When a new episode of 9-1-1 Season 8 airs next Thursday, it will kick off a two-part thriller that puts everyone in a tough spot after a lab catastrophe. While events at the beginning of the season are commonplace, there seems to be something different this close to the finish line. In 9-1-1 Season 1, Episode 14, the 118 responds to a lab emergency that takes a turn, leaving multiple firefighters stuck in a deadly situation. ABC released a sneak peek of the episode airing on April 10 that teases multiple casualties.
Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) directs the 118 to an emergency, just as she has always done. The caller claims an incident occurred in the lab after it caught fire. Any foreign element in the lab is terrible, and a fire is even worse. The carefully stored chemicals in the lab could cause unimaginable damage if the temperature rises. This specific lab deals with viruses. The team takes the necessary precautions to protect themselves, but they are unprepared when an explosion catches them off guard. Athena arrives on the scene to find a frantic Buck (Oliver Stark). "They're trapped inside," he shouts. A real conundrum develops when Athena is informed that the lab must be locked down to prevent a viral public health outbreak.
Who Is Trapped In the Lab in '9-1-1' Season 8?
Carefully analyzing the video's frames does not clearly reveal the final victim's identity, if any. However, we can tell it's not Buck or Chimney (Kenneth Choi) since they're seen doing what they can to save the victims. Even the close shot of the face of the one who passes out does not tell us much because they're wearing a gas mask, but it looks like Hen (Aisha Hinds). Rumors have been circulating that Bobby's (Peter Krause) death is imminent, following the discovery of out-of-context set material on the internet. For a show that has never killed a main character throughout its run, killing off a character like Bobby would be a significant development. Speaking to The Wrap, showrunner Tim Minear addressed this fact, saying:
“I don’t think the characters are unkillable. There have been a few times when they’ve come close to actually dying. I just don’t want to kill any of them. One day when it does happen, it’s going to be a sad day for me.”
Tune in to ABC next Thursday to witness the beginning of "Contagion" and see what happens.
