9-1-1 Almost Had A Season 1 Love Triangle That Never Happened

It’s easy to forget how much the cast of 9-1-1 has changed in the course of eight seasons, but a love triangle between Buck, Abby, and Bobby could have led the characters down a much different path. Excluding Buck, most relationship issues in 9-1-1 season 8 have arisen from outside circumstances that had major ramifications on pre-existing and largely stable unions. For instance, Bobby’s death in 9-1-1 had a huge impact on not only Athena, but just about everyone else on the 118 as well.

In an Instagram video posted by TVLine, Buck recalls his strong objections to that story choice. According to Buck’s actor, Oliver Stark, one particular relationship would have been shaken up in a far different way as early as the first season. Love triangles aren’t exactly new ground for Ryan Murphy’s TV shows, but the first season of 9-1-1 nearly included a storyline in which Bobby would have pursued Abby while she was already with Buck.

Alright, this is going to be a big throwback. Do you remember in season 1 of the show, I was in a hospital bed because 9-1-1? Abby (Connie Britton) was at my bedside. And, R.I.P., Bobby Nash walks in. And the original plan was that there was going to be a little love triangle there. My strong feelings for that were, I remember being at the time like, “No, what do you mean? No, that’s Buck and Abby. You can’t.” I was really, like it was my own relationship, against it. So, I’m glad it didn’t work out. I’m glad we never went down that road. Throw that one in the fire.

What The Buck-Abby-Bobby Triangle Would Have Meant For 9-1-1

It Could Have Changed The Entire Dynamic Between Buck And Bobby

Athena’s role in 9-1-1 after Bobby’s death hasn’t technically suffered much. She’s still working hard and saving previous suspects from making the same mistakes that put them in her crosshairs in the first place. But Athena and Bobby might never have happened at all if he had been able to continue his love triangle against Buck. It conveniently worked out that Connie Britton only played Abby for one regular season anyway, but her length of tenure doesn’t change the many ways in which Buck’s relationship with Bobby would have changed if they became romantic rivals.

Much as Chimney states in the 9-1-1 season 8 finale, the 118 is more than just a number. And Chimney had first-season issues with Bobby as well. They were even tied into Chimney’s love life, because Bobby felt that Chimney deserved better. But Stark is referencing the sixth episode “Heartbreaker,” in which Bobby clearly believes that Abby deserves better than Buck. It’s clear from watching the episode where the script originally intended to take that idea, but Buck’s evergreen respect for Bobby would never have made half as much sense if their professional relationship began on that note.

Our Take On The Scrapped 9-1-1 Love Triangle

Cutting The Storyline Was Best For All Characters Involved

Because she left after the first season, throwing Abby into a love triangle wouldn’t have changed her trajectory very much. But Bobby came to be seen as something of a firehouse patriarch by the time of his death, and it’s good that 9-1-1 kept as many stains off of that legacy as possible. Buck and Abby initially wanted different things, and Bobby wasn’t a bad person for noticing that. But not only did keeping him out of it preserve Buck and Abby’s relationship, it also preserved Bobby’s integrity. That’s worth a heftier price than a dramatic romance plot is worth.