‘9-1-1’ Needs To Say Goodbye to Its Biggest Gimmick
Season 10 of *9-1-1* opens with a volcano erupting in Los Angeles, continuing the show’s habit of building season premieres around spectacular disasters inspired by films. The article argues that this once entertaining formula has become an overused gimmick, with increasingly far-fetched scenarios distracting from the characters and their stories.
Earlier seasons featured events such as an earthquake, a blackout and a cruise-ship crisis, while later plots escalated to a “bee-nado”, a space storm and now a volcanic eruption. The article sees the shift from plausible emergencies to stacked-up disaster-movie references as the problem: the outlandish set pieces can still be fun, but they are losing their impact through repetition.
In short
- Season 10 starts with a volcano erupting in Los Angeles.
- The show’s disaster plots have grown increasingly far-fetched.
- The article says the formula has become a gimmick.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The increasingly extravagant premiere disasters may have lost their novelty, and their scale can crowd out the character stories that make viewers care about the series. Returning to more plausible emergencies could restore tension and give the show’s people and relationships room to lead.
The case against
Spectacular disasters are part of the show’s distinctive identity, offering high-energy openings and imaginative set pieces that viewers may enjoy precisely because they are far-fetched. Repeating that format can also provide a familiar event around which the ensemble’s courage, teamwork and personal dramas unfold.
Explained simply
9-1-1 is a television drama about emergency workers in Los Angeles, including firefighters, paramedics and police officers. Its season premieres often put them at the centre of a large-scale disaster, alongside stories about the people responding to it.
Earlier emergencies included an earthquake, a city-wide blackout and trouble aboard a cruise ship. More recent plots have used increasingly unusual events, such as a swarm of bees caught in a tornado and a storm in space, drawing on disaster films for inspiration.
The debate is about how these spectacular emergencies affect the show. They can create excitement, but repeated and far-fetched scenarios may leave less room for the characters and their everyday work.