We Need To Give Athena Grant the Key to the City After That '9-1-1' Episode!

From embodying Tina Turner in Brian Gibson‘s What’s Love Got to Do with It to playing a queen of a nation in Ryan Coogler‘s Black Panther films, Angela Bassett has proven time and time again what a talented actress she is. But the role that isn’t talked about enough is her performance as Athena Grant in 9-1-1, created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear. As a Field Sergeant for the Los Angeles Police Department, Athena puts her life on the line to protect and serve the people of L.A.

In 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 3 “Final Approach”, Athena deals with her biggest challenge yet as she’s still handling the crisis of trying to fly a damaged airliner full of passengers without a conscious pilot. After being carefully guided through the phone by flight instructor Jimmy (Anthony Azizi), and with the help of a child, Gem (Carter Young), who’s well-versed with aircraft, she manages to steady the passenger plane. But the problems don’t stop there as she now has to find a way to safely land the plane.

Athena Grant Flies Out of a Chaotic Situation in ‘9-1-1’ Season 8, Episode 3

With the amount of debris flying off the airliner in 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 3, Athena is told by air traffic control that the plane has lost its ability to turn and stop at the LAX airport. With little fuel left, they barely have any options to land the plane, which doesn’t result in casualties for those on the plane and on the ground. With help from her husband, Robert “Bobby” Nash (Peter Krause), she decides that her best course of action is to have the aircraft land on the I-10 freeway — one of the busiest roads in the U.S.

Like in Season 8, Episode 2 “When the Boeing Gets Tough…”, Athena gives a reassuring message to the passengers before beginning their dangerous descent. With her first responder experience, she knows exactly what to say to instill confidence in her skills but never overpromises what she’s capable of. Despite concerns for her own life, Athena manages to keep her composure while balancing between flying/landing a plane for the first time and saying her potential last words to Bobby. She’s handling an emergency externally and internally, which some people may forget about first responders. In the words of Ariana DeBose, “Angela Bassett did the thing.”

Angela Bassett as Athena smiling up at Bobby in 9-1-1

‘9-1-1’ Season 8 Episode 2 Was Inspired By This Classic Disaster Movie

‘9-1-1’ airs Thursdays on ABC.

Athena Grant Barely Catches Her Breath Between Emergencies

After a very quick moment of relief, Athena switches from pilot to first responder as she helps all the passengers safely exit the plane. While she’s performing CPR on the unconscious pilot, a fire breaks out from the plane’s tail, but she continues doing chest compressions because she’s determined to save the pilot. Even after Bobby and the 118 LAFD team save them, Athena once again moves on to another crisis: the fake agent who was after Dennis Jenkins (Glenn Plummer) is still unaccounted for. They’re able to apprehend the right people involved in the situation, but this goes to show that one of Athena’s biggest priorities is her job.

Athena Grant not only deserves a promotion after “Final Approach”, but she deserves the highest honor the city of L.A. can give her. The plane incident alone is a traumatic experience for anyone to go through, but any 9-1-1 fan will know that Athena’s first responder duties are exactly what keeps her mind off of her worries. Taking the job of escorting Dennis, the man who killed her fiancé, Emmett Washington (Jeff Pierre), was already a lot for her to process, but she did it anyway because that’s the job. After how much Emmett’s death haunted her, she had to put that aside. Despite her hatred for him, she still found the strength to forgive Dennis in the end. Athena Grant is proof that not all heroes wear capes or are invincible. But the power within themselves keeps them moving forward and makes them an inspiration.

9-1-1 Season 8 airs Thursday nights on ABC in the U.S.; episodes are available to stream the next day on Hulu.