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Recap / 9-1-1 S2E18 "This Life We Choose"

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When the serial mail bomber strikes again, it hits too close to home, resulting in a life changing outcome for one of the 118. Meanwhile, while getting promoted to a full time firefighter, Eddie’s family pressures him to return to Texas, claiming its the best thing for Christopher.

As the 118 continues to do their best to persevere with Chimney serving as acting Captain/Battalion Chief, the serial mail bomber continues to leave Los Angeles on edge with their attacks, leading to multiple false alarms because of the paranoia that anyone could be the bomber's next target, such as the 118, LAPD, and the Bomb Squad being called to an elementary school due to a discarded backpack being left on the playground. After a controlled demolition by the Bomb Squad, it is revealed to have just been one little girl's tuna fish lunch that she didn't like.

It is during this time that, one day, when Athena's ex-husband Michael and children return home, they find one of the bomber's deliveries sitting on their doorstep, addressed to Athena. LAFD and the LAPD Bomb Squad are alerted, as are ATF and FBI, and after the package detonates without harming anyone once safely in the disposal box, it is revealed a judge was a victim of another bomb earlier, killing them. Bobby and Athena suspect it to be Victor Costas, the owner of the restaurant he deliberately burned down for the insurance claim several years ago, but learn from ATF that he passed away while in prison of cancer three months earlier. They then suspect his son, Freddie, as when they had Victor arrested for arson, Freddie swore Revenge against them for destroying his family.

Confronting his mom and Victor's widow, Ellie, they learn that the family was bankrupt, having used up all their resources for hiring a lawyer and other expenses for the trial, only for it to be All for Nothing when Victor was found guilty and incarcerated, dying in prison. Bobby worries he's next after Athena, but when ATF find no package at his current residence, he realizes that Freddie doesn't know he was suspended from the LAFD after the brass learned of his actions back in St. Paul with the accidental fire he caused that killed his wife, two children, and 145 other people.

As a result, when the 118 are sent on a call that night, before Bobby can warn them of the bomb threat, Freddie's bomb he planted under the ladder truck detonates, flipping the truck on its side and severely injuring the ladder company crew, with Buck pinned under the toppled apparatus, before Freddie then appears, wearing a suicide vest, deciding to take the ladder company hostage to get his vengeance on Bobby. When Bobby steps forth to confront Freddie after he refuses to negotiate with Chimney when he reveals he's the acting fire captain, he's able to keep Freddie busy until they bring Ellie in. Freddie threatens to detonate his Dead Man Switch if Bobby gets any closer and take everyone with him, until Bobby asks the Armor-Piercing Question as to if he wants to have his mom watch him die and join his father in death right in front of her eyes. Ellie is horrified to see what her son has done to take vengeance for Victor. Seeing his mom's horrified reaction to his crimes, Freddie hesitates in shock and fear at how he only made things worse for his mom and family just for Revenge, giving Bobby time to tackle him and keep him pinned until the LAPD SWAT and Bomb Squad move in and quickly rush Freddie off to disarm his suicide vest before arresting him for his crimes, which would pretty much put him behind bars for the rest of his life, with Freddie looking absolutely livid, if not relieved, as he's ushered off to be disarmed and cuffed by SWAT, Bomb Squad, FBI, and ATF. With Freddie apprehended, Bobby calls for help to lift the ladder truck off Buck, but despite the support of every first responder there, including the FBI and ATF, they don't have enough manpower. At that point, to show their support for their first responders, the civilians are allowed past the blockade to lend a hand, and with their assistance, they are able to lift the rig and pull Buck free, allowing him to get medical attention. After everything is over and things return to normal for the time being, Athena and Bobby tie the knot and are married by a judge. Bobby is also alleviated of his suspension for his heroics and permitted to return to his position as Captain of the 118. Eddie is promoted from Probationary Firefighter to full time Firefighter as well, and the station gets a new ladder truck to replace the one destroyed by Freddie.

Tropes present in this episode:

  • The Bus Came Back: Carla returns to pay a visit to Buck in the hospital.
  • By the Hair: Rustbucket Roy gets his hair caught in the engine belt when his wife starts the ignition while he's bent over trying to get it working. It's pulled hard enough to tear some of the scalp off of his head. The team has to take the engine apart piece by piece just to untangle him.
  • Dead Man's Switch: Freddie Costas holds a dead man's switch while also wearing a bomb vest. A LAPD SWAT member has to force Freddie's hand to stay on the trigger while they rush him over to the Bomb Squad to disarm him so he doesn't let go and set it off in a Driven to Suicide moment.
  • Driven to Suicide: Freddie Costas intended to blow himself up alongside Bobby to get Revenge for his father Victor. Instead, Bobby restrains him from doing so until LAPD SWAT could arrest Freddie, have the Bomb Squad disarm his suicide vest, and take him into custody.
  • Elopement: Bobby and Athena get married in a court house at the end of the episode.
  • Facial Horror: Becca thought she was showing her livestream how to pop a pimple, unaware she pushed out a botfly. She finds out the hard way they can lay eggs inside her face and has to have them extracted.
  • Firemen Are Hot: Viewers of Becca's livestream note how hot Buck and Eddie are.
  • Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Bobby tells Freddie that while he and his mom were dealt a bad hand by his father going to prison, Freddie's criminal actions that he has committed in response are entirely on him.
  • Heel Realization: Freddie seems to have one when he sees they brought his mom in and she's horrified by what her son has done, making him hesitate long enough for Bobby and the SWAT Team to subdue and prevent him from releasing his Dead Man's Switch.
  • He's Back!: Bobby is released from his suspension and resumes his duties as captain of the 118 after subduing Freddie and getting not just the team, but bystanders to lift the fire truck off of Buck's leg.
  • Killed Offscreen: Victor Costas died of cancer three months before the time of the episode.
  • Mad Bomber: A mad bomber is responsible for the package bombs in the previous episode, kills a judge with one, and sends one to Athena's house. He blows up a fire truck trying to kill Bobby, unaware he's been suspended. The bomber's identity is Freddie Costas, the son of Victor Costas.
  • Rank Up: Eddie is promoted from a probationary firefighter to a full time firefighter.
  • Season Finale: For Season 2
  • Shipper on Deck: Several of the viewers of the livestream comment that Buck and Eddie would make a cute couple.

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