9-1-1 Stars Tease What's Next for Buck and Hen in Season 9

9-1-1 stars Oliver Stark and Aisha Hinds discuss the future for Buck and Hen in the series' ninth season.

Speaking to TV Insider, Stark and Hinds, who portray Evan "Buck" Buckley and Henrietta "Hen" Wilson on the series, opened up about what the future holds for their respective characters, especially as 9-1-1 continues to move forward from the shocking death of Peter Krause's Robert "Bobby" Nash towards the end of Season 8. "For me, the main thing is that the kind of gravitas of losing Bobby is used as a catalyst to mature Buck. I think the growth has been there over the seasons, but I think this is a real opportunity to take him into his next iteration, whatever that ends up being," Stark said. "But I think a more grounded worldly Buck can come out of this. I don’t know what that will look like, but I think character-wise, I think that’s the next step."

Hinds expressed her excitement for the future of the series, particularly in regards to the ways that various interpersonal relationships were mended in the aftermath of the Season 8 finale, which saw the crew of the 118 come together to rescue victims of a collapsing apartment building. "I'm so excited. I really am," Hinds said. "I think that this season was such a full season, and it’s interesting that our last episode is called 'Seismic Shifts.' There were some seismic shifts throughout the season, so I'm just looking forward to what now blooms after those seismic shifts and Hen and her family just living normally. That’s definitely not the fabric of 9-1-1. So we’ll just see what happens and I'm open and available to it all."

Stark and Hinds Are Part of the Core Cast

Stark and Hinds have been counted among the core cast members of 9-1-1 since the series premiered back in 2018. Counted among 9-1-1's original stars still with the series are Angela Bassett in the role of LAPD patrol sergeant Athena Grant-Nash, Kenneth Choi as firefighter and paramedic Howard "Chimney" Han, Ryan Guzman as firefighter and paramedic Edmundo "Eddie" Diaz, and Jennifer Love Hewitt as 911 dispatcher Maddie Buckley-Han. Since its premiere, 9-1-1 has been lauded by critics and audiences alike, so much so that the series has already amassed two spinoffs in the forms of the recently concluded 9-1-1: Lonestar starring Rob Lowe and the upcoming 9-1-1: Nashville starring Chris O'Donnell and Jessica Capshaw.

In the fifteenth episode of Season 8, "Lab Rats," the series' other original star, Peter Krause, took an abrupt exit from 9-1-1 after his character, LAFD Station 118 captain Robert "Bobby" Nash, sacrificed himself to save the rest of his crew from a deadly virus. Following the episode's debut, Krause himself released a statement regarding his time on the series and his own feelings regarding the decision to kill off Bobby in the first place. "I’ve heard that many fans are upset by this loss and they have a right to be. It is a loss," Krause wrote. "That said, it was more than a bold creative choice on a bold show. Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice and he was built for this. First responders risk their lives on the job so that others can see another day. His story arc honors them."