'9-1-1' Should've Killed Off One of the Main Characters Way Sooner

It is always shocking when a main character on a television show dies. Who can forget Ned Stark (Sean Bean) getting killed off Game of Thrones or Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) dying on Grey's Anatomy? Every time the writers have a main character exit the series, there's a chance that the audience won't want to continue on with the storytelling. However, it's still imperative for most shows to portray real life, which, of course, includes both life and death.

In recent years, there has been one main character's death that has completely taken fans by surprise, and has led to some major uproar over their exit. Captain Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) met his maker on ABC's 9-1-1, and although it's tragic that Bobby is no longer among the living, the series was actually pretty smart to finally kill off one of its main cast members. The only mistake the writers made is that this action wasn't taken way sooner in the show's run.

Bobby Is the First Main Character To Die on '9-1-1'

Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) kneeling at a table with his hands clasped, in fire uniform, in Season 8 of '9-1-1.' — Image via ABC

The crew members of the 118 Firehouse are constantly putting themselves in danger in their line of work. There have been plenty of mishaps that have landed these characters in grave danger (and in the hospital), but they've always managed to survive somehow. That all changed in Season 8, Episode 15. The gang responds to an emergency call at a lab where a deadly contagion has been released. We think that paramedic Howie "Chimney" Han (Kenneth Choi) is the character most at risk after he's exposed to the virus. He's exhibiting symptoms of the disease, but the single dose of antivirus that's available is rushed to the lab and administered, and Chimney is saved. Unfortunately, we then discover that Bobby has also been exposed to the contagion; he just didn't tell anyone because he knew there was nothing that could be done to help him. He allows Chimney to be saved instead of himself because he's just that selfless.

Before he succumbs to the nasty virus, Bobby is able to say goodbye to Evan "Buck" Buckley (Oliver Stark) and his beloved wife, Athena (Angela Bassett). But then, in one of the saddest moments in network television history, Bobby offers a final prayer, and is gone. His death is incredibly heartbreaking, but the fallout from it is even more catastrophic. Athena spirals in her grief (throwing herself into a case because she can't be alone with her devastation), Chimney feels trapped in survivor's guilt, and Buck can't seem to move forward because Bobby has been such a major presence in his life. Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) struggles to decide whether to move back to Los Angeles after Bobby's death, and Henrietta "Hen" Wilson (Aisha Hinds) grapples with the idea that she could be recommended to step into Bobby's role as leader. Each member of the firehouse somehow tries to fill the hole left in their hearts by Bobby's absence. They also begin to ponder who will replace Bobby as captain, and it quickly becomes clear that no one can quite fill his shoes.

Bobby's Death Has Reinvigorated the Storytelling on '9-1-1'

Image via ABC
Image via ABC
Image via ABC
Image via ABC
Image via ABC

Many are clamoring for Bobby's death to somehow have been a fever dream (or an excuse to get Krause cast in Doctor Odyssey), but as much as the character will be missed, 9-1-1 was smart to make the decision to kill off a main character. There have been plenty of rich and compelling storylines that have spun off of this one plot point. Each character is trying to process their loss, and this has created a lot of scenes with big, powerful emotions (perfect for these talented actors to display their range), and they're all feeding off each other to sustain even more intense and suspenseful plots. This fresh drama has reinvigorated a series that has been on for eight seasons already and sometimes struggles to provide audiences with storylines that haven't been done.

By killing off a main character, there are also opportunities for more high-stakes situations. The audience won't ever get lulled into thinking that all of the main cast are safe now. Who knows when another disaster could result in someone else's death? This makes the series much more exciting than it had felt prior to Bobby's demise, when we all assumed the entire cast would be coming back each episode.

This Type of Twist Should Have Happened Way Earlier on '9-1-1'

Image via ABC

If the 9-1-1 writers had decided to go down this route much sooner in the show's run, they could have avoided some of the ennui and repetition that has been happening with the storytelling. The audience has been able to assume so far that even though the characters were in peril, they'd be okay no matter what. For example, Maddie Han (Jennifer Love Hewitt) was kidnapped earlier in the season; her throat was slit by her kidnapper, and, shockingly, she still survived! It's not like we're advocating for every character to be bumped off, but everyone always being fine has resulted in an unrealistic and predictable tone for the series. If every character makes it through incredibly risky situations without any long-lasting damage, are the characters ever really in any true danger?Those disaster episodes (earthquake, tsunami, beenado, etc.) have lost their excitement because we used to think that the 118 Firehouse would always survive intact. Plus, if Bobby hadn't been the first main character to exit the series, his death wouldn't have been so very shocking to fans. Because this is the first time in the show's history that someone hasn't actually made it out alive, it's been difficult to accept that Bobby is actually dead (and has led to a temporary drop in the show's ratings).A character death that happened in previous seasons could have provided the series with a renewed energy that it's just receiving now. But at least the 9-1-1 writers have decided to go down this path, ensuring that Season 9 (premiering in the fall) will still have many gripping storylines that continue to stem from Bobby's death. The Season 8 finale episode does provide some updates: Eddie has decided to move back to Los Angeles for good, Chimney has thrown his hat into the ring for captain, and Maddie and Chim have touchingly named their baby after Bobby. It's just too bad that all of this forward motion in the storytelling couldn't have happened a few seasons prior.

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'9-1-1' Should've Killed Off One of the Main Characters Way Sooner

Bobby Is the First Main Character To Die on '9-1-1'

Bobby's Death Has Reinvigorated the Storytelling on '9-1-1'

This Type of Twist Should Have Happened Way Earlier on '9-1-1'

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