Following the shocking cancellation of “9-1-1: Lone Star” and the death of Robert “Bobby” Nash (Peter Krause) from the original series, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear are expanding their first responder series with a new spin-off, “9-1-1: Nashville.” Like its predecessor, the series follows a diverse team of firefighters, paramedics, and police officers as they respond to emergencies and deal with the trials and tribulations of their eclectic personal lives. Like its predecessors, “9-1-1: Nashville” opens in a whirlwind of chaos and crisis, proving that despite being set in a new location and featuring an entirely new cast, audiences can expect the same riveting drama.
“9-1-1: Nashville” opens at a music festival. Fans, dressed in western gear, excitedly crowd around the stage as the headliner begins. A production company is uncomfortable with pyrotechnics in high winds, but everything seems to be going well until they notice a tornado in the background. Almost as suddenly as the whirlwind appears, the entire rig collapses in a fury of flames and chaos.
Creators: Ryan Murphy, Tim Minear, Rashad Raisani
Stars: Chris O'Donnell, Jessica Capshaw, Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Despite the intensity of this opening, the core of the series revolves around Captain Don Hart (Chris O'Donnell), a fire chief who shares his passion for firefighting and bull riding with his son, Lieutenant Ryan Hart (Michael Provost). Rounding out the 113 fire crew are Taylor Thompson (Hailey Kilgore), whose true passions are singing and songwriting, and Roxie Alba (Juani Feliz), an adrenaline-obsessed doctor who now works as a paramedic. All the cases of madness in Nashville are reported through 911 dispatcher Cammie Raleigh (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), who also has a keen interest in music.
There are plenty of disasters in the pilot. In addition to the exploding festival stage, there's a drunken bachelorette party accident, plus a shocking moment with the red balloon guy involving a little girl and a kite. But the core of the new show is a significant fracture in the Hart family. A long-held secret comes to light, unsettling Ryan and upsetting his close bond with Don. At one point in the episode, Ryan even jokes to his parents, Bythe (Jessica Capshaw), that "It's a wonder I'm not in therapy." This doesn't last long. In addition to the new family drama, Ryan and his wife, Samantha (MacKenzie Porter), an ER doctor, don't get along very well.
Other intriguing characters include Dixie Bennings (LeAnn Rimes), a bitter former singer determined to use her son, Blue (Hunter McVey), to get revenge on her former lover. While the series' main narrative isn't exactly groundbreaking, the over-the-top, intense, and fast-paced emergencies, along with interesting plot twists, will undoubtedly draw audiences in. This new chapter set in Tennessee gets off to a strong start and will undoubtedly develop and evolve in unexpected ways.
More than anything, even amid the silliness and absurdity of medical emergencies, the series' positive moments, involving people being rescued and others working together, portray a deep humanity. Although fictional, these inspiring moments are currently missing from our real-life news cycle. Despite the soap opera quality of "9-1-1: Nashville," this particular element, along with the thrilling cliffhanger endings, is the reason "9-1-1" viewers have followed the franchise for nearly a decade.
Overall, "9-1-1: Nashville" delivers exactly what fans of the franchise are looking for, but with a touch of country flair and some compelling new characters. While you may be disappointed that Captain Owen Strand (Rob Lowe) is no longer appearing on your screens weekly, given the chance, the cast of "Nashville" seems more than capable of filling the void. It will be interesting to see what kind of unimaginable (and downright unbelievable) crises this new series will face.
"9-1-1: Nashville" premiered on October 9 on ABC, and new episodes air weekly on Thursdays.
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