‘9-1-1’ Showrunner Reveals the Original, Much Darker Ending of Last Week’s Episode

Are you a 9-1-1 fan who feels personally victimized by the tragic events of last week’s episode? Will your life never be the same without Peter Krause’s Bobby Nash leading his team into the most harrowing emergency situations that one could imagine? Though you may not be entitled to compensation for your trauma, showrunner Tim Minear is here to tell you that things could have been much, much worse. Last week, after Bobby said his tearful goodbyes to fellow members of the team like Oliver Stark’s Buck and his wife, Athena (Angela Bassett), he knelt down, folded his hands, and prayed before succumbing to the deadly virus. Our final look at Bobby was of his helmet — a tear-jerking yet honorable way to say goodbye to a brave, selfless, and heroic character. However, it could have been quite a bit darker.

Recently speaking to TV Insider, Minear let out a confession that — should it have been the final shot — would have taken the air out of the room. Instead of Bobby’s helmet, the showrunner admits that the camera was going to linger elsewhere, revealing, “Initially, it was just going to be the body bag.” Yep, that’s right. Think about the trauma that would have caused the fandom! Luckily, Minear thought about it, too, explaining how the team came to the joint decision to focus on the helmet instead.

“And I know, exactly, the reaction that you’re having is the reaction that I was going for. People did not seem to like that, which is why I knew it was probably right. But when we were editing the episode, we found that shot, and I’m just like, ‘Put it at the end.’”

Big Shoes to Fill

Without Bobby, the wheels will fall off pretty quickly, considering what his presence meant to the 118. His death also leaves a spot open that will require someone to step up and become the leader. Whoever takes on the challenge will have big shoes to fill, but Minear is giving everyone a moment to reflect and mourn the loss of the beloved character before filling in his position — whether that be with an already existing member of the cast or an entirely new personality. Foreshadowing how the next few episodes will pan out leadership-wise, Minear said,

“Yeah, I’m not solving that problem right away for the rest of this season. There is an interim captain there who is not going to be the captain going forward, but the last three episodes are not about who’s in Bobby’s chair. The last three episodes are about that chair is empty.”

9-1-1 is now streaming on Hulu.