‘9-1-1’: The 118 Gets Permanent Captain, Plus Hen Has a Secret
Spoiler Alert
What To Know
- The fall finale of 9-1-1 Season 9 names the 118’s permanent captain, after Chimney has been serving as the interim one following Bobby’s death.
- Harry, Athena’s son, faces some challenges in trying to secure a spot in the fire academy.
- Hen hides troubling health symptoms from her loved ones.
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 6 “Family History.”]
The 118 has a permanent captain by the end of the 9-1-1 Season 9 fall finale, and it’s the perfect choice. But unfortunately, there’s also some bad news in the last new episode until January 8, 2026. Oh, also, we’ll never look at a game of tug of war again the same way (all those fingers torn off!).
First, the good news: As Chimney (Kenneth Choi) struggles with the candidate files for the 118’s permanent captain, Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) rightfully points out he‘s the right choice since he’s been doing the job for months and successfully. But Chimney argues that he already told Chief Simpson (Richard Brooks) he doesn’t want it. “Did I change my mind, or am I just looking at three strangers who don’t really compare to Bobby?” he worries. “It’s one thing to be interim captain, but to make it official, what if things change, what if they resent me for thinking I could take Bobby’s place?” Maddie tells him no one can take Bobby’s place, but he’s earned his own, and the rest of the 118 will agree because he’s family.
But Chimney struggles to bring it up to them. Rather than begin floating the idea to Buck (Oliver Stark), Hen (Aisha Hinds), and Eddie (Ryan Guzman), he just tells them they had an excellent shift, leaving them all confused and wondering if he’s retiring.
Disney/Christopher Willard
Chimney does ultimately talk to Simpson, and near the end of the episode, there’s another ceremony at the 118, this one to name Chimney its permanent captain. When Chimney approached him and asked to be considered for the job, Simpson says in front of everyone (including the Lees!), he only had one thought: “What the hell took you so long? But I think it was his hesitation, that sober consideration, that demonstrated he was the right person for the job. To lead such brave men and women is an honor, it is a burden, it is a privilege, and I believe that Captain Howard Han is up to the task.”
After, Buck, Eddie, Hen, and Ravi (Anirudh Pisharody) give him a present: a watch with “The 118 it’s not just a number it’s us” engraved on the back. Chimney is clearly very moved and promises he won’t let them down. It’s a sweet scene, and we love that Chimney’s captain, but it’s still odd adjusting to the new normal without Bobby as the leader of the 118.
Meanwhile, Athena (Angela Bassett) responds after a woman calls 9-1-1 about her daughter taking a bottle of pills, and she has flashbacks to her daughter May’s (Corinne Massiah) overdose. (May assures her she’s fine now when Athena expresses her regret over not seeing the pain she was in. Seeing Athena back then when she woke up in the hospital, was also what helped her the most.) The young girl was being cyberbullied, in 9-1-1‘s take on Lauryn Licari and her mom, Kendra (as documented in Unknown Number on Netflix). When confronted, the mom takes pills herself, and when she’s recovering in the hospital, her daughter tells her she’s never going to speak to her again.
As for Athena’s son, Harry (Elijah M. Cooper), he turns to Buck to train him for the test to see if will be accepted into the fire academy. After Buck gets past his concerns that Athena’s mad at him since Harry made his decision after riding along with the 118, it’s time for the cliche training montage (and Buck’s whistle). But while he’s ready for the physical test, and that goes well, it turns out Harry isn’t fully prepared for the interview — because he doesn’t tell Buck about his criminal record. He hit someone in self-defense and took it too far, and since he was released into his mother’s custody, it’s Athena who would have to answer questions should he continue with his application. Rather than give her something else to fix, and since she doesn’t want him to become a firefighter in the first place, Harry decides to drop out.
Buck refuses to let him, however, and instead takes him to the restaurant where he knows Chief Simpson will be. Harry remarks on the vein that Bobby used to have popping in his neck when he’d talk about Buck, now seeing why, but Buck tells him that even with that, Bobby never let him give up on himself. And so he facilitates the conversation, but then lets Harry plead his case — which he does. The manager of a store made false accusations and put his hands on him, and he fought back, and while he thought it was justified at the time, he’d like to think he’d find a different way to handle the situation now, he tells the chief. And with that, he gets into the fire academy. Standing in front of the plaque for Bobby at the 118 with her children, Athena tells him she’s proud of him.
Finally, the most worrisome storyline: Hen. It begins when she thinks she has a rash on her hand and wonders if it’s just an allergic reaction to something. Then, on a call, at a medical spa where the victim dies from anaphylaxis, her hand begins shaking. When the spa’s doctor, whom Hen clearly doesn’t think much of, comments on the tremor, she takes offense and calls him a salesman.
Then, at home in the afternoon, Hen calls her mother to see about their family history, but while an uncle had a stroke, it was after getting hit by a car. After she hangs up, however, she stands and collapses … and lays on the floor for hours, waking at night to her phone buzzing. When she calls her wife back, she claims that she got stuck at work and doesn’t tell her. There’s no way that can end well.
At the ceremony for Chimney at the 118, Maddie spots Hen stumbling, and the paramedic/firefighter claims she just didn’t sleep much the night before, then does that “so, I have a friend who…” by asking Maddie about her experience as a nurse and the symptoms that a “patient” had the other day. After Maddie brings up a CT scan, Hen goes to the medical spa, paying out of pocket, and tells the doctor to just run the tests. She’ll do the rest, and she doesn’t want anyone to know. Uh-oh! Listen, 9-1-1, we’re still not over Bobby’s death, and Eddie’s abuela just died. Now’s not the time to take Hen from us, too.
What did you think of the fall finale? What do you think is going on with Hen? Are you happy Chimney’s the permanent captain? Let us know in the comments section below.
9-1-1, Season 9 Midseason Return, Thursday, January 8, 2026, ABC
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Conversation27 Comments
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N
Never watched again after Bobby died and never will.
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C
You're missing out they did a 4part space 🚀 🌌 episode
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L
I lost interest since Bobby's character was killed.
I haven't watched it since.
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C
I really was on the fence about continuing to watch after Bobby was killed off, but being a die hard fan since the first episode, I'm still hooked. This season has been so disappointing on so many levels. There was the ridiculous 4-parter with Athena and Hen in space. After the second part, the writers should have left them in space!! Now, there's Hen's medical issue! The only positive is Chimney being made captain! Since I'm still in mourning for Bobby, I really don't think I'll be watching in January. The writers sure know how to lose viewers!
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C
I bet hens medical issues have developed from going to space....they were so concerned about getting home the exposure was never shown as a threat...but before they went up they said there's a chance u could died....they thought they beat space but it came back to hunt one of them
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H
My thoughts exactly! I couldn't even watch the first space episode all the way through, it was really rediculous! I haven't watched a show since! It is very strange with Bobby gone and since then I think something has seriously happened to the writers! I am not watching 911 anymore but I am liking 911 Nashville, so far.
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I
911 sucks without bobby
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A
I wish the medical drama could be reserved for the clients, not the 118 family. I’m hoping Hen’s condition can be managed, although from the clip for next season, it appears it will definitely have a negative impact on her performing her job.
I don’t know if the 118 will recover from Bobby’s death, but I do think it has seriously altered the trust viewers had in this show, making it hard to invest in future characters for fear they will be snatched away.
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F
I liked that Buck is becoming the man Bobby saw in him. He has grown in character and is channeling Bobby more than any other
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C
Ikr especially with helping harry against athenas wishes
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B
I KNEW CHIMMNEY WAS GOING TO BE CAPTAIN GREAT CHOICE BOBBY WOULD BE PROUD PLEASE DON'T TAKE HEN AWAY FROM US TOO UOU WOULD BE SO WRONG LIKE HARRY FOLLOWING IN BOBBY FOOT STEP GREAT CHOICE BUT THE SHOW STILL SO STRANGE WITHOUT BOBBY
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G
I said I wouldn’t watch anymore after Bobby died. I watched the first two episodes of season 9 and turned it off. It is ridiculously stupid. You are going to get a get show cancelled. Bobby needs to come back. Medical care needs to be for patients not the 118, their family, etc.
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B
This show has jumped so many sharks it is pretty much fantasy.
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S
I was very disappointed with Bobby’s death. The space story was beyond ridiculous. Eddie’s Abuela’s death was unexpected and too soon. Eddie had his son had been learning a lot about her. I like the man that Buck is becoming but hated they thought they needed him to be gay.
If anything bad happens to Hen I may stop watching. No more ridiculous story lines please.
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B
They're not going to kill off Hen. I'm fairly certain of that. SMH.
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C
Right it'll be random like ravi no one would suspect
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D
This show was so far fetched to begin with. Now it's absolutely laughable.
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L
I love Chimmey but we want Cap Bobby back. No more watching it for me. You cant give us a gift and take it back
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H
I think since Bobby died the show has gone really wonky! When the new season started sure I watched but when the Space Episode started I couldn't finish watching the one before they went to space and I haven't watched since. 911 needs to come to an end before it gets worse. I used to love it now I can't watch it. Fake just got faker!!!
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C
Haven't watched this season. Space?? LOL.
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J
They didn't need it, they wanted to make Buck bisexual (not gay). The space story was not more ridiculous than the zeppelin or the zoo escape lol. This series has been far fetched and ridiculous from the start, jesus christ, there was a zombiefied dude eating people's faces in s1
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R
I didn't think in reality nor on TV one could become a firefighter without at least a GED or high school diploma. How is it Harry can possibly become one???
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V
This is getting ridiculous dying people off. I hope he is not being killed off. If so, I am permanently done watching this show. Leave it to the patients they saved to die not the 118.
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G
I think that Chim being Captain is the obvious choice but it is not Captain Nash . Viewers still want him back . We will see what happens. Harry becoming a firefighter makes sense Bobby adored Harry . Athena is right Bobby would be so proud of him Why didn’t Athena congratulate Chim on being Captain though ? Hopefully we the show comes back after hiatus there will be some dream sequences with Bobby For instance. Chim as Captain he will need advice. Harry at the academy to stay strong and keep at it. Hen to rally and get better from whatever she has. And Athena the best couple , Bobby and Athena just for him to tell her he loves her . If we can’t have the real thing maybe a dream will be ok. But please think about bringing Bobby back
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P
I never dreamed they would kill Bobby either! I was so worried they were going to kill Chim, then relieved when they got the antidote. I Couldn't believe it when they didn't save Bobby! I guess some people knew he was leaving, but I didn't. I still don't know why? Was it his choice? or was he fired? If he was fired, the idiots that did it should be blackballed from the industry permanently! 😠 😡
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B
They made gigantic mistake killing off Bobby. Almost stopped watching but have been watching since inception. However this season has become outrageous with outer space now with Hen having some life threatening consequences from going to space! It’s beyond belief. May just have to quit watching. I’m not against LGBTQ either but honestly we had a guy who was a real player suddenly deciding he gay when he’s 30’s know it happens but… They never should have messed with what was working to begin with. I’m out.
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A
Was disappointed..just a bit more info on Hen would have been a bit more. Looking forwatd to the spring to see more
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