Has May Ever Actually Chosen Her Own Path?
So this started because I was rewatching Season 5 — specifically episode 5x15 of 9-1-1 — and it made me realize something I hadn’t fully processed before.
Right now, everyone (myself included) is focused on Season 9.
All the analysis, all the theories — they’re centered on what’s currently happening.
But rewatching older seasons?
It unlocks completely different conversations.
And this one is about May.
First Thought: A Relationship That Just… Disappeared
Let me be very clear about something before I start.
I don’t care who you ship. I’m not talking about romance.
I’m talking about human relationships.
Because what doesn’t make sense to me is this:
How do two characters who had that level of connection…
end up acting like strangers in the same room?
May & Eddie: Same Moment, Same Struggle
In that episode, May and Eddie have one of the most genuine conversations in the show.
She tells him she chose dispatch because of her mom — because after Athena was attacked, that felt like a place where she could protect her.
And Eddie immediately gets it.
Because he’s the same when it comes to family.
Then she says something even more important:
She realizes she lost sight of who she was — of what she actually wanted.
“When you figure it out… let me know.”
Because in that moment, they’re in the same place emotionally:
– both disconnected from their original path
What I don’t understand is why that dynamic was completely dropped.
Not just romantically — again, that’s not the point.
But as a human connection.
Because fast forward to Season 9, and May is dealing with the exact same internal conflict again:
And yet… she doesn’t reconnect with the one person who already shared that moment with her.
That’s not just a missed opportunity.
Bigger Issue: May Feels Isolated
May barely interacts with anyone.
Take away Harry and Ravi, and she’s almost completely disconnected from the rest of the core cast.
Buck, Eddie, Chimney — they might as well be background noise in her storyline.
And that doesn’t make sense for a character who:
– shared emotional moments with multiple people
– is deeply connected to this world
Second Thought: Has May Ever Chosen Her Own Path?
This is where it gets more interesting.
Because rewatching Season 5 made me realize something:
May has never really followed a path that was fully hers.
We find out Athena originally studied law.
– She goes into law → just like Athena
– She questions it → just like Athena did
– She pivots → again, mirroring that journey
At first, it feels like a natural influence.
But the more you look at it, the more it feels like imitation, not choice.
In Season 9, May literally says:
“Maybe this isn’t what I want.”
After finishing law school.
Wait… did she ever actually want it?
Or was she just following a path that felt expected?
The Maddie Parallel (And Why It Matters)
This is where it gets really interesting narratively.
Because May’s arc mirrors Maddie’s — but in reverse:
– Maddie: nurse → dispatch
– May: dispatch → possibly nurse
They’re almost like complementary archetypes.
Two sides of the same journey.
Which makes May’s confusion even more intentional — even more designed.
The Umbilical Cord Problem
So here’s my actual theory.
May is still, narratively, tied to Athena.
Not in a bad way. Not in a toxic way.
But in a way that prevents her from becoming fully independent.
She’s orbiting her mother’s identity instead of building her own.
And if the show wants her to become a fully realized character?
That connection needs to evolve.
Or, metaphorically speaking:
Why Season 10 Could Change Everything
Here’s where the Theory Time kicks in.
There are a few real-world factors that might actually impact this:
– Harry has been heavily developed in Season 9
– Corinne Massiah (May) has already graduated
– Elijah M. Cooper (Harry) mentioned focusing on studies
– Angela Bassett will also be working on American Horror Story
It’s possible Season 10 will shift focus.
This whole reflection started from a rewatch.
But it turned into something bigger.
Because May is one of those characters who has everything to be incredible:
She still feels… unfinished.
Just character and story.
Do you think May’s arc has been inconsistent?
Do you see the Athena parallel too?
What would you want to see for her in Season 10? 🔥
