‘9-1-1’s Jennifer Love Hewitt Reflects On Maddie And Chimney’s “Perfect” Wedding (And Doug’s Terrifying Return)

Six seasons and 86 episodes after Maddie first told Buck she thought Chimney was “so cute,” the 9-1-1 dispatcher and firefighter paramedic are finally getting married. Before 9-1-1 fans get their highly-anticipated Madney wedding, however, they’ll have to survive more of the show’s quintessential chaos, drama, and unpredictable emergencies.

“For me, Maddie and Chimney — their journey is fated to always be this reminder for them that no matter what, they will always come back together and they will always be OK. And that’s what the episode is really,” 9-1-1 star Jennifer Love Hewitt, who plays Maddie, told Decider over Zoom ahead of her character’s big day.

Aptly titled, “There Goes the Groom,” the wedding special kicks off with Chimney (Kenneth Choi) mysteriously missing his Bachelor party, only to no-show his massive wedding ceremony the next day. As the 118 races to find him, viewers learn he’s developed viral encephalitis, forgotten 20 years of his life, and — oh yeah! — is battling hallucinations of Maddie’s abusive ex husband Doug (Brian Hallisay), who she stabbed to death back in Season 2.

“When I heard that we were going to get married this season I thought that [Doug] would come back for Maddie. I thought that I would have a dream about him or something, because it’s the only other time she’s been married, and obviously it didn’t go great. So I was like, ‘I wonder if Doug is going to come back for that,'” Hewitt told Decider. “When I heard that he was actually going to come back, but he was coming back in Chimney’s mind, I was like, ‘Well, that’s brilliant. Because you would never expect it.’ I think the way that he was used in the episode is so cool, because Doug is darkness and he is sickness in people, and he sticks with you in that way. And so I think Chimney having to fight him to get back to himself, to then get back to Maddie, is a really cool journey.”

In callbacks to Doug’s Season 2 arc, he returns to screen in a Santa hat and sweater wielding a knife and stabbing Chimney. Later on, his face appears bloody, just as it was when Maddie was fighting for her life, and as Chimney experiences waves of flashbacks, Doug flexes his master manipulation tactics to further mess with his head. “She left you, man. She stayed with me longer and I was kicking the crap out of her,” Doug says. “Everything you have you stole from someone else…You screwed around with a married woman, stole her from the man she was meant to be with. You cant even remember her name.” The 9-1-1 villain urges Chimney to go to sleep and surrender to his illness, but an angelic vision of the Chim’s late brother, Kevin Lee (James Chen), encourages him to keep fighting. Thankfully, he does.

Madney’s Wedding Episode Was A Real Family Affair

While Doug is known as Maddie’s nightmare ex on 9-1-1, he’s played by Hewitt’s real-life husband, which means Hallisay’s return to set garnered an added layer of excitement. “As Brian’s wife in real life, and [him being] the father of my children, I was super psyched that he got to come back. The kids were so excited, but they love Kenny, so they were like, ‘Wait, you’re gonna do what to Kenny in the episode?'” Hewitt said with a chuckle. “They weren’t happy about that, but they love that he got to come back and be scary. And the crew and cast were so happy to see him again, so it was fun for our family.”

Since Doug’s Season 2 demise, Hallisay returned in several episodes via archive footage, plus a fresh guest appearance in Buck’s Season 6 coma dream. As for whether we’ve seen the last of Doug now that he and Chimney have faced off, Hewitt admits she and Hallisay are keeping that door open.

“I think Doug never goes away. But I think that’s trauma, right? And Doug is trauma. So no, I don’t think we ever assume that Doug is gone forever,” she told Decider. “I hope he gets to come back, because again, it’s fun for us when he does. He loves playing that character. [And] I love that he’s always coming back in a way that people don’t expect.”

After Chimney ditches Doug, he lands himself a three-week stay in the hospital and asks Maddie to get hitched there. While the Season 7, Episode 6 previews teased an elaborate ceremony at a stunning oceanside venue, the two opt for an intimate, impromptu hospital wedding with close family and friends officiated by Bobby (Peter Krause). “They think it’s gonna be one thing and they get completely torn apart in these totally different scenarios — but at the end, they come back together and they’re with the people that they love the most. It is the most intimate, lovely little moment,” Hewitt said.

Though some fans may wish Madney got to go all out for their nuptials, the unconventional setting felt right to Hewitt. “Why wouldn’t they get married at the hospital? Why would that be what would happen? It’s perfect. I mean, it just makes total sense for them. It really does.”

Lose A Buddie Karaoke Scene, Gain A Madney Karaoke Scene Nod

Also on the chopping block? The episode’s hyped-up karaoke scene between Buck (Oliver Stark) and Eddie (Ryan Guzman). The cut scene is a huge loss for Buddie stans, but on the bright side, the episode features another magical music moment courtesy of Hewitt. As a nod to Madney’s fan-favorite Season 2 karaoke scene, the singer recorded a special cover of their song, “Islands in the Stream,” as “a wedding gift” for Choi and showunner Tim Minear, who loved the ballad so much he had Maddie walk down the hospital hallway to it.

“Kenny loves to listen to music to help him prep for his emotional pain. When I heard what the episode was I knew that he was going to be listening to music, and I was like ‘This is Maddie and Chimney, this song.’ And there hasn’t been a ballad version of that song done,” Hewitt shared. “Nick Marzock and I recorded it and sent it to them, and Kenny listened to it every single scene of us filming, because it was my voice and it brought him back to Maddie. He listened to it during our wedding ceremony and all of that stuff. Then Tim really liked it and put it in the episode, which was secretly my hope, that it would somehow end up there.”

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No matter what the ceremony looks like, Hewitt is overjoyed that Maddie and Chimney finally tied the knot, and that she and Choi hit another major milestone in their friendship.

“I think that we both root for Maddie and Chimney as much as the audience does. It’s really special for us as being one of the older couples on the show. We’re not in our twenties. We’re not the heartthrobs of 9-1-1 or anything. We’re just the dorky, in love couple on the show. So it’s really special for us that people root for us the way that they do, cause that doesn’t happen very often. We feel really, really grateful,” she said. “Kenny in real life is a gift that came to me… He’s sunshine. He truly is. He makes work so easy and so fun. We’re besties in real life. He’s also the most amazing uncle to both of my kids in real life. They call him Uncle Kenny. And he and Brian are really good friends off camera, so he’s like family to me. And I think because we feel that way, we bring that to Maddie and Chimney and maybe that’s what people feel that’s different about our little connection than people you might see on other shows.”

Hewitt’s Hopes For 9-1-1 Season 7 (And Beyond)

With four episodes left in Season 7 and an early Season 8 pickup, Hewitt has high hopes for Madney and the popular procedural’s future.

“I hope that we will always explore Maddie’s trauma. That sounds awful to say, but I do hope that, because the more that she can be in these blissful happy pockets, but still have that stuff come up that’s in her, that was a part of who she is, the realer that storyline seems,” she told Decider. “It makes it seem less like it was just for TV show purposes and more like a full-fledged human. And I do think that there are so many people out there that have had bits and pieces of Maddie’s story, and it’s important for them to see it continue on because that’s real.”

Since her on-screen brother’s bisexuality became a major Season 7 arc, Hewitt also hopes that Maddie and Buck will explore that realization beyond their heartwarming coming out scene. “I’m excited for Oliver as an actor, but I’m really excited for Buck, because I think he’s a person that has never quite settled into who he is. And if this is who he is, it’s beautiful,” Hewitt said. “I was so happy Maddie felt that way, because that’s how I would feel. And I’m really happy that she’s there for him. In Season 8, the actor hopes Maddie gets to “understand what all that means, be in that with [Buck], and get to know Tommy better.”

With catastrophe after catastrophe, showrunner Tim Minear once told Kenneth Choi, “If you guys are happy, then you’re off the show,” noting that character drama is what propels 9-1-1‘s plot. That said, for the rest of Season 7, Madney fans can breathe a sigh of relief.

“They’re pretty solid. They do deserve it, but it’s kind of shocking to say. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it has not dropped yet and we’re almost done,” Hewitt said. “I think they’re just going to be good for a moment, which is nice for Madney fans. But we’ll see what Season 8 brings…”

New episodes of 9-1-1 premiere Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC with next-day streaming on Hulu.