‘9-1-1’ Character Suffers Panic Attack in Tonight’s Episode

Jennifer Love Hewitt‘s Maddie Han is back to work in Thursday’s all-new episode of 9-1-1, but returning to the dispatcher’s desk won’t be easy.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for 9-1-1 Season 8.

In a trailer for Thursday’s new episode, “Disconnected,” Maddie appears to suffer a panic attack as she returns to work following her terrifying abduction earlier this season. An official synopsis for the episode reads, “Maddie’s return to work proves to be more triggering than expected, as she may have returned too soon. As Eddie (Ryan Guzman) struggles to adapt to his new surroundings, Christopher (Gavin McHugh) discovers him in an unfamiliar situation.”

Fans tuning into the current season of the hit ABC drama will recall that Maddie was kidnapped by her former colleague and serial killer, Detective Braeburn (Abigail Spencer). Suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder and fearing that Maddie would uncover her crimes, Braeburn took Maddie hostage. While Maddie managed to survive the ordeal, she’s still struggling to come to terms with what happened.

“I think that every mark of trauma that’s left on Maddie sticks, and I think this one will stay with her for a long time and she will have to deal with it just like she’s had to deal with everything else and the aftermath,” Hewitt told TVGuide of her character’s journey this season. “And honestly, I don’t know how the audience is going to watch these two episodes and not also be left with a mark of trauma. When I said that it was the craziest thing I’ve done on the show, it’s truly the craziest thing I’ve ever done on the show — and I had to shake it off when we were done.”

Throughout the remainder of Season 8, Hewitt’s Maddie will continue to struggle with more than just the emotional scars of the ordeal – she will deal with the physical scars as well. Maddie has been left with a large, visible scar on her neck from when Braeburn slashed her throat.

“We’re playing like five weeks or something has transpired [since the attack]. That’s stated explicitly in the next episode. Her hair is longer, it’s a little bit different,” 9-1-1 showrunner Tim Minear told TVLine, adding that Maddie’s scar “can’t go away…She’s not talking so much about the physical scar yet. It’s more about the emotional scars, the psychic scars she’s been left with.”

New episodes of 9-1-1 air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Episodes are available to stream next day on Hulu.