Oh, Henrietta Wilson, the woman that you are. We definitely see you!

This week Han, Cil, and Rachel flock together to discuss Hen's journey from a corporate job to the firefighting world and how that symbolizes a quest for purpose and authenticity. We unpack the toxic dynamics at the 118 under Captain Gerrard, where hazing and discrimination run rampant, contrasting it with the supportive, family-like atmosphere that Bobby brings to the team. 

Hen's character embodies the struggles faced by women, particularly queer women of color as they navigate their careers in fields rife with systemic bias and prejudice. The beginning of Hen's relationships with Chimney and Athena provides crucial support as she faces the challenges of her new role. 

This episode serves as a deeply impactful hero’s origin story for Hen, due in no small part to Aisha Hinds’ real life past experiences with trauma and loss. Showcasing her unwavering commitment to saving lives against the odds, Season 2 Episode 9 of 9-1-1, “Hen Begins” is a testament to tenacity, following your calling, and the power of self-assuredness.

📔 Articles Mentioned:

📰 ‘9-1-1’ Star Aisha Hinds Talks Exploring Henrietta’s Origin Story in ‘Hen Begins’, TV Insider

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Welcome to Dispatch & Calls of the Week (Intro)

(00:02:26) Exploring Origins: Hen's Journey

(00:11:46) Jaws of Life (Deep Dive)

(00:23:53) Flashover (Themes)

(00:34:59) Who’s Cookin’ (Character Arc: It’s the Hen-isode!)

(00:38:07) The Boiling Point: Hen's Decision to Quit

(00:47:29) The Hero's Journey

(00:54:57) Navigating Passion With or Without Eva’s Support

(01:03:14) Hen Versus “The Old Guard” of the 118

(01:15:06) Fostering Friendship (Bestieism Begins) 

(01:24:22) The Evolution of Hen's Journey

(01:37:50) Where’s the Fire? (Scene Dissection)

(01:38:50) Lack of Teamwork and Landscape of Toxicity 

(01:50:25) Antagonist or Ally? (Tommy Talk)

(01:54:38) Oh Captain, My Captain! (Bobby vs Gerrard Leadership)

(02:03:58) Gerrard & Tommy Through the Lens of Season 8

(02:16:32) Exploring Hen's Character Development

(02:21:07) Bring a Buddie With You & Outro

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The Buddie System is a Nerdvergent Media production.

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Have you ever watched something that completely rewired your brain chemistry?

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This is the Buddy System, a 911 deep dive podcast hosted by three friends who have DM'd each other enough character dissertations to earn a PhD in media literacy.

I'm Han, coming to you straight from the characters heads.

I'm Syl, bringing you to the observation deck.

And I'm Rachel, connecting the dots with my red string.

With our powers combined, no stone is.

Left unturned and no buddy is left behind.

This episode's sponsored by Billy Eichner.

Let's go, lesbians.

Let's go.

Welcome to Dispatch.

What's on call this week?

This week we're discussing season two, episode nine, Hen Begins, written by Aristotle Kasakis and directed by Jennifer Lynch.

We're almost at the anniversary.

Six years.

Wow, look at that.

Oh, my God.

It's my, I guess, birthday episode.

Oh.

Or just after.

Day after.

Yeah, close enough.

A present for you.

So with the calls this week, we see the impactful emergencies that help set Hen on her path.

So it's a little different because this is the first of the Begins episode.

So the calls that we see are the career aptitude tests are more sophisticated than they used to be.

Where.

Where Hen's life coach has a heart attack during a session, and Hen springs into action, performing CPR and calling 91 1, ultimately saving her life.

I don't know if that's at me or at sil.

Oh, it is.

Well, it was originally at sil, but then I started getting the joke and.

Sorry.

No, you're fine.

TJ was like, she's a really good therapist.

She was like, what if.

He was like, what if she's like a level 10 yogi who can, like, slow her heart rate down?

Did that on purpose.

Oh, interesting.

The next one we see is slip and slide.

Fun for the whole family.

And Hen goes against orders to free a mother trapped by a mudslide that crashed through her house.

The third call is, where are water wings when you need them?

After disobeying Captain Gerard again, Hen follows her intuition to discover a second car involved in a crash that had capsized in the water, and she's able to retrieve and resuscitate a young boy.

Like I mentioned, this is the first of our True Begins episodes that become a running theme throughout the series.

We kind of had, like, an unofficial begins with origin story with Bobby in season one.

But With Hen Begins, that's the first episode that we truly are able to dive deeper into only, like one of our main characters backgrounds and the kind of the hallmark of a Begins episode is essentially how they became a firefighter paramedic, like, their path towards where they are now.

Also watching this episode where we are now in from like season seven and season eight was very interesting.

So we will be looking at it, like, through that lens as well.

But what do you guys think about rewatching this one?

I still hate Tommy Kennard.

That's it.

That's all I have.

The reviews for Begins are in.

Fuck Tommy Kennard.

Five stars.

Yeah.

I mean, everyone, like.

I mean, most of the people, most of the firefighters of the 118 at that time, except for Chimney and Hen, of course, like, were in general, like, so it was great to see that they were so not what we're used to, which is, you know, people who like, you know, the whole found family type of thing.

Like, they were just there working a job.

Yeah.

And following an captain's orders.

That's it.

Very different.

Very different now, like, Hen, like, it was like, interesting to see, not that it wasn't just so, you know, like in 206, she says that, oh, I wanted to become a firefighter because of the paramedics that took care of me after I got shot.

So it's interesting that it's actually a little bit more layered that there were like, she was doing something else in her life as a.

Was it.

She was like a pharma sales.

Yeah.

Pharmaceutical rep or pharmaceutical rep.

So it was interesting that she just came from, like, I guess like your regular 9 to 5 corporate to, you know, being a hero.

And it's also.

I mean, we'll talk more about this.

Like, I just found it really interesting and I connected it to another, like, popular character.

Like the whole I don't like bullies thing.

I'm sure you.

Yeah, yeah.

So I think we all went there a little.

Oh, I know who you are a little bit.

But yeah, no, I like these, like, I love the Begins episodes because, you know, you get to see like that, like their backstory and you'll learn more of their motivations and like, what got them to become a firefighter.

And we see it's really not necessarily like a straight trajectory.

Like we were kind of led to believe with some of them from episode.

Six with Dose, to be fair, being like.

So I was doing jobs that I hated and were soul sucking.

And then my therapist had a heart attack and suddenly I was like, yeah, this is.

You know, it just sounds better to be, like.

To have that PR answer ready to roll out.

But, yeah, I really like this episode.

I love seeing more hen because I feel like at this point in the show, we don't have enough hen.

Sometimes I don't know if that's actually true, but it feels like, as far as the ensemble balance that she tends to be.

Her and Chimney, I think we see the least of at this point.

So it's really cool to learn more about her past and what really motivated her to want to do this job.

And then it's really cool to look at it from a lens of all she's been through and where she's at now, and looking back at this journey and kind of seeing how she.

Like, she's been through so much, but she's still the same person.

Like, she's always just been.

She's always just been, like, so, like.

Level in who she is.

Yeah, like her core personhood.

Yeah, I was just gonna say just like a badass bitch.

Like, she just.

She's not taking anyone's shit.

She is smart and competent, and she, you know, goes after what she wants until she gets it and gets it done.

So my only complaint with this episode is, again, only just formatting for, like, our show slightly weird because of our whole.

Our different segments.

So, like, it's really.

We formatted our podcast around the ensemble setup.

Right.

And so since this is really just hen, Chimney is there and Athena is briefly there, but there's no character arc for them to talk about, and it just obviously, there's no slow burn to talk about.

So it's just a little weird for me to try and be like, okay.

Yeah, it's like, all character arc, but specifically one character as opposed to looking at all of them.

But we're going really deep with HEN because the episode does so.

When I was watching this with TJ earlier, he was like, this is a superhero origin story.

And I was like, yes, it is, because firefighters are superheroes, but really, hers is kind of the only one that is formatted this way like a superhero origin story.

You know, where it's like, she was unhappy, and then it's like she did the whole hero's journey to get to, like, where she is.

Right.

Where, like, everyone else's, like, begins is kind of either also has some present stuff happening, or it kind of just goes deeper into, like, family things or relationships.

And hers was very much just her and her becoming a firefighter and why and how that happened.

So it Very much.

Was just like, you could have turned this into a superhero movie.

Like, it very much kind of fit the formula of that.

Yeah.

Which is so interesting then to connect it to the unofficial Bobby Begins episode, which was point of origin.

I think that was episode five in the first season.

And we were talking about superheroes, like, the entire time.

So I think.

I think that is kind of what they were honing in or modeling this off of.

Is it the only one that's narrated too?

I don't remember.

But does Buck Begins have a voiceover?

Don't think so.

Buck and Eddie begins.

No, Chimneys is the only one.

I can't say for sure.

I don't think Chimneys.

I don't think Chimney does any of the voiceovers, actually.

No, I don't think he does either.

I would love Chimney to do a voiceover.

I would love just an episode of Just Chimney's internal monologue.

Just pop culture references everywhere.

It would.

Honestly, it would just be like looking into our brains, probably.

But, yeah, so it's just like its own.

This is a little like.

I mean, in all the Begins episodes are kind of in their own way, like their own little format encapsulated.

But this one specifically, I feel like, is even more so, which is not a bad thing.

It's just if you see me struggling or I'm, like, weirdly quiet.

That's why we'll see how this one goes.

We might change the formatting a little bit for the next Begins, which I think is coming up soon.

Is it Chimney Begins?

Because I'm pretty sure it's.

Yeah, well, I think it's after the Christmas episode.

Yeah.

Oh, and that's why.

Because it's kind of like a little in set after things happen.

So is that it for our opening thoughts?

Our thinking thoughts, Pinky thoughts?

Yes.

We're gonna need the Jaws of Life.

Over here before we really dive into Hen for our Jaws of Life deep dive.

I did find an article with Aisha Hines, who plays Hen.

We love her so much.

We've.

We've talked about her, just, like, how wonderful she is.

And.

And this was an interesting article that came out around the same time that the episode did, so.

Promo for that.

So the article is titled 911 star Aisha Hines talks exploring Henrietta's origin story in Hen Begins.

And I really liked a couple quotes that actually that I'd like to read for you because I didn't know this and I saw and I read it and, like, my jaw dropped.

I was like, no way.

But then it wasn't super surprising.

I'll get to that in a second.

Just a quick, just funny thing in.

In the byline of the article, there was a quick snippet when they're talking about Gerard and his introduction.

And I thought it was really funny because they compared him to.

They say Gerard makes J.

Jonah Jameson's treatment of Peter Parker seem kind hearted.

And I love that also because of how it relates to the first episode in season eight.

And I thought that was fantastic.

Just a funny little happenstance then.

But I'll get into the actual interview.

The interviewer said, you know, this script must have been an actor's dream.

We see how Hen became a firefighter and there's kind of like a baptism of fire kind of literally there.

And great, great word choice.

And Aisha said that, that she had previously shared in a some sort of panel a story about herself when she had been asked if anyone on the show had ever called 911.

And she recounted a story when someone called it for her when she had been shot at the age of 16.

Does that sound familiar?

Tim Miner.

Tim Miner, Yes, I know, right?

So I know what you are.

So then she says, Tim Mynier, our executive producer, called and asked if he could use that as Hen's story.

And she thought it was a perfect story that would inform the way that would inform the Hen that they created.

By the time she got there, she had to make the same decision that Hen did in Haunted.

You're kidding.

And I know, like, when I tell you, I read that and my job dropped like, I have goosebumps reading that.

And so she was really like, art was imitating life.

So you have an instance here of this collaboration that we're learning as we go through a lot of these, like, older articles and some of the new ones that are popping up now that this show is so collaborative, specifically with Tim Minier, and he takes a lot of real life inspiration and infuses that into the characters.

And I think that is one of the reasons why we've said from the beginning that these characters feel so fully fleshed out, so real to life.

It's because they're based on real life people, the real life of the people playing them.

And we know there are more instances of that.

And it's just like.

And the fact that Aisha also.

It.

Kind of blows your mind a little bit because you have that instance of intentionally, you know, adding some of the real life story into the character in a way that makes sense and is beautifully done.

But then you also have one of those just, I don't know, like, invisible strings.

Some sort of, like, fate thing.

Destiny, you might call it, where, like, the writers didn't know about her experience with her dad passing away and basically gave it to her there.

And then she had to.

And I know this was like a couple of episodes ago, but then she had to, like, actually play it out on screen.

And just like, the way that she's able to tap into that, I don't know at what point they knew about it.

I would imagine she would have told them while they were filming or when she got the script and just kind of like, what kind of reaction would you have to reading your real life in this fictionalized form and nobody knew about it?

That's crazy.

That is crazy.

It also.

It also just, like, makes me think that, like, the cast must be like, well, don't tell Tim anything about yourself that you're not willing to act out on screen.

Yeah, I mean, like.

I mean, like, obviously he's asking permission to write it, of course, and they.

Have to say yes or no, but, like, also.

Right, right.

But that's the joke also, like, super.

I mean, I don't know the situation or the story of, like, how she got shot, but, like, it seems like a personal story.

Yeah.

So that speaks to, like, how kind of, like, close or, like, comfortable and safe that the cast must feel to, like, open up to, you know, the showrunner, writer, executive producer, to tell them stuff like that about themselves.

Right.

It's pretty cool.

And also, I think both of those stories just, like, speak to Aisha's like, real life resiliency and how strong of a person that she is, just in general, like, beyond, you know, playing this character, I feel like that really speaks to her strength as a human being, which she obviously, especially in this episode, really funnels in to Hen's strength as well in a beautiful way.

There's a couple other quotes that I thought were interesting, but that was like, the main reason that I was just like, oh, like, really taken aback there.

So Aisha also spoke about how.

How Hen just doesn't give up, even when Gerard is giving her a hard time.

And she said the question became, how much is she going to endure once Hen saved her therapist's life, which is the launching pad for her becoming a first responder, that locked her into her purpose and there was nothing that was going to stand in the way of her carrying out her purpose.

And I think that is like, the strength of Hen is she's just so, like, headstrong.

And if she.

She puts her mind to something, she will carry through, like, there's.

There's no dropping it for her.

And then we also.

The interviewer also mentioned, you know, seeing the beginnings of Hen's relationships with Athena and Chimney.

And Aisha said it was great to have them because in real life, they're really anchors for her.

It's great to finish a take, look over and see Kenneth, make her laugh or encourage her.

And when speaking about Angela Bassett, Aisha said, if I felt like I couldn't do it, she'd say, aisha, they gave it to you because they felt you could handle it.

They helped me get to the finish line of what I'm now calling the Henna Sode.

And I just love that for so many reasons, because, you know, for a Begins episode, you don't have, like, Bobby or Buck or Eddie or Maddie or you don't have Karen yet either.

So, like, all of the people that we're so used to seeing Hen interact with are not yet there.

So I love that she was able to bounce off, like, some of her castmates, especially Kenneth Choi and Angela Bassett, because they're just great.

And one more thing.

Sorry, they also.

So the interviewer also said it'd be interesting to see Captain Gerard pop up now again in Hen's life.

We'd see how he changed, or sadly, perhaps how he hasn't.

I just wanted to.

To bring that up because there's always like that, even in Episode or even in season two, there is like, that possibility of bringing the.

Some of these characters back.

And of course, we'd see him in Chimney Begins as well.

But, like, we also see him now.

In the current season.

So I think that was.

That was just interesting.

Never, never let characters or anything die.

Exactly.

Even if the characters die.

So that's pretty much it for that article.

It's a good read.

And then there were just a couple things I wanted to point out in my little red string corner, as this is season two.

The writer of this episode, Aristotle Kasakis, also wrote in season one, he wrote Trapped, which was episode nine of season one.

And just to remind everybody and ourselves of what that one was, that was the episode.

Obviously, people were trapped in things.

But one of the calls that we saw that really affected Hen was the homeless man in the garbage truck.

And we saw Hen, like, very Angry because it was coming off of, you know, her having cheated with Ava.

And I think this was the episode where she had that big confrontation with Ava the first time and she had lunch with Athena to talk about it and that sort of stuff.

So I think there might be a couple similar themes to pull from that, like resiliency.

And that was kind of what I remembered.

So just keep that in mind that this can be tied to Trapped.

And do you guys.

Have you guys seen those, like, subtle foreshadowing edits that have been going around on, like, Twitter and TikTok and stuff where people are like, you know, super cutting, like, moments before disaster sort of thing with like, the disaster.

And it just kind of like, chop, chop, chop, chop.

I was kind of getting that vibe from this episode because there are so many establishing shots, like between scenes of just like rainy weather, very rainy, you know, bad weather.

So it's from the very beginning of the episode, it's kind of setting up this, like, big call with the mudslide and kind of doing that in a subtle, not subtle way.

I don't know.

It's kind of subtle, but it's not, like, as subtle as it could be.

Like, you know, you're meant to notice it, but not pay, like, too much attention, I guess.

About as subtle as the four different fire mentions we get before she decides to become a firefighter.

I know, right?

Oh, right.

And then, I don't know.

Mudslide makes me think of the well, that's all.

Everything makes you think of the well, Rachel.

That'S all.

A minor.

A minor inconvenience.

Well.

A minor convenience.

A minor convenience.

Minor.

I.

We gotta go.

Okay, so that was all I had about deep dive y stuff.

Should we talk about themes?

Yeah.

Is that where we're at?

Yes, we are le themes.

So I think there are.

I think there are themes in the episode.

No, duh.

Of course there are themes in the episode.

This is why we're doing this.

Cut the check.

Cut the check.

Transition.

We're done.

It seems to me that the themes we have in this episode are kind of very much speaking to what we're seeing throughout the season as a whole.

Like some of these season themes, and they're kind of a little heavier.

Not heavy handed.

I mean, that's.

I wouldn't say heavy handed, but the themes themselves are a little heavier than we might normally see.

And I think that is because it's informed by the content of the episode.

So I think we've been talking most of the season so far about Loneliness like as far back as the first episode of season two where everyone is kind of like feeling on their own, feeling lonely, like not having someone to lean on.

Which of course connects to the idea of like support systems and being able to have a support system because you can't lone wolf it through life.

That's.

It may be possible for some people, but in something like this where you're working with a team and you need people, people need people.

So loneliness feeling like an outsider specifically for hence.

And even we see this with chimney as well, who's already in stationed at the 118 and how that kind of differs for them.

There's also, I think one of the major obvious themes that tend to be a little heavier or a little more like bigger societally is existing in a white male dominated world or field or environment as a minority, as a person of color, as a woman, as part of the queer community.

So that's like a big issue, big theme that we haven't really delved into with 911 yet.

And kind of like this idea of.

One of our other themes for the season and kind of of the series is that feeling seen being seen.

I think it's also like deeper, like you were saying, like these themes are a little heavier and.

Deeper is a good word.

And I think it's because you know of the world that that hen is trying to exist in and who she is having to just exist in the world in general, but specifically in this context.

So it's not just like that need that everyone feels like they want to be seen for who they are and cared for who they are.

This is a wanting to be seen and valued as a person, as a human base minimum.

Yes.

Because she is getting dehumanized on the regular all day at her job.

And this is not like something that is only happening to her at her job, you know, as, as a woman, a woman of color, a queer woman of color.

She is experiencing.

She's catching strays everywhere.

You know, she is.

This is not just her work world, this is the entire world that she lives in.

But so it's not just that like wanting to be seen and valued as like a person because of who you are as a person, but the wanting to like just be seen as a hu.

Like as a human just to be like, I, you're looking at me and you're not seeing a person, you're looking at me.

Like when she does that whole speech, basically what I take away from that is her being like, you look at me and you're just seeing these minority things, and then those scare you because you don't know anyone like me, and so you dehumanize me and write me off because I'm a woman.

You don't know any woman firefighters.

You don't know any black queer women.

Like, yeah, it's like they're only seeing these, like, facets.

Not even facet.

Just, like, these, like, little checkmark things of what describes her and not seeing beyond that.

Yep.

And because of those checkmark things, it's.

It's them ranking her as a lesser valued human.

Mm.

But this also extends towards Chimney a little bit as well.

And we see just, like, a little peek into that, which will get more in depth with when we see Chimney begins.

But, like, them having to work so much harder to earn, like, the lowest modicum of respect when it should just be kind of freely given.

I mean, you have to earn respect, but just, like, you know, like, respect as a person.

Like we keep saying.

And they're not even, like, when Hen is, you know, not backing down and she's cleaning everything up and she's shining things up and, you know, they say, good job, but then still basically absolutely degrade her.

Like, she has to work so much harder than everyone else to get not even, like, near where people want to see her.

Yeah.

She even has to work just as hard to get to where.

Because, like you said, we do see a glimpse of, like, the way they treated Chimney as well.

And then we're gonna get that episode too.

But, like, she's not even at Chimney's level of being, like, at a base level of respected.

So.

Yeah.

No, the way they treated her there is just despicable.

Big no.

Big no.

What you just said kind of brings us into another one of the big themes, which is awful people.

And I think, you know, the episode.

The episode awful people kind of doesn't even hold a candle to the, like.

To the Hen and Chimney begins episodes.

Yeah.

Because, like, the toxic masculinity is just off the charts.

Like, they're like.

They're just absolutely awful people, and they don't even care to be nice.

Ugh.

It's not even, like, just being nice.

It's like, you know, you're in a workplace.

You're.

There should be a just, like, level of, like, you have to behave a certain amount because you're in a workplace, and because you're working on a team, there needs to be like, some low level of respect.

Like, it.

I understand that, like, when you're a probie, like you kind of have to earn it and like, and people have to trust you.

But like she even says like in her speech, like, you know, you, you're not hazing me like a regular probe.

That's not what this is.

That's not what is happening.

And the, the whole introduction of like the, the old guard 118 with Gerard and Tommy and Sal and all of them is so interesting to me too because it's presented so like obviously they are bad people.

And it just brings me to think of the episode Awful People.

I think that was episode five where you know, there was a lot of kind of discussion or a lot of contemplation about what makes someone awful or like what makes someone an awful person.

Can they be redeemed?

Is there any redemption possible?

You know, it's kind of who's.

Who's to say and we'll get to it.

But there's a part where we get a little glimpse into one of the reasons, I guess why Gerard is an awful person.

And it's just kind of like is that excusable?

No.

Can it be redeemed?

And kind of your mileage may vary, I guess.

Subjective, I guess.

And then kind of the last theme that I wanted to talk about was this idea of progress and change.

So there's a lot again when we get to when Hen finally meets up with Athena at the bar and they're talking like these kind of like outcasts of their departments sort of thing and they talk about, you know, these are people of the old guard and we have to bring in the, the progress, bring the change, but it doesn't happen overnight.

So also like that patience and resiliency to keep like you know, plugging away at it and not giving up while also looking towards a better and brighter future because they have to.

And there's always someone that has to take the first steps and why not them?

But, but you have to be like very strong of character in order to withstand everything else that you have to that like comes your way.

So they're, they're trying to pave the way for, for people after them, which is like to have that self awareness of that is I think really impressive as well because then it's like, you know, that's got to play into so much of their like motivations and like how and why they do things.

That's something to probably be interesting to keep in mind for Hen and Athena and Chimney, especially since they are kind of like the PI.

Not a pioneer.

No, but they're the people of color.

Yeah, they're the main people of color on the show.

So I think it is really good and important that they like do address these topics.

Yes.

And aren't just treating it like, oh, they're in la.

And so everything is progressive and people of color and gay people and women are just accepted and highly, you know, straight, white, male dominated bases.

So yeah, those are, Those are some themes, huh?

All the themes.

Who's cooking?

As opposed to character arcs.

I think it's just character.

Arc.

Arc.

It's just one.

Just one.

We have a couple other characters, of course, obviously, but hen just is the show.

It's the hen show.

Wait, what did you said?

It's the hennesode.

The hen instead of episode.

And.

I get that from one pun girl to another.

Yeah, that was great snaps.

I really love that.

Which is also why I wanted to tell it to you guys.

I want to point out something before I forget because it was one of the only big things that I was like, oh, I got to make sure I talk about this.

Well, then let's talk about it.

Is, you know, we talked about, you know, in themes how she's very.

She's very much like driven.

Is like, I see a thing I want, I.

I do the thing that I want and I don't stop until I make it happen.

Very smart, very capable, but big.

But there, there's this thing where she.

I feel like a lot of people do this in different areas, in different capacities where she does things because she thinks she's supposed to.

And we see that as a theme in general, I think, like throughout this show, but especially the season right now.

So I thought with Hen specifically or.

Just like other characters too.

Yeah, because I think hen doesn't.

I feel like this was like hen broke out of that and now she's.

Like, yeah, you know, like she learned the lesson.

That was the thing holding her back.

She found her calling.

The thing that made her feel like fulfilled.

Like she was like she was doing good.

Right.

Because that was her whole thing that she wanted to be doing good.

Right.

But yeah.

For how long?

How old is she?

Oh, we're not gonna start that.

I have no idea.

I know.

No, I'm just trying to like ballpark like how long she went from like, you know.

Right.

Oh.

Which is like relatable.

Which is relatable because I mean, sometimes it's not even like, oh, I'm doing what I think I'm supposed to do because she was doing jobs that were like high, like high paying.

But like, sometimes it's like you're just.

What society told her to do.

Right.

Sometimes you're just doing things because you don't think you can do the things you want to do.

But like you don't have the ability to.

And I don't think that is a thing that Hen suffers from, I think.

Right.

But she knows when she's like, well, I'm just going to make it happen.

So I guess, like, not to go super linearly, but I think the best place to start is that client dinner where we see at the opening of the episode.

And like you said, when she decides something, she kind of makes it happen because she.

We don't see anything prior to this, obviously, but it looks like this dinner was the straw that broke the camel's back.

And I'm not sure that that camel could hold many straws.

That was a terrible metaphor.

But we're going to go with it.

Just pretend that made sense.

And so I'm not sure what.

I mean, I'm trying to visualize it too.

So I don't.

It's just like 1, 2, 3 straws instead of like a whole bale of hay.

Okay.

At least that's what I think when it's supposed to be straw anyways.

Oh my God.

Non mistaken.

Leaning forward.

Anyway, so I kind of wonder, like you were saying, how long she has been in that job and how many of these kind of client dinners.

Because it seems very old hat for her to just kind of like come in and join this very like dandy boys club sort of thing where again, she is stripped of her personhood.

Really?

Because they're talking about her before she even comes in to the dinner and they're like, you know, does she even like men?

What's her story?

And it's just like this is supposed to be like a professional setting, a work dinner.

And you're just like out here being so misogynistic.

And I mean, I.

But like that doesn't excuse anything.

It's not even that.

It's when you think about like the profession that she's in, you know, sales is like a typically.

I like, in my opinion, I guess like typically or historically.

I think it's like a male dominated kind of thing.

Oh, definitely.

The higher up positions.

Yeah, especially the higher up positions.

It's always male dominated.

So like they were already they.

2008.

Ish.

So it's already like.

So it's already that kind of like period.

And then you also have period.

It's like literally I'm talking about like.

It'S like the 50s period anyway, back in the day.

Back in the day.

So yeah, like it's, it's typically like male profession like that, especially the ones that succeed.

So like Hen is.

Even though this isn't like her dream job.

Hen, I think was already like at a certain level.

She was at a certain level.

If she was, you know, attending dinners with these hot.

I was gonna say hotshots.

I mean, they think they're hotshots with.

These self proclaimed hotshots that like that whole kind of game, you know?

So.

No, she really is the game.

And the thing is, I don't want to call it like breaking.

Is it boundaries?

Pushing or pushing the envelope?

Like, like breaking the glass ceiling?

That kind of thing?

Yeah, that, that kind of thing.

Like, I don't want to say that.

But like, I think in the way she does it though, kind of.

Right.

Because it's like, I feel like when you think of like successful women in a field like that, they're kind of more playing into that kind of stuff to get above.

Not to say that they're like selling themselves, but you know what I mean?

It's like they're putting up with it a certain amount.

Yeah.

Or taking advantage of it to a certain degree to like, to climb the ladder.

And Hen's just like, no, fuck you.

If your patient needs medicine, prescribe them generic.

Like she's not, you know what I mean?

Like she's showing up, she's not fucking around, but she's still in a very successful position.

Yeah.

Yeah, I think that's what I was getting at.

Yeah.

Just like that.

It's just one of those classic like icky boss things that it's just like how, how much has she already had to put up with this kind of behavior from men in positions higher than hers who think she's a nothing for all of those reasons that we talked about in themes.

And she still like has compassion for the people that they're trying to serve, whereas these idiots, let's just say, are more interested in the bottom line and what's in it for them.

And like kickbacks, like, they're talking, they, they talked about like kickbacks like Golf and Lakers ticket.

And it's just like, ew, sorry, I lost my train of thought a little bit there.

Like, first of all, ew.

Yeah, but so she has to, like, she has to play the game a little bit because she's all like, you know, it's my job knowing what you like.

Because she's in sales, so you have to kind of like sell to the person or the people, like, know your audience.

Yeah, but she's still, you know.

Okay, this is what.

This is what I was trying to say.

In.

In like an environment like this where it's very, you know, high corporate, you can lose a little bit of the soul of, like, why you're doing what you're doing.

But she hasn't lost that.

Even her boss says, like, you know, you have a big warm heart, which is unusual for a pharma rep, which is like, it shows.

I think that was a.

I think that was a doctor, like a client.

I don't think that was her boss.

Oh, well, one of them.

So I think that really, like, shows from the get go how still in tuned with.

With her compassion she is because she hasn't kind of like lost her soul in this.

In this sales job.

And it's just like, yeah, who wants to be in that kind of environment?

You can only take it for so long.

She has to be, you know, true.

I.

I think.

I think the whole thing is like her being true to who she is.

And that was not her.

And she was just kind of like going through the motions.

Not.

Which isn't to say that she wasn't good at it, because she was very good.

That's why she was speaking with all of those high powered clients.

But it just didn't serve her anything because it was.

She hadn't lost her soul yet, but she was like.

You could see she was kind of like dying inside a lot.

Mm.

And.

And then he, like, came, like when they were waiting for the car.

He, like, came on to her after all of that.

And it's just like such so weird.

Men in these positions.

So it was also kind of like, read the room.

Also super creepy for your boss to be like, we're trying, like, what was that?

We're trying to, like, build relationships with these people.

And she's like, uh huh.

We're selling pharmaceuticals.

Not me.

Like, the fact that she has to say that.

Yeah, gross.

Like, Pen has morals and they didn't have any.

Yeah, this is.

This is pre.

Me too movement.

This is like.

I mean, think about it, like the MeToo movement was like, it's 10 years later, right?

It's like when this show is happening now, like, current.

Current times in that season.

Right?

Yeah, so.

So this is very, like, of the moment.

So, yeah, she.

She was putting up with a lot of shit, and she didn't really feel like she was helping people, which is the whole reason she, like, was trying to stick with that job, other than, like, because she thought it was, like, what she was supposed to do.

I'm assuming because it's like, you know, a steady, successful job, but also, like.

Doing, like, helping from the inside sort of thing is probably how.

Yeah, she thought of it as well, which, like, does make sense because sometimes you have to, like, you know, if you can't beat them, join them sort of thing, and making, like, making that change and that progress from the inside out sort of thing.

But they too stuck in their ways to do anything useful.

Hen rage.

Well, she just doesn't even rage quit.

It's.

She's very much like, you know, she has this realization of, like, yeah, I'm not.

I'm not making a difference here.

Like, I thought I could.

And fuck, literally everything just happened.

And, like, we've, you know, like Rachel said, like, there must have been so much of this happening, and this was just like the boiling point.

So she quits her job and, oh, my God, the boss says, like, oh, I've never seen someone just set their life on fire.

There were so many just, like, random lines about fire before she decides to become a firefighter.

Like, the universe is screaming at her.

Mm.

So then she goes to therapy to take a job assessment, which I think is hilarious because you can do that shit on the Internet, but sure, pay someone.

I mean, she probably had some nice savings from her high, high powered corporate job.

I don't know, the job she just quit.

She probably doesn't have health insurance anymore anyway, her therapist calls her out for not answering truthfully.

And that's when we get, you know, the insight of hen being like, I do kind of always just with my job, you know, just do what I think I should be doing.

And then God almost kills her therapist so that she can realize what she should do with her life.

So in that scene, right, I think her therapist asks her, oh, her name is Stacy.

So Stacy asks her, what do you hate the most?

Or something like that.

Such a great question.

And she's like, bullies.

And immediately my brain was like, steve.

Rogers, is that you?

Close enough.

Welcome back, Steve Rogers.

Close enough.

No, but okay.

I mean, I'm kind of going to derail a little bit.

So.

Well, not derail.

It's still in the same.

I'm still talking about the episode.

But like, because, you know, you.

I think Rachel, you mentioned, or both of you mentioned how like this episode is very like formatted like the hero's journey and whatever.

But I mean, it's also for like, I mean.

And yeah, okay, the hero's journey, Captain America, the first Avenger, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Yes, it's the.

We all know.

We all know it.

It's the hero's journey.

But I'm saying.

But I guess like just the elements.

Oh, so you have his line or hen also say.

I don't like bullies.

There's that.

Then there's like going through the basic training of, you know, all of that defying orders also.

Oh, big speeches.

And then getting the respect of your.

Of your peers at the end of the day.

Because I think.

I think Steve also has gone.

That's why.

I mean, it's very reminiscent of the first Avenger.

It's just like I'm watching.

Yeah.

Just.

It's hen though.

Yay.

Anyway, I don't know why the yay, but I mean.

Yeah, no, that's a great comparison.

Have you not seen all of my Captain America funko pops behind me and every single episode?

You probably can't see mine because I don't have like, I have a bunch.

But yeah, my Captain America shield over in the corner that you probably won't be able to see in social media, but you can see on the YouTube one.

Yeah.

Hey, guys, everybody watch the YouTubes.

You get to see our setups a lot better, just FYI.

You get to see our nerdy.

Nerdy rooms.

Nerd dumb.

And our nerdy faces.

You get to see the pulverine next to each other.

Then you get to see the steep Tony next to each other.

Yeah.

Some spider man.

Some space.

We're all very big Marvel fans, if you couldn't tell already.

So, like, where there is superhero stuff, we are going to pick up on that.

It's how we met.

Well, you guys.

Did you guys meet through Supernatural?

Yes, Supernatural.

Okay.

They met through Supernatural.

The three of us.

Wait, I can't remember if Syl and I followed.

I can't remember if I followed you guys before.

No, I.

I think you and I.

Were mutual each other, Lauren.

Yeah.

Not me.

Yeah.

And then.

No, but I think I followed you after end game.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

After.

And then I decided you were going to be my friend.

Yeah.

And I made that happen?

Yeah.

Yeah.

And then I dragged you to meet Rachel.

Yes.

And then we were supposed to go to that faded Boston Comic Con.

Speaking.

Speaking of Steve Rogers, we were supposed to meet him, and then.

Nothing big happened then, so of course, that convention totally happened.

And there's totally photo ops of all three of us together with him.

See them.

See them behind me on the wall.

In one of, you know, the branch realities.

We would have met all of them.

And yeah, we're big Marvel people, so, you know, obviously we make Disney references a lot, but, like, whenever there can be a Marvel reference, especially one as good as this one, because I feel like I could do 30 minutes about.

Oh, wait, can we.

Steve Rogers and Henrietta Wilson.

It's funny because.

Okay, wait, the typing.

She's making a note for a Minnesota Violent.

Okay.

No, but it's funny because, like, I think in.

In 911 fandom.

Okay, now.

Now I'm definitely do, like, going off topic.

It's okay.

I'll get it back.

I think, like, in fandom, 91 1, I think we've said that Eddie is more like Steve Rogers in a way, but I think Eddie is more just the moniker.

So like, just Captain America.

You know what I mean?

Instead of specifically symbol.

Just the symbol, not the person.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He is the shield hen.

Is more Steve Rogers the person.

And those are also.

Could go into that for long.

Oh, my God.

Those are very different.

Put in the minute.

Put in.

Put in Minnesota ideas I did assigning Marvel characters for.

Oh, that's going to be Fun for the 118.

And we could do.

We can do two different versions.

We can do the hero and then, like, the person.

Ooh, okay.

I think that'd be so much fun.

Yes.

As soon as you were like, oh, it reminds me of the.

I don't know why I didn't think.

I know why, because I wasn't paying fully attention.

Because it's like the way that she.

Says it was just like, I'm literally listening to fucking skinny Steve saying, I don't like police.

Literally.

And it's basically like if we had started her story where she decides to become a firefighter, and she's having that conversation with.

With Eva Ava.

I can't believe I'm back here trying to figure out how the fuck to say her name.

I know so many different ways, but.

If we had started the story where she was, like, in the kitchen, like, talking about doing that, it would be like, kind of beat for beat.

Yeah, right.

Because we start In Captain America and the First Avenger.

Like, he's already decided that he wants to be like, he wants to fight in the war.

He wants to be a soldier because that's.

And everyone just keeps telling him no.

And he also has this like, loss of personhood because people just don't think that he's capable of doing anything.

So he's just like, disregarded and thrown to the side, much like hen is.

Even when she, like, shows that she is a good worker and diligent and everything like that, she's still just kind of like, well, you don't, you don't mean anything.

Yeah.

Oh, I would love.

We need to do this.

I would love to do a minisode.

Yeah, that's great.

Oh, it's great.

It's fascinating.

Back on, back on topic.

Did we really leave, though?

No, we didn't.

Super leave.

Just a tiny bit.

So, yeah, she decides, she realizes her calling and she goes home to her partner who is not basically kind of treats it like a joke.

Remind you of anything else happening recently?

Kind of treats it like she's not being serious about it.

And like, they have a very long conversation and at the end she's finally like, are you serious about this?

You know, telling her that it's going to be hard, that it's like, oh, it's a boys club, blah, blah, blah, blah.

And I'm like, you don't think Ken has already thought that through?

Come on.

Right, right.

But also, what was she in already?

She was already in a position where she was putting up.

At least she isn't getting sexually harassed as a firefighter.

Yeah, that we see.

You know what I mean?

Like, it's a different kind of demeaning.

But I mean, there were comments.

I mean, Gerard makes like some comments like on her appearance.

He does say the pretty thing.

Yeah.

I mean, yeah, it's.

It's so like dismissive of Ava and she says something like, passions are for rich people.

And then.

Right.

And it's just kind of.

It's just so dismissive, so not supportive, which is like, again, like this whole scene is very interesting as well because we see Ava, Hen and Eva as they were before everything went to shit.

To shit.

So it's interesting to see like that dynamic there and how maybe like.

And we have to fill in a lot of gaps in the.

In between, like how it got from the point in hen begins to where we see in Full Moon, crazy af, here we see another example of a romantic partner not having their person's back when all they want and all they're asking for is just like support.

And Ava's not able to give that.

And it's not that hen doesn't acknowledge and realize that like she is really just trading in for one boys club for another.

But it's.

No, it's going to be hard and.

It'S going to be hard.

But she's, it doesn't seem like she's willing to back down from any hard work because she obviously has had worked her way up like the corporate ladder in her pharmaceutical job.

She's not shying away from hard work.

But this means so much to her because she feels like it's fulfilling this greater purpose that she had and that she's actually going to be doing more good in person and actually hands on with the people that she was trying to help in the first place in that pharmaceutical job.

So it's like, it's.

I think in her mind she's pretty much doing the same thing which is serving people who need help.

The methodology and of how she's able to provide that support is drastic.

Very different, but like, you know, lowest common denominator.

It's kind of the same thing.

It just is in a different way, shape and form.

And Ava is just like this is.

She's basically saying that's a stupid idea.

Even though, you know, if you're hen's partner you would know that she's gonna, she's got like, you know, stick to itness and, and she's gonna do it anyway.

So like just be supportive.

I don't.

Well, I think maybe, you know, reading between the lines here because we don't have a lot to go off of.

But to me the way she said passion is for rich people.

Is that what she said?

Yeah.

Her passions are for rich people.

Said to me that not only was she concerned, to me it was like her real concern wasn't that, oh, you're going to be in a place where you're going to be discriminated against.

Because she's discriminated against.

Yeah, all the time, everywhere, especially at her job now.

But it kind of was more about.

Like the money because think about that sale like that income cut from being a pharmaceutical sales rep to being a paramedic.

Oh, I forgot about that.

Yeah.

So.

Oh yeah.

I don't know, it just felt icky.

So it's like we're kind of shown them and like she seems supportive.

Ish.

But like it took her a while to get there in that conversation and I don't know, just the way she just, like, dismissed her passions, was more concerned about money than what hen cares about.

Like, you know, those are all red.

Flags, like, the material as opposed to.

Yep, yep.

So that's interesting.

Is that the last, like, flashback we really see of Ava or.

I think so.

I can't remember.

I think so.

Like, I think she's mentioned or, like, know if we see her again, like.

The only bit that we see of them actually in their relationship as opposed to the after, I think.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

So, I mean, that's very telling too.

Yeah.

But I don't know.

I think it also just specifically icked me out as someone who was in kind of a.

Not a similar situation because I wasn't in a.

In a place that, like, I was getting skeeved on like that, but I was in a place where, like, I was going back to school for something that would have made me a lot of money but would have made me fucking miserable.

And I realized, like, I had a.

A little bit of a mentee bee about it when I realized, like, how.

How much I'd be giving up of, like, myself and my passion and, like, you know, how I work as a person to try and do that job.

And my partner supported me and not only was just like, it's okay to, like, not do that, like, helped me think about what I was passionate about and, like, you know, encouraged me to, like, change.

Change things, even though it was going to be harder, cost more money, like, you know, intimidating.

But, like, that's the kind of support you should be getting from a partner.

Not like, you show up and they're like, passion is for rich people.

Are you sure you want to do this?

Are you sure you want to work in a straight, white, male dominated field?

That's all the fields.

Pick and choose.

That's gonna be what you get.

Yeah.

And any.

Pretty much anywhere.

Yeah.

Oof.

I'm glad.

I'm glad you had the support you needed.

Me too.

That's also one of the reasons why.

We'Re doing this right now.

Back to school for Media Communications, man.

I was gonna do pr.

Okay, So, I mean, this isn't a far cry.

It's like, definitely related.

I.

Yeah.

But I was like, I can't.

I can't, like, do things that are against my own beliefs to make money, which I would have had to do.

Yeah.

That's a good reason to not do it.

Yeah.

So.

Oh, you had your little, like, hen begins moment too.

Hand begins.

Hand begins.

Glad she has.

I was just going to say, like, not related to this, but it's just.

I'm just so glad she has Karen.

Anyway.

Oh, love Karen so much.

I can't wait for us to get to, like, more Karen and the rewatches because we're kind of so done with hen.

And Ava, like, please just give us our hen wren so we can just adore them.

I just wanted to transition us.

Yeah.

Yes.

From kitchen to.

I mean.

Oh, yeah.

And they had that talk in the kitchen, so.

Kitchen talks.

Heart to heart in the kitchen.

Sorry.

That's what I mean.

So let's get in.

Into hen at the.

Hen at the 1.

Weird to call it that without Bobby at the helm, but.

Yeah.

The 118.

It's not our 118.

It's the old 118.

It's the old 118.

Not my 118.

Not my 118.

Yeah.

Not my captain.

Hashtag, not my captain.

Oh, my God.

Yeah.

So she fights her way through that.

We get that montage of her, you know, doing all of the work to become a paramedic firefighter, and she works her ass off, and she passes with, I'm assuming, flying colors.

Wasn't she, like, at the top of, like, at the top of her class somewhere in there?

I'm.

Or I'm just assuming that.

Because that's who she is.

I'm just assuming that.

I don't know if we're shown that, but yeah.

So she shows up.

She's so excited.

She's just, like, in awe.

Kind of like how I felt the first time I walked into Wizarding World.

That's how she is.

Walking to the wedding, looking at the fire trucks and.

Yeah.

It's like a magical world.

Yeah.

And then immediately, just like they always do, a man ruins it.

Multiple men, too.

So many men.

They'd be doing that.

They do be doing that.

I don't even remember.

Sorry, I'm.

I was just going to say I don't even remember how they.

How they greet her.

But, like, they're just like, what?

On the loft?

And they, like, look at her and they're like, come.

I mean, I think Gerard is just like, come, everyone, meet your new diversity hire.

Diversity hire.

Mm.

Instant red flags for me, for anybody.

With eyes, but just quickly.

I mean, but I guess that's.

That was his way.

Immediately.

Okay, I need to get rid of her.

I'm gonna be.

Yeah.

Without getting rid of the diversity.

Higher.

Because that's, you know.

Oh, yeah.

No, so that's a great point.

Because when they come in or when Hen comes in and she's greeted by, like you said, everybody on the loft.

That second story, which, I mean, is just part of the set anyways.

But, like, what a way to visually show, like, the different levels looking down on her.

Exactly.

They are looking down on her from on high.

They all think very highly of themselves.

It's a lot of.

And here she is just like this.

You know, from their perspective, they're looking down and she looks very small, which is how they treat her.

And she.

She knows that that's just perspective.

You know, there is no difference between.

Between them.

However, that's not how the rest of the 118 sees it.

And so they're just like, it's.

It's a very quick.

Again, with these.

With these 911 introductions.

It's a very quick show versus tell, and, like, that combination thereof of, you know, these are who this is, who this character is.

These are what they kind of stand for.

And you're getting clued in right off the bat.

So they are literally looking down on her from on high with their egos and everything.

And it just, like, you know, you see her, like, little hopeful, like, bright eye, bushy tail sort of thing, get crushed real fast, which is awful.

And she's like, yep, this is disappointed, but not surprised.

Yep.

But we do, however, see Chimney.

And even though it is.

It is kind of interesting with that as well, because he is on the loft with the rest of them, but he is so much more friendly than everyone else and, like, actually makes an effort to, you know, welcome her.

He wants to be her friend so bad.

Right.

But he's still kind of, like, aligned himself with, you know, the herd at this point.

And I think as we watch even more of this episode, but very much it's very clear in Chimney Beacons, it's a form of, like, survival mode for him.

So he kind of, like, has to, you know, run with the pack for a little bit, even though it's obvious that he is standing out amongst the crowd and making an effort, but he is still at that point, like, up there with the rest of them.

What I wanted to briefly, like, talk about was, like, how she also says to him that, yeah, you may be.

You are a person of, like, Chimney is a person of color, but he.

He also.

He doesn't have to jump through the hurdles as she does, like, as hard as she does or, like, get through all of those obstacles.

Like, she has to work twice, triple, quadruple times as hard to get where she wants to be.

And he benefits off of.

I forgot what she said.

Exactly.

But I know, like, that he benefits off of that.

It's the patriarchy, basically.

Yeah, he benefits from that system.

You know, like, yes, he experiences.

He experiences prejudice, but he also will never experience it in the way that she does as.

As a woman of color who is also queer.

Like, she's hitting all those things.

Yeah.

But yeah, she's basically just saying, like, you.

You have privilege still as.

As a male.

Like, even though, like, we can relate to a certain amount, like, you don't actually understand fully what this is like.

Talking about how Hen, you know, calls Chimney out for benefiting from the system as well, even though he is a person of color.

I think that was a very important thing for them to point out as well, because it just rings true.

And how, like, you know, I think we.

We do see that chimney is trying to, you know, develop a camaraderie with hen.

Like a.

We're in this together.

I think he says, like, we're in this together sort of thing at one.

Point, which, like, you're not alone.

He's like, you're not in this alone.

I think is how he words it.

Yeah.

Which goes into the loneliness thing.

So it's obvious, like, how lonely he's been and he's really looking for someone else to kind of have his back.

Even though Hen at the beginning is still, like, very, like, unsure and kind of closed off to it because, I mean, to her, Chimney is still part of the.

That system.

So I feel like she's slow to trust people and more to people in general, probably.

So whereas chimney sees a friend shaped person and don't know what that's like.

Me with everybody I see.

Friend.

Friend.

Are you my friend?

The answer in my head is always yes.

I wish I could do that.

I can't.

I'm good.

Listen, like, like, to me, anybody who interacts with me on, like, social media.

I'm like, talk to you forever.

You're my friend now.

I mean, that's.

That's different.

That's like an.

Like, we're mutuals.

We're fandom friends.

No, anybody who.

Anybody who interacts with me, I'm like, we're friends now.

Well, listen, it's.

It sucks to have, like, okay, off topic, but it sucks to have the resting bitch face.

And you actually want to be someone's friend, but they're scared of you.

I don't think you're scary.

Do people.

People call you intimidating.

Do you get that?

I get that too.

I'm so Sorry.

I'm literally just a loser.

Like, why am I intimidating?

No negative self talk.

That's not a negative thing.

I'm just saying, like, I'm literally just a fucking nerd.

Like, why am I intimidating?

And it's.

It's just the resting bitch face and just the general aura of, like, stay.

The fuck away from me.

Yeah.

But sometimes I'm like, I don't want you to stay away.

Please come talk to me.

Yeah.

I'm so glad I ignored all of that.

Or I didn't even ignore it.

I just didn't see it.

I think you just didn't see it.

I was just like, we're friends now.

That is Phil and I became friends.

Because it was instant, too.

Yeah.

It was just us yapping at each other.

It was great.

Anyway.

Wow, how times have changed.

This is like, seven years ago.

It was 8.

8.

8 in November.

That's crazy.

Wow, that's so long.

That's what I did for Sil, too.

I don't think there was, like, an energy that I was ignoring.

I was just like, well, you didn't see me.

You didn't see my face.

Well, sure.

But I was like, I will collect this one.

And then I just made it happen.

I just talked to you constantly.

Got to catch them all.

Yeah.

I'm a sneak attack where it's just like, I make you tolerate me, and then one day you wake up and you're like, how am I talking to this person every day?

How did I get here?

I don't remember.

I blacked out.

I'm not gonna lie.

You don't remember?

No.

Well, yeah, but it's kind of like, yeah, how did I get here?

It's because I wanted to be your friend and I made.

But, like, I mean, in general, there are some people.

I'm just like, how did I get here?

But I do know how we got there.

It's just kind of like, how did I.

How did I continue yapping?

Because I'm not a yapper.

But I am a yapper.

But you're a yapper with the right people.

That's how I am.

I'm pretty much like, no talk or won't shut the fuck up.

Like, those are my.

The dial only has two settings.

Anyway.

Anyway.

Chimney.

Collecting.

Chimney.

C.

Friend shape.

Chimney.

Chimney is Rachel shaped.

And hen is true.

Still shaped.

Oh, I'm somewhere in between there.

That's so cute.

You saw still and you were like, that person's cool.

I want them to be my friend.

Yeah.

On, like, Tumblr.

I was like, oh, you're cool.

That's what chimney did.

He was like, this person's cool.

You're gonna be my friend.

Yeah.

Cool.

Where exactly is the cool in the room with us?

All I see is loser.

Loser or totally lying.

I'm sorry.

No.

But I can't hear that word any other way now.

Oh, Agatha again.

We are big Marvel people.

You're not watching.

Agatha.

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

It's so good.

It is for the girls, gays and they's.

And specifically people who are all three of those things.

Yeah.

Two or three of those things.

Yeah.

Watch it.

All of the above.

Anyway, Chimney.

See friendship person there.

Yes.

But, yeah, you know, she obviously does warm up to him by the end of this episode.

And I think it's hilarious that the thing that, like, finally, I think, cinched it for her was that he fucking pranked her, making her think that she was gonna get fired.

And that's the thing that made her go, oh, yeah, we're friends now.

Like, yeah, I.

And.

And I think.

Okay, if.

If I can expound on that just a little bit, because that is so funny.

I think it's something about.

She recognizes that he didn't, like, first of all, thought enough about her to be like, hey, this is going to be funny.

And also, you know, it could.

It could go, like, sideways for certain people.

But I think she recognizes that he, like, it comes from, like, this.

This friendly nature and friendly corner, but also playful.

A little bit of respect.

Yeah.

Because before that point, he was just trying, like, really, really hard to be her friend and to be nice and be nice.

And he was actually following her lead on a couple of these calls.

So I think that worked to kind of, like, prove himself to her.

That definitely helped to, like, break down some of the walls.

So I think then, you know, with that context, him being able to, like, prank her, she was like, you know what?

I kind of respect it.

Because you weren't afraid of, like, hurting my feelings about it or anything like that?

Not.

Or not, like, hurting my feelings.

No.

But I think that he, like, understood her.

Yeah.

And her sense of humor by that point, because it's absolutely something she would do to someone too.

Like, it's.

I don't know.

It was just like, recognizing being like, yeah, well done.

We're friends now.

You did it.

Good job.

Like, they have an inside joke now.

So bonding.

Yeah.

And I love that we get to see the beginning of Hen and Athena's friendship.

Yes.

And how Athena is just immediately, like, collects her.

Mm.

It's like, I tell you, it gets better, but it doesn't.

So we're gonna go drink and talk about it.

And I love that Athena has, you know, a support group specifically for, you know, people of minorities in a field that's dominated by straight white males.

So.

And just no questions, knowing pretty much nothing about Han, invites her in.

Also, at that call with the mudslide, which I'm sure we're going to get into in a little bit, I think Athena recognizes something of herself in seeing Hen among all of the other dudes with the 118.

And kind of like, it takes one to no one sort of thing, because Athena has been there.

She's been there for a long time, and she's had to go through, like, everything that Hen is going through.

Not part of, like, the queer community, but, like, female.

The story that she shared about her first partner, about how he said that really disgusting thing about, like, you know, I'm not even gonna repeat it.

It was disgusting.

Yeah.

That was just, like, a direct parallel to the shit that we saw Hen experiencing at the beginning of the episode.

So it's like she, you know, automatically understands on a level that other people aren't gonna get even.

Exactly.

Even Chimney.

And I think as much as Hen is, like, reticent to warm up to some people, I think she's more able to identify with that with, like, through Athena, which is why she even takes her up on the offer.

And this is kind of like the first.

The first, like, brick from her walls coming down, that.

That also, I think, helps pave the way for her to develop a friendship with Chimney, too.

And it's Hen finally kind of realizing or by Hen accepting the invitation to meet Athena and the other folks at.

At the bar, Shen is admitting to herself a little bit that as much as she wants to kind of, like, lone wolf, it, go it alone, be strong, independent woman.

You can't do it alone without the support of others, and especially, you know, people who have been in the same shoes as you.

So I think that's what kind of thaws her a little bit in.

In these kind of situations to.

To recognize, like, I do.

I do need people to lean on, because if she just kept doing that, doing everything she was doing at the 118, you know, just standing on her own, it was gonna break her, and she didn't.

And she loves the job, so she realized, you know, something has to give.

Support of people who get it and people who will remind you, you know, when things are especially atrocious, like why you're doing what you're doing and even though that it's incredibly hard and you shouldn't be having to do it, like recognizing that, like, you know, you're so much further where you are currently in.

In the world and in your job, but because of people like you who came before you, who, you know.

Yeah.

Pushed.

Why do I keep wanting to say boundaries?

I know Syl did too, earlier.

I mean, push the boundaries of the system.

I think progressing.

Progressing thing is like the closest that I'm going to get progression.

Making change happen.

While I wish words were easier.

But yeah, being with people, with the girlies who get it, who are going to let you bitch and then also lift you up too.

To remind.

To remind each other is important, right?

To remind each other why you're doing it.

And then also I think it's great that she.

I can't remember the gay guy's name.

Casey.

Casey.

Thank you.