If you’ve spent any time watching 9-1-1 or its predecessor 9-1-1: Lone Star, you know the drill: absurdly specific emergencies, heroic first responders, and enough personal drama to fill a stadium.

9-1-1: Nashville moves the action to Music City, focusing on Station 113. The firehouse is led by Captain Don Hart (played by Chris O’Donnell), a "rugged rodeo rider" who runs the team alongside his son, Ryan. The show leans hard into its setting—expect country music cameos, horse racing subplots, and emergencies that involve things like people getting stuck on water slides or caught in massive Southern storms.

But the real hook this season? A massive paternity shocker. Don discovers he has a secret son, Blue Bennings, who happens to be a stripper-turned-firefighter (yes, you read that right). It’s messy, it’s campy, and it’s exactly what the franchise is known for.

Your teen probably isn't watching this for the nuance of fire safety. They’re watching for:

While the show is technically a procedural, it’s definitely not Paw Patrol. Here’s the breakdown:

Most 14-year-olds can handle the intensity. They understand that the "science" behind the rescues is often questionable and that the family drama is dialed up to eleven. This is a great age to start co-watching with teens because the show actually provides some decent jumping-off points for conversations about family secrets and high-pressure jobs.

If your middle-schooler is sensitive to blood or "medical gore," you might want to pre-screen. The show doesn't shy away from showing the aftermath of accidents. One episode might feature a tornado leveling a building, while another shows a graphic injury from a rodeo accident. If they’ve seen Grey's Anatomy, they’ll likely be fine, but keep the remote close.

The combination of frightening disaster sequences and "adult" themes (like Blue’s previous career as a stripper and the infidelity-adjacent backstory of his birth) makes this a bit much for the younger set. Stick to something like The Mysterious Benedict Society for this age group.

Learn more about managing screen time for different age groups

There are three main "red flags" (or at least "yellow flags") you should be aware of:

Hunter McVey’s character, Blue, is introduced as a stripper who dresses like a firefighter for his "act" before actually joining the department. While the show stays within network TV limits, there are suggestive scenes, shirtless sequences, and a lot of talk about his former profession. It’s handled with a "wink and a nod" style, but it’s definitely mature.

The franchise is famous for "the ick factor." Whether it's a freak accident at a concert or a massive highway pile-up, the show features prosthetic gore, blood, and intense medical procedures performed in the field. It’s more "shocking" than "scary," but it can be unsettling for some.

The central plot revolves around Captain Don Hart’s secret past. His wife, Blythe (Jessica Capshaw), and his son, Ryan, have to deal with the fallout of a secret child from a previous affair. If your family has dealt with similar dynamics, this might be a sensitive watch.

Check out our guide on how to talk to your kids about "soapy" TV drama

If your teen is hooked, use it as a chance to talk about:

9-1-1: Nashville is "popcorn TV." It’s not trying to be deep art, and it’s certainly not trying to be a documentary. It’s a loud, flashy, and often ridiculous drama that is perfectly fine for most teenagers.

If your kid is looking for something similar but maybe a bit more "grounded" (relatively speaking), you might suggest The Rookie or even the original 9-1-1. But if they want the country music, the rodeo drama, and the secret-son-stripper-firefighter chaos? Nashville is the only place to get it.