When 9-1-1 Season 9 opened this week, we already knew one thing that was about to got down in the episode. Athena Grant-Nash doesn’t do “ordinary.” And sure enough, this episode turned her space adventure into something so personal and emotional that it felt like we were watching her heart float out there among the stars. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe big question here though for Episode 4 of 9-1-1 Season 9 was simple: Would Athena and Hen make it back to Earth alive? The answer (spoiler alert!) is yes, but not before Athena literally takes a walk in space to find something even bigger than survival, herself.Episode 4 of 9-1-1 Season 9 was the grand finale of the space arc, and it wasn't just about space suits and floating debris. It was about pain, healing, and letting go and surely enough it was done in true 9-1-1 Season 9 style.A world on pause, and Athena lost among the stars in Episode 4 of 9-1-1 Season 9We start right where things left off in the previous episode where we got to see chaos unfold everwhere both above and below. Back on Earth, we had the hospitals overflowing and so we saw people showing up at firehouses instead. May was the one who was handling it all like a pro, proving yet again that she's her mom's daughter through and through.Maddie and Karen returned with news that was half good and half scary for Chimney and that was that Hen and Athena had made it to the ISS, but no one knew if they'd survive up there.Meanwhile, up in space, the debris field had already done its damage. The International Space Station was barely hanging on, communication with NASA was cut off, and the escape pod could only take four people. So, of course, everyone started thinking about who would stay behind. This is classic 9-1-1 Season 9 so far.Kern, who is the tech genius, worked nonstop to fix the pod, while Athena and Hen tried to stay calm about the situation. However, after all of this, there was a catch. There's always a catch. Someone needed to go outside the station to fix the robotic arm.Hen was the one who came forward and volunteered first because that's who she is. She's all courage and no hesitation. But, Athena's heart was already stirring, and we very well know that she wasn't going to let her friend risk it all.While all of that tension was being built on in zero gravity, Episode 4 of 9-1-1 Season 9 cleverly took us back to Athena and her earlier cop days where she was still trying to figure out who she wanted to be. We see her at a dinner with her partner McCluskey, having a conversation about life and love and how things take a wild turn.We're taken back to the time when we see a man pay for her food and knows way too much about her and that's how she meets Michael Grant. But this isn't just any flashback just for the sake of it, it also ties into the person we know as Athena today.The hero who doesn’t think she is oneIf 9-1-1 Season 9 has taught us anything so far, it's got to be how Athena's idea of a hero is different from everyone else's. While most people see her as fearless and unstoppable, she does not always believe in it herself.In those flashbacks, a younger Athena and McCluskey chase down a suspicious armored truck that's connected to a shooting. What starts off as a small and tiny detour, becomes a full-blown gunfight, and like every 9-1-1 action scene, it is wild, it's fast, and it's heartbreaking.Athena's partner ends up being shot, and even though she tries to do everything that is needed, she cannot seem to save him. The loss she faced back then sticks to her like solid glue, which in turn has shaped who she is today.When we cut to the present and we see Athena now in space, we see her hearing the voice of every single loss she's ever had to face. Be it, Emmett, Bobby, and now maybe even herself. We know that Hen is ready to go out there and fix the damage, but Athena is the one who stops her from doing so.We see Athena tell Hen that she's got a "family" and we see Athena pull on the NASA suit herself. This is the Athena we know today. She's selfless, she's brave and most importantly, she's the woman who's broken on the inside. She calls herself selfish, but we know that it's the most selfless move she's decided to now make.And then, we see her step out into space. The stars are twinkling and the Earth, well it looks the smallest it's ever looked. And for the very first time, Athena admit's that she's not sure she wants to make it back. It's sad but it's honest and perhaps one of the most human scenes 9-1-1 has ever had.When the past and present collide in Episode 4 of 9-1-1 Season 9Athena's spacewalk in Episode 4 of 9-1-1 Season 9 turns into something that is vastly surreal. It turns into a conversation between two versions of her own self. The younger Athena. she's all filled with fire and fight and light and the older Athena? Yeah, she's exhausted from carrying everyone else's pain and plight. It's like she's finally asking herself what's the point of surviving if she's already somehow stopped living? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostWhile the space debris flies and alarms beeps in the background, she's also reliving the day years ago when her partner faced death. The gunfire, the blood, the memory, it's all mirrored in the quietness and stillness of space. In these moments, both back then and now, she's doing everything she can do to save someone and she's the one who somehow ends up on the edge of losing herself.When Athena's oxygen regulator ends up breaking, Hen's voice is the one that comes through the radio, all panicked. "Get back inside!" is what we hear but Athena decides not to listen. By now, she has already fixed the robotic arm and now she's just floating there, looking deep into the void. It's a haunting visual to see.The younger verson of Athena tells her to let go not just physically but also emotionally. However, the older Athena who's seen way too much and has lost too much, remembers something important. "Pain is the price we pay for joy" she says to herself.And this remeberence is what sticks out in episode 4 of 9-1-1 Season 9. Through all of the darkness, Athena finally chooses life. She chooses to fight. And with Hen's quick thinking, the robotic arm reaches her just in time and pulls her back in. Watching her reach out (literally as well as figuratively) is truly the best we've seen so far off the season.Back on Earth, the pieces start falling into placeOnce we see Athena and Hen land safely in Episode 4 of 9-1-1 Season 9, the episode slows down and gives everyone enough time and room to breath. The escape pod works, though not without a few scares here and there. Kern stays behind to guide it, but miraculously, even he survives. Talk about 9-1-1 miracles! View this post on Instagram Instagram PostBack home, Athena's story continues again where it matters i.e., with her family. May and Harry show up to see her and after everything that has happened, it's time for some real talk. Harry drops a bombshell and tells her that he's applying to be a firefighter. The same path as Bobby. You can almost see both pride and fear on Athena's face as she just got back from nearly dying in space and now her son wants to run into the fires.The reunion of the two is emotional and also very real. They all admit that they could've handled things in a better way but they're still hurting, still trying, and they're still together.Meanwhile, back down at the station, Chimney's having a rough time of his own. The guy's been through it all, and being captain isn't exactly helping him. Eddie's watching him closely, though, and it feels like something might be cooking here, maybe some huge new storyline coming fairly soon?And then there is Tricia, who decides to dump Tripp after everything that went down. And honestly? Good for her! Parker seems to be sticking around too, which gives us some hope for a little sweetness amid all of the chaotic happenings.By the end of Episode 4 of 9-1-1 Season 9, you can almost feel the show shifting a few gears from it going from survival to healing. The space saga's finally done, and it's now time to get back to the real emergencies!9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 4 wasn't just a rescue mission, it was a story about Athena's emotional rebirth. Her spacewalk became more than a mission to fix a robotic arm; it was her way of facing grief, guilt, and everything that she'd buried deep down.She floated into darkness and came back up choosing life. And that's the core of 9-1-1 that no matter how far away you might end up going, there's always a way back home.Now that the space saga is done and dusted and Athena is back on Earth, it is clear that this isn't the end of her story, not even remotely. She's finally living, and honestly, we're all here for it.Stay tuned to SoapCentral for more updates on 9-1-1 Season 9 Also read: 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 3 recap: Chaos erupts as Athena and Hen fight to survive in space