REVIEW: ABC’s 9–1–1 On TikTok In 14 Parts While You Rot In Bed
Welcome to the new age of television!
The Network TV drama has never been better than 9–1–1, specifically 9–1–1 on TikTok in 14 parts while you rot in bed.
9–1–1, which has enjoyed a 7 season run on ABC, has found new life on the medium defining Chinese owned app TikTok. The brainchild of seasoned television creators Ryan Murphy (Glee), Brad Falchuk (famously married to Gwyneth Paltrow), and Tim Minear (the real Showrunner), 9–1–1 follows the lives of Los Angeles first responders, those who come when you dial eponymous numbers.
The show stars “Wait, is that Angela Bassett?” as Athena, who is surrounded by a lush and much more diverse than real life cast of brave first responders in the Los Angeles metro area.
The melodrama is perfect on TikTok. The 43 minute episodes are divided into fourteen 3 minute chunks, each scene break becomes its own cliffhanger. The clip ends with a “follow for art 3” caption. You didn’t realize this was part two and haven’t seen part one. You are watching this episode out of order, you are re-editing the episode like a Christopher Nolan movie.
The dimensions are obviously different, you watch the video vertically even though the screen is horizontal, shrinking the image to the size of your thumb. The new watch experience is akin to the WORLDSTAR fight videos.
Now we get to the creme de la creme of the new format. The waiting. You have to wait for the uploader, whose account name is username7879679, to upload the next part. And part 13 isn’t uploaded yet, which is the climax of the episode.
How will Bassett’s Angela get off the sinking cruise ship in time for her anniversary dinner? You will wait upwards of three months and then when you have just forgotten about it, BAM, it is there on your For You Page. You finally finish the episode just to start the process all over again. Sisyphus may have a boulder but you have the TV network drama.
This may just be how we consume media now. On our phone where we are editor, director, critic, and audience.
Either way it’s the best way to watch the same three episodes of 9–1–1 or Law & Order: SVU or Greys Anatomy or Law & Order: Organized Crime or Station 19 or S.W.A.T or Law and Order: Criminal Intent or Chicago Fire or Chicago Med or Chicago PD or 9–1–1 Lone Star or NCIS: Hawaii or New Amsterdam or The Rookie or ER or NCIS: New Orleans or FBI or FBI: Most Wanted or FBI: International or Blue Bloods or Criminal Minds or Hill Street Blues or LA Law or Cop Rock.
NEXT REVIEW: Unauthorized Flag Day TikTok Musical Wins Tony for Best Musical.
