An active shooter at a hospital puts more than one member of the 118 in peril.

Unpacking 9-1-1’s bloody season 9 finale — and what’s next for Athena

An active shooter at a hospital puts more than one member of the 118 in peril.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a writer and editor at **. His work has previously appeared on The A.V. Club, The Guardian, The Ringer, and many other publications.

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May 7, 2026 9:00 p.m. ET

Harry Grant (Elijah M. Cooper) worries for his wounded mother in the '9-1-1' season 9 finale. Credit:

Disney/Christopher Willard

**Warning: This article contains spoilers for the *9-1-1* season 9 finale, "Hearts and Flowers."**

*9-1-1 *season 9 began with Mark Consuelos getting swallowed by a whale and the 118 going to space, but it's not all meteor showers on the ABC action hit.

While the season 9 finale was plenty sensational, it was rooted in the all-too-real perils of life as a first responder, with multiple characters being shot, stabbed, and menaced in the line of duty. The episode begins with Angela Bassett's Athena Grant being rushed to the hospital after being shot in the chest at the end of last week's installment.

She's alive, but the attempts on her life are far from over. Does she survive one of the more harrowing hours in *9-1-1* history? Join us as we unpack the bloodshed of the season 9 finale.

Who shot Athena?

Josh Stamberg as Hooks and Angela Bassett as Athena on '9-1-1'.

Disney/Christopher Willard

As we saw at the end of "I Got You Babe," Athena was shot by Ben Hooks (Josh Stamberg), a crooked detective with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

Unbeknownst to Athena, Hooks has been in the pocket of the human traffickers she's been investigating, led by Nikolay Caster (Piotr Adamczyk) and his son, Anatoly (Alan Starzinski). When she and Hooks infiltrate Nikolay's mansion with a SWAT team, Hooks shoots and kills an unarmed Nikolay before turning the gun on Athena.

In a flashback early in the finale, we see Nikolay order Hooks kill Athena, who he fears is too close to uncovering the truth of their operation.

In the present, Hooks tells the investigating authorities that Nikolay went for a weapon, which prompted Athena to shoot at him. After she missed, Hooks says, Nikolay shot her and he shot Nikolay. Athena's commander is dubious, saying it's unlike Athena to miss at such a close range.

Later, Hooks is confronted by Anatoly and his thugs. Anatoly is furious, believing that Hooks betrayed them, but the detective plays innocent, continuing to blame Athena for Nikolay's murder. She's a "loose cannon," he says.

One thing they can both agree on? Athena shouldn't leave the hospital alive.

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Does Athena die?

Alan Starzinski as Anatoly in the '9-1-1' season 9 finale.

Disney/Christopher Willard

Athena undergoes surgery as the 118 — along with Athena's son Harry (Elijah M. Cooper) and daughter May (Corinne Massiah) — gather at the hospital. She survives the operation, but remains on a ventilator in a medically induced coma.

Anatoly, seeking revenge for the death of his father, appears in the hospital. First, he stabs Eddie (Ryan Guzman) in the hospital chapel, then tries to bluff his way to Athena's room. When he's found out, he pulls a gun, shoots an unlucky visitor, and forces his way into the ICU.

A nurse puts the hospital on lockdown, locking the doors and thus preventing Chim (Kennth Choi) from pursuing Anatoly and saving Athena.

With the 118 spread throughout the hospital, Chim and Hen (Aisha Hinds) tend to the wounded visitor as Buck (Oliver Stark) and Harry go to the basement to shut off the power in the hopes of unlocking the doors. (The critical systems keeping patients alive are powered by a backup generator.)**

An unconscious Athena is saved by May and Ravi (Anirudh Pisharody), who were visiting her room when the lockdown was triggered. As Anatoly stalks the ICU, the pair quietly roll Athena's bed to a different area, desperately trying to find another ventilator to keep her alive. They find one, but the noise it makes alerts Anatoly.

Just as he's about to shoot Ravi, he's tackled by Harry. With the doors unlocked, he and the just-arrived SWAT team are able to apprehend Anatoly.

So Athena’s safe?

May (Corinne Massiah) and the 118 getting an update on Athena's condition in the '9-1-1' season 9 finale.

Disney/Christopher Willard

Not so fast. Anatoly's in custody, but Hooks wants Athena dead, too.

A few days later, Hooks arrives at the hospital to finish the job. Being a detective, he's able to shoo away the cop guarding her door. But just as he's about to inject a sleeping Athena with a fatal dose of something or other, she grabs his wrist. Cops swarm the room. It was a setup.

So, yes, *now* she's safe. (I mean, do we really think they'd kill Athena off so soon after Bobby Nash?)

Wait, what about Eddie?

Ryan Guzman as Eddie in the '9-1-1' season 9 finale.

Disney/Christopher Willard

After being stabbed, a bleeding Eddie crawls his way to an elevator, where he eventually passes out. Later, after Anatoly is arrested and the power restored, the elevator doors open to reveal his prone body.

Fear not, though. Despite the elevator looking "like the one from *The Shining*," he's patched up in short order. He even gets a visit from his son, Chris (Gavin McHugh).**

Is Angela Bassett leaving 9-1-1?

Angela Bassett as Athena on '9-1-1'.

Christopher Willard/disney

While Athena is unconscious, she's visited by Brogan McCluskey (Karl Makinen), her old partner who died in the line of duty. She talks to him about the exhaustion of her work as a LAPD patrol sergeant.

"No one can do this forever, right?" she asks. "All these years, sitting in my car, staring out into the world. Every day, different people, the same problems, and nothing ever changes. I'm starting to feel like a hamster on a wheel. Is that a sign that I should do something?"

"If you're tired of the view, maybe you should get out of the damn car," he replies.

Watching this scene, one might wonder if that means Athena is looking to retire her badge. If such were the case, that might mean Bassett was leaving the series she's starred on for nine seasons.

But that doesn't seem to be the case. By episode's end, we see that Athena is taking on a new job as a detective. With Hooks locked up, there's an opening.**

Where can I watch 9-1-1?

*9-1-1* airs on ABC and streams on Hulu.

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