‘9-1-1’s Oliver Stark Weighs in on Whether Buck Could the 118’s Next Captain

Well 9-1-1 fam. We made it. After an exciting Season 8 that turned into the bumpiest ride in recent memory, the stage is set for tonight’s finale. Beyond this episode, we know that the 118 will be returning for another season on ABC’s fall lineup, so there’s more to the story, but so much of the future remains up in the air. With many of the found family members still reeling from the death of Peter Krause’s Bobby Nash, tensions are high going into tonight’s episode, and we can expect them to still be riding high when we meet back up with our favorite characters in a few months. At the top of the list of uncertainties is the question of who will step up to the plate, don the captain’s helmet, and take on all the responsibilities that come with it.

Weighing in on the possibility of his character, Buck, moving into the captain’s chair, Oliver Stark recently addressed the question while sitting down for a chat with Us Weekly. The young firefighter had long looked up to Bobby as a role model and father-figure, so will he heed the call and throw his hat into the ring? It seems unlikely, as Stark revealed, “I don’t think Buck is trying to make any move in the sense of professionally being the figurehead. He’s not trying to be the captain.”

Oliver Stark Teases Buck’s Role Moving Forward

This doesn’t mean that Bobby’s final words to Buck fell on deaf ears. For those who may need a refresher, during the harrowing episode when Bobby laid down his life for the rest of the team, he told Buck that his team would need him. In what capacity, he didn’t say, but it sounds like the younger firefighter translated that in a grander, more personal sense versus the sense of rising to the decorated rank of captain, with Stark explaining,

“I think more just in a personal sense. And in actual fact, it’s not gonna be a thing that is only on Buck’s shoulders. This is a family and everybody is gonna step up and play their own role in re-tethering everybody back together.”

Tonight, we’ll watch as the chosen family of first responders come together to do what they can after a mass casualty event rocks Los Angeles. Although the episode might not solidify who will become the team’s next captain, it will undoubtedly see the characters continuing to face the loss of Bobby together and put their grief aside to get the job done.

9-1-1 is now streaming on Hulu.