9-1-1 Confirms The Next Victim Of Athena’s Curse

Published Oct 31, 2026, 9:15 AM EDT

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SPOILERS AHEAD for 9-1-1 season 10, episode 3.As soon as 9-1-1 fixed its recurring Athena problem, season 10 trapped another character in the same controversial storyline. From the moment the emergency responder drama began in 2018, it was clear that Angela Bassett's Sergeant Athena Grant was 9-1-1's unofficial leading lady. Between her invaluable work at the LAPD and her quick-burn romance with Bobby Nash (Peter Krause), Athena arguably emerged as the centerpiece of the show's overarching narrative. Over time, however, her character began to feel stuck in place, even as she took on ruthless killers, absurd natural disasters, and countless high-octane cases far above her pay grade.

Despite the series itself conceding she acted outside her station, it took nine seasons for 9-1-1 to promote Athena to another rank: Detective Grant. It's a well-deserved change that many have been anticipating for years, but the procedural continually chose to keep Athena as kindling— she was always available for a quick twist or captivating side plot, yet her individual character development fell to the wayside. Truthfully, Athena spent seasons 1–9 lighting the fuse for other firefighters, dispatchers, and even police officers. 9-1-1 season 10 may have ended that streak, but it set its sights on a new target.

Image via ABC

Although she didn't appear until the season 2 premiere, Maddie Buckley-Han (Jennifer Love Hewitt) swiftly became the voice of 9-1-1 following the sudden exit of Connie Britton's Abby. A former nurse and sister to fan-favorite Evan "Buck" Buckley (Oliver Stark), Maddie took up the mantle at the LA Dispatch Center and never looked back, save for a brief hiatus and a handful of near-death experiences. Thanks to 9-1-1 season 10's volcano emergency, however, Maddie finally had the opportunity to step up and embrace some well-earned change. Sadly, when her boss formally offers Maddie the position of co-manager, she rejects it.

Maddie returning to her desk as an ordinary dispatcher was surely meant to signify 9-1-1's return to normalcy— or, at least, as normal as the city can be after an unprecedented volcanic eruption— but the effect is simply frustrating. Throughout the first three episodes of 9-1-1 season 10, the drama took painstaking measures to show Maddie's aptitude for crisis management. Time after time, she made the hard decisions that nobody else in the room could bring themselves to make; granted, it wasn't without emotional turmoil, but her lightning-fast critical thinking practically saved the world.

Rather than have this prime the audience for an organic career change, Maddie immediately opted to return to safe, thoroughly explored territory. As a result, her character is beginning to feel like a big fish in a small pond— a tragedy, really, considering how much potential Maddie still has for personal development. Of course, she isn't the first protagonist whose growth was limited by the series. Thankfully, if her predecessor's fate is anything to go by, Maddie's time will come— even if it takes nearly a decade for 9-1-1 to get the memo.

Once Again, 9-1-1 Is Just Delaying The Inevitable

Longtime 9-1-1 fans rue the day Athena turned down the opportunity to become a lieutenant, but the show swept the plot under the rug by asserting she merely wanted to stay in the field. While her sentiments didn't change, 9-1-1 season 8 marked a turning point wherein Athena's age began to interfere with her work. In stark contrast, Athena's new role as a detective allows her to channel her sleuthing ways and change 9-1-1's fundamental format in season 10. Admittedly, Detective Grant's storyline is only just beginning, but based on the opening disaster, it'll be worth the eight-year wait.

Consequently, it seems only natural that Maddie will eventually be awarded a new title that properly reflects the high-stakes responsibilities she takes on each season. Whereas Athena had a clear hierarchy to ascend within the police department's chain of command, Maddie's career could, in theory, go anywhere. Whether she starts working for local government or opens a pro bono crisis management firm, however, Maddie will certainly continue to drive 9-1-1's main storyline for as long as ABC's hit show is on air.

New episodes of 9-1-1 season 10 air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.