9-1-1 Round Table: Did The Madney Wedding Episode Live Up To The Hype?

The Madney wedding came and went, and we are still feeling the effects!

9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 6 was the long-awaited wedding episode Madney fans had been clamoring for. While it was a little different than many expected, there was still a wedding when the dust settled.

If you haven’t had a chance to hear my unfiltered thoughts about the hour in full, feel free to check out my 9-1-1 Review: There Goes The Groom.

But I wanted to open the floor to some other 9-1-1 watchers here at TV Fanatic and hear their thoughts on the hour at large, Chimney’s plight, and more.

Join Jessica Kosinski, Jasmine Blu, Sara Trimble, and myself as we discuss everything.

What did you think about the Madney wedding episode overall?

Jessica: I am a big fan of the series, but definitely not of the wedding situation. The whole missing bachelor/postponed wedding/hospital wedding thing was a sea of overdone TV tropes.

None of it felt all that unique to me. Also, it seemed ridiculous that so many people would participate in a bachelor party without the bachelor. It wasn’t believable to me.

Jasmine: I agree with Jessica. Hasn’t Madney suffered enough? For once, I would’ve liked them to have a nice, cute little wedding. The married at a hospital thing is so overdone, and this has been seasons in the making. Madney fans went through the wringer to get to this moment, only to get the hospital wedding.

I thought the episode was compelling for Chimney individually but underwhelming for Madney as a unit.

Sara: TV weddings are always wonky as the writers try to make it unique and something that engages viewers. A wedding where nothing goes wrong is relatively boring. But trying to do something that has yet to be done is challenging. I agree with Jessica that they overdid it by adding every stereotype into one scenario.

But they did go unique with the medical condition that caused Chimney’s amnesia and how Maddie charged into dispatch to track her fiancé. The flashes of Chimney’s past were an interesting touch, as we don’t know much about him before he became a firefighter.

Whitney: At this point, I’ve seen the episode a few times, and my initial reaction didn’t carry through the multiple viewings. The tonal shift in the episode is extreme, especially considering how the hour was marketed. And the fact that it felt like we were seeing Doug more than Maddie at times was a travesty.

But having said all that, I understand what they were trying to do with the episode, even if I didn’t agree with all the narrative choices. Kenneth Choi is such a talent, and when they give him these fruitful episodes, he knocks it out of the park.

As a wedding episode, I would have loved an hour that was more of a celebration of love.

The bachelor party scenes were funny but brief. Would you have liked to see more? Or did the montage feel appropriate in the end?

Jessica: Despite not being a fan of the bachelor party with no actual bachelor scenario, I liked those scenes. I wouldn’t have minded if there were a few more. They provided good comic relief from the generally darker tone of the rest of the episode.

Jasmine: I feel like this episode maybe needed to be a two-parter. But what we saw was entertaining. I’ve been enjoying a more light-hearted Eddie this season. It was odd that they had a whole bachelor party without Chimney. I would’ve killed for a The Hangover situation with the guys, though, but it worked.

Sara: I’m like Jessica in that I didn’t care for the bachelor party. If it was trying to imitate The Hangover, it fell way short. Maybe back in the early days, Buck and Eddie would have partied with a bunch of randos and hot females, but it seemed out of character for the more mature way they’ve been acting recently.

But it had a few funny parts, and the guys had a good time. It would have been more fun to have seen the whole crew have fun at the party together and then Chimney go missing.

Whitney: Selfishly, because I’m greedy, I would love to see more from the bachelor party because it looked like a good time. We also so rarely get to see Buck and Eddie truly let loose like that.

But if time constraints were a factor, which they so often are with network television, then what we got was more than enough.

I agree with Jasmine, though. A two-parter for this episode would have been incredible because it felt like even more could have been explored.

The marketing for the episode suggested that the hour would maybe be a play on The Hangover or be a bit lighter in tone. Were you surprised by how dark the hour was?

Jessica: I was a bit surprised by that, but that’s not surprising. In other words, marketing is marketing. Often, we’re presented with teaser information that doesn’t reflect the “meat” of an episode. There would be no reason to watch if audiences were told exactly what would happen beforehand.

Jasmine: I was genuinely surprised by this darker and more somber tone. I was all in on a fun Hangover situation, and I really was looking forward to that. The pivot caught me off guard.

I know promotion and marketing are going to do what they do, but respectfully, I found this one egregiously misleading. The episode was good, and Kenneth Choi was sublime, but that was one hell of a bait-and-switch.

Sara: I wasn’t shocked by the way things played out, but I rarely get surprised by much of anything on TV these days. Everything is predictable. And the trailers are starting to get more creative in portraying episodes, lining up clips to create scenes that don’t happen.

This means that what we see in the promotional clips rarely happens in the episode. So, I always expect things to be different in the real thing than what I see ahead of time.

Whitney: I was shocked by how dark it got because, based on the marketing, it seemed like the hour would be lighter. Yes, Chimney was clearly struggling, but considering we knew the bachelor party was a NIGHT, it felt like maybe the predicament was in the aftermath of a wild party night.

The first time we saw Chim disoriented in the car, I knew things would take a dark turn, and it caught me off-guard.

Chimney hallucinated Doug several times while he was deteriorating. What did you think about those scenes, and why do you believe Chimney’s subconscious manifested him?

Jessica: Those scenes were among my favorite parts of the episode. I thought it was a unique way to bring Doug back. They made him appropriately creepy, for sure.

As for why Chimney’s subconscious manifested Doug, we all sometimes think about our partners’ exes, especially in times of stress or big relationship moments. Add to that the fact that Doug was a psychopath and his demise was so memorable, and it’s easy to see why he’d float to the front of Chimney’s mind.

Jasmine: I actually thought that was the worst aspect of this. Abstractedly, I can understand what they were angling for, but I still didn’t find it necessary. We did not need to see Doug. How did we end up with more Chimney and Doug on their wedding day than Madney?

I also found it insensitive because of the type of character Doug was being Maddie’s murderous, abusive ex. Casually tossing him in the mix, oscillating between psychotic and comedic, was odd. I could’ve gone without Doug having any more narrative space in the series.

Sara: It made a sick kind of sense for Chimney to hallucinate his soon-to-be wife’s ex, as he played a big role in their being together. The abusive experience she went through with him and the scars he left almost kept them apart when Maddie ran in the past.

He was struggling through his traumas, and Doug definitely was that. At least now he can go into the marriage with a clear head after confronting his demons.

Whitney: I talked about this more thoroughly in my review, but I wasn’t a fan of the amount of Doug in this episode, even if I could understand what his presence was meant to accomplish.

In the Madney wedding episode, having him take up that room was a choice that did not work for me. But having said that, it felt like Chimney’s fears manifested themselves in Doug, and I understand that.

This was not something I felt needed to be in this hour.

Maddie and Chimney are finally married. React!

Jessica: I initially thought they made an odd pair, but they rapidly grew on me. I was glad to see them finally get married. I felt it took a bit longer than it should have, but that’s TV for you.

Jasmine: They have fought and bled for this. Literally! It took a long time. I’m still holding out for a special vow renewal or something to make up for this underwhelming wedding. But I’m happy for them!

Sara: I’ve been on Team Madney since Day 1. So, I’m excited that they finally committed to each other. I agree with Jessica that it took longer than it should. There wasn’t that much baggage to overcome before they were marriable people.

Whitney: I’m so glad Madney got here because their relationship has been fraught with so much pain and trauma. I loved seeing them get the happy ending they deserved.

I would have loved to see them get the grand wedding, but in the end, what really matters is professing your love to your person surrounded by those you care about. And they got that.

What do you hope is next for the couple?

Jessica: Honestly, I don’t want to speculate. I’d rather be surprised, but the characters have been through a lot. I’d like to see them have a little peace and quiet for a bit.

Jasmine: I second some peace. They’ve been through the mill. Let them chill a bit and bask in their marriage bliss!

Sara: TV seems to hate a happily ever after, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they find some way to create drama between the couple or a trauma to tear them apart. Or they could devastate us completely and kill someone off. Hopefully, they find a way to take them in a happy direction for a bit. Maybe it’s time for Baby #2.

Whitney: I want them to have so much peace and joy that it makes me nauseous to think about how in love and amazing their lives are together.

Naturally, there will be some hiccups, but I want them to be very low-stakes. Give them time to be content before the next thing inevitably comes along, preferably deep into the next season.

Buck and Tommy are still going strong and shared a kiss at the hospital, which tipped everyone off to their romance. How are you feeling about the pairing?

Jessica: The pairing is cute and interesting. They make a good couple. However, I did find the series suddenly plunking a character into a same-sex relationship after establishing him as supposedly hetero for six previous seasons a bit weird.

It wasn’t like there was a particular need to do that in terms of representation since Hen and Karen are already an established same-sex couple on the show.

Jasmine: I’m going to push back on that a bit, Jessica. I don’t think there’s a set limit or quota to fill for queer couples, so in that sense, Hen and Karen are great, but it doesn’t really have anything to do with Buck. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. Yeah, they’re both fruits, but they’re still totally different.

Representation is great, and so is having variety and options within it. That’s something that’s taken for granted a lot.

I know this relationship is controversial for any number of reasons (Bi Buck, Buddie, Tommy Canon, etc), but so far, I like them. They’re cute together. It’s light and breezy, and Buck is clearly smitten. We at least knew Tommy, and he’s established with other characters beyond Buck.

The chemistry is at least there, and Lou Ferrigno Jr. is a gem. It’s at least better than some of Buck’s previous partners, so I’m just vibing.

Sara: I wrote a piece right after Buck and Tommy hooked up about the timing of Buck’s sudden queerness. It was fully out of character, yet everyone seems to not bat an eye about the sudden change of heart.

It’s felt forced this whole time, and I don’t know how I feel about his sudden change with zero hints that it was to come.

Whitney: I will also have to push back on the notion that the Henren pairing means that there’s no longer a “need” for another queer coupling on the show. As if there is a finite cap on representation.

Buck’s journey, and thus his relationship with Tommy, is entirely separate from anyone else’s. As Jasmine said, variety within representation is not only great but important. This is who these characters are.

It’s also relatable in a real-life sense. This story IS happening to someone else in the world, and it’s powerful and should be told.

I would also have to push back on the idea that Buck’s bisexuality is in any way forced. There have been signs throughout the series I saw and that fans have pointed out numerous times, so the idea it came out of left field isn’t a concrete truth.

MAYBE it wasn’t clear to everyone, BUT that doesn’t mean signs didn’t exist at all. Sharing that kiss with Tommy helped him realize what had been missing, and now he’s fully embracing who he is and what that means. I will always support Buck in his journey of self-discovery and being true to himself.

I may not be the biggest Tommy fan, but I am here for Bi Buck and his happiness. I loved seeing Buck carefree and comfortable in that hospital scene. I’ll forever be supporting Buck in finding his joy.

The floor is yours to share any other thoughts about the hour. Did you have a favorite moment? Or a least favorite one? Let it all out.

Jessica: I loved that they had Chimney triage an accident scene even while he was so ill. It showed that he was still in there somewhere. At that moment, I really wanted him to walk into a hospital or something and rescue himself. That would be a Chimney thing to do.

It didn’t quite happen that way, but it was great that they brought Kevin back to guide him in the right direction rather than just having Buck or someone else find him lying in a gutter somewhere.

Jasmine: I agree, Jessica! That triage scene was everything! I loved that, at his core, he’s still a heroic man who puts others ahead of himself and is driven to help. I loved what that represented.

And yes, Kevin had me sobbing deep down where I hold my feelings hostage. Kevin being the one to get through to him was so fitting.

I have mixed feelings about this episode as a whole, but Kenneth Choi knocked it out of the park. I love it when they give him a meaty storyline, and he shows off his incredible range—giving that man all his flowers.

Sara: Jessica and I share the same appreciation. Despite Chimney not remembering who he was, he was still a badass with impressive skills. It was great seeing him triage, but were none of those patients put at risk of what he had by being in such close proximity?

And wouldn’t the hospital have warned anyone who had come in contact with the infectious patient that they might be at risk? I loved that the writers found a way to bring Kevin’s brother into his wedding day after he’d been killed off. It was a great way to pay respect to his character.

Whitney: I cried ugly tears when Kevin showed up to help guide Chimney home. It was the best way to end that story, and I loved it.

I loved everything about Buck and Eddie’s matching outfits and the bachelor party because it was fun. And the heartfelt scenes between Hen and Maddie, who needed each other on such a stressful day.

And it bears repeating, this was Kenneth Choi’s episode, and he was so damn good.

So, what do you think, fellow 9-1-1 fans?

Let us know all your thoughts in the comments!