9-1-1 – Season 8 Episode 7 ″Hotshots” Recap & Review

Hotshots

Episode 7 of 9-1-1 season 8 starts with a look into the case that Athena is currently working on. She is looking for a man known as Flashrob, who uses the dark web to incite his followers to rob businesses. This time, she and other police officers arrest the followers during a jewellery robbery stint. Later, as they wrap up the crime scene, Athena spots Flashrob, but he gets away after she pulls a hamstring. 

Meanwhile, our man Buck is getting into baking to avoid the temptation of calling Tommy since their break-up. When Maddie and Chimney visit, they suggest that Buck tries to think about jumping into the dating scene. However, Buck is confused about which ocean to jump into. As they talk, Buck notices that Maddie is acting differently and deduces she is pregnant. They finally come clean but ask him to keep it between them. Of course, like us, Buck is happy for the couple. 

The next day, the 118 is called to the filming site of ‘Hotshots’ after one of the actors got stuck in the aerial ladder. Once they help the actor, Bobby asks Gerrard how he let the incident happen. It turns out that Gerrard is having a challenging time winning Brad over.  

The following day, Elaine teams up Athena with a young rookie, Sparks. Obviously, Athena is not pleased and feels like Elaine is giving her a caretaker. On the other hand, Sparks does his best to get on Athena’s good side. However, Athena is not sure Sparks is a police officer for the right reason. Her instincts lead her to believe that Sparks loves the power and not the chase for justice. She shares her concerns about aging and Sparks with Hen. Hen advises her to embrace the wisdom that comes with ageing and follow her instincts. 

At the fire station, Eddie and Hen take Buck’s phone to stop him from texting Tommy. The chief drops by to talk to Bobby. Unfortunately, the Chief is in a tough position and wants Bobby to help Gerrard win over Brad. The people behind the Hotshot production donate a lot of money to the Fire department.

Brad wants Bobby back and Gerrard gone. Bobby drops by the set and Gerrard cries, begging Bobby to save his job. He suggests Bobby takes Brad to dinner and convince him to give Gerrard another chance. At dinner, Brad acts like a spoilt brat, shooting at the waitress and Bobby forces him to apologise lest he kicks his behind. The incident is caught on camera and goes viral. 

Meanwhile, Athena and Sparks continue working together. Sparks circles the dark web and finds a lead to Flashmob. It turns out that Flashmob works for a cargo delivery company and his name is Caleb. When Caleb sees the police, he jumps into a car and flees. Sparks jumps on the hood of the truck and a car chase ensues.

Athena radios for backup and Sparks ignores her advice to jump when the car slows down. Sparks manoeuvres his way to the driver’s seat and successfully arrests Flashmob. Although impressive, Athena is not happy with Sparks. She talks to Elaine and reports that he is a wild card, and she no longer works for him. Sparks accuses her of being biased because she is old and feels threatened. Athena insists that Sparks might look good on paper, but he is not in it for the right reasons.  

A few days later, Sparks and his new partner run into a woman refusing to roll down her window and show her license. At first, Sparks and his partner try to reason with the woman since her kid is in the back seat. The woman calls 9-1-1 and Athena heads over as backup. However, the lady continues to refuse Spark’s orders, and he loses it. He breaks her window and before the other officers can intervene, Spark grabs his gun, thinking it is a taser and accidentally shoots the woman. Athena quickly gives the lady first aid. 

After the incident, Elaine apologises to Athena for ignoring her advice. However, Athena requests a new trainee and says she is ready to use her experience to teach the new generation of cops. The episode ends with Brad reporting to the fire station. The chief agreed to let him shadow Bobby to enable him to give an authentic performance on his show. Bobby’s face dropped after hearing the unfortunate news.  

The Episode Review

I know Brad is a lot to handle but I love how he gets on Bobby’s nerves. Bless his heart, Bobby does his best to hide his dislike for Brad, but it is so funny. Brad lives in his own little bubble and never gets the hint.  As for Buck, baking is not so bad. In a few weeks, he will probably be over Tommy and find a new partner. We know he is heartbroken, but time heals all wounds.

Lastly, Sparks should have tried to de-escalate the situation or step back, but he let the pressure get to him. In the end, he shot an innocent woman, traumatised a little kid, and caused more legal and financial problems for the police department. The only positive thing to come out of this is Athena’s decision to mentor young cops.