Sumith Prasad
The premiere of ‘9-1-1’ season 5 wasn’t a nice affair for the admirers of Maddie Buckley. The episode depicts Maddie struggling with postpartum depression upon the birth of Jee-Yun. Even though her partner Chimney offers his help, she dismisses him saying it’s not his job. She also assures him that she will take care of the situation. But in episode 3, she astounds Chimney by leaving him and Jee-Yun after expressing her worries over her own mental health. With Maddie’s absence, fans of the show are curious about Jennifer Love Hewitt’s future in the show. Let’s find out what’s in store Jennifer and her character Maddie!
What Happened to Maddie Buckley?
The birth of Jee-Yun changes the dynamics of Maddie and Chimney’s lives severely. From the start of season 5, Maddie struggles hard with postpartum depression and shows symptoms of her condition, such as oversleeping. Even when her conditions worsen, she prefers not to bother Chimney. In episode 3 of the fifth season, she leaves Chimney and Jee-Yun without informing her partner beforehand. She realizes that Jee-Yun is in better hands when she is with Chimney and fears that her daughter will not be safe with her.
Maddie drops Jee-Yun at the firehouse with a message to Chimney. In the message, she informs him that she is not in danger and she is doing this at her own discretion as she finds herself incapable to look after their daughter. She apologizes to him after expressing her love towards Chimney and their daughter. As Maddie departs from her family without informing her possible return, fans of the show must be concerned about Maddie ever reappearing in the show. So, is Jennifer Love Hewitt exiting the show? Let’s find out!
Is Jennifer Love Hewitt Leaving 9-1-1?
Maddie’s departure from him startled Chimney severely. In her absence, he tries to figure out the motivation behind Maddie’s decision and finds out that Buck knew of her decision. The turn of events makes him take off in search of his partner. In episode 5 of season 5, Maddie calls Buck to inform him that she is not ready yet to come back even though she is aware that Chimney is looking for her, indicating her absence from the show for a long period.
However, there are no official announcements from Fox or Jennifer Love Hewitt concerning Maddie’s supposed departure from the show. Maddie’s postpartum depression struggles and her absence can be because of Jennifer’s unavailability, as the actress was welcoming her third child, Aidan James, in September 2021. The recent developments in Maddie’s story arc allow Jennifer to take time off for her maternal duties and to rest before resuming her career. Even though the character’s absence resulted in disappointment to the fans, Maddie may return to the show once Jennifer is ready for it. Considering these factors, we believe that Jennifer Love Hewitt is likely to continue featuring in ‘9-1-1.’
When Jennifer supposedly returns to the show, we can expect Chimney to convince Maddie to return to Los Angeles and live with himself and their daughter. We can also hope that she will recover from her depression in the meantime. If that’s the case, we can eagerly wait for Maddie to return to her beloved daughter, partner, and brother soon.
Read More: Why Did Rockmond Dunbar’s Michael Grant Leave 9-1-1?
