The Fox actress is back in front of the camera.The countdown is on: Season 5 of 9-1-1 is officially returning on March 21 and Jennifer Love Hewitt will be making her highly anticipated comeback as Maddie. But in case it seems too good to be true, the actress gave fans an exciting sneak peek of herself back on set.
Just days after Jennifer announced that she would be reappearing in the upcoming spring premiere, she took to her Instagram Stories on January 22 to show her reunion with fellow 9-1-1 costar Kenneth Choi, who plays her on-screen boyfriend, Chimney.
In the 15-second clip, Jennifer and Kenneth appeared to be taking a break from filming the procedural drama when she surprised him with a spontaneous video. After greeting viewers, Kenneth started dancing while Jennifer sung Peach & Herb’s “Reunited.” Before being called by the filming crew, they declared, “We’re back!”
As 9-1-1 fans know, Jennifer and Kenneth’s characters have been in limbo since the start of season 5. The fifth installment opened with Maddie’s postpartum depression worsening.
Shortly after, Kenneth arrived at work to find their newborn daughter and a video message from Maddie. “Jee is not safe with me, not now anyway,” she said. “I know that you’re going to take good care of her, and she’s better off without me. I love you. I love both of you, and I’m really sorry.”
Since that October 4 episode aired, viewers have caught glimpses of the former emergency dispatcher through phone calls to her brother, Buckley (Oliver Stark). Still, weeks went by without updates on Maddie’s whereabouts. Though Chimney eventually figured out where she was hiding, he was advised to “pull [himself together]” before approaching her.
While it’s not known how Maddie will return, there are several different ways this could go: 1) Chimney goes to see her and convinces her to come back with him, 2) Buckley brings Maddie home or 3) Maddie comes back on her own. Either way, there will be a lot to discuss between Chimney and Maddie about their future as both a couple and parents.
We’ll just have to tune in and watch what happens next. As for folks who’ve wondered why Maddie’s character is surrounded by lots of drama, showrunner Tim Minear gave TVLine an explanation. “I always see tweets from the fans that are like ‘Can’t they just have a nice dinner?!’” he told the outlet. “I’m not sure they realize what they’re asking for. If you want your favorite character to have a nice night in, it means they’re not going to be in the episode.”
Well, however her storyline is set to play out (good or bad), we’re more than ready for it!