9-1-1Season 8’s opening emergency was advertised as “bee-nado,” triggered by the escape of millions of bees. The emergency began in the season premiere, led to several other emergencies, and inEpisode 2, directly causedthe plane emergencythat concluded in Episode 3. The narrative did not show what happened to the bees after the threat from the plane escalated.
9-1-1’s showrunner,Tim Minear, clarified on his Facebook account that there was a shift in priorities between him and the network where they justifiably advertisedbee-nado as the main emergencywhen he was gunning forAirport ‘75. Due to the constraints of broadcast television, he could not explain outright what happened with the bees since the scene he intended to use ended up being cut to keep the episode’s length at acceptable levels.
How Bee-Nado Ended In ‘9-1-1’ Season 8.
“So I’ve been asked, ‘What happened to the bees?’ Not by a lot of people. Still. The last bee is swatted casually by Athena in 802,” he began with some of his signature humor. “Airport ‘75 was always where I was going with this opening. The bees are the catalyst for the crash.” the showrunner revealed.
“There was a news clip I couldn’t fit into [Episode] 801 saying that the heatwave the city was experiencing was sending the bees higher and the crisis was over. But because of time, couldn’t fit it in, and it came right before the buzzsaw scene where Buck basically says the same thing,” Minear explained what happened to the bees.
“Anyway, the fact the network made the (brilliant) choice to advertise this season as “Bee-nado” was not my idea. I think it worked a treat. There is an unspoken rule that it’s unwise and disrespectful to advertise airline disasters as big entertainment in the month of September, for reasons I should not have to explain. So leading with the bees made the most sense,” he clarified. “Loving being at A-BEE-C!” Minear concluded, showing appreciation forthe network that saved the show.
Withthe three-episode opener done, the show now pivots to episodic emergencies andcharacter arcs. In9-1-1Season 8, Episode 4, “Nothing Like Home,” Hen and Councilwoman Ortiz’s feud is revisited as the latter tries to keep the former from bringing Mara home. Meanwhile, the 118 responds to bizarre emergencies featuring a twisted cheerleader and an undomesticated tiger.
Watch the episode on ABC on Thursday, October 17, and catch up with past episodes on Hulu.
WATCH ON HULU
