9-1-1 Launches Medical Mystery In Midseason Finale: What's Wrong With Hen? (Grade It!)

We entered the midseason finale of "9-1-1" with trepidation, considering ABC's own promo included a shot of Hen collapsing in her living room, and we're sorry to report that we're even more concerned about Aisha Hinds' character after watching the episode.

Hen first noticed an issue with her hand after another totally normal rescue call for the 118, in which an entire family reunion lost their fingers during a brutal tug of war. (Buck asking "Who has French tips?" while holding up a severed finger was definitely a highlight of the hour.) But Hen shrugged off her concerns, and when a med spa scam artist commented on her tremors during another call, she got very defensive.

Hen began her investigation with a call to her mom, innocently inquiring about a potential family history of strokes. Moments after hanging up, Hen passed out in the middle of her living room, eventually waking up to a call from Karen hours later. Once again, she kept her concerns to herself, telling Karen that she simply got held up at work.

After picking Maddie's brain as a former nurse, Hen decided that there was only one way to find out what's wrong with her — an out-of-pocket full-body scan at the same med spa the 118 visited earlier in the hour. You know, the place where the scam artist "doctor" didn't notice a patient dying right in front of him. That should give you an idea of how hush-hush Hen wants to keep this.

We, however, will not stay hush-hush! What the heck is going on with Hen? Our gut says it could be cancer, as this wouldn't be the first time someone from the "9-1-1" franchise has fought the good fight, but it almost feels pointless to speculate given the WTF nature of this show. After all, who among us would have predicted that Bobby would succumb to Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever?! We could have gone the rest of our lives without knowing what that even is.

Regardless of what's wrong with Hen, we're pulling for her. Not only do we not want to lose anyone else from the 118 after Bobby, but Karen and those babies need her! It's going to be a long wait for "9-1-1" to return with the second half of Season 9 on Thursday, Jan. 8 (8/7c).

In much happier news, there's a new captain in town, and his name is — drumroll please — Howard "Chimney" Han! While serving as interim captain, Chimney initially resisted Chief Simpson's offer to make the arrangement permanent, but after serious consideration (not to mention a strong push from Maddie), he delighted the chief by changing his mind.

We held it together for most of Chimney's promotion ceremony, but we'll be darned if we didn't get all misty-eyed when the new captain's fellow firefighters gave him that watch engraved with "The 118 is not just a number, it's us," a direct quote from the inspirational speech that foreshadowed Chimney in his new position last season.

Here's hoping that having Chimney as a full-time captain will give "9-1-1" the license to have some fun again. Don't get us wrong, Bobby's memory should always be honored and preserved, but this show has been sputtering in a puddle of grief all season — compounded by last week's tragic loss for Eddie. Let the sunshine in!

More good news: Harry was officially accepted into the LAFD academy, though it was far from a sure thing. In theory, you couldn't ask for a better candidate than the son of Athena Grant and the step-son of Bobby Nash, but Harry's otherwise guaranteed future was compromised by his criminal past.

In case you need a refresher on what happened to Harry in Season 7, he had a warrant out for his arrest after fighting a convenience store owner in self-defense. As a minor, he was released into Athena's custody, and he didn't think it would go on his permanent record. Surprise! It did!

Harry initially revoked his application, certain that his past would disqualify him, but Buck — who agreed to train Harry for the test, all while keeping it from Athena — wouldn't let Harry give up. He tricked Harry into "bumping into" Chief Simpson at a restaurant, where he agreed to give Harry a shot at the academy. (Buck and Harry also bumped into Chimney at the same restaurant, blowing his big secret about becoming captain. Oops!)

Speaking of the Grant family, Athena spent the hour figuring out who was cyberbullying an 18-year-old girl who attempted suicide over an endless barrage of cruel text messages. The ordeal forced Athena to relive her own trauma (because when is she not?) from when May found herself in the same situation several years earlier.

During an evening of mother-daughter drinking, Athena conveniently left the messages printed out on her coffee table, sparking a conversation with May about how she's doing now. Athena apologized for not seeing the signs and intervening sooner, but May assuaged her guilt by saying that she knew everything was going to be OK when she woke up in the hospital and saw Athena's face.

Oh, and the girl's cyberbully turned out to be — wait for it — her own mother! That's right, we've got a regular "Awkward" situation on our hands. (Remember that show? It's honestly worth a rewatch if you have the time.)

How are you feeling after the "9-1-1" midseason finale? What's your diagnosis for Hen's mystery condition? And what are you hoping to see in 2026? Grade the episode, then drop a comment with your thoughts below.