Bobby's Death Is Sad, But It Wasn't 9-1-1 Season 8 Most Heartbreaking Episode

Seismic Shifts Was The First 9-1-1 Episode To Not Feature Peter Krause

Prior To The Finale, Bobby Was In Every Episode

Yet, even after his death, it didn’t feel like Bobby was truly gone from 9-1-1. In the immediate aftermath, Bobby appeared first via flashback and then as a manifestation of Athena’s grief in 9-1-1 season 8, episode 16. While she investigated a bizarre case for a woman who Bobby saved from a fire, Athena struggled to accept Bobby’s untimely demise.

9-1-1 season 8, episode 17 only twisted the knife by opening on an almost hallucinatory, dreamlike sequence of the 118— including a smiling Bobby— gathered around a table for a family meal. The scene set up Buck’s (Oliver Stark) unresolved grief, which lingered throughout the entire episode.

The 9-1-1 season 8 finale, however, truly said goodbye to Bobby. As Athena and the firefighters responded to a structural collapse, Bobby was present only by word of mouth. The characters discussed their feelings and trepidation regarding the future, but Bobby was no longer a character— he was a talking point.

The captain’s absence at the end of 9-1-1 season 8 only feels more strange when considering how Bobby appeared in all 123 episodes prior to “Seismic Shifts.” During every “Begins” episode, Bobby was either in flashbacks or present-day scenes. Even when Athena took the show to Florida in season 6, Bobby was the only firefighter to appear.

Why "Seismic Shifts" Is Secretly More Heartbreaking Than Bobby's Death & Funeral Episode

It Marks The True Turning Point Of 9-1-1

Due to Peter Krause not appearing, there was a different kind of tragedy in the 9-1-1 season 8 finale, as it turned into the true send-off for the beloved captain. To an extent, “Seismic Shifts” replaces Bobby— first with Chimney (Kenneth Choi) as the captain-elect and later with Chimney and Maddie’s (Jennifer Love Hewitt) newborn, literally named Bobby Nash Han.

Even throughout Bobby’s funeral and the penultimate episode, it never felt like he was the main focus. Instead, 9-1-1 invested in other, live characters to focus on their grief. Consequently, it feels like 9-1-1 chose to unceremoniously phase Bobby out. 9-1-1 season 9 can still pay tribute to Bobby, but it’s clear the series has begun a new Nash-less era.