Review: '911'

Monica Petrucci ’20 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
The long holiday season dry spell has ended, and it’s finally the time of series and season premieres again. This means that my DVR is back working at full speed, and friends and family members are already recommending new shows to me. And to these requests I’m usually skeptical; I have a bunch of shows I’m loyal to and, to be honest, am slightly snooty with my taste in television. But there’s one show I decided to try out after multiple enthusiastic suggestions – 911.
I was especially skeptical about getting into this show because at first glance, it sounds like another crime show with subpar plots and undeveloped characters – we’ve all gotten addicted to our fair share of those. But after only the first episode I was immediately proven wrong.
911 keeps your blood pulsing and your heart racing. You’ll find yourself screaming at the TV and tearing up out of nowhere. It’s been a while since I’ve found a new show that keeps me this engaged, excited for something as mundane as Wednesday nights.
Every episode consists of two or three instances of random 911 calls from the Los Angeles area, where we hear the conversation with the dispatcher (Connie Britton) and then watch the first responders – a group of badass firefighters and Angela Bassett as the best cop on television – arrive at the scene and attempt to save lives under high-tension conditions. Each scene is distinct but equally gripping, ranging from something as captivating as a plane crash to saving a little girl’s life in her own backyard.
When the first responders are off the clock, viewers are given fully-rounded characterizations of a fascinating and diverse group of people. 911 does an exceptionally great job of creating in-depth characters so early on in the show. A leader with a mysteriously dark past, a rebellious 20-something with ambition, a strong female cop struggling with family issues, a dispatcher with lots of at-home baggage – all spiking our interests. Relationships among these characters also draw you in, with dramatic tensions and attractions between them. It’s easy to connect and empathize with these characters, and you will crave to learn more about them.
So if you’re dying for a new TV addiction, or at least willing to somehow fit another season pass on your DVR, make 911 an option – you only need a few hours of binge-watching to catch up.