6 Things We Need from 9-1-1 Season 6 After That Intense Premiere

While the latest season of 9-1-1 did not begin with a natural disaster or a major crisis threatening the lives of people in Los Angeles, the Fox procedural had no shortage of drama in Monday's fall premiere. With the characters all facing major life changes, including potential career shifts, hook-ups, and college admissions, we look at the biggest storylines and made a wishlist of what we'd like to see the show explore in its sixth season.

1. Athena and Bobby rushing to Athena's parents' side

More than three seasons after tying the knot in an intimate ceremony, Athena (Angela Bassett) and Bobby (Peter Krause) decided to go on their long-awaited honeymoon, which could only mean one thing in the 9-1-1 universe: Something was about to go terribly wrong. In the final moments of Monday's season premiere, Athena and Bobby, dressed in cruise attire, could only watch and listen in horror over FaceTime when Athena's father, Samuel (Henry G. Sanders), suffered a stroke and drove through the wall of his house, potentially severely injuring himself and Athena's mother, Beatrice (Beverly Todd).

With the fates of her parents now hanging in the balance, Athena (with Bobby in tow) will have to rush across the country, from California to Florida, to be at their side, and she will likely have to reckon with the reality that her elderly parents won't be around forever. Given the devastating performance that Bassett produced in her character's origin episode, "Athena Begins," the next couple of episodes could be fertile ground for another acting masterclass and a deeper exploration of Athena's relationships with her parents before it's too late.

2. Hen stepping into the role of interim captain of the 118, making a decision about her future

With Bobby supposedly on his honeymoon, the 118 is under new leadership for the first time in years. After Lucy (Arielle Kebbel) injured her ankle during a game of family football, Bobby had to scramble to find another person who could serve as the station's interim captain. In the end, he chose Hen (Aisha Hinds), who, despite her growing list of commitments as a dedicated wife, mother and medical student, decided to assume the responsibility of leading the tight-knit team in his absence. (After all, what's a little extra paperwork at the start and end of each day, if she's already there?) Hen does not take that responsibility lightly, but she will soon find herself at a crossroads; she will be forced to choose between staying at the 118 as a firefighter-paramedic or going to medical school full-time.

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3. Buck setting out on his own, hanging out with Eddie and Christopher outside of work

After breaking up with Taylor (Megan West) at the end of last season, Buck has been setting his sights on deciding what he wants both personally and professionally, even if, as Christopher (Gavin McHugh) quipped, he has not yet chosen a couch to replace the one that Taylor took when she moved out of his apartment. At the end of the premiere, Buck's decision to not buy a couch and, instead, move his armchair into the couch's place, shows—on a symbolic level—that he's ready to be alone for a little bit. With that being said, the writers have thankfully not forgotten about the most important relationships in Buck's life—including his inextricable connection with Eddie (Ryan Guzman) and Christopher, which is one of the cornerstones of the 9-1-1 franchise. (We need more Buckley-Diaz family dinner scenes!)

4. Eddie dealing with Christopher's desire to be more independent

With Christopher rapidly approaching his early teen years, Eddie will inevitably have to come to terms with his son's growing desire to become more independent and spend less time with him. It wouldn't be surprising if Eddie, who is always trying to be the best parent he can possibly be, asks the people around him—Bobby, Athena, or, let's face it, maybe even Buck—for advice about raising a teenager.

5. Maddie and Chimney growing back together

In one of the more heartfelt moments of the premiere, Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Chimney (Kenneth Choi)—who agreed to break up and share custody of their daughter after being separated for months due to Maddie's postpartum depression—reconnected in more ways than one. While there was some understandable confusion about what their one-night stand might mean for their immediate future, Maddie and Chimney were sure about one thing: They both wanted to give their relationship another shot. Their journey back to each other is far from over, though, and seeing them at couples' therapy could help to address some of the issues that led to their break-up in the first place.

6. May adjusting to life as a college freshman

After graduating from high school at the end of the third season, May (Corinne Massiah) took a gap year and worked full-time as a call-center operator—a decision that, she said, stemmed from her desire to protect first responders like her mother, Athena, in the field. But after losing her nemesis-turned-mentor Claudette (Vanessa Estelle Williams) in the devastating fire that destroyed the call center last season, May began to have a change of heart about her bright future. In the end, she decided to quit her job and enroll as a first-year student at the University of Southern California, where she wants the "full college experience" with random roommates and all, as she tells Athena in the premiere. (Truthfully, if 9-1-1 finds a way to incorporate her latest venture into the story this season, it will be a nice change of pace to see May interact with people her own age for a change.)

9-1-1 airs Mondays at 8/7c on FOX. Episodes are available to stream the next day on FOX Now or Hulu.