Before 9-1-1: Nashville premiered, we were told about the members of the 113.
Well, forgive me for wondering where two of those members were for the first four episodes of the series.
Sure, we got to see Roxie and Taylor working with the team, and we even saw Taylor work on a song with Cammie, but that was it.
With all the focus on the Hart family and Blue, there was little mention of Roxie and Taylor, but on 9-1-1: Nashville Season 1 Episode 5, the series offered a bit of backstory on one of them.
Too Little Too Late
While Don and Ryan focused on Blue, Roxie and Taylor worked on a case involving an unidentified woman.
It was a case Roxie took seriously, as there was a lot about the young woman that spoke to her.
During this episode of 9-1-1: Nashville, we learned that Roxie now lives with Taylor and that in the past, she ran away from home and got in with the wrong crowd.
And sure, learning about Roxie was great, but it’s too little too late for the series itself.
On top of being too late, it wasn’t even that much, and we didn’t know enough about her to really believe in the decisions she made for someone she didn’t even know during the episode.
This is something we should have learned in the first couple of episodes.
We should, at the very least, have learned that Roxie and Taylor lived together and understood some of the dynamics among the members of the 113.
Instead, the series has focused heavily on the complicated-for-no-reason Hart family drama, racing through storylines that could have been spread out over the first season.
It’s at the expense of other characters, and that’s not good for a freshman series.
9-1-1: Nashville Could Lose Viewers
There are two reasons people tend to tune into the 9-1-1 universe: the bonkers saves or the drama between characters.
While there have certainly been some wild calls, they have all been overshadowed by the way Blue was introduced to the entire 113.
The first couple of episodes should have given us a chance to get to know everyone equally.
We can look at 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star to see how both of those shows gave us a chance to understand some of the motivations of individuals.
While Bobby was a major focus in 9-1-1 Season 1, his backstory was gradually revealed as the 118 learned more about him.
In fact, we were still learning details about him all the way to 9-1-1 Season 7!
When it came to 911: Lone Star, we got quick introductions to each of the firefighters Owen Strand chose to join his team, and while the series did end up very Strand-heavy in its arcs in the later seasons, we still got storylines that allowed other characters to develop.
911: Nashville is likely hoping that there will be time to put the focus on Roxie and Taylor, but this isn’t the time to risk that.
Viewers need to find something to connect to the characters almost immediately.
The attention span of younger generations is much shorter, thanks to TikTok videos, so many aren’t willing to give a show more than two or three episodes to see what to expect.
In fact, I know many people who won’t go past a pilot, despite my pointing out that a pilot isn’t written for viewers but for network executives.
If the series keeps going with the Hart-heavy storylines and fails to develop Roxie and Taylor, it will be to the show’s detriment.
Finding Balance
This doesn’t mean that the soapy drama needs to be overlooked, and I’ll be the first to admit that I tune into 9-1-1: Nashville to see what a soapy mess the show will be.
We do need entertainment, and a show that doesn’t take itself too seriously is that entertainment right now.
However, balance is necessary.
While we need to build out Don’s backstory with his family — as well as Dixie and Blue —we also need to see the other members of the 113.
There have been times when I’ve been confused about the show’s relationships, such as when Cammie was Ryan’s aunt, and it wasn’t explained until two episodes later.
We shouldn’t be left to infer or assume too much on TV.
I just fear that the focus on Roxie on 911: Nashville Season 1 Episode 6 is too little too late, especially when the fall finale is next.
It looks to put the focus right back on Blue and the Hart family once more.
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