Hen and Eddie in this episode: I don’t know why I am the way I am.

This week Han, Cil, and Rachel try to compute Season 3 Episode 8 of 9-1-1, “Malfunction,” where Hen's life is in full-on meltdown mode and Eddie is busy trying to gaslight himself around his grief. We dive into Hen and Eddie’s psyches and how grief can manifest in very different ways.

Hen’s family is normally the rock upon which she stands, but the fallout of the IVF failure has destabilized her home life, and her attempts to maintain her usual composure at work are visibly unsteady. Hen and Karen’s relationship is strained with the heavy weight of grief, making them both feel alone even when they’re together. We reflect on Hen’s struggle with compartmentalizing, a skill she usually excels at, as it’s thoroughly tested, leading to an emotional crescendo with the ambulance crash that leaves us questioning how far one can go before breaking down completely.

Meanwhile, we explore Eddie’s no good, very bad choices, particularly the reckless behavior as he grapples with the aftermath of Shannon's death, the tsunami, and not being able to talk to Buck. His misguided attempts to beat his thoughts and feelings into submission via illegal fights reveals a pattern of self harm, destruction, and punishment. What he really needs and longs for is a deeper connection and to be understood, but he isolates himself in his own pain instead.

We applaud the intricate use of sound design and cinematography in the episode, particularly the fights and ambulance crash, where it helps create a visceral experience that brings the audience right into the characters’ inner worlds.

This episode has us discussing how unexpected tragedies can alter characters' trajectories, with Hen's emotional breakdown paralleling Eddie's impulsive decisions and the consequences that follow. They both try to scrape themselves off the pavement, but they’re not quite strong enough yet.

📔 Articles Mentioned

📰 Ryan Guzman: Eddie Diaz of ‘9-1-1’, Faith, Loss, & Filing Forward (Full Episode), Zach Sang Show on YouTube

📰 Yo-Yo Ma on how Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 gives us all the code to rebuild after disruption and tragedy, Classic fm

📰 What’s that tear-jerking string music in The Last of Us?, Classic fm

Episode Title inspired by “Not Strong Enough” by boygenius

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