‘9-1-1’: Aisha Hinds Says Hen Is Still Hurt by Betrayal, Plus What’s Next to Save Athena & Bobby

[Warning: The following contains major spoilers for 9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 2 “Rock the Boat.”]

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Hen (Aisha Hinds) in the seven seasons of 9-1-1

so far, it’s to trust her instincts. The latest episode calls that into question—twice! First, on a call, a man causes a car accident that injures a mother and daughter—he gets up and talks—and refuses to provide care. Then he suddenly collapses. As the team leader while Bobby (Peter Krause) is away, the blame falls on Hen. During the investigation, she’s unofficially suspended. It seems to her that Chimney (Kenneth Choi), Buck (Oliver Stark), and Eddie (Ryan Guzman) aren’t on her side. She’s been cleared of the charges (toxicology results show the man was drunk and on drugs), but she has a new concern at the moment: news of a storm where Athena (Angela Bassett) and Bobby’s cruise ship was supposed to be—it’s missing. She’s determined to find them, even if the LAFD wants her back at work. She’d better hurry: The last time we saw the ship, it was capsized.

Below, Hinds talks about Hen’s decisions, her love for Hen’s relationships with Karen (Tracie Thoms) and Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), and more.

I like that Hen has shown that she can be a captain. She’s good at it. It’s just a matter of whether or not she wants to.

Aisha Hinds: I totally agree. I feel like that comes naturally to her and she has great instincts that fit what the job description requires, and every kind of emergency or situation sharpens those instincts or challenges them.

She was really challenged by what happened on this call and was clearly hurt by, as she calls them, the three Judas, and felt like they didn’t have her back. Is that something she still feels at the end of the episode and will continue to feel in future episodes?

Yes. She still feels that way because obviously she’s going to look at these people like, “Hey, you should know me,” and like I think anyone who’s invested in Hen, you learn to trust that she knows what she’s talking about, including her. When you have the opportunity where other people are doubting her, it leads to her doubting herself. And so I think that was something that was a little painful for her, to feel like these people who were part of her family were thinking that she didn’t make the right decision at that time.

I love that Hen realized that something was wrong with Athena’s trip and Bobby gave us the Hen and Maddie scene because the show needed more of those scenes.

More of those scenes. Look, Jennifer Love Hewitt and I had a romance that had the opportunity to work together more. We petitioned for more Hen and Maddie scenes. It was a couple that I think we didn’t know we needed in this entire show. And here we are exploring this new relationship, there have been glimpses of it in previous seasons, but it’s always been connected to Chimney. I think you’re starting to see their connection, their relationship and how well they work together and with each other.