"Athena Begins" is the seventh episode of the third season of 9-1-1, and the thirty-fifth episode overall. It aired on November 4, 2019.
Synopsis[]
When a murder weapon from a case close to Athena in the early '90s resurfaces, flashbacks to 1989 show how Athena joined the LAPD and became the police officer she is today.
Plot[]
Athena goes to the house of the suspect Dennis Jenkins. A young child answers the door, before his father comes up and dismisses him while Athena watches. It did not take long for Dennis to realize she was a cop and he reveals he is an advocate for at-risk kids, asking if any of them were in trouble. However, she reveals that she came for the robbery in '91 and he realizes the situation, inviting her in.
Dennis takes out the picture of his sketch poster and reveals that he figured out her identity from Emmett's obituary and deduces she is Athena Carter, Emmett's fiancé. She confirms and demands to know what caused the murder. Breaking into tears, Dennis reveals in those days he was a drug addict who was only focused on getting high and the night of the murder was a desperate way to get money for his next fix. A flashback shows a young Dennis robbing the store and impatiently attacking the clerk, before Emmett tried to intervene. Dennis states that he doesn't remember pulling the trigger before he realized someone else was there. After Emmett fell dead, a panicked Dennis fled the scene and learned the days after it was a cop he killed. He reveals after he was hospitalized and that he spent months hiding out of fear of being recognized once the poster was released.
Athena asks why he didn't turn himself in since the accident, Dennis explained he saw it as a second chance and had gotten clean from drugs, have a family, become a member of church, and even won several awards for helping at-risk kids. She said to him that Emmett would be impressed with the life he has built but for her, she can't look past the fact that he built it on the back of a dead man. Dennis then said to Athena that she has carried his burden for almost 30 years and it's time for him to take it back. Dennis tells his family of his situation and shares one final loving moment before telling Athena that he's ready. She then handcuffs him and brought him to the station and watched as he confessed before he is officially processed for his crimes.
Later that day, Athena went to see Ms. Washington, Emmett's mother who is surprised to see her after so long and questions her visit. Athena simply tells her that they've made the arrest. After getting the closure she needed, when she got home, she finally broke down in Bobby's arms as he held her. As a result of investigating the case on her own, Athena was temporarily suspended from duty.
Cast[]
Starring[]
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Guest Starring[]
Co-Starring[]
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Continuity[]
- The disappearance of Tanya Kingston is referenced again.
Trivia[]
- Only 7 out of the 11 main cast members appeared in this episode.
- This episode is Athena Grant centric.
- It is revealed Athena was engaged before she got with Michael Grant.
- There were no 9-1-1 emergency calls made in the present day.
- Angela Bassett helped in casting Pepi Sonuga as the younger Athena.[2]
- The police beating watched by Athena and Beatrice was the beating of Rodney King
Multimedia[]
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