9-1-1’s daring decision to kill off its main character was epoch-making, but it could backfire on the long-running procedural’s upcoming season 9. Peter Krause has led9-1-1as Captain Bobby Nash since the first-responder drama’s pilot episode, which makes the character’s sudden death all the more heartbreaking. Along with his dedicated LAFD station 118 crew— Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark), Henrietta “Hen” Wilson (Aisha Hinds), Howard “Chimney” Han (Kenneth Choi), and Ravi Panikkar (Anirudh Pisharody)— Captain Nash has responded to9-1-1’s most intense disastersfor years. Sadly, the tenured fire captain suddenly died in9-1-1season 8, episode 15.
Peter Krause’s exit from9-1-1immediately evoked strong reactions from viewers and critics alike, but Bobby’s absence could pose a threat to the series’ longevity.9-1-1has been a familiar favorite since it premiered in 2018, and its sudden move to ABC’s roster for the 2023-24 season onward only breathed new life into it. The procedural seemed poised to build on its fresh momentum, with9-1-1season 9’s confirmation just another win for the series created by Ryan Murphy, Tim Minear, and Brad Falchuk. The aftermath ofBobby’s death doesn’t bode well for9-1-1’s future, however.
Bobby’s Death In 9-1-1 Has Been Met With Backlash
Many Thought The Bold Swing Was A Big Miss
Bobby’s death in9-1-1was divisivefor obvious reasons— the ABC procedural had never killed a main character before, and starting with the heart and soul of the 118 was certainly jarring. Yet, there was a deeper backlash surrounding the death that hasn’t waned with time. Bobby’s character had some of the most poignant arcs in all of9-1-1, but his fatal selfless act seemed to undermine his growth. Given that he and his wife, Athena Grant (Angela Bassett), were building their dream home together, the death also disrupted what9-1-1season 8 promised to be their idyllic putting-down-roots period.
Beyond the poor timing and emotional whiplash, the death itself was executed poorly. Within the limited narrative of the two-part thriller,9-1-1could’ve easily saved Bobbyfrom his CCHF. That nobody thought to even ask Moira Blake (Bridget Regan) about creating another antiviral is infuriating in and of itself, but the resignation that underlinedBobby’s death scene was a harrowing and unfamiliar feeling of total hopelessness. Even if the death had been an ironclad storyline, however, its very existence goes against9-1-1’s central identity, regardless of what showrunner Tim Minear has argued since “Lab Rats” aired.
The Reason For Bobby’s Demise Doesn’t Really Benefit 9-1-1
9-1-1 Was Never Renowned For Its Realism
Tim Minear had a unique perspective on the main character’s death, asserting that the creative decision to kill Bobby added to9-1-1’s realism. That may be true to an extent, butrealism should never have been a concern (or goal) for9-1-1. Case in point: Eddie Diaz’s (Ryan Guzman) biggest storyline in9-1-1season 7 centered on him having an emotional affair with the doppelgänger of his dead wife. On paper, some of9-1-1’s most iconic plots are better suited to a soap opera than a primetime drama, but that has always added to the procedural’s charm.
New episodes of9-1-1can be streamed on Hulu the day after they air on ABC.
WhileMinear suggested that killing off Bobby was necessary to raise the stakesin9-1-1, the death has now fundamentally changed the show.9-1-1has always been a comedy-heavy dramedy: yes, there have been devastating storylines and extremely precarious rescues, but the high-octane scenes were always softened by a quick quip or sweet aside. Maddie’s (Jennifer Love Hewitt) storyline, for instance, may be riddled with trauma and variousnear-death experiences in9-1-1, but the close bond she has with her brother and the adorable family she’s built with her husband more fittingly define her.
9-1-1letting Bobby die suggests that the procedural is experiencing an identity crisis.
Similarly, the show at large benefits from its whimsy.9-1-1’s most heartwarming momentsare just as memorable as its natural disasters, but they’re much more fondly remembered. The procedural may follow an intense, high-risk profession, but thefirefighting was always supplemental to9-1-1’s true selling point: the found family elementamong the ensemble cast. Bobby was a friend, leader, and father figure through-and-through, and9-1-1letting him die suggests that the procedural is experiencing an identity crisis. Additionally, the distinct tonal shift following Bobby’s death will likely hinder9-1-1more than it helps.
The Team Dynamic Will Never Be The Same
Now that Bobby is dead,9-1-1has given itself the impossible task of finding a new captain for station 118.9-1-1season 8 began with the team struggling under the oppressive rule of Captain Gerrard (Brian Thompson), and the first four episodes only proved that the 118 needs Bobby. Frankly, it’s baffling that9-1-1took care to establish how irreplaceable Bobby is, only to kill hima dozen episodes later. For all intents and purposes,9-1-1has backed itself into a corner: hiring a fresh face feels disrespectful to the 118, but none of them feel ready for the role.
Anirudh Pisharody
Ravi Panikkar
Even if the perfect captain appeared out of thin air, the 118 is now irreversibly changed by Bobby’s death. Thebest episodes of9-1-1deal with the team as a whole, whether it’s a treasure hunt, a heist, or a backyard barbecue.The 118 went far beyond a group of coworkers, and losing Bobby throws everything out of balance. There’s something to be said about how death is always a disruption, but at the end of the day,9-1-1is fictional. ABC could have eased the characters (and the audience, for that matter) into Bobby leaving— they simply chose not to.
9-1-1 Could Have Increased Its Stakes In A Different Way
Arguably the most painful part of Bobby’s death in9-1-1season 8 is how unnecessary it was. Putting aside how the death had no narrative build-up, how it doesn’t fit9-1-1’s brand, and how it was just plain sad to watch, it wasn’t needed to fulfill Minear’s wishes. Admittedly, there was a quiet comfort in knowing that no main character had died in9-1-1and presumedly never would, but that didn’t mean the show was without any tension. Thegruesome injuries in9-1-1alone were hair-raising, but the procedural could have employed many other strategies to spice things up.
The easiest solution would have been to take a page out of9-1-1: Lone Star’s book. To raise the stakes,9-1-1could have included emergencies on a broader scale. Instead of four firefighters exposed to a pathogen that could hypothetically cause a pandemic,9-1-1could have focused on the threat that CCHF posed to the world at large.Widening the scope of the 118’s emergencies would have added suspensewithout the cruel shock factor of killing off a beloved character. If9-1-1was simply bloodthirsty, even a minor character death could have been more effective in the long run.
