ABC Is Repeating 9-1-1’s Most Hated Storyline 8 Years Later

Published Aug 11, 2026, 6:30 PM EDT Misty Layne started as an actor and sketch comedy writer before deciding to concentrate mainly on writing. Utilizing both her love of television and film and her behind-the-scenes knowledge, she began a website reviewing films in 2013, with a focus on horror and indie media. Eventually, she began writing about all things television and film for other sites as well. Misty shares a home with five cats, a ton of books, and a fairly impressive vinyl collection. ABC's 9-1-1: Nashville ended its first season with toxicity, in the form of both gas and relationships. The 113 might have saved Noah Cyrus and her crew from chloramine gas, but the ever-growing tension between Don Hart's wife, Blythe, and Dixie, his former paramour and mother of his son, came to a head, leaving the state of Don and Blythe's marriage uncertain. The explosion of tension that ended the finale wasn't surprising, as Dixie had been on a "Steal Your Man" mission since day one. What was surprising was ABC's re-use of one of the 9-1-1 universe's most hated storylines. Eight years ago, on the original 9-1-1, Hen cheated on her spouse, Karen, with a former girlfriend, a plot point that was almost universally loathed. And in 9-1-1: Nashville's season finale, Don and his somewhat broken moral compass made plans to have a one-night stand with Dixie in exchange for her not releasing her latest diss track. After Dixie informed Blythe of this, a catfight of soap operatic proportions occurred, with the finale cutting to black at a pivotal moment. Family drama has been the core of 9-1-1: Nashville since its very first episode when Don's secret son, Blue, showed up, well, out of the blue. However, the appearance of stability and control has also been central to the pairing of Don and Blythe, making audiences wonder what's next now that the veneer has shattered and whether this storyline might evolve into another Henrietta and Karen situation in 9-1-1: Nashville season 2. Is Don Really In Love With Dixie In 9-1-1: Nashville? Image via ABC Don definitely has some confusing feelings toward Dixie that he's mostly in denial of, but it seems less like love and more like the result of a complicated shared background. The episode "Don Begins" detailed Don and Dixie's background story, from childhood neighbors to romantic relationship, and all the ups and downs in between (and after). Between the intricate ties that bind them and the fact that Dixie was his first love, it's not surprising Don still feels an almost magnetic pull towards her at times. While their chaotic relationship eventually ended with Dixie telling him she was happy for him after he met Blythe, before that came time spent drifting apart and accusations of Don "cheating" on her. Throw in a shared son that tethers them together forever, and feelings become wildly complex. TVLine spoke to 9-1-1: Nashville's showrunner Rashad Raisani about the season finale and questioned whether Don was actually in love with Dixie or not, but didn't give a straight "yes" or "no" answer: "Blythe and Don, in particular, are dealing with denial about what they're actually feeling, what they're going through, and what they'd be willing to do. So Dixie comes in and just exposes their hypocrisies and insecurities, creating this wedge that leads to an ending where anything is possible." Additionally, when asked whether Don still feels an emotional pull towards Dixie, Raisani explained, "Yeah, and that's what Blythe feels so betrayed by is that." Why Nashville Following 9-1-1's Hen Story Would Be A Mistake Henrietta and Karen, or "Henren," are fan favorites on 9-1-1, which made Henrietta cheating on Karen with an ex-girlfriend all the harder to stomach. Much like with Don and Dixie, Henrietta had a complicated history with her ex, Eva, that also involved a son. Hen and Karen went on to adopt Eva's son, giving Eva an opportunity to worm her way back into Henrietta's life. However, Henrietta cheating on Karen felt like a wildly out-of-character move. Don agreeing to sleep with Dixie to protect his family feels like a very in-character move, as does backing out of the agreement at the last minute. Don and Blythe may not have the same stability that Henren had most of the time, but following through on his near infidelity in season 2 would be a massive mistake. Not only do fans not want to see another cheating storyline in the 9-1-1 universe (the first one was bad enough, thanks), but there's no guarantee that 9-1-1: Nashville would handle the aftermath with the same care as the OG did with Henren. Henren's storyline followed Henrietta trying to make amends with Karen for the rest of the season. While 9-1-1: Nashville tends to focus primarily on Don and his family drama (sometimes to the detriment of secondary characters), that focus demonstrates, as Raisani told TVLine, "One of the things, for better or for worse, about 9-1-1: Nashville is that these characters are not as emotionally solid as some of the characters from the other two shows." That emotional instability could lead the show to places fans have no interest in visiting. Especially since the whole Dixie breaking the Hart family down thing has begun to feel overplayed, and the character is far from a fan favorite. The good news, though, is that Raisani told 9-1-1: Nashville season 2 should see Dixie starting to move on from Don and Blythe, which will hopefully cut back on the romantic drama. Release Date October 9, 2025 Network ABC Directors Bradley Buecker, Chad Lowe Cast Chris O'Donnell Captain Don Sharpe Jessica Capshaw Blythe Ward Writers Jim Garvey Creator(s) Ryan Murphy, Tim Minear, Rashad Raisani