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‘9-1-1’ Boss on ‘Christmas Angel’-Like Introduction to Maddie’s Abusive Ex – And That Surprise Casting

”My feeling was, certain members of the audience, their antennas are gonna go up immediately,“ Tim Minear tells TheWrap

Jennifer Maas | November 26, 2018 @ 7:01 PM
9-1-1

Jack Zeman / FOX

(Warning: This post contains spoilers for Monday’s midseason finale of “9-1-1” Season 2.)

“9-1-1” dove into one of its biggest emergencies yet on the Season 2 fall finale Monday night: We met Maddie’s abusive ex-husband Doug in the final moments of the episode, just as everyone’s Christmas seemed so merry and bright.

Tim Minear, the first-responder drama’s showrunner, spoke with TheWrap ahead of the episode to explain how he decided to reveal the man who has haunted Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt). He also explained why he cast Hewitt’s real-life husband, Brian Hallisay, in the part.

Also Read: '9-1-1' Showrunner Tells Us If That Proposal Will Survive Past the Holidays

“Well, to be honest with you, I gave Brian Hallisay his first job at least 10 years ago on a show I did for Fox called ‘The Inside,'” Minear said. “It was literally his first network show acting gig. And I thought he was great. So when I realized that Jennifer was married to Brian, and then in talking to Brian again, I realized that — why not? I always thought he was a great actor and he just seemed right for the part. So it wasn’t any kind of shock guest star. It was nothing like that. I thought he would be great for this. So it was serendipitous.”

Doug is introduced to the audience early on in the episode, when Chimney (Kenneth Choi) “accidentally” meets him multiple times.

Also Read: Here's the Formula '9-1-1' Uses to Plot Each Episode's Emergencies

But it takes a while before you realize the truth about the ultra-helpful guy who lends Howie the money to buy for a copy of “Die Hard” and advises him on the perfect Christmas tree. Sadly, he turns out to be the man who caused Maddie to flee to Los Angeles to build a new life at the start of Season 2.

The reveal comes right at the end of the episode, when we see a flashback to Maddie crying on the ground next to a wrecked Christmas tree, with blood on her face and Doug telling her she didn’t make it “perfect” and someday she’ll get it right.

Then we cut to Doug sitting in his car outside Maddie’s house, holding Chimney’s wallet, which he clearly stole.

Minear said he wanted to make viewers think Doug was too good to be true.

Also Read: Back to Murphyland? Connie Britton Tells Us If She'll Return to '9-1-1' or 'American Horror Story'

“That ‘magical helper’ was exactly the feel I was going for,” Minear said. “Kind of ‘The Bishop’s Wife,’ Christmas-angel thing.”

“My feeling was, certain members of the audience, their antennas are gonna go up immediately, and for me that’s fine,” he added. “And then for other members of the audience they are going to be like, ‘Why is this guy in the story?’ And then we hit them with the train.'”

“9-1-1” Season 2 will return at midseason on Fox.

Ryan Murphy's '9-1-1' Emergencies Ranked, From Weird to Wild to WTF? (Photos)

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Snakes, planes and pipes — oh my!

Abby Clark (Connie Britton) answered some crazy emergency calls on the first season of Ryan Murphy's "9-1-1." But now it's Jennifer Love Hewitt's turn to deal with people's bonkers problems. Because Hewitt is about to take over Britton's headset as Maddie -- a new dispatcher in the emergency call center and our new leading lady after Abby's exit at the end of Season 1 -- TheWrap decided to rank a few of the most mindbogglingly injuries and incidents we've seen on Fox emergency-responder procedural so far. Don't worry Maddie, based on the previews for the Season 2 premiere this Sunday, we're sure there is still plenty of bizarre cases waiting for you this year.

Also Read: ‘9-1-1’ Showrunner on Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Big Entrance and if We’ll Be Waiting for Abby Forever

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