At long last, the January 15 episode of “9-1-1: Nashville” answered a question that technically originated five years ago on “9-1-1,” confirming the mastermind working with the hacker who wreaked unspeakable havoc on both cities.
“9-1-1: Nashville” showrunner Rashad Raisani previously told TVLine that the culprit was “not going to be someone random,” suggesting that fans could figure it out if they spotted the proper clues. Heck, he assumed that at least someone would be able to crack the case, judging by his history with the internet.
If you guessed the culprit was Ariella, the “efficiency expert” who has been a constant thorn in Cammie’s side since she arrived at the call center, you’re… very close! Yes, the FBI determined that Ariella was present during the hackers’ previous attacks, but she doesn’t travel alone. The guilty party turned out to be Ariella’s unassuming assistant Tilda, who tried to stab Cammie after getting caught with a hidden cellular device. Fortunately, Cammie never goes anywhere — not even the bathroom, apparently — without pepper spray.
Unsurprisingly, Tilda wasn’t eager to play ball with law enforcement. She scoffed at the offer of a reduced sentence, and she saw right through Cammie’s suggestion that going public would earn her revenge against Ariella, who would probably never be trusted by any future companies. While Tilda remained silent, the hacker restarted the clock, demanding more money than the city could possibly afford.
Blue fights for Nashville, while Don fights for his job
Meanwhile, Don told Blue about Edward’s demand that he be fired, promising to keep fighting for as long as he can, totally unaware that Edward was having a separate fight with Blythe about that very same subject. Edward was horrified to learn that Blythe knew about Blue’s existence before he was even born, reeling from the fact that she’s been lying to her own father for more than 20 years. (We also learned that Blythe also had a little extramarital fun during her separation from Don. We wonder if anyone from that time in her life will ever come knocking.)
This episode also reunited us with Ryan’s wife Sam, who was flooded with patients at the hospital as a result of the hack. She was so busy, in fact, that she enlisted Blythe and Edward to give a baby some extra love in the NICU while his mother was rushed into surgery. She also helped Roxie get in touch with her past as a trauma surgeon, asking her and Taylor to scrub in on a patient in need.
The crisis at the hospital went from bad to worse when it became the target of the hacker’s next attack, forcing everyone to navigate with reduced power. Electricity was eventually restored to the hospital, but Edward went missing… and suddenly, the hacker announced that they received their funds and the “game” is over. (That big softy!)
Edward has a change of heart, while Cammie opens hers up
Celebrations began all over the city, especially at the call center, where Cammie enjoyed a more-than-friendly hug with Agent Turner. The suited gentleman further bonded with Cammie over also losing a spouse, even exchanging numbers. Something tells us she’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the future — hopefully with less city-wide crises involved. Oh, he also informed her that the FBI was able to identify and apprehend the actual hacker: Sergei Petrov, a former colonel in the Russian GRU.
Speaking of good news, it sounds like Blue doesn’t have to worry about his job anymore. After seeing the 113 in action, Edward didn’t just pay the hacker’s ransom; he also took care of the department’s budget issues, no specific layoffs needed.
OK, let’s talk: Did you guess that Tilda was the hacker’s woman on the inside? Are you feeling the vibes between Cammie and Agent Turner? And how long do you think Edward and Don’s truce will last? (We give it a week.) Drop a comment with your thoughts on this week’s “9-1-1: Lone Star” below.