The9-1-1universe is expanding to Nashville, Tennessee, but the best spinoff opportunity for the first-responder drama has already come and gone. With star-studded names like Angela Bassett (Athena Grant) and all theintense disasters in9-1-1, it’s no surprise the flagship series made a name for itself following its 2018 premiere. The procedural hasn’t been without its hardships, however.
There have been manyheartwarming moments in9-1-1focused on the station 118 firefighters, but characters have considered leaving many times throughout the series. Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) moved to Texas for half a season and Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) even became9-1-1’s first main character death. Yet,the best firefighter exit was set up and discarded in season 6.
9-1-1 Could Have Created A Medical Drama Spinoff Centered On Hen
Despite being part of the core team, Henrietta “Hen” Wilson (Aisha Hinds) has been largely ignored as a character.Hen’s stories in9-1-1often echo sentiments of feeling disregarded but lack satisfying resolution. Nonetheless, Hen had a three-season-long arc that should’ve been a new lease on life:Hen decides to attend med school in the9-1-1season 3 finale.
Hen struggled to keep up with med school while being a full-time EMT, but9-1-1could have helped Hen achieve her lifelong dreamof becoming a doctor. Better yet,9-1-1wouldn’t have had to abandon Hen if it created a spinoff focused on her new career, similar to howGrey’s Anatomylaunched an in-universe offshoot followingStation 19’s firefighters.
More importantly, however, Hen’s med school storyline would have felt necessary, and her departure from the 118 would have felt earned.
Hen could have attended to9-1-1’s most gruesome injuries, setting up easy and frequent crossovers. More importantly, however, Hen’s med school storyline would have felt necessary, and her departure from the 118 would have felt earned. Instead, the plot feels like an insignificant blip in the grand scheme of things. Granted,9-1-1gave Hen a compelling reason to stay.
Why 9-1-1 Abandoned Hen’s Medical Dreams (Can The Show Still Revisit The Plot?)
The 118 Was Too Special To Her
Thefound family in9-1-1has always been at the center of touching ending scenes, team dinners, and motivational pep talks. When Hen’s wife and son are involved in a near-fatal lab explosion in9-1-1season 6, episode 6, everything is put into perspective for the prospective doctor, who decides family is more important than med school.
Despite Hen acting as Bobby’s second-in-command, Howard “Chimney” Han (Kenneth Choi) was set up as the 118’s next captain in the9-1-1season 8 finale.
Sadly, the same explanation is used to write Hen off as a candidate for captaincy in9-1-1season 8, leaving the character in a state of total stagnation.Hen gave up her dream to stay with the 118, but she now seems too scared of losing her family to take any risk, even if the change would benefit them.
All episodes of9-1-1are streaming on Hulu.
Since Eddie had an entire arc across the country, though, anything is possible in9-1-1. Perhaps season 9 will make Hen reconsider her priorities and remember her dream. Conversely, Karen (Tracie Thoms) or Athena could intervene and encourage Hen to go after what she wants rather than stay stuck with all of her scrapped goals.
