9-1-1 – Pilot

By: Danielle de la Torre

The episode begins with a voice-over introduction of the character Abby Clark (Connie Britton) who describes emergencies. She’s recently broken up with and taking care of her mother with Alzheimer’s. Her voice over continues until we learn she is a 911 dispatcher. She is then called by a panicked woman about her son that is not breathing. 911 first responders come in and we are introduced Bobby Nash (Peter Krause).  Abby stays on the line until the woman hangs up on her. Her voice-over states most people who call hang up when help arrives. Abby says it may be for the best.

It cuts to a woman who is sitting off a ledge. Abby asks the boy who called her if he knows her. He replies they just get high together. Bobby approaches the girl carefully and attempts to talk her down from the ledge.  He reaches his hand out and asks to help her one more time. She replies no one can help her and she jumps. Abby hears the commotion over the phone before the guy tells her she jumped. He then hangs up.

Later a woman calls about a “bitch” manager at a restaurant who shorted her one chicken nugget. Abby tells her it’s against the law to call 911 without an emergency. She sets her straight and hangs up on her.

It cuts to the title screen.

Bobby sits in a church and stares at a notebook that appears to be his journal of people he has saved from his job. He enters the confession booth. Before he can speak, the priest’s (Gavin Stenhouse) phone goes off with a Katy Perry “Fireworks” ringtone. The pastor apologizes stating he’s new. They decide to move to the pews. We learn Bobby was an alcoholic and confesses every week.  He tells him about the woman that jumped and says the only way to deal with his job is to cope. The pastor asks if this is the reason he drank. Bobby says that was his way of coping.

The scene quickly cuts to a fire truck that is racing through the streets of L.A. A fireman is using a dating app and the power of his fire truck to meet up with a woman for sex.

It cuts again to Howie (Kenneth Choi) getting popcorn from the microwave. He hands it to a beautiful unknown woman that is his date. She smiles at him politely.

It moves to the day after where Howie talks to Bobby and his other colleagues recalling last night. He mentions the woman he is with is bored and he feels out of his league with her, but he can’t let her go. Howie said he met her on a dating website that is for women seeking men in uniform. Howie explains she is an adrenaline junkie and all he has to do for foreplay is lie about running into burning buildings and she’s impressed. A fire truck backs into the firehouse and the fireman we saw racing through the streets with his truck steps out. They introduce Evan (Oliver Stark) who claims he was just out getting the truck washed. The team sits down to eat a pasta lunch and Evan just helps himself. Bobby gives Evan some harsh words and tells him he’s writing him up. Evan takes off and Bobby sits down to eat. Before he can dig in the alarm goes off and it’s time to go to work.

The screen cuts to a call where you see the voice levels in red of Abby talking to a man who says that he can hear a baby IN his wall. The team responds. They come to a guy’s apartment. They don’t hear a baby and question him. When they search more they discover that there are baby noises coming from the walls.

The scene moves to Athena Grant (Angela Bassett) stepping out of her cop car. She arrives at the scene of the baby in the wall. Bobby cuts through the wall as Athena and her partner knock on doors to question residents. Athena comes across a shady guy hiding a girl behind him. Athena puts it together that she is the one who had a baby. The boys cut the pipe and Athena follows a trail of blood. Athena comes to a toilet in the middle of a construction zone. It becomes apparent a newborn baby was flushed down it. The boys remove the baby from the pipe and apply First Aid.

Athena barges back into the room of the man and discovers it was his daughter who is still bleeding from giving birth. Both were rushed to the hospital. Athena shows up at the hospital and berates Evan.

The next day Athena’s home life is revealed that her husband is a gay man and it’s causing issues between them and their children. Abby’s home life is revealed further when her mother’s caretaker shows up late for the second time. After some snippy remarks from her and the caretaker, she takes off to work.

Another 911 call takes the scene to a snake collector who is being choked to death by a huge snake. The team fights on what to do before Evan makes the decision to cut off the snake’s head and frees the girl. Later, Bobby tracks Evan to a rooftop where he has taken the fire truck out for a joyride again, this time to hook up with the snake girl they just saved. Bobby fires him.

Evan clears his locker and Henrietta (Aisha Hinds) tries to comfort him. Abby gets a home invasion call with a 9-year-old girl alone in the home. Abby works with Athena to try and pinpoint the girl’s location. Athena calls Henrietta for help. Henrietta sends Evan. Evan uses his siren to help pinpoint the girl’s house. Athena arrives on the scene. The intruders find the little girl and attempt to hurt her to get her cell phone.  Abby works intelligently to save the little girl’s life along with the help of Athena and Evan.

The episode ends with Evan getting his job back, Athena calling her husband, the team heading out to another call and Abby’s voiceover once again saying, “911. What’s your emergency?”

This show hits the ground running and you better be ready to take the adventure with them. 911 airs Wednesday’s on FOX.