#tre mcbride

[emziess]

Tre McBride as Ian Bradley 9-1-1, S09E15

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: REACTION

The audacity of this show. One minute I’m wondering if the Gay Firefighter Show has finally lost its spark, and the next I’m weeping openly into a Kleenex like I’ve been personally wronged. As I wrote in my previous 9‑1‑1: Reaction, last week’s episode failed to wow me — a rare miss for a show that usually knows exactly how to grab me by the throat. But this week? This week was a return to form. A reminder of why this series has lasted as long as it has and why I keep showing up, popcorn and tissues in hand.

Before we dive into the chaos of “Pick Your Poison,” let’s refresh our memories on the mess that left me so underwhelmed last week:

May tried to land an internship with powerhouse attorney (and Athena’s old friend) Gabi Bond, played by the always‑magnetic Tasha Smith. After getting herself arrested — as one does — May realized law might not be her calling and instead sought out ER nurse Ian Bradley to explore a future in nursing. Meanwhile, Sue Blevins suffered a stroke that sidelined her from the call center. Instead of choosing her second‑in‑command, Josh, she tapped Maddie as her temporary replacement, causing friction between mentor and mentee until Josh begrudgingly accepted the decision. And lastly, Buck — still reeling from being kidnapped and held hostage in New Mexico — turned to prescription pain pills to numb both the physical and emotional fallout.

Which brings us to this week’s episode.

“Pick Your Poison” originally aired March 26, 2026 on ABC. It was written by Molly Green and James Leffler and directed by Christine Khalafian. As always, this reaction contains spoilers, so if you haven’t watched yet, go treat yourself to the episode and circle back.

Alright, boys and girls, hes, shes, and theys — time to pick your poison. Whether you’re grabbing a beer from the fridge, pouring vodka over ice, or finally cracking open that bottle of wine you’ve been saving for a “special occasion,” now is the moment. Get cozy, get toasty, and let’s dive in.

Taking a page out of last week’s reaction, I’m once again skipping the beat‑by‑beat recap and going plot by plot. This episode gives us three storylines: Athena’s case involving an investigative reporter who’s been poisoned, Ravi being jealous of May’s new beau, and Buck’s descent into addiction. I’ll sprinkle in the handful of emergency scenes as we go. Let’s start with Athena’s storyline, which I shall lovingly refer to as Knives Out: Wake Up (Almost) Dead Man.

Knives Out: Wake Up (Almost Dead Man)

The episode opens with Bernard Morelli (David Pressman) rolling up to the LAFD on a bicycle. He marches inside, runs into Officer Williams (Chris Wu), and demands to see Athena. She meets with him, and he calmly informs her that he’s here to report a murder. His murder. Before Athena can get any details, Bernard coughs up blood all over the stack of papers on her desk and collapses.

Cut to the hospital, where Athena meets Ben Hooks (Josh Stamberg) from Major Crimes. Hooks has been assigned to investigate Bernard, who we now know has been poisoned. We learn Bernard lives alone, and the last person to see him alive was Athena — which somehow makes her a suspect, despite the fact that he was poisoned long before he ever biked his way into the station. Make it make sense.

Athena and Ben track down Bernard’s son, Pete Morelli (Kevin Bigley), a high‑school science teacher with the emotional range of a shaken soda can. Pete wastes no time letting them know he despises his father. He tells them — with the calmness of someone ordering a latte — that he hopes Bernard dies a slow, agonizing death. Yikes. I understand not vibing with your parent, but that level of darkness? Yeesh!

We soon learn Bernard isn’t just some random man on a bike — he’s an investigative journalist with a résumé full of enemies. CEOs, politicians, mob bosses… if corruption had a pulse, Bernard exposed it. We get a delightful little montage of suspects: an embezzling mobster, a disgraced politician who took kickbacks from fake nonprofits, a CEO lying to the EPA, and a beauty influencer hawking microplastic‑laced cosmetics. Bernard dragged every single one of them, which means all four have motive to poison him.

After the interrogations, Athena and Hooks get Bernard’s tox report. And surprise — he wasn’t poisoned with something basic like antifreeze or rat poison. No, no. Bernard Morelli was taken down with polonium‑210, a highly reactive, extremely rare isotope used in satellites, anti‑static devices, and, apparently, murder. According to Google, it poses a severe internal health risk if inhaled or ingested, which means things are not looking good for our almost‑dead man.

When Bernard wakes up, he asks to speak with Athena — and only Athena. He tells her he knows he’s dying because there’s no cure for the toxin. He also reveals he sought her out because he learned that she landed a plane on the 405 last year. He asks her to test his water bottle, which is still on his bike, and whispers the name of the person he believes poisoned him. We, the audience, do not get to hear it. Rude.

Hooks demands to know why Athena sent the water bottle off for testing, and she tells him she promised Bernard she wouldn’t say anything until the results came back. Meanwhile, a red herring named Nikolay Caster enters the chat. Hooks explains that Caster was building some construction towers before the pandemic shut everything down. Bernard was investigating him for shady business practices… and then got poisoned. Suspicious, but not quite convincing.

Athena visits Bernard again, and he opens up about his regrets — especially abandoning his wife and son while she was dying of cancer. It’s bleak, but it’s also the first time we see Bernard as more than a walking exposé machine.

As Bernard nears death, Pete shows up. The reunion is surprisingly tender, and it seems like Pete is ready to forgive his father. Bernard dies shortly after… and Athena immediately arrests Pete. Plot twist: our mild‑mannered science teacher has been squirreling away tiny amounts of polonium‑210 for years. YEARS. Once he had enough, he poisoned his father’s water bottle. Bernard may have had regrets, but Pete does not. He tells Athena his father was a terrible man as he’s escorted away.

And listen — I usually watch 9‑1‑1 and 9‑1‑1: Nashville the day after they air, and I always save the flagship show for last because, well, it’s the flagship. But this week? Athena’s storyline was especially bleak, especially when Nashville served us a similar situation involving a woman who shoved her husband off a ladder, sending him crashing through a window and nearly getting sliced in half by a giant shard of glass. At least that woman felt immediate remorse when she learned her husband wasn’t cheating and actually adored her.

So I guess the lesson from both shows is simple: avoid ladders, avoid giant plate‑glass windows, and avoid water bottles. Oh — and maybe have an actual conversation with your loved one before you decide to commit murder.

On to our next plot: The Girl Is Mine, starring May, Ravi, and Nurse Ian.

The Girl is Mine

May arrives at Station 118 with Harry’s mouth guard — a pretty ham‑fisted excuse to get her and Ravi in the same room, but fine, I’ll allow it. Things are already awkward between them, and then May introduces Ian Bradley (Tre McBride) to the crew, which somehow makes the air even thicker. After they leave, Harry immediately rounds on Ravi with, “Who the hell was that?” Ravi fires back, “How am I supposed to know? She’s your sister.” Harry is baffled. He, like the rest of us, assumed May and Ravi were a thing after he walked in on them post‑sexytimes a few episodes back.

Ravi explains that nothing happened because Harry told him the only way he could date May was if he changed houses. “Bro, that was a quip,” Harry says. And honestly? I cannot believe Ravi took that seriously. It was so clearly a joke that even Buck would’ve caught it.

Then we learn Ravi never called May after their date. Sigh. Ravi, please. You’re supposed to be the smart one. Harry rightfully tells him he blew his chance, and judging by Ravi’s face, he knows it too.

Naturally, this sends our young firefighter spiraling. He pulls up Ian Bradley’s dating profile and immediately scoffs at the fact that Ian is thirty. Harry points out that Ravi is almost thirty. “Not yet,” Ravi mutters as he doom‑scrolls through Ian’s social media. “Where’s she meeting 30‑year‑olds?” he asks. Harry explains that May and Ian got arrested together. “It was this whole social‑justice thing, protecting a dying guy’s rights.” Ravi sighs, “I can’t compete with that.”

“Can’t compete with what?” Hen asks, strolling in wearing her workout gear. “May’s boyfriend,” Harry says. Hen looks at Ravi like she’s just discovered a new species. Harry, channeling peak Chimney energy, gleefully recounts Ravi and May’s steamy evening and then tattles that Ravi never called her. Hen immediately goes into big‑sister mode, calling him “Ravs” and telling him he wasn’t being chivalrous. Ravi insists that’s not what happened. Harry, ever the pot‑stirrer, adds that May has moved on to a “hunky new nurse” and shows Hen a photo of Ian.

Speaking of Ian, we get more intel. Apparently he’s only been a nurse for a year. Ravi wonders what he was doing before that. Eddie joins the conversation and asks about May’s new boyfriend. Harry shows him the photo and mentions Ian is a former pro football player. Eddie looks at the picture and goes, “Damn,” which made me giggle. I know You‑Know‑Who will use this as “proof” that Eddie isn’t straight, but honestly? It’s refreshing when straight men can acknowledge another man is attractive without combusting.

Ravi leaps off the weight bench and demands to see the photo. In addition to being a former NFL player turned nurse, Ian ran a 4.4 forty — which Google tells me is “elite speed,” meaning he can sprint 40 yards in 4.4 seconds or less. File that away. It will matter later. Ravi is clearly jealous. Eddie is shocked Ravi and May hooked up. Hen informs him that Ravi ghosted her. Ravi insists he did not ghost her — he was honoring Harry’s “wishes.” “Bro, it was a quip,” Harry repeats.

Then Captain Han wanders over. “What are we quipping about?” he asks. Eddie fills him in: “Ravi dumped May. Totally ghosted her.” I love that the narrative has been set and everyone is committed to it, regardless of Ravi’s protests. “Why did you ghost her?” Chimney asks. Ravi ignores him and pivots to delusion, insisting that two seasons in the NFL doesn’t make Ian famous. Besides, Ravi says, he’s a first responder — which obviously trumps being a nurse, “a second responder.”

Sir. Please.

We get our first — and honestly, only — emergency of the episode. Jillian (Ariella Amar) is having lunch at a burger joint with her son Micah (Jagger Rodriguez) when he suddenly starts struggling to breathe. Jillian calls 9‑1‑1, and Josh answers the call. He can hear Micah’s breathing over the phone — a sharp, whistling sound — and Jillian tells him Micah’s throat is closing.

Josh flags Maddie over as he asks about allergies or medical history. Jillian explains that Micah was born with a laryngeal cleft. According to Google, that’s a rare congenital opening between the larynx and esophagus that can cause food and liquid to slip into the lungs, leading to choking, coughing, and noisy breathing known as stridor. Micah has Type I, the “mild” version. “His doctor said we’d be fine without surgery,” Jillian says, which… yikes.

Josh mutes the call and tells Maddie he has no available units to send. Time is running out — if Micah doesn’t get help within five minutes, he could die. The nearest hospital is six blocks away. Maddie tells Josh to alert Presbyterian that Jillian and Micah are coming, then takes over the call. She instructs Jillian to drive her son to the ER immediately.

Jillian doesn’t hesitate. She loads Micah into the backseat and takes off. His breathing worsens, then stops altogether. Jillian panics, nearly gets hit by another car, swerves, and crashes.

Meanwhile, the 118 are already at Presbyterian trying to get their own patients inside. The ER is absolute chaos. We see Ian in the middle of it, doing the Lord’s work. He gets a call from Josh about Micah’s condition and the crash. Ian grabs an airway kit and bolts — literally sprints out of the ER, past the 118, and toward the accident.

Long story short: Ian reaches Micah in time and gets him breathing again. The 118 watch him work, and Ravi gets a front‑row seat to the fact that being a nurse is just as vital — and heroic — as being a firefighter or paramedic.

At the end of the episode, everyone gathers at Buck’s place, and May and Ravi find themselves face‑to‑face again. The awkwardness is back. Ravi tries to make small talk, mentions Ian, and says he seems cool. May says she heard the 118 were also at the scene with the kid who couldn’t breathe. She tells Ravi they saved the boy’s life. Ravi winces and admits Ian did most of the saving. “I just watched and marveled,” he says. He tells May he gets the appeal and hopes she and Ian are happy together.

“I am not dating Ian,” she says.

“Since when?” Ravi asks.

“Always.”

May explains that Ian is helping her figure out nursing school. Ravi is stunned — and takes a step toward her. May immediately says, “I know it sounds crazy—” but Ravi cuts her off. “It doesn’t. It sounds perfect.” Then he tells her he thinks she’d be great at anything.

Dawww. I love these two.

And that’s it for this storyline. Hopefully now that Ravi has removed his head from his posterior end, he’ll actually pursue something real with May. And I’m excited to see where May goes next career‑wise now that nursing is officially on the table. Like Ravi said, she’ll be great. She’s passionate, empathetic, and — like her mother, her brother, and her stepfather — she has a calling to help people.

Okay, kids. Buck‑le up. This last storyline is a rough one. I’m calling it Requiem for a Buck.

Requiem for a Buck

We see very little of Buck with the rest of the 118 at the start of the episode, and that’s because he’s hiding something enormous from them. After the cold open, we cut to him at a doctor’s appointment — and he looks awful. Pale. Haggard. Hands shaking. He tells Dr. Hoffman (Jarrod Crawford) that he broke three ribs a few weeks ago and couldn’t get a follow‑up with his regular doctor.

Dr. Hoffman examines him and immediately notices there’s no bruising along Buck’s back. He asks Buck to rate his pain. “Eight… maybe even a nine,” Buck says, voice trembling. Hoffman checks his computer and sees that Buck has been to three different doctors in the last month. He also points out there’s no record of Buck being treated for broken ribs anywhere in California.

Buck clarifies that he was injured in New Mexico and treated at a local hospital there.

Then Hoffman asks the question Buck clearly hoped no one would ask:

Did that hospital prescribe him opioids?

Buck ducks his head. The jig is officially up.

Dr. Hoffman explains that he’s looking at the CURES database — California’s system for tracking Schedule II–IV controlled substances to prevent abuse. He has to check it every time he prescribes opioids. He asks Buck if he knows how many times his name appears in the system.

Buck panics. He blurts out that he’s a firefighter — “I can’t do my job if I’m hurting.” His voice is edging toward desperation.

“You can’t do it if you’re high as a kite either,” Hoffman replies.

He then tells Buck that “doctor shopping” — visiting multiple doctors to get multiple prescriptions — is a form of fraud. And for anyone unfamiliar, yes, this used to be a massive problem before reforms tightened the system.

Buck insists he never takes pain meds while he’s at work. “I—I’m not some kind of drug fiend.” He says he’s only been taking them for five weeks.

“It only takes five days to develop a dependency,” Hoffman tells him. And then, the kicker: he’s surprised Buck got away with this as long as he has.

Buck stands up, says he’ll get a second opinion.

“No, you won’t,” Hoffman says. “I’m flagging your name in the system.”

Buck, now fully unraveling, asks what he’s supposed to do.

“Get help,” the doctor says.

And that’s where the bottom drops out.

After the emergency with the little boy and the laryngeal cleft, we cut to Buck watching Eddie as he restocks the ambulance. Buck notices the pain meds Eddie is putting away, and the moment Eddie steps away, Buck quietly pockets a few vials of fentanyl citrate.

The next time we see him, Buck approaches Chimney, who’s working on after‑action reports. “You need to fire me,” he says. Chimney doesn’t even look up — because of course Buck is joking. Buck clarifies: “You have to fire me for stealing meds from the rig.”

That gets Chimney’s attention.

He finally looks up and sees how serious Buck is. “What did you take?” he asks.

“Nothing. But… fentanyl. Almost.”

Chimney is floored. He shuts his laptop and gives Buck his full attention. “That’s a felony,” he says. Buck sits down across from him and nods. He explains that he put the drugs back — but only because the alarm went off. And then, in a moment of painful honesty, he admits he doesn’t know if he could stop himself next time.

“How long have you been using?” Chimney asks.

Buck tells him he’s been taking pain meds since the car accident in New Mexico. “They prescribed me oxycodone and I… I ran out.” He says he needs it. Chimney asks if he’s high right now. “No. Never at work.”

Chimney believes him. He also tells Buck he looks like someone who’s a day or two into opioid withdrawal. Then he asks if Buck has told anyone else — Maddie? Eddie? Anyone?

No. Chimney is the only one who knows.

And honestly? That tracks. Chimney is a captain — he goes into action mode. Maddie would panic. Eddie… well, Eddie’s track record with Buck’s emotional crises is spotty at best.

Chimney lays out the protocol: he should relieve Buck of duty, report him to the department, and let them decide if he ever comes back. And Buck could face criminal charges.

Or — Chimney can keep this inside the 118, watch Buck like a hawk, and risk his own career.

Buck insists he doesn’t want that. “That’s why you have to fire me.”

Chimney refuses. “You came to me for help, and that’s what we’re gonna get you, okay?” He says he’ll talk to Chief Simpson tonight. He tells Buck it wouldn’t be fair to the citizens of Los Angeles to lose a firefighter as good as him.

Buck tears up. “This isn’t me,” he says.

“I know,” Chimney replies. “You’re not the first person to get hooked after an injury.” Then he adds that, given the timing, he’s not surprised.

Buck doesn’t understand.

Chimney reminds him: this week marks one year since they lost Bobby.

Buck says he didn’t remember. “I must’ve blocked it out.”

And that’s when the weight of everything — the grief, the trauma, the loneliness, the pressure — finally clicks into place.

At the 34‑minute mark, my tear ducts clock in for their shift.

Chimney rallies the troops, and we get this gorgeous, gut‑punch of a scene: the entire 118 — plus Athena, Christopher, and May — descending on Buck’s apartment to shepherd him through withdrawal. While Buck plays cards with Christopher, Hen and Eddie quietly search cabinets and drawers for anything that could trigger him. Buck mutters to Christopher that it sucks having his friends tear through his home because “they don’t trust me.”

Christopher, tiny sage that he is, hits him with: “Would you trust you?”

Touché, Christopher. Touché.

Chimney walks into Buck’s bedroom where Maddie is checking under the mattress, behind pillows, everywhere. “There’s nothing to find here,” Chimney says. Maddie exhales in relief and thanks him for not making her look. Some things should remain a mystery.

Chimney asks if she thinks he made the right call letting Buck detox at home instead of in a treatment facility. Maddie replies, “He has an ex‑nurse, three paramedics, and two EMTs. I think he’s good on supervision.”

While Eddie checks Buck’s blood pressure, Buck asks what the disciplinary committee will do to him. Eddie says they’ll take it seriously — but also take into account that Buck reported himself. He brings up the “chain of command,” and yes, I rolled my eyes, but he’s right when he says, “It’s the thing that ties us all together. So no one person has to carry the weight alone.” Buck looks out at the patio where Maddie, Chimney, and Hen are talking, and you can see the realization settling in.

Then “Rescue” by Lauren Daigle (aka Diet Adele) starts playing, and now I’m crying freely.

We get a montage of everyone doing their part to help Buck survive withdrawal. Hen washes dishes. Maddie wraps him in a blanket. The 118 play Pictionary. Hen gives Buck a hug — and this moment hits me hard. Hen has always been his fiercest defender. When the others get annoyed or tired of Buck’s antics, Hen is the one who checks him, grounds him, reminds him he’s family. After the lawsuit fiasco in Season 3, she was the only one who welcomed him back on his first day back. Their bond is special, and this scene honors that.

The montage continues: Eddie gives Buck his meds before bed. Buck curls up on the sofa with Maddie while Hen administers IV fluids. We get this brilliant time‑lapse effect — Buck sitting on the couch, staring into space, while everyone moves around him at warp speed. Buck throws up. Eddie brings groceries. Ravi puts them away. Hen blends smoothies. Buck struggles to sleep.

Everyone gathers for dinner. Buck sits at the head of the table, detached, hollow. He gets up and leaves, and everyone notices. We see him vomiting again while Hen rubs his back. Chimney sits with him until he falls asleep. By the time the 118 appear in their pajamas, settling into sleeping bags across Buck’s living room floor, I am fully sobbing.

Maddie reads to Buck as he shivers under blankets. Athena arrives with food. Later, Buck wakes up and wanders into the living room, finding Athena reading on the sofa. He asks how long he was out. “About five hours,” she says. He apologizes. She assumes he means for sleeping through her visit, but Buck clarifies — he’s apologizing for being the reason she’s babysitting him on Bobby’s anniversary.

“We take care of each other,” Athena says. “So being right here is exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

Buck admits Bobby has been on his mind for days. He says he feels like he knows Bobby in a way he didn’t a year ago.

“He really loved you, Buck,” Athena says. “But I think he would’ve wished that part had remained a mystery.”

Buck reaches for her hand. Athena takes it. It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for all year — the two people who loved Bobby most finally grieving together.

Outside, Eddie, Harry, Chimney, Ravi, Hen, May, and Maddie sit around the firepit telling Bobby stories. (Side note: Ravi and May are seated next to each other. Mayvi is back, baby.) Buck and Athena join them. Maddie asks if he’s feeling better. Buck says, “Yeah, I am.” He believes he’s through the worst of it.

Harry checks his watch. Midnight.

“We survived the year,” Athena says.

“Bobby got us through,” Buck replies.

Athena and Hen share a look — both remembering their ill‑fated trip to space and everything that followed. Chimney lifts his mug.

“To Bobby,” he says.

They all raise their cups to the dark sky.

“To Bobby.”

And I’m crying again.

Bear with me while I pull myself together. It’s been a long time since an episode hit me like this. Not since Bobby’s funeral have I cried this hard at a TV show. And to think — just last week I was ranting about how the show had lost its way, how mediocre the previous episode was, and how much I disagreed with Buck’s addiction storyline. Well… the writers of this episode really shut me up.

Do I think Buck needed an addiction arc? Not necessarily. But I can admit when something is done well, and this storyline was handled with care. They didn’t drag it out. They didn’t trivialize it. They didn’t sensationalize it. They let it be painful, human, and honest.

And shout‑out to Oliver Stark, because this was some of his best work. The way he emoted — the shaking hands, the hollow eyes, the quiet desperation — it all felt painfully real. And that ending montage? Easily one of the strongest sequences in the entire series. When it comes to 9‑1‑1, there are episodes I rewatch constantly: “Fight or Flight.” “Buck, Bothered, and Bewildered.” “Masks.” “Ocean’s 9‑1‑1.” And then there are the moments I revisit like comfort food: Bobby helping Buck tie his tie before his date with Abby. Buck and Maddie running toward each other after she kills Doug. Buck and Tommy’s first kiss. Buck and Tommy’s hospital kiss.

This montage of the 118 helping Buck through withdrawal? Add it to the list. I’ll be returning to it — Kleenex in hand.

All in all, this episode was a massive improvement over last week’s “D.I.Y.” My score for “Pick Your Poison” is an 8. From start to finish, I was locked in. Honestly, I can’t wait to watch it again.

It’s wild to think we only have three episodes left in Season 9. Next week’s preview looks explosive — literally and emotionally. And for the love of all things holy, I hope Buck gets left out of whatever chaos is brewing. The man has earned a break this season.

Until next time …

[sherlockpretty]