5 reasons you should be watching 9-1-1

If you’re not watching 9-1-1, that’s grounds for an emergency call. Here are five reasons you should be tuning into season 2’s wild ride.

9-1-1, what’s your emergency? Is it that you haven’t watched Fox’s addictive new series about the unpredictable professional and personal lives of first responders from the team behind American Horror Story? Someone get Connie Britton on the line.

Even though there’s more television vying for our attention than ever, we’re always on the hunt for the next great binge. 9-1-1 makes a thrilling addition to any watch list, especially those that favor the Ryan Murphy-brand of bonkers storytelling and unparalleled star power. Before the second season kicks off this fall with a devastating earthquake and new cast member Jennifer Love Hewitt, you’ll want to catch up with the new hit drama for these five reasons.

1. It’s super ridiculous…

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When you tune into 9-1-1, you won’t just be watching another run of the mill procedural drama about first responders saving lives. You’ll think you are, but then the unique quality that separates the series from, say, Chicago Fire hits you over the head.

A baby gets flushed down the toilet, a homeless man gets stuck in a garbage truck, and a piece of rebar pierces through a brain but doesn’t kill its victim. In that sense, it might not be the most realistic portrayal of first responders and emergency situations, but is realism what you come to a Ryan Murphy show for?

2. …but also grounded in reality.

On the other hand, a lot of 9-1-1′s character-centric drama concerns itself with realistic experiences. Sure, there’s a heavy dose of melodrama not unlike fellow Fox procedural newbie The Resident, but these characters also go through very human struggles (who else is still heartbroken over Buck and Abby?) when their shifts are over. Not to mention, many of the one-off characters in the multiple emergency calls per episode offer something more than their crazy circumstance suggests.

3. It’s palatable for non-procedural fans.

Anyone else not into procedural dramas? They have their merits, but sometimes the rinse and repeat nature of the narrative can disconnect from the characters. 9-1-1 manages to straddle the best of both worlds, incorporating an absorbing but not all-consuming procedural element with character-driven drama that could give Grey’s Anatomy a run for its money. Those of us who aren’t charmed by case-of-the-week dramas will find plenty to love.

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4. Angela Bassett! Connie Britton! Jennifer Love Hewitt!

As far as we’re concerned, that’s all the argument this reason needs. How does it get much better than three of television’s most cherished stars? Somehow, Ryan Murphy and his team consistently pull together the strongest casts you’ll ever watch. Angela Bassett, Connie Britton, and season 2’s new addition (taking over for Britton) Jennifer Love Hewitt are fiercely reliable talents whose mere presence makes 9-1-1 unmissable.

5. It’s quintessential Ryan Murphy madness.

And madness couldn’t be more of a compliment. Whenever you watch a series with any involvement from Murphy, you can expect weird to ensue. 9-1-1 stays true to that strong brand of weird. While it’s not quite as extreme as American Horror Story or as irreverently out-there as Scream Queens, it’s definitely cut from the same cloth. Let’s just say it wouldn’t be outlandish for the crew to respond to a call from Emma Roberts’ Chanel Oberlin. Isn’t that a cinematic universe you want to be part of?

9-1-1 returns with season 2 on Sunday, Sept. 23 after the NFL and airs Mondays at 9/8c on Fox.