A Gross 9-1-1 Injustice That No One Is Talking About Is On Full Display During Harry's First Day At The 118

Warning! Spoilers ahead for 9-1-1 season 9, episode 10, "Handle with Care."

A lot has happened during Harry's first day with the 118, but subtly, it highlights a gross injustice in the 9-1-1 that barely anyone is talking about. It's a new era for ABC's first-responder series in more ways than one. The death of Bobby in 9-1-1 season 8 resulted in a series of events that changes the status quo in the Los Angeles firehouse.

The first half of 9-1-1 season 9 has been focused on the show moving on from the massive loss that they collectively experienced last year. Major characters dealt with their respective grief while ABC also started planting plot seeds for its future. The latter included revamping the 118, with Chimney officially taking over as captain, followed by Harry joining the squad.

Chimney's Coddling Harry Highlights How Unfairly Treated Ravi Has Been

On Harry's first day with the 118, Chimney is understandably nervous about handling a newcomer — especially someone who is extremely important to both Bobby and Athena. To cope with that, he starts being overprotective towards his new probie, as if trying to keep him away from harm will lessen the dangers of the job that Harry willingly entered. Amid this, however, Chimney relegates the job that is traditionally for the youngest member of the crew to Ravi, including grabbing their morning coffee.

Granted that this is by no means Harry's fault and Ravi was the youngest member of the 118 before Bobby's step-son joined the 118, the arc is a reminder of how unfairly treated Anirudh Pisharody has been on 9-1-1. For starters, he is still billed as a "guest star," when he's a recurring character at the very least. If anything, he should be a series regular, considering that he is now officially a 118 firefighter. Secondly, Ravi has been sidelined for most of his time on the procedural, only ever getting the spotlight when his presence is used to move other people's plots.

Why Ravi Deserves To Be A Series Regular On 9-1-1

As Harry's arc as a proper firefighter begins, expect that he will continue to be at the center of 9-1-1's storytelling as the 2025-2026 TV cycle progresses. While this is exciting, considering how someone with a background like him offers a fresh perspective to the show, his narrative shouldn't come at the expense of other people's story, particularly Ravi's. There's still so much to explore about his character that doesn't involve being a supporting player to his co-workers.

ABC should start with officially acknowledging Ravi as an important part of the show by promoting him as a series regular. At this point, Pisharody appears on 9-1-1 as frequently as the rest of the cast. He's an official part of Chimney's 118 and was even part of the call that killed Bobby. From there, the procedural can further develop the character, perhaps with his own "Begins" narrative.

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