It’s rare that a TV show gives a look at what makes a marriage work. For all its ridiculous storylines when it comes to the calls, 911 does one thing right. It has made Hen and Karen a couple to root for.
Over the course of eight seasons so far, we’ve seen Hen and Karen face highs and lows. It all started with Hen cheating, and it’s grown to a fight for their foster care license back and to expand their family. Throughout it all, we’ve seen how Hen and Karen have been able to make it work.
Hen and Karen show that communication is key in 911
Lack of communication is a death knell in a relationship. As couples stop talking, they stop listening to each other. They stop paying attention, and eventually, they stop caring. It leads to all sorts of issues.
And yes, Hen and Karen had these issues at the start of the series. Hen did the unthinkable and had an affair, although regretted it shortly after. As much as I would have loved to see Karen just walk away, I’m glad she didn’t. She found a way to trust Hen again.
Now, the two have shown that communication is key. In the most recent episode, “Masks,” Karen could have held her thoughts about Hen working on Halloween. She could have grown more and more resentful. It was a difficult conversation, but Karen and Hen had it. They talked about why Hen worked the big holidays and that it was meant for the whole family.
While Karen realized that she was glad Hen was there to save Denny, it’s still a conversation to have. Even first responders need to have some holidays off. They can’t work every single year.
Scary moments just intensify their love for each other
A lot of shows will have a couple arguing constantly and almost breaking up, only for a big moment to pull them together. It’s an easy way to create drama and then relief, right? Well, 911 has done things differently throughout the seasons.
Yes, we had the drama of Karen wanting Hen to take Halloween off, but in episodes before this, we’ve seen things play out differently. When Karen’s life was on the line, Hen was trying to figure out how to balance everything. Karen and Hen had some disagreements, but nothing where we thought their marriage would come to an end. Karen was just there to help Hen see that life wasn’t sustainable.
And then Karen almost lost her life. Hen realized what was important to her, intensifying her love for Karen. This scary moment also intensified Karen’s love for Hen. This wasn’t about reigniting sparks because those sparks were never really gone. It was about showing just how much they always love each other.
They’ve supported rather than blamed each other in 911
When Councilwoman Ortiz used her connections to take away Karen and Hen’s foster license, it would have been easy for Karen to put the blame on Hen. After all, Ortiz was going after Hen specifically. She blamed Hen for her son’s death, and she wanted to make her pay.
Sure, it would have been irrational to blame Hen, but a lot of TV shows give us that sort of storyline for the drama. 911 did it differently. It made Hen and Karen stronger as a couple. They worked together to figure out what they could do. They leaned on each other for support.
Tragedy and hardship can do one of two things to couples: break them or make them. It’s made Karen and Hen. Even all the way back to when Hen shared that Denny would be part of her life, the hardship made them who they are today.
When you need to see what makes a marriage work, it’s worth turning to Hen and Karen in 911. They really are couple goals.
911 airs Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC. Catch up the following day on Hulu.