Wow. What a difference a showrunner can make, huh? ABC pulled out all the stops to actually promote the show and cast, and Tim delivered on the promise of bringing the show back to life. The whole vibe felt like home again, and it's PALPABLE in every scene that these main characters are the heart and driving force of the show, NOT the emergencies or side characters. Those are there to facilitate the main character's plot points, a fact that has been sorely lacking while Kristen was at the helm, from pointless drawn out emergencies to weird focus on side character, many episodes left very little time for the actual main characters. There was a whole lot of "telling" and not a lot of "showing" this group be a family, but this episode really brought back the "firefam" feel, and we haven't even gotten everyone together at work yet!
The set up for this cruise emergency is so fun, and sure to bring the dramatic tension this show is known for, and it was neat seeing some familiar faces for Bobby and Athena to run into, that also brought the sense of humor this show is known for. The whole episode had me laughing out loud with moments that were funny, but not hollow, and moments that were truly touching. It was wonderful to see Maddie and Chimney having some more lighthearted struggle without undermining their real fears. Chim was such a steady presence for Maddie in season 2 and now she is getting to be that for him. I can't wait for the wedding shenanigans!
We can't end though without talking about the Buddie elephant in the room. First, Tim spoke for the audience when he wrote Buck asking what he was even thinking dating a death doula. I respect him walking in and shutting that nonsense down. We all knew it was a bad fit from the get-go and I'm glad it didn't take up a second more time that it needed to. Tim was right, they had better things to do with the episode. If only the same treatment was given to the other pointless, lackluster, shoehorned love interest Marisol. Not only is the actress transphobic, she also...can't act. Her constant manic smile was terrifying and even her couple of seconds were so awkward as to be unbearable. We all know Ryan can ACT, so constantly trapping Eddie with these terrible actresses and recycled plot lines is getting tiresome. Even aside from that though, the episode went out of it's way to put Buck firmly (and literally) in the space Shannon occupied (but in a smoother, more easy fit than she ever did). Which brings up the question, how can the show possibly introduce any kind of viable partner for either of them when they are already occupying that space in each other's lives? No matter what Tim has planned, it was good to see them being friends again ON SCREEN instead of being told they're friends and barely seeing them interact. I do hope we get more from Chris on this though, as seeing him and Eddie (and Buck!) navigate his abandonment issues and his anger now that he's old enough to fully understand what happened could be an interesting arc!
Overall, a SOLID and very promising start to the season with much to look forward with in this big emergency. Let's hope the show can keep the momentum up!