Spoilers ahead!
When promotion for this season started, I remember reading in some interviews that because of the network switch and everything, the ten episodes from season 7 would in many ways reintroduce the characters and their main storylines to the audience. And they didn’t lie — this season has been less procedural, with fewer emergencies and much more character-focused storylines so far. As the season finale approaches, Ghost of a Second Chance comes to reinforce that, bringing to the table new storylines that are all about past mistakes, past wounds, and past lovers.
Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), for example, has to deal with the ghost of the abuse she endured at the hands of her ex-husband. It starts with an emergency call involving an abducted mother and her baby, which ends up in a car accident. After the abusive man leaves the woman behind to burn in the destroyed car and takes the baby with him, Athena (Angela Bassett) discovers that the abducted woman is married to another man.
Then, Maddie becomes determined to solve what happened during that call and save the child. With the help of her (now) husband Chimney (Kenneth Choi), she finds a clue that leads to a shocking discovery: rather than being a lover, the man is an obsessed stalker who will ultimately be stopped with the help of Detective Romero (Danny Nucci), Athena, and the whole 118 (aside from Maddie, obviously).
"Ghost of a Second Chance" — 9-1-1, Pictured: OLIVER STARK as Buck, PETER KRAUSE as Bobby, AISHA HINDS as Hen, KENNETH CHOI as Chimney, RYAN GUZMAN as Eddie. Photo: ABC ©. All Rights Reserved
Here, Maddie also faces the woman she was years ago: terrified, desperate to save her own life, not knowing what would happen when “the car stopped”. She understands the victim, but she also understands the perpetrator, and that knowledge (combined with some good luck) is what saves the baby and another abducted woman in the end.
I enjoyed this storyline because it gave Maddie a touching spotlight, and the two scenes she shared with Chimney proved how she’s in a much better, safer place now. Also worth remembering is that Maddie is the first one to meet Brad (played by guest-star Malcolm-Jamal Warner), the nurse who helps her visit the injured, unconscious woman from the car accident. Brad appeared only in a few scenes, but it’s clear that he’s about to become a much bigger character soon — at first, he seems a nice, light-hearted person, but as soon Bobby (Peter Krause) enters the room at the end of the episode, Brad becomes someone else. I’m really curious about what’s in store for these two next week.
Another heart-touching moment involves Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Karen’s (Tracie Thoms) storyline. When they discover that Mara (Askyler Bell) has a half-brother from whom she was separated after her parents died (and whom she misses a lot!), they try everything in their power to reunite them once more. This storyline was faster than the others but beautiful as usual — I got emotional watching Mara’s baby brother recognizing and hugging her. The way that Mara is already so much more comfortable with Hen and Karen, the way their family is growing in such a strong, lovely way… The way that this show depicts the Wilsons as this positive familiar environment will never fail to bring deep emotions out of me.
Finally, Eddie (Ryan Guzman)... Oh, Eddie! When he finds a woman who looks just like his deceased wife, he becomes obsessed and can’t take her out of his mind. Kim, played by Devin Kelley (the same actress who played his wife, Shannon), is a very different woman — different hair, different clothes, slightly different face (in some sort of weird way). Yet, when Kim opens her mouth, it’s like Eddie is talking to a ghost. I feel like that’s a narrative straight out of a telenovela (which satisfies me a lot), but what really makes this work is the chemistry between Guzman and Kelley. They’re so great together, and Kelley is such a good actress when it comes to playing this different character that resembles another one in so many weird, off-putting ways… Props to the hair/make-up/costume departments, by the way, they nailed it!
"Ghost of a Second Chance" — 9-1-1, Pictured: RYAN GUZMAN as Eddie, DEVIN KELLEY as Kim. Photo: ABC ©. All Rights Reserved
The episode ends with Eddie unable to stop all these memories and strange feelings: he goes on a date with Kim, cheating on his girlfriend Marisol (Edy Ganem) and lying to his son Christopher (Gavin McHugh) and to his best friend Buck (Oliver Stark) — all at once. Now, we’ll have to wait and see what’s in store for them. Personally, my theory is that at the end of this, Eddie will finally be able to move on from Shannon. He idealizes so much of their past relationship, even though it was not as great as he remembers, that Kim might be what it takes for him to let go of the past. After all, that’s what the Ghost of Christmas Past is for, right?
Now let me know your thoughts. What do you think about Ghost of a Second Chance? Feel free to leave a comment with your favorite moments, and thanks for reading!
