Sry for dropping in so suddenly but I needed to talk to someone about this and you got me into 911 so it felt fitting, I guess?
Anyway, you know one thing that amazes me about 911 every time? That they can get me actually invested in the characters that won't appear after their 10 minutes of an episode. Idk how they do it but they establish them as people with lives and personalities despite their limited screen time. Like, my parents watch a lot of cop procedurals and the victims there are usually just "the victims" to me, but in 911 even characters who have like 5 minutes on screen make me actually about them and their fate.
Which I think comes from the same place that makes the actual main characters feels so utterly human. The writing for them, especially their personality and such, is so nuanced it feels alive and I absolutely love that
you are so right!!! i didn't even really think about that until now, but yeah, i don't remember ever caring about side characters or even extras in other shows as much as i do in this one. it's also one of the very few shows where i genuinely love every main and side character. the writers just know how to get you invested in their stories, so it's not actually surprising that we end up caring about those in the background, as well. what you said about all the characters being utterly human, i think what makes us feel for them is the fact that they're all so hopeful and positive despite what awful thing happens to them and that things always turn out well for those who deserve it. it just gives you hope in humanity, that's all :)
