9-1-1 just did the unthinkable. Thursday’s episode, the conclusion of its two-part “Contagion” event, ended with the heartbreaking death of Peter Krause‘s Captain Bobby Nash.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, the 118 lost its fearless leader, Athena lost her devoted husband, and 9-1-1 lost the very heart which has kept it going for eight seasons.
Buck and Athena were able to retrieve Moira’s antidote and prevent Chimney’s demise from the deadly virus (it’s a very long story involving a high-speed helicopter chase with the U.S. Army), but the episode still had one last twist in store for viewers. And by a twist, I mean a twist of the knife.
Quarantining himself from the rest of the 118, Bobby revealed to Buck that a hole in his breathing apparatus allowed the virus to enter his mask, but he stayed quiet because he knew that Chimney would never accept the only antidote. “You’re going to be OK, Buck,” he said calmly. “Remember that. They’re going to need you. I love you, kid.”
Then came Bobby’s devastating final moments with Athena. “I’m sorry,” he said with tears streaming down his face. “This isn’t how I wanted to leave you. I’m not choosing to leave you. I chose to save my team because it was the right thing to do. It was never because I wanted to go. I don’t want to go. If I could choose, I would stay with you. Always.”
“LA was supposed to be my penance, not my home,” he told her. “And then you said yes to a dinner invitation and I started to live again. I love you, baby.”
Below, 9-1-1 showrunner Tim Minear explains the circumstances leading up to Bobby’s death (including those unfortunate leaks on social media), his thought process behind the tragic loss, and what’s next for Athena and the 118. Plus, have we really seen the last of Krause?
Bobby’s Funeral Leaks Were Unfortunate: ‘I Did Not Want Spoilers’
Bobby’s Death Was ‘Entirely a Creative Decision’
Peter Krause ‘Completely Understood’ the Decision to Kill Off Bobby
But I think we both understood that, for the health of the show and in order to give all of the characters more story, something like this needed to happen. That’s really why I decided to do it. When I was breaking the two-part lab episode, I thought there should be a death there. As we were breaking it, I realized how epic that death could be [for Bobby], and it just seemed like, if I was ever going to do this, now’s the time. I’m not going to have a better scenario in which to give Bobby a moment of ultimate sacrifice, which is the logical culmination of his arc from the beginning of the series.
Peter Krause Staged Bobby’s Last Moment
Yeah. For a long time, we talked about there being some kind of house fire where Bobby would go in and rescue Harry and May, so he would save Athena’s children when he couldn’t save his own. There was a whole bunch of possible ways to go. But like I said, I had the opportunity to give somebody an epic death and I didn’t want to waste it.
It actually is pretty scaled back. It could easily have turned into an episode of American Horror Story or 28 Days Later or something. It was Peter’s idea to turn away and go into that prayerful posture at that table. What you’re seeing is probably a couple of hours compressed into a two-minute montage with all the characters completely separated and no one there to comfort anybody. It needed to be clear enough that that’s what was happening, but it’s not like he’s bleeding out of his eyeballs or something.
Buck Is ‘Haunted’ by Bobby’s Final Words
It rocks all of them, and that’s why I didn’t want to do this at the end of a season. I wanted about three episodes to grieve with the characters, which is what you’re going to get. They’re all going to have to approach it in their own way, and it’s not going to be super easy.
And he is haunted. He’s not sure what to do with [Bobby’s words], to be honest.
Will Maddie and Chimney Name Their Son After Bobby?
We Haven’t Seen the Last of Peter Krause as Bobby Nash
