Season 10 of 9-1-1 kicks off with a literal bang: a volcano erupts in downtown Los Angeles, sending lava down the streets and forcing the crew at Station 118 to save the city—and Athena, naturally. It's a spectacle of epic proportions, but it's also the latest in a long line of disaster movie homages that are starting to feel less like fun nods and more like a creative crutch.
The show has been mining Hollywood's disaster film catalog for years. Season 2's earthquake echoed Earthquake (1974), Season 3's tsunami borrowed from 2012 and San Andreas, and Season 4's dam break was another Earthquake riff. Season 5's blackout was more grounded, but Season 6's blimp disaster had shades of Black Sunday. Then Season 7 went all-in with a Poseidon Adventure homage, and Season 8 tripled down with a bee-nado and an Airport 1975 scenario. Now we have a volcano, and the well is running dry.
Showrunner Tim Minear has admitted he's inspired by the golden age of disaster films, particularly Irwin Allen's. He even got permission from Allen's estate to use The Poseidon Adventure. But Allen's own career fizzled out with duds like The Swarm and When Time Ran Out, and 9-1-1 is heading down a similar path. The gimmick is becoming a caricature.
The problem isn't just the absurdity—it's that the show used to balance spectacle with heart. The earlier disasters felt grounded and allowed characters to shine. Now, the events are so over-the-top that they overshadow the human drama. Season 8's bee-nado was fun, but it felt like a gimmick. Season 9's space storm was even more ridiculous, saved only by Angela Bassett's performance. And now, a volcano? It's time for a change.
Instead of looking backward, 9-1-1 should create original disaster scenarios that feel epic without being direct rip-offs. Or, if they must borrow, there's one Irwin Allen classic they haven't touched: The Towering Inferno. A high-rise fire is credible, grounded, and would give the cast a chance to shine. It could restore some credibility to a show that's been blown out by its own volcano.
For fans who love a good binge, check out some masterful miniseries that need only 8 episodes or less for a tighter storytelling fix. Or if you're in the mood for more TV drama, Tracker Season 4 needs to fix its supporting cast problem—a different kind of show struggling with its own issues.
Ultimately, 9-1-1 needs to evolve before it becomes a parody of itself. The disaster movie well is dry, and it's time to dig a new one.
