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Fox’s 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star are beloved by the fans for a myriad of reasons, but most notably the creation of beautiful characters that leave anyone watching completely sucked in and emotionally invested in their journey. The universe has become known for the wild emergencies the firefighters and paramedics are out in the world handling, but they’ve also given just as much needed attention to those that are the first point of contact during an emergency: Dispatchers. Some of the most emotional moments from both shows have come from the scenes at the dispatch center, where characters like Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Grace (Sierra McClain) are tasked with helping those experiencing often the worst moments of their lives while staying calm, cool, and collected. In the universe, there have been five primary characters that have worked or are working at the dispatch center. Below, we’ve ranked them from least to most compelling (based on their scenes that are centered around their job).
5. Josh Russo
Josh (Bryan Safi), though not a series regular on 9-1-1, has been around long enough that he has to make this list. However, Josh’s handling of calls, partially due to it being rather limited as a recurring character, hasn’t really made an impression, which is why he is ranked last. Josh is a character with a lot of future possibilities, but as one of the leaders at the call center, sometimes he makes calls that don’t exactly leave viewers rooting for him. For example, Josh’s decision to reprimand Eddie (Ryan Guzman) over the call in Season 5, Episode 11 — where Eddie’s knowledge helped save the family from dying due to the car bomb and pressure sensor under the gas pedal — is frustrating, and that’s a call that the others in the dispatch center don’t have to make, so there aren’t really negative feelings to harbor for anyone else. Sure, he makes a great boss, a great mentor, and a great friend, but more effort could be put into the character from every angle.
4. May Grant
May (Corinne Massiah), daughter of Athena Grant (Angela Bassett), is the newest addition to the call center — aside from Eddie, technically. After deciding not to go to college, May got a job at the call center at the beginning of 9-1-1 Season 4, working alongside Josh and Maddie. When Maddie left the call center after having her baby and then ran away from Los Angeles for months, May picked up the mantle as the series’ lead dispatcher… though she hasn’t quite been able to fill the enormous void left by her predecessor. May’s start throughout Season 4 was great, and allowing her to see the kinds of things that her mother and step-father Bobby (Peter Krause) deal with every day allowed the character some great development. But, Season 5 has been a mess all-around, and May has suffered because of this. Her calls just don’t quite pack the same punch as the others on the list, even the rare calls we see Josh pick up. May has a lot of untapped potential, and it would be incredible for the series to give her the same opportunities to prove herself in her new role as they did when Maddie first joined the show back in Season 2. Unfortunately, what we’re getting now isn’t that exciting or entertaining, but there’s definitely room for improvement.
3. Abby Clark
Though not around very long, Abby (Connie Britton) certainly made an impression during the first season of 9-1-1. Abby’s way of handling emergency calls was quite different from we’ve seen from other characters, which made her stand out and helped to make the first season feel extra special. Abby was more blunt, straightforward, and aggressive when it came to these calls, while Maddie, for example, is softer and more comforting. One of the most memorable calls of the entire show is Abby’s call in the pilot episode with the little girl whose house was being broken into. Abby’s approach made her a little more detached from the emergency, but that also gave her the ability to be a little more level-headed and calm to assist the caller. For what the show was during the first season, this really worked, and here’s hoping Britton will agree to return to the show in some capacity before the end.