‘9-1-1’ Needs To Give Athena a Partner
Athena Grant (Angela Bassett) has been protecting and serving the citizens of Los Angeles for eight seasons on ABC’s 9-1-1. Although she’s been a wonderful wife to Bobby (Peter Krause) and a supportive best friend to Hen (Aisha Hinds), Athena is someone who likes to work alone. She tackles cases on her own as a Field Sergeant for the Los Angeles Police Department and hasn’t had a partner by her side for many years. Athena prefers to rely on her own street smarts and years of experience to nab those bad guys. Since most cops wouldn’t meet her high standards when it comes to police work, Athena has gotten used to solving cases solo. But in Season 8, it has become clear that Athena (and 9-1-1 itself) could really benefit from adding a partner for the stubborn, yet fierce cop.
Athena Has Always Been a Lone Wolf on ‘9-1-1’
Athena had a partner when she was first starting on the police force, but it has been many years since her squad car had a passenger. Athena is pretty independent and often relies on her intuition. This means she seems to feel more bogged down by other people’s opinions instead of thriving on collaboration. This makes sensesince Athena’s stellar crime-solving skills indicate she doesn’t need to rely on anyone else to do the job. A few other cops have popped up on the show, such as Detective Rick Romero (Danny Nucci) and Athena’s boss, Captain Elaine Maynard (Claudia Christian), but Athena hasn’t really had to rely on a partner for a long time.
‘9-1-1’ Should Add a New Cop Character
The series now has the chance to cast another police officer with whom Athena can start working. There would be plenty of opportunities for character growth as Athena tries to navigate getting to know someone new while still staying true to her strengths. This adjustment could be a fun way to see the always-in-control Athena falter a little bit as she adapts to a new work situation. The best option for 9-1-1 would be for a younger cop to become Athena’s partner. Her scenes with Gem (Carter Young) in the last two episodes of the show proved that she would be a great mentor. She can be encouraging yet firm, and she gives great pep talks in times of crisis. Athena has a ton of knowledge to share after decades on the job, and she’s the queen of tough love (just ask her kids, who she’s always been able to nurture and steer in the right direction). When she worked with Gem to land the pilot-less plane in Episode 3, Athena displayed her always unflappable ability to be cool under intense pressure. There’s basically no better cop to show a younger officer the ropes.
Not only would it be exciting to see Athena more collaborative in her police work, but a younger cop would also breathe some fresh life into her investigations (and help her view the world with a whole new perspective). May (Corinne Massiah) and Harry (Elijah M. Cooper) have now left the nest, so Athena might be subconsciously searching for a young person to mold. Plus, viewers could be missing out on Athena’s mama bear energy, and they would delight in seeing a younger cop getting her guidance and protection. The 9-1-1 streets can be dangerous for a young cop, and there’s no one better to train a rookie than the highly skilled and reliable Athena.
For a long time, the series has only featured one cop, so including another one could be a smart way to provide more interesting storylines that don’t just solely involve the members of the 118 Firehouse. 9-1-1 hasn’t introduced very many new cast members lately (with the exception of Lou Ferrigno Jr .‘s Tommy), so adding in a partner for Athena could inject a brand-new energy into the show. Also, Bassett is always exceptional in this role, but giving her a new sparring partner and co-star would be an exciting change for 9-1-1. Bottom line: Athena is one of the best cops in the game; giving her a partner would offer up tons of possibilities for her character to grow. And who wouldn’t want to see even more scenes featuring her signature sassy, take-no-prisoners attitude?
