Warning: SPOILERS for9-1-1season 8, episode 10, “Voices.“Season 8, episode 10 of9-1-1puts Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) in her most life-threatening position ever, but a worse event in the series' history ruins the suspense. Maddie has some of the worst luck out of9-1-1’s cast of characters, having already been abducted once in the past by her ex-husband Doug (Brian Hallisay). The episode “Voices,” in the grand tradition ofRyan Murphy’s TV showsupping the drama to absurd proportions, now puts Maddie in the hands of an even more twisted kidnapper and serial killer whose dual identities argue constantly about whether to let their captive survive.
“Voices” is one of the most harrowing episodes of the season, forgoing the inclusion of a B-plot almost entirely. Aside from moving ahead with Ryan Guzman’sEddie’s9-1-1departureat the very end,the entire episode centers on the9-1-1cast as they remain laser-focused on finding and rescuing Maddieafter her abduction in episode 9. And for a brief moment, it truly does become worrisome that they might not succeed in saving her.
Amber Slitting Maddie’s Throat Was 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 10’s Major Shocker
Jennifer Love Hewitt Survived 2 Slasher Movies Just For This To Happen
Abigail Spencer’s Amber Braeburnwas only revealed as a threat at the very end of the previous episode, so not much was known about her motivations. “Voices” then reveals that she’s been fighting with an alter ego named Peter ever since she violently escaped a torturous kidnapper as a little girl.Maddie does her best to talk both Amber and Peter down,but Chimney’s (Kenneth Choi) appearance at the door causes Maddie to attack her captor out of fear. Amber only fights her off for a few seconds before ending the struggle by viciously slitting Maddie’s throat.
9-1-1 Star Reacts To Shocking Decision In Midseason Premiere And Teases Part 2: “Are They Going To Forgive Me For This?”
Jennifer Love Hewitt unpacks Maddie’s shocking decision in 9-1-1’s midseason premiere, revealing her concerns about how fans will react to her choice.
Partly due to fans' fears aboutMaddie leaving9-1-1to make room for Jennifer Love Hewitt’s appearance in the upcomingI Know What You Did Last Summersequel, there were many thinking Maddie might die in this episode. But after Athena (Angela Bassett) neutralizes Amber and the paramedics arrive with a superhumanly fast response time,Maddie lives to learn from Chimney that their future baby will be a boy. This resolution happens so fast that it almost feels too convenient, but it’s less surprising when considering that Maddie’s own husband survived a worse injury years ago.
The Fact That He Has Full Brain Function Is A Miracle
In season 1, episode 3, Chimney gets angry after Bobby (Peter Krause) says (rightfully) that Chimney’s relationship with his girlfriend Tatiana (Rachel Breitag) is based on lies. This leads to a car accident in whicha piece of rebar lodges itself all the way through Chimney’s skull. Chimney doesn’t immediately realize why he’s pinned to his seat, but his first question when Bobby tells him what’s going on is how he’s even alive. Yet that’s not even the least of what makes this one of9-1-1’s worst near-death experiences.
Chimney spends 14 hours in surgery to get the rebar removed, during which he briefly flatlines due to a brain hemorrhage. He’s then put in a medically induced coma, with doctors uncertain whether he’ll ever walk or talk again. But when all’s said and done, Chimney is back at work and cracking jokes about the incident just three episodes later. He mentions the doctors saying that it’s a miracle, which is a massive understatement. Compared to Maddie, who received nearly immediate treatment after Chimney staunched the bleeding, the speed of Chimney’s recovery is far less probable.
9-1-1’s Injuries Are So Unrealistic Sometimes, But That’s Why It’s Fun
Their Outrageous Circumstances Are Gruesomely Entertaining
Just a year after his rebar incident, Chimney nearly dies again when Maddie’s ex Doug stabs him in the belly and leaves him to bleed out. And while it really seems like the show has it out for the Madney family,9-1-1’s characters constantly surviving impossible circumstances is part of what makes the series entertaining. If Maddie or Chimney ever do die, their past brushes will make that moment even more impactful. In the meantime, it’s fun to see how the series will raise its stakes next. It’s something the upcoming9-1-1Nashville spinoffwould do well to remember.
9-1-1 Season 8 Just Set Up The Return Of Lone Star Characters After Its Cancelation
Eddie’s apparent departure from the main story of 9-1-1 allows for the series to execute the perfect Lone Star reunion after the show’s cancelation.
It’s not just fun for the audience, either. As a dispatcher, Maddie’s most dramatic scenes outside interpersonal storylines involve sitting in a chair and looking worried. By constantly putting its characters in life-threatening situations,9-1-1allows the actors to do a little more than their characters' job descriptions might typically allow. And if that gives the actors a greater sense of job fulfillment, then threatening to kill off their characters might ironically be the show’s best method of keeping them around a little longer.
