There's no show quite like Ryan Murphy's Fox procedural "9-1-1." On the surface, it has a lot in common with other shows about doctors, cops, and firefighters. Each episode sees the crew tackling whatever emergencies come their way that day. But "9-1-1" traffics very heavily in two narrative strategies: metaphor and exaggeration. Many episodes tackle a specific topic, whether it be the idea of superstition or the feeling of being under pressure, and tie everything in that episode to the titular concept.
When "9-1-1" episodes are not tied together in a beautiful thematic bow, they tend to depict the most extreme emergencies imaginable, hence the exaggeration. The Los Angeles depicted in the series has experienced every possible disaster under the sun, including tsunamis, earthquakes, blackouts, cyber-attacks, plane crashes, explosions, sharks on the freeway, and escaped zoo animals. The more extreme, the better. Amazingly enough, many of these events are...
When "9-1-1" episodes are not tied together in a beautiful thematic bow, they tend to depict the most extreme emergencies imaginable, hence the exaggeration. The Los Angeles depicted in the series has experienced every possible disaster under the sun, including tsunamis, earthquakes, blackouts, cyber-attacks, plane crashes, explosions, sharks on the freeway, and escaped zoo animals. The more extreme, the better. Amazingly enough, many of these events are...
- 2/13/2023
- by Kira Deshler
- Slash Film
Ryan Murphy's Fox procedural "9-1-1" is billed as a show about heroes. More specifically, the show follows first responders — firefighters, 911 operators, and cops on the front lines of disasters. As such, the audience is always encouraged to root for the main characters as they face danger and emotional devastation to get the job done. That doesn't mean that every character in the show is endlessly lovable, of course. These first responders all have their demons to contend with — demons they must put aside while in the field.
If "9-1-1" were filled with totally unlikable characters, it wouldn't work. This is a show about selfless people who run toward the fire, not away from it. Nonetheless, while every character in the series gives 100 percent to the job, their personal lives are another matter. Some characters deal with their problems better than others, and that's what makes the show interesting. Nobody's perfect,...
If "9-1-1" were filled with totally unlikable characters, it wouldn't work. This is a show about selfless people who run toward the fire, not away from it. Nonetheless, while every character in the series gives 100 percent to the job, their personal lives are another matter. Some characters deal with their problems better than others, and that's what makes the show interesting. Nobody's perfect,...
- 2/9/2023
- by Kira Deshler
- Slash Film
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