9-1-1's Aisha Hinds Unpacks Hen And Athena's Rocky Return To Earth, Including That [Spoiler] Flashback

Thursday's episode of "9-1-1" marked the end of Hen and Athena's space odyssey (for real this time!) in a decades-spanning hour that set multiple characters on new paths. The episode also concluded with an end card reading "For Dad," which TVLine has learned was a tribute to Tim Minear's late father Charles Minear, Sr.

TVLine spoke with Aisha Hinds about her experience filming the out-of-this-world arc, including a peek at what the future holds for the 118, as well as that blink-and-you-missed-it shot of the late, great Captain Bobby Nash. But first, a recap of Episode 4:

On the space station, we learn that there's a vessel big enough to bring at least five of the astronauts home, but it requires one of them to go outside and repair a key piece of machinery. (FYI, the last guy who tried to fix it is now a zero-gravity corpse, so it's not exactly a dream job.) Hen and Athena both volunteer, but Athena pushes her way to the front, claiming that she has nothing left to live for on Earth. "I'm not doing this because I'm altruistic," Athena says. "I'm doing it because I'm selfish. All I have left is me!"

While all of this is unfolding, Athena flashes back to her earlier days on the force, which means we're blessed with another A+ performance by Pepi Sonuga as Young Athena. Specifically, she remembers not being able to move on after Emmett's death, even resisting the advances of a handsome young gentleman named — wait for it — Michael! (Oh, Athena, if only you knew.) Unfortunately, it takes the tragic death of her then-partner for Athena to reopen her heart to new possibilities.

Throughout the episode, Athena is seen doing an "interview" about what it means to be a hero, but it's eventually revealed that it's not actually a real interview. She's having a direct conversation with her younger self, who encourages Athena to "let go." After experiencing so much pain and loss, she suggests it would be nice to be free of it all. "What it's all been for anyway?" she asks.

But present-day Athena isn't about to listen to her less-experienced self. She says life is worth living "for all the moments in between [the struggle], no matter how far apart they may be." She then goes into a whole metaphor about stars and light, but what really matters is her conclusion: "Pain is the price we pay for joy." She knows she needs to reach out, and that's just what she does, successfully returning to the space station after repairing the damaged piece of machinery.

(Side note: During Athena's "interview," we're treated to a very brief shot of Bobby. But even a short return, which appeared to be a flashback from his first on-screen date with Athena in the Season 1 finale, made us feel things.)

Thanks to Lewis remaining behind to operate the machinery, the other astronauts successfully return to Earth and reunite with their families. Speaking of which, Harry drops a bombshell on Athena at the end of the hour: he applied to join the LAFD!

Below, read TVLine's full Q&A with Hinds in which she breaks down the episode's biggest moments, from Bobby's "return" to Hen's emotional clash with Athena:

TVLINE | First of all, congratulations on surviving your maiden space voyage.
HINDS | You know, I'm glad to be back on Earth. [Laughs] It was quite the adventure. And she definitely sold it to Karen as, "We're just gonna go up there for like an hour." And now here we are with our lives flashing before us.

TVLINE | I know you, Aisha Hinds, didn't go up into space, but did you get to film in a zero-gravity space at all?
HINDS | Well, they created a "world" of zero gravity. No, but honestly, our production designers did an amazing job creating the world. It consumed so much real estate on the stages that you truly felt like you were in this thing. Our costume designer [Alayna Bell-Price] created these amazing costumes, and our stunt coordinator [Tierre Turner] got us ready on all the wires and stuff so we could "float." All of the elements worked together to make us feel like it was zero gravity.

TVLINE | The fans are a little torn over this space arc. How did you feel when you first learned about it, and how do you feel now that it reached its conclusion?
HINDS | Being on this show for nine seasons now, I have learned not to let anything surprise me. So when I saw that, I was like, "That tracks," especially given what's happening in the real world. It didn't strike me as being out of left field. People are taking trips to space as regularly as they're running to Target. I thought it was an interesting angle to explore, and when I realized what the relationships were going to be and how it was going to work out, it started to just kind of work together.

TVLINE | Episode 4 was particularly emotional, especially that moment where Athena is telling Hen that she has nothing left to live for. Hen reminds her that she lost Bobby too, and I feel like that gave us a peek into Hen's grieving process. It's clearly weighing on her more than she's letting on.
HINDS | You're right on target with that. I think they process their grief, especially as it relates to Bobby, very differently. I loved the scene where you have two best friends looking into each other's eyes and fighting about who's going to make this sacrifice. Hen is sacrificing because she believes that we all have so much to live for. This can't be the end. Meanwhile, Athena is looking into my eyes feeling like she doesn't have anything left to live for. What an interesting thing to have two people looking into each other's eyes and taking a position that seems valid for them both.

TVLINE | We also have to talk about that quick shot of Bobby. How glad were you when you heard that was happening?
HINDS | I think it's important to unpack how each character is grappling with grief after the loss of Bobby. It's a real thing, so I love that they took a moment to nod to that and to hold space for that, instead of just running right over it.

TVLINE | As for Harry potentially becoming a firefighter, is that something Hen is excited about? Or would she be too worried about protecting her best friend's son if he does end up joining the 118?
HINDS | There are two ways to look at that, because Hen has this idea that she might be sort of like the mother hen. So if he's going to be a firefighter, it better be under her watch so she could be as close as possible. But there's also this idea that he was compelled to do the work that she does because she wanted to impact and save lives, so she may feel like it's this is a noble cause that he's also desiring to pursue. 

She could champion that and help Athena unpack her own worries and fears. She can let Athena know, like, "Hey, you raised him, and he's going to be all right." I just love how all of the kids have so much agency in these episodes, where you have May and Denny and Mara helping in the fire station and saving lives. We're seeing how these kids are evolving. You talk about generational wealth, now it's like generational health.

TVLINE | Side note: I can't believe how much all of the kids have grown.
HINDS | It's pretty wild. First of all, Denny's voice is changing. And then every season we come back, we're like, "Whoa!" Everyone started out like tiny little humans! But it's also really special to grow together as a family on-screen and off. I'm glad that that we have stories that can carry that growth for them.

TVLINE | My last question is actually about the Wilson family. They love Halloween, and since "9-1-1" isn't doing a Halloween episode this year, what's your dream costume for them?
HINDS | Maybe the cast of [Ryan Murphy's] All's Fair, because maybe they are stomping.

TVLINE | That was the best unexpected answer. I thought you were going to say astronauts or something.
HINDS | [Laughs] No!

Tell us: What did you think of Thursday's conclusion of the "9-1-1" space arc? Which part got you the most choked up (and why was it Bobby)? And what would you like to see from the rest of Season 9? Drop a comment with your thoughts below.