9-1-1 Season 8 is back in 2025 with a tense midseason premiere, introducing a whole new and returning guest stars headlined by Abigail Spencer, Debra Christofferson, and Bryan Safi.
9-1-1's new episode, "Sob Stories," is packed with interesting storylines, showcasing the aftermath of Eddie's decision to leave Los Angeles for Texas, Maddie dealing with a weepy-voice-inspired killer, and the arrival of a new shady detective.
9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 9 premiered on ABC on March 6.
911 Season 8 Episode 9 Cast Guide
Chloe Csengery - Jayna Whitlock
Chloe Csengery joins the cast of 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 9 as Jayna Whitlock, the main victim of the killer who was abducted.
Csengery is known for her roles in Grey's Anatomy, Modern Family, and Chicago Med.
Maya Nalli - Kayla
Maya Nalli appears as Kayla, one of the potential buyers of Eddie's home before he moves to Texas.
Nalli has credits in The Upshaws, Dollface, and Black-ish.
Jeff Galfer - Soren
Jeff Galfer plays Soren, a potential renter of Eddie's place who is also a full-time chef.
Galfer can be seen in Homeland, Scorpion, and All American.
Maryfrances Careccia - Betty
Betty is another potential renter and Soren's wife. The character is played on-screen by Maryfrances Careccia.
Careccia's past credits include The Rookie, Big Little Lies, and Days of Our Lives.
Gabriella Ortiz - Millie
Gabriella Ortiz joins the cast as Millie, a single mom who is one of the potential renters of Eddie's place.
Ortiz is known for her roles in Blue Beetle, Insatiable, and Good Girls.
Catherine Adell - Rhonda
Catherine Adell is part of the cast as Rhonda, the head of the animal shelter in 911 Season 8, Episode 9.
Adell also starred in Lessons in Chemistry, Perry Mason, and Monsters.
Luis Antonio Aldana - Young Father
Luis Antonio Aldana plays the father of the girl who owns the dog that Buck initially adopted after the fire.
Aldana has credits in The Big Bang Theory, Morir de Amor, and Futurestates.
Alessandra Perez - Little Girl
Alessandra Perez appears as the little girl who is the real owner of the dog that Buck found in the shelter.
Perez's notable credits include A Man Called Otto, Superkitties, and Spidey and His Amazing Friends.
Bailey Leung - Jee-Yun Buckley Han
Bailey Leung plays Jee-Yun Buckley Han, Han and Maddie's daughter.
9-1-1 is Leung's first major acting credit.
Debra Christofferson - Sue Blevins
Debra Christofferson returns as Sue Blevins, the supervisor of 9-1-1 operators (aka Maddie's boss).
Christofferson also starred in NYPD Blue, Outcast, and Carnivàle. She is also part of the cast of Salem's Lot.
Bryan Safi - Josh Russo
Bryan Safi portrays Josh Russo, a supervising dispatcher and a friend of Maddie who helps her go through the stressful call involving the weepy-voiced killer.
Safi can be seen in Modern Family, Young & Hungry, and You.
Frankie Ingrassia - Isabelle
Frankie Ingrassia plays Isabelle, Richard Bullock's wife who gives up her husband's location to Athena to help her find the missing girl.
Ingrassia also starred in Goliath, Grey's Anatomy, and Election.
Abigail Spencer - Amber Braeburn
Abigail Spencer guest stars in 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 9 as Amber Braeburn, a missing persons detective who helps Maddie identify a potential suspect tied to her disturbing 911 calls.
Spencer recently appeared as a guest star in Netflix's With Love, Meghan.
The actress is also known for her roles in Extended Family, Law & Order, and Suits.
Here are the other main characters who appeared in 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 9:
- Peter Krause - Bobby Nash
- Angela Bassett - Athena Grant Nash
- Jennifer Love Hewitt - Maddie Buckley
- Oliver Stark - Evan “Buck” Buckley
- Kenneth Choi - Howard “Chimney” Han
- Aisha Hinds - Henrietta “Hen” Wilson
- Ryan Guzman - Eddie Díaz
911 Season 8 Episode 9 Plot Recap
Maggie Receives a Call from a Kidnapper
9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 9, "Sobs Stories," begins with Maddie receiving a call from a man named John who appears to be on the verge of committing suicide.
However, things go sideways after Maddie learns that John is actually keeping a girl hostage.
She tries to connect with him by trying to pacify him over the call, giving enough time for Athena Grant and the others to respond and, hopefully, save the victim.
Maddie tries to bargain with John to let Jayna go. If he does, she will make sure that he won't get captured.
As Athena and her team arrive on the scene, it turns out that the location (121 Blythe Avenue) is a vacant lot and there is nothing to search.
Despite Maddie's distraction, John realizes that the cops have already arrived at the location and he gets mad at her for not keeping her promise and he cuts the call.
Eddie & Buck's Friendship Takes a Drastic Turn
The episode then shifts to Eddie and Buck having a conversation over Eddie's looming departure since he already decided to move to Texas to be close to his son, Christopher.
Clearly, Buck doesn't want his best friend to leave, but he doesn't want to be honest to Eddie about it. He even tries to downplay Eddie's search for a new home in Texas, thinking that he may change his mind.
However, Eddie reveals that he already placed a down payment for his new place in Texas, causing Buck to be concerned that their friendship might be over soon.
Eddie doesn't want the team to learn about his move just yet, encouraging Buck to promise him not to tell anyone until he's ready. Buck volunteers to help him look for potential renters for his Los Angeles apartment.
Elsewhere, the team responds to a 911 call about the Wilshire Animal Shelter being on fire, with Buck and Eddie spearheading rescue efforts for the stray dogs found in the location.
After a near-death experience from saving one of the dogs, Buck realizes that having a pet could fill the hole left by Eddie leaving for Texas, which is why he decides to adopt the stray dog that he saved.
During the day of the meeting with the clients, Buck ends up sabotaging Eddie's efforts to find new renters by pointing out every flaw of the apartment.
Once Eddie realizes what his friend is doing, he kicks him out.
While on his way out, Buck ends up hearing Eddie tell the new clients that he is leaving Los Angeles because he has "no ties here" and everything that matters to him is in Texas, causing him to get disappointed with his friend.
At the firehouse, Eddie and Buck have a tense confrontation about his move to Texas, eventually telling Captain Nash, Chimney, and Hen the truth.
They understand Eddie's decision, and they hug him and reassure him that it is the right move because he is doing it for Christopher.
Later in the episode, Buck apologizes to Eddie for his behavior and he lets him know that he is going to be the one to sublet his apartment so he can fully move to Texas.
Captain Nash, Chimney, and Hen then arrive to bring Eddie out to a celebratory dinner before his eventual exit from the firehouse and the flagship 9-1-1 series.
911 Introduces Detective Amber
At the LAPD precinct, Athena accompanies Maddie to meet with a missing persons detective named Amber Braeburn to find John's victim, Jayna, since she feels guilty about the earlier call.
Athena assures Maddie that they're in good hands, pointing out that Amber has found more missing kids than anyone in the past 15 years.
Inside Amber's office, Maddie informs her and Athena about a call from 10 years ago that has the same voice as John and the victim, Holly Martinez, was later found dead five days later. She also tells them that a similar call happened in Portland.
Maddie then shows a missing persons flyer for Jayna Whitlock, John's latest victim who was last seen at a bus stop in Bakersfield a few days ago.
Conveniently, Amber points out that she has a strong hunch about the suspect and his name is Richard Bullock. She believes that he might be the culprit since his address is close to where Jayna was last found.
Athena heads over to Richard's last known location to bring him in for questioning, but she only ends up finding his wife, Isabelle.
After convincing her to give up her husband's location, a squad led by Athena and Amber head over there, but they find out that the place is empty.
Still, they manage to confirm that Jayna and Richard were there after finding her wallet with her ID.
The Weepy-Voice Killer Torments Maddie
Back at the dispatch station, Maddie receives another call from John (who is presumed to be Richard), but this is different this time around because he doesn't trust her anymore. Sue Bevins, Maddie's supervisor, decides to send all the units to respond even without the assurance that it might be a trap or not.
After John threatens to kill Jayna, Maddie makes a bold move by telling him that he could stop the monster that is emerging from within by killing himself with the gun that he's holding, noting, "It'll be quick and painless."
Maddie then hears a gunshot before a familiar voice picks up the phone. Athena is there in the crime scene, and she informs her that Richard is dead after he killed himself. She also manages to save Jayna from harm.
At the station, Maddie is still feeling guilty over what she told Richard, but Athena and Amber calm her down by saying that she saved a life and the suspect's death means that he will not be hurting any innocent lives anymore.
However, the horror is far from over for Maddie.
Back at her home, Maddie ends up being abducted by the real killer: Detective Amber Braeburn herself.
The episode ends with Amber revealing herself to Maddie and the screen cuts to black before fans learn her motivations in doing so.
The next episode of 9-1-1 Season 8 will premiere on ABC next Thursday at 8 p.m. ET and can be streamed the next day on Hulu.
