the hero, save lives, but don’t neglect having your own.”

— John “Red” Delacroix

Highlights

Multiple Arcs In-Play

Usually, when major things happen on “9-1-1,” they are like Hen mourning Evelyn and things of that nature – reminders of something that happened so long ago, you may have forgotten. I’d even throw Abby in there since, with her being gone since the end of season 1, maybe beginning of season 2, it feels like it has been forever since we saw her face or heard her name. But, one thing you do have to love about “9-1-1” is that it will always pull something from the past and use it in full-effect for the future.

Though what we also appreciate is when a storyline takes place over multiple consecutive episodes, and when it comes to Athena, she is overdue for a good police case. Especially since it is Bobby and the 118 that commonly get those major event episodes focused on them and their work as Athena just shows up, squints her eyes at the BS going on, and walks away until it is time to get out some handcuffs.

But, with this being a serial rapist case, it seems the police, the arm of first responders not heavily focused on, will get their time in the sun.

A Noteworthy Guest Star

On shows like this, “The Good Doctor,” and many others that are episodic, less and less have we named characters who clearly were not going to appear for multiple episodes. However, Red is a noteworthy exception. Primarily because, when it comes to shows focused on cops, doctors, nurses, and the like, it’s easy to build up a tolerance. If not, in the case of Chim, come to the realization that no matter how bad things are, they will miraculous get better. Thus, it takes a lot to really stir your emotions.

For me, Red got me in my feelings. Maybe because Buck’s personal life has long been sidelined and with his identity devolving to being Maddie’s brother, emotional, and the reckless one of the 118, Red was a grim reminder of what that path could lead to. One in which you’re reminded, as much as the 118 claims to be a family, it helps that they see each other on a constant basis. Yet, work-family doesn’t compare to real family.

I mean, consider Buck and Eddie are single yet how rarely they hanged out and tried to meet some local women? An idea brought up in the past but maybe done once? And lest we forget, Buck did try to sue the city, and that could very well play into why everyone is cordial, yet also a little bit distant.

Either way, it seems Red was a wakeup call for Buck and considering he hasn’t had a “… Begins” episode yet, it might be time.

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