Nine seasons. That’s how long 911 has been making me yell at my TV while simultaneously binge-watching until 3 AM. Shows get cancelled left and right these days, but this one keeps going strong because it knows what it’s doing.

911 is pure adrenaline chaos mixed with character development that actually matters. I’m here for every minute of it, even when the writers make choices that piss me off.

TMJ Rating: 🍿🍿🍿🍿/5

What You Need to Know About 9-1-1 Series

9-1-1 series follows the interconnected lives of first responders in Los Angeles—firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and 911 dispatchers—as they deal with the city’s most bizarre and dangerous emergencies. And when I say bizarre, I mean bizarre. This show has featured everything from people stuck in chimneys to sinkholes swallowing entire streets.

The genius is in how it balances the procedural emergency-of-the-week format with ongoing character development. Each episode throws our heroes into increasingly wild situations while slowly building their personal stories and relationships. It’s comfort TV that also happens to be completely insane.

The core team at Station 118:

• Bobby Nash (Peter Krause)

• Athena Grant (Angela Bassett)

• Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark)

• Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman)

• Henrietta “Hen” Wilson (Aisha Hinds)

• Howard “Chimney” Han (Kenneth Choi)

They’ve become this found family that you genuinely care about.

Buck Is Everything

Buck has been my favorite since day one, and his character development has been absolutely incredible to watch. He started as this reckless casanova who treated firefighting like extreme sports, sleeping around and taking stupid risks because he had something to prove.

Watching him grow into someone who genuinely cares about the job and found his family with the 118 has been liberating and fascinating.

Oliver Stark plays Buck with this perfect mix of vulnerability and confidence that makes you believe his transformation is real. His tattoos don’t hurt either.

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His relationships with Eddie and Christopher, his struggles with his parents, his search for purpose—all of it feels authentic. Buck’s journey from self-destructive party boy to reliable team member is some of the best character work on TV.

The Good and the Frustrating

The character development across the board is solid. These people feel real, with complex backstories and relationships that evolve naturally. The show tackles heavy topics like PTSD, addiction, and family trauma without being preachy.

I miss Abby so much.

Her relationship with Buck was complicated and messy in the best way, and Connie Britton brought this gravitas to the dispatcher role that I still think about. Her departure left a hole that hasn’t been properly filled.

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But let’s talk about some bullshit decisions.

Maddie running away when faced with postpartum depression was just dumb. The show usually handles mental health better than that. That storyline felt like lazy writing for a character who deserved more thoughtful treatment.

That cruise ship arc? Completely unnecessary. Nobody asked for 911 to become the Titanic. The show works best when it’s grounded in LA emergency response, not when it turns into a disaster movie.

And making Bobby dead was the worst fucking decision this show has made. Bobby is the heart of the team, and Peter Krause brings so much depth to that role. Killing him off felt like shock value over good storytelling, and I’m still mad about it.

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Why It Works Despite the Problems

The formula is simple but effective: throw these characters into impossible situations and let their relationships carry the emotional weight.

The emergencies provide the adrenaline, but the team dynamics provide the heart.

What I love is how the show lets its characters be flawed. They make mistakes, they hurt each other, they struggle with personal problems that affect their work. Nobody’s perfect, which makes their heroic moments feel earned.

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The diversity in casting and storylines feels natural, not forced. The show represents LA’s actual demographics while telling stories that work across different communities.

Should You Jump In?

If you want a show that’ll stress you out while making you care deeply about fictional first responders, 911 delivers. The procedural format means you can start anywhere, but the character arcs reward long-term watching.

Nine seasons might seem like a lot, but episodes fly by when you’re invested. It’s perfect for binge-watching when you want something engaging that doesn’t require deep thinking.

Just be prepared for occasional episodes that make you wonder if the writers were having a competition to see who could create the most ridiculous emergency.

911 fans - are you still watching after all these seasons? What’s your favorite Buck moment? Let me know in the comments!