'9-1-1' Didn't Bring in an Outside Character To Be the 118's Captain

To be honest, I'm still not completely over Captain Bobby Nash's (Peter Krause) death on ABC's 9-1-1. Because he was the first main character to be killed off in the series, I had always assumed up until this point that Bobby and the rest of the 118 Firehouse would always come out of every episode safe and sound. After this season, I can clearly see this isn't true (RIP Bobby!), but there has been one good thing that has come out of Bobby's exit. Many new and fresh storylines have developed from Bobby's demise, including how the characters have coped with his death and how they're choosing to move forward. The biggest question that plagued the end of Season 8 turned out to be: who will replace Bobby as captain of the 118?

'9-1-1' Raised the Question of Who Will Be Captain After Bobby's Death

Immediately after Bobby's passing, the 118 gang started discussing who would take Bobby's place as leader of the firehouse. Obviously, those would be some pretty big shoes to fill, as Bobby always seemed to be the perfect captain. He was kind and compassionate and showed empathy towards everyone he came across. But Bobby was also firm when necessary and didn't mind doling out some tough love when the situation called for it.

In Episode 16, Captain Vincent Gerrard (Brian Thompson) steps up as a temporary captain. I was extremely worried that the 9-1-1 writers would decide to keep him as a permanent replacement for Bobby. This would definitely have felt like a repetitive storyline since we already covered that ground at the beginning of Season 8. Imagine my relief then, when, in the finale, Gerrard announces that he's going back to the set of the fictional television show, Hotshots. He actually gives his retirement speech, too, so now I'm convinced that Gerrard is officially gone for good.

Henrietta "Hen" Wilson (Aisha Hinds) is also suggested for the role of captain. But she realizes right off the bat that she's not remotely interested in the promotion. She's already got enough responsibilities as a skilled paramedic, and her family is complete now that the adoption of their daughter, Mara (Askyler Bell), has gone through. While I think Hen could have made an amazing captain, she's a little too nice to be in a role that demands some harshness at times. Out of the other characters present at the 118, there aren't a lot of other contenders. Evan "Buck" Buckley (Oliver Stark) is too inexperienced to lead an entire team, and Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) is too noncommittal and a bit unstable. Of the main characters, that just leaves one more option.

I'm So Happy Chimney Is Stepping Up To Be the Leader on '9-1-1'

In the finale of Season 8, the 118 is starting to show serious signs of fracturing. Buck has put in a transfer because he just can't bear to be in the space where so many happy memories with Bobby occurred, and Eddie is planning on returning to Texas. Howard "Chimney" Han (Kenneth Choi) stands helpless as he sees his family falling apart in front of him. But instead of allowing that to happen, he gives a rousing speech to the entire firehouse. He tells the team that they owe it to Bobby to continue his legacy and that Bobby would want them to remain a united front. Although Chimney is filled with conflicting emotions surrounding Bobby's death, he knows that Bobby would be rolling over in his grave if he saw the 118 fall apart. He asserts, "We are not going to disrespect him by throwing away what he built right here."

The team seems to be a bit surprised by Chimney's pep talk; the usually mild-mannered man is incredibly fierce in his lecture. In this scene, it's also clear that Chimney would be the perfect person to succeed Bobby. He's smart and effective at his job, but he's also intuitive. At that moment, he knows exactly what to say to get everyone back in line and to keep the crew devoted to saving lines (which is definitely the sign of a capable captain). This speech also made it evident to me why Chimney is the obvious choice, and why bringing in an outside character for this role would have been disastrous.

An Outside Character Would Have Been a Terrible Choice for a '9-1-1' Captain

The 9-1-1 writers always had an option to create a brand-new character to come in as captain. This would have been frustrating for a lot of different reasons. It would have felt random to bring in a new captain that we don't know anything about. Even when Gerrard resurfaced in Season 7 after being introduced in the second season, his plots only worked because they dovetailed with Chimney and Hen's storylines. A new captain might have worked for a few episodes, but then would most likely have been booted by an internal candidate (like Chimney) anyway. Although I know it's not official yet, I think Chimney is for sure the man for the job. By promoting Chimney, there are still so many compelling plot points that can come from him stepping into this new position.

It will be interesting to see how Chimney will cope with suddenly becoming the leader. Will the 118 easily fall in line? Or will there be some bumps in the road as they all navigate their coworker and pal now becoming their boss? There are bound to be some tricky situations to handle with that. And what about Chimney's home life? It seems that being the captain would demand more of Chimney's time, and he has a new baby and a small child at home. Will his relationship with Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) experience any challenges because of his new role?

There are so many dramatic storylines to explore with Chim being the captain. Bringing an unknown to help replace Bobby (and Krause himself) would have felt out-of-touch, and would likely just have fed into the outrage over Bobby's death. This way, fans like me can still root for the 118 because they're just promoting one of their own. Season 9 won't arrive until the fall, so I'll just have to wait to see how Chimney's potential new role plays out then. I'm just relieved that I won't need to get used to a brand-new character while I'm still grieving the old one.