Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for 9-1-1 Season 9, Episode 2.The first episode in 9-1-1‘s three-part Season 9 premiere set the stage for the season’s big opening emergency, which sees things going awry when Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Athena (Angela Bassett) go to space. The season’s second episode, “Spiraling,” starts off with some mockumentary-style interviews where Hen, Athena, and the rest of the people on their space shuttle talk about their upcoming trip to space. The trip is supposed to be just a quick orbit, but because this is 9-1-1, things don’t go as planned.
The episode starts with Hen and Athena planning for their trip, and their loved ones getting ready to send them off, and then the show doesn’t waste any time taking them to space. As it turns out, though, there is an almost-fifty percent chance of a geomagnetic storm happening while they’re there. The billionaire who sent them, Tripp Houser (Mark Consuelos), is advised to cancel the trip, but he decides to keep this a secret and send them anyway.
In ‘9-1-1’ Season 9, Episode 2, Hen and Athena’s Shuttle Gets Caught in a Space Hurricane
After the clips of the astronauts-to-be talking about their upcoming trip, the episode rewinds eighteen hours to show the build-up to the trip. The other characters give talking heads later as well in a video about Hen and Athena, and it’s a fun change in structure for the show. Karen (Tracie Thoms) is very supportive, but she’s having a hard time seeing Hen go to space without her, and Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) supports her through this. Just before the shuttle is set to take off, though, Tripp gets word about the risk of a geomagnetic storm. He selfishly decides to risk others’ lives, though, and the trip continues.
It is only when the shuttle is already taking off that Karen learns about the potential geomagnetic storm. Shortly after, Tripp’s company learns that they’ve lost eighteen satellites, and the shuttle is hit with a large piece of debris. Sure enough, there is a geomagnetic storm (which, as Karen explains, is basically a “space hurricane”), putting everyone on the shuttle in severe danger. I loved that this episode gave Karen the chance to shine and took full advantage of her expertise in this area. While Hen and Athena deal with issues in the shuttle, including treating an injured fellow passenger (Rio Mangini), Karen works to try to save the day from the ground. Karen then orchestrates a phone call with Hen in space, where she tells her about the geomagnetic storm. The passengers turn their focus to trying to get the shuttle back to Earth, but on the way back, they discover that the shuttle is on fire.
In ‘9-1-1’ Season 9, Episode 2, Tripp’s Technology Wreaks Havoc on Everyone Using It
Every emergency in this episode can be traced back to Tripp Houser. Aside from being responsible for launching the space shuttle during a geomagnetic storm, Tripp’s technology is failing everyone who is using it. A self-driving car traps a passenger in circles in the middle of a busy intersection, and later, many patients’ heart-monitoring apps malfunction, and one of Tripp’s robots even goes rogue. Self-driving cars, killer robots, and a dangerous space mission are a fun and entertaining way to usher in the new season, but ultimately, I found myself wishing for more low-stakes moments with the 118 like we had last week.
Still, the silly and over-the-top emergencies are reminiscent of classic 9-1-1, and Tripp is the perfect villain. He’s not particularly smart or calculated, but he cares more about making a profit than doing what’s right, and he nearly gets many people killed as a result. The best parts of the episode to me were the little comedic moments, like Hen believing that Athena is jinxed, because every form of transportation always somehow goes wrong when she’s involved. In my favorite line of the episode (with the perfect comedic delivery from Hinds), after learning about the geomagnetic storm, Hen hilariously tells Athena, “I really can’t take you anywhere.”
‘9-1-1’ Season 9, Episode 2 Sets the Stage for Harry to Join the 118
Alongside the space-themed emergency, this episode gives some real focus to Harry (Elijah M. Cooper) for the first time. He’s angry with Athena both for becoming distant after Bobby’s (Peter Krause) death, and for now risking her life by going to space. He also feels like it’s unfair for Athena to be mad at him for dropping out of high school. Harry seems angry and lost throughout the episode, but this is coming from a place of fear and a lack of control. Buck (Oliver Stark) sees Harry struggling, and he takes him under his wing. He reassures Harry about Athena’s trip, and he even invites him to join the 118 on their calls.
This episode seems to be a very clear set-up for Harry to join the 118, and while it does feel a little too convenient, I like where this arc is going. Harry gives an idea that actually works while the 118 is on duty, and later in the episode, they turn to him for help when they need equipment to shut down the killer robot. I really enjoyed seeing Buck act as a mentor to Harry, who feels very reminiscent of a younger Buck, and I think that Harry working at the 118 is a logical way to add another connection between Athena and the 118 after Bobby’s death. Now going into the final part of 9-1-1‘s big opening Season 9 emergency, I’m expecting to see Hen and Athena work to put out the fire and get the shuttle home, though I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the other passengers dies in the process. As for everyone on the ground, they’ll definitely do what they can to help, but I’d love to see them dealing with more meteors raining down on Earth as well.
New episodes of 9-1-1 air Thursdays on ABC at 8:00 P.M. EST in the U.S.
- Release Date
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January 3, 2018
- Showrunner
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Tim Minear
- Directors
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Bradley Buecker, David Grossman, Brenna Malloy, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Jann Turner, Jennifer Lynch, Marita Grabiak, Sarah Boyd, John J. Gray, Barbara Brown, Robert M. Williams Jr., Kristen Reidel, Marcus Stokes, Tasha Smith, Millicent Shelton, Juan Carlos Coto, John Gray, Greg Sirota, Alonso Alvarez, James Wong, Kevin Hooks, Varda Bar-Kar, Shauna Duggins, Sharat Raju
- Writers
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Tim Minear, Andrew Meyers, Brad Falchuk, David Fury, Ryan Murphy, Christopher Monfette, Nadia Abass-Madden, Nicole Barraza Keim, Erica L. Anderson, Matthew Hodgson, Stacey R. Rose, Taylor Wong, Tonya Kong, Adam Penn
- This episode’s technology-themed emergencies are entertaining and unique to ‘9-1-1.’
- Buck’s mentorship of Harry, and the possibility of Harry joining the 118, is a compelling storyline.
- The space emergency doesn’t feel as suspenseful or high-stakes as some past emergencies.
- There is not enough focus on the individual characters and their feelings this episode, apart from Harry and Karen.
