The Maddie Scene That Went Too Far On 9-1-1
"9-1-1" is the Fox series that's been airing since 2018 and chronicles the lives of a team of Los Angeles-based first responders. Like many a good procedural show, the characters' personal lives are often just as messy as the cases they deal with on a week-to-week basis.
Maddie (Jennifer Love-Hewitt) is a perfect example of this. Since she joined the show in Season 2 as a call dispatcher, she's handled many an emergency with aplomb. That's even more remarkable when you consider where she came from. Like her firefighter brother Buck (Oliver Stark), her parents were emotionally abusive and continue to have a negative impact on Maddie today. Then, Maddie's first marriage went about as badly as possible. Her husband Doug (Brian Hallisay) was an abuser who followed her to Los Angeles. When he stalked her and chased her into the woods, Maddie was forced to kill him in self-defense.
That's a sad backstory that would make most characters sympathetic, yet Maddie can be frustrating to root for. Her history of abuse definitely clouds her judgment and makes her do questionable things. Fans felt that this Maddie moment in particular went too far.
Fans didn't like Maddie's reaction to Buck being in therapy
Fans zeroed in on Season 4 episode 3, "Future Tense," for the moment when Maddie went too far. During the episode, Buck admits to Maddie and Chimney (Kenneth Choi) that he's been going to therapy — not for work-related reasons, but for personal ones. This makes Maddie feel inadequate as a sister. Then, she informs their parents about her brother going to therapy.
Fans thought Maddie was getting in Buck's way. "Is it just me or does she get on your nerves?" wrote Redditor u/jodijolean. "I am watching the episode where Buck opens up about going to therapy and I am just not a fan of how she is acting about it. Like, yes, it's a big step, but she is acting like it is a bad thing when it is really good for Buck and his development."
Many agreed. One pointed out that going to their parents amounted to a betrayal. "Why did she feel the need to immediately turn around and tell their parents (who she knows buck doesn't speak to) about something so personal?" wondered Redditor u/biilieekiidd.
Some fans did come to Maddie's defense, though, pointing out that her reaction likely stems from their abusive childhood. "They come from a family that doesn't talk about things, so for Buck to take that step would make Maddie worried, and in her personal experience therapy was for serious issues," wrote Redditor u/Nataku81.
All in all, it's a quintessential Maddie moment. She's a complicated character. Like many other moments when she goes "too far," there's usually a reason why.