Fan Theory Explodes: Is Bobby Nash Secretly Alive in a Government Lab?

A Popular 9-1-1 Fan Theory Suggests Bobby Nash Is Alive In A Government Laboratory

Whether He’s A Prisoner Changes Between Versions

Theories that Bobby’s alive stem from a seemingly mundane observation. Namely, the closed casket at Bobby’s funeral has inspired fans to contemplate whether there’s even a body in there. This has been a common talking point amid fan backlash to Bobby’s 9-1-1 death, as the possibility eases concerns that the series killed a beloved character for the sake of drama.

 

Peter Krause was an invaluable member of the 9-1-1 cast, but there's one change season 9 could make to truly preserve Bobby Nash's legacy.

9-1-1 Can’t Confirm The “Bobby’s Alive” Theory Without Turning Into The X-Files

The Lone Gunmen’s Deaths Resulted In A Similar Theory

Bizarrely, 9-1-1 isn’t the first time a closed casket led to this exact theory. While not the wildest of all The X-Files fan theories out there, many fans believed the Lone Gunmen secretly survived trapping themselves in a facility with a weaponized virus in season 9. And, until the 2016 TV revival, this theory was technically corroborated by the comics.

 

The Lone Gunmen were an integral part of The X-Files, and their story is being continued – in a way – in the new episodes!

It’s great for X-philes that the truth really was out there this time (even if it later became non-canon), but a relatively grounded series like 9-1-1 can’t take story beats from The X-Files, a show that once opened with fake aliens being abducted by another alien while in the middle of abducting somebody else. That’s not quite 9-1-1’s usual tone.

That’s not to say 9-1-1 can’t skew toward the ridiculous. It can and has on several enjoyable occasions. But, while ghost hikers and mummy curses are fun for the occasional Halloween episode, firefighters unraveling government conspiracies involving fake deaths and incurable viruses is a little far-fetched for a typical Wednesday. And the issue extends far beyond mere suspension of disbelief.

Bobby Nash Surviving His 9-1-1 Fate Undermines Every Other Character’s Emotional Journey

Chim Nearly Drank Himself Off A Roof For Nothing

There’s little denying that Bobby’s passing ranks high among 9-1-1’s most tragic deaths, but the series dedicated no shortage of screentime to emphasizing that. Chimney was so hurt that he tried to drink away his survivor guilt right up until the funeral, despite having had no realistic way of knowing that Bobby was sacrificing himself until it was too late.

Athena harbored resentment toward Chim for a while as well, despite knowing intuitively that her husband’s death wasn’t Chim’s fault. Her own mind even haunted her with visions of Bobby’s ghost, and she ultimately decided not to keep the house they were building. She practically only used the house at all because the blank walls made a good investigation board.

These aren’t the only consequential decisions made in the wake of Bobby’s death. Hen had to decide whether she felt it would be right to replace Bobby as captain, and Eddie moved back from Texas at Chim’s command. This resulted in Buck moving out on his own at a time when he was taking Bobby’s death as hard as anyone.

And these are just the main characters affected by losing Bobby. His mother was revealed to be dying of cancer the last time we saw her shortly before her son’s death, and she now has to deal with losing him right after their relationship had finally gained steady ground. None of those emotional arcs matter if Bobby turns up alive.

How 9-1-1 Can Still Keep Bobby Nash “Alive” Without Undoing His Death

The Best Answer Surprisingly Comes From A Sitcom

Just because Bobby belongs to the dirt now doesn’t mean he’s lost to 9-1-1 fans forever. It was established in the season 8 finale that Chimney replacing Bobby as captain in 9-1-1 will keep Nash’s spirit alive, as Chim’s main goal even before officially becoming captain is to maintain Bobby’s legacy at the 118. And that’s worked for ABC before.

When Roseanne lost its title character, her memory remained a significant focal point in just about every season of The Conners. And while not all viewers were fans of that creative choice, 9-1-1 is in a slightly better position because there’s no bad blood preventing Peter Krause from filming later flashback sequences, provided they make sense for the story.

 

9-1-1 season 8 explored most characters’ reactions to Bobby’s death, but his funeral overlooked one person who deserves closure in season 9.

Even a single shot of Buck sitting alone, reminiscing about the crew meals Bobby traditionalized, demonstrated that the 118 has no intention of letting Bobby Nash die quietly. And, once 9-1-1 has moved past its grief storylines, Bobby’s memory can evolve into a much happier one. Hopefully, that will make it slightly easier for fans to move on.