ABC Continues 9-1-1’s Cancelled Story 5 Years Later

Image via ABC Published Oct 24, 2026, 8:45 AM EDT Shealyn Scott is a Senior Writer at Screen Rant. She has been writing for the site since 2024, focused on network, reality, streaming, and classic television. A creative writer, journalist, and lover of the written word in all its forms, Shealyn enjoys deconstructing scenes from her favorite shows, using context clues and historical precedent to predict major plot points (which, due to her successful track record, has sparked rumors of clairvoyance). As an award-winning student journalist, Shealyn spent her college years advocating for the humanities while studying English Literature. Her love of storytelling propelled her to expand her degree with minors in Writing and History, believing life to be a mere collection of stories that can be framed in as many ways as a movie scene. As a Senior member of the TV Team, Shealyn treats the series she covers like books, analyzing every line, camera angle, and lighting choice. Thankfully, her personal mission statement lines up perfectly with Screen Rant: every creative work deserves just as much thought from the viewer as it received from its creator. Sign in to your ScreenRant account SPOILERS AHEAD for 9-1-1 season 10, episode 2.After half a decade, ABC is finally returning to one of 9-1-1's most promising dropped storylines. Although six seasons of the drama aired on Fox, its 2024 network change has ushered in a new era of bold and unapologetically creative risks. One of the first defining features of the ABC age came in season 7, wherein Evan "Buck" Buckley's (Oliver Stark) speculated bisexuality was made canon, to the acclaim of viewers and critics alike. Yet, there have been just as many swings that fans have categorized as misses, not least of which being the death of Bobby Nash (Peter Krause). Thankfully, 9-1-1 season 10 is already shaping up to be the monumental milestone longtime viewers were promised. Thus far, the first two episodes seem like an immensely refreshing return to form for the series, with the characters feeling like their truest selves and the emotional beats flawlessly balanced with action-packed rescues. Granted, 9-1-1's volcano emergency is just as absurd as it sounds, but it has irrefutably paved the way for some excellent overlapping narratives. While the firefighters are back in full swing, however, one rising star is calling back to a highly-anticipated format change 9-1-1 teased over five years ago. May’s Nursing Subplot Is The Perfect Addition To 9-1-1 Season 10 Image via ABC Since 9-1-1 debuted in 2018, emergency responders like Athena Grant (Angela Bassett), Howard "Chimney" Han (Kenneth Choi), and Henrietta "Hen" Wilson (Aisha Hinds) have formed the backbone of the series. Season 2 brought with it game-changing new recruits in the form of Maddie Buckley-Han (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman), but 9-1-1's storytelling retained a three-prong approach: the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Los Angeles Dispatch Center. 9-1-1 season 10, conversely, has fundamentally restructured the show's formula— in more ways than one. Without question, Athena's promotion in 9-1-1 was a deserved revamp, and Detective Grant is a striking and stylish change of pace. Nevertheless, the biggest format adjustment in season 10 is actually thanks to Athena's daughter, May (Corinne Massiah). Despite being introduced in 9-1-1 season 1, episode 1, May Grant has always been a secondary or even tertiary member of the ensemble. Throughout seasons 4 to 6, she worked at dispatch, conveniently holding down the fort during Maddie's hiatus. Sadly, the character faded into the background soon after, written away for an off-screen college arc. Despite her small role, May's stint as a dispatcher cemented her as a fan-favorite. As such, viewers were overjoyed to see the character return in season 9, even earning her own arc that culminated in a season finale epiphany: May abandoned her law school aspirations to enroll in nursing school. In a pleasantly surprising turn of events, 9-1-1 season 10 picks up with May at a teaching hospital, and her work seamlessly fits into the hectic opening disaster. Of course, while the medical aspect is instantly enthralling, it's a shift 9-1-1 season 4 truly set in motion. 9-1-1 Is Finally Tapping Into Its Spinoff Potential From Season 4 Practically every member of LAFD Station 118 has undergone or seriously considered a career change. Eddie had his own spell at the dispatch center, Buck thought about quitting numerous times, and— most intriguingly— Hen began attending medical school in 9-1-1 season 4 with the goal of becoming a doctor. For years, the show had its paramedic fight the odds, be it an overwhelming schedule or an especially rude classmate. Regardless, adversity seemed to be a small price to pay for Hen's inevitably and incredibly gratifying graduation. Unfortunately, the storyline came to a quiet end in 9-1-1 season 6. When 9-1-1 introduced Hen's med school arc, it seemed like the perfect excuse for the franchise to expand with a doctor-focused spinoff— or, at the very least, incorporate more emergency medical care. To that end, May's nursing school subplot is capitalizing on the potential the show has had lying dormant for years. Within season 10, episode 2 alone, May nearly loses her first patient and has an eye-opening conversation with her superior, imbuing the latest installment with rich character development while keeping the frenetic energy of the volcanic eruption going in a brand-new setting. Similarly, 9-1-1's detective procedural elements add a thrilling investigative edge to season 10, as the higher rank justifies more high-profile cases. Plus, even Maddie's new role in management is upping the ante for the overarching emergency, but it admittedly isn't blazing any new trails. Thankfully, between Athena and May's more drastic career changes, 9-1-1 season 10 feels like a breath of fresh air thus far, allowing the ABC procedural to grow without losing sight of its original purpose. New episodes of 9-1-1 season 10 air each Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Release Date January 3, 2018 Network ABC, FOX Showrunner Tim Minear Cast Angela Bassett Athena Grant Directors Bradley Buecker, John J. Gray, Brenna Malloy, Jennifer Lynch, David Grossman, Marita Grabiak, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Jann Turner, James Wong, Marcus Stokes, Chad Lowe, Juan Carlos Coto, Christine Khalafian, Dawn Wilkinson, Maggie Kiley, Millicent Shelton, Sarah Boyd, Tasha Smith, Tessa Blake, Aisha Hinds, Kristen Reidel, Shauna Duggins, Jonathan Lawrence, Robert M. Williams Jr. Writers Tim Minear, Andrew Meyers, Taylor Wong, James Leffler, Molly Green, Christopher Monfette, Nadia Abass-Madden, Stacey R. Rose, Nicole Barraza Keim, Bob Goodman, Brad Falchuk, David Fury, Ryan Murphy, Ted Griffin, Erica L. Anderson, Matthew Hodgson, Zachary Reiter, Tonya Kong, Adam Penn, Aristotle Kousakis, Molly Green, Rashad Raisani, Ian Sobel Creator(s) Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Tim Minear