Who knows why 9-1-1 decided to plop a character origin story in the middle of the season apropos of nothing. Who knows why 9-1-1 does anything, honestly. But let’s not question a good thing: This trip down memory lane, showing us how Henrietta Wilson becomes the Hen we know and love today, is a stand out episode. It’s clear, focused, emotional, and has a whole lot of Aisha Hinds being a badass. What more do you need?
We already know a little bit about why Hen joined the L.A.F.D.: She was shot in the leg as a 16-year-old and was inspired by the paramedics who saved her life. But her road to becoming a paramedic and firefighter wasn’t so straightforward. When we first come upon Hen in “Hen Begins” she looks very different from how we know her: She’s wearing a dress and heels and a wig. She’s a pharmaceutical rep who is very good at her job, but very clearly hates it. And although she looks different from our Hen, when one of the doctors she’s meeting with makes a pass at her she puts him in his place by threatening to stab his hand with a steak knife — so we know our suffer-no-fools Hen is in there somewhere.
Hen quits her job that very same evening. She’s had enough. She meets with a life coach to help her figure out what to do next. Surprise! Her life coach has a heart attack, Hen helps save her life with some quick thinking and CPR, and then boom — Hen realizes exactly what she wants to be doing with her life. Serious question: Is this how life coaches work? If so, never become a life coach.
At this point in time, Hen is still very much dating Eva, who I guess has not yet become The Worst. Eva is a little wary of Hen’s sudden change of life plans and she reminds her girlfriend that being a gay black woman in the L.A.F.D. isn’t going to be easy. Hen likes a challenge. Plus, this is her calling — she can feel it. She wants to help people. She wants to protect the vulnerable.
So off to training she goes! As hard as that training looks, Hen will soon learn that passing that course and getting her badge would be the easiest part of this whole “becoming a firefighter” thing. She learns this because she gets assigned to Firehouse 118 and meets Captain Girard.
Captain Girard is no Bobby Nash, you guys. Captain Girard is as much a misogynist as any human can be. From the moment Hen walks in the door, he makes it very clear that she’s a “diversity hire” and he’s pissed his house has been saddled with her. She’s incapable of being a firefighter and she’s going to get them all killed. He says all of this out loud during a house meal. So, yeah, Captain Girard is a trash person.
But you know who is also at 118, nestled between a whole slew of bros who make offensive comments? Chimney! Well, he’s still calling himself Howie at this point, but Chim is there and he is the only person who treats Hen like a firefighter. She brushes him off because she thinks she needs to handle everything alone, but Chim doesn’t give up. He wants her to know she isn’t alone here and he, as an Asian man in the firehouse, understands what she’s going through. Hen stops him: Chim might be invisible. Hen is a threat to Girard’s (and men like him) entire way of life. Those things are very different. And yet, Chim won’t stop making an effort. He’s there for her, should she need him.
