Doctor Odyssey Cast Answers Fans' Biggest 9-1-1 Question Ahead Of Crossover

​The cast of Doctor Odyssey has answered a major question regarding the upcoming crossover with 9-1-1. ABC is home to both 9-1-1 and Doctor Odyssey, two hit procedural series from creator Ryan Murphy. His latest medical drama will see 9-1-1's Sergeant Athena Grant-Nash (Angela Bassett) joining Dr. Max Bankman (Joshua Jackson) and his team on board The Odyssey to investigate a potential heist of the luxury ship's vault during Casino Week. ​The ABC crossover event will air March 26, and feature Jackson and Bassett alongside Sean Teale, Don Johnson, and Philipa Soo.

In an interview with ScreenRant's Rachel Foertsch, the Doctor Odyssey cast discussed how the crossover will address Athena's return to a cruise ship, considering her harrowing experience in 9-1-1's season 7, where she and her husband Bobby narrowly survived a sinking cruise liner. ​Read what they had to say below:

Joshua Jackson: Athena is definitely not pleased to be back on a cruise ship.​

Don Johnson: No.​

Jackson: She makes that very clear.​

Sean Teale: Yes, we do refer to it.​

Jackson: She does not want to be here.​

Johnson: But we also do some things that I think will be really exciting for her fans, as well, because we do a lot of nice things about dolling her up, bringing her to the party. And she's amazing. I loved working with her. It just fits.​

Teale: And that episode is written slightly differently. We have different ways of filming it too. So the whole thing is its own event, actually. It's really fun. The ship feels different. It's an event of its own kind. It's good. It's really fun.

What This Means For The Doctor Odyssey & 9-1-1 Crossover

Doctor Odyssey Will Not Overlook Athena's History

Athena’s return to a cruise ship in the Doctor Odyssey crossover is a significant moment for her 9-1-1 character. In season 7 of 9-1-1, she and Bobby found themselves in a life-or-death situation when their honeymoon cruise was taken over by pirates and ultimately capsized. The cast of Doctor Odyssey confirms that the crossover event will not ignore Athena's maritime trauma, making her return a meaningful—and well-dressed—display of resilience rather than a glaring continuity issue.

The crossover is a major step in connecting Doctor Odyssey to the larger Murphyverse, which has experienced some sizable changes as of late. 9-1-1: Lone Star wrapped up its final chapter in February, and the next spinoff, 9-1-1: Nashville, is gearing up for its debut later this year. If Athena’s appearance in Doctor Odyssey proves as successful as Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19’s frequent collaborations in the Shondaland universe, this event could pave the way for deeper narrative ties between 9-1-1 and Doctor Odyssey—or even more ABC character crossovers in the future.

Our Take On Athena In Doctor Odyssey

A Crossover To Bring New Energy To Both Shows

Addressing Athena’s traumatic past with cruise ships is sure to be one of the most intriguing parts of the upcoming crossover event. The Odyssey crew could help the field sergeant regain confidence before returning to 9-1-1 season 8. Don Johnson assured Athena will be treated well on board, even noting she’ll be “dolled up” in a setting unlike anything 9-1-1 fans have seen before. It’s an exciting new dimension to the Murphyverse, giving Doctor Odyssey a chance to spice up the latter half of its premiere season while revealing a different side to the long-beloved character Athena.