9-1-1 is known for taking us through the ups and downs of the 118, with the opening of the latest season focusing the audience’s attention on a ‘beenado’—yep, a tornado of bees. The show prides itself in showcasing the life of the LA first responders, but this season has taken a turn for the worst.
This article contains spoils for season eight of 9-1-1.
The much-loved ABC show has recently said goodbye to one of its most loved characters, Captain Bobby Nash (Peter Krause). In a twist of fate, we see Captain Nash choose to sacrifice himself in ‘Lab Rats’, where the 118 responded to a call at a lab where a deadly virus with only one cure is let loose. Chimney (Kenneth Choi) became the sole survivor. This has triggered a wave of backlash on social media from fans due to the show’s shock decision.
Episodes including ‘Lab Rats’ and ‘The Last Alarm’ have provided the lowest ratings for the show in a season where viewership was reaching its peak. ‘The Last Alarm’ currently maintains an IMDb ranking of 3.2/10—the lowest in the history of the show.
The past few weeks have sent fans spiralling after Captain Nash’s death was leaked via a TikTok live stream. In response, fake scripts indicating he wasn’t dead were shared by cast members, and multiple theories have developed to prove he was alive.
But where has it all gone wrong for the first responders?
The creative decision
Writer Tim Minear expressed that it was a creative decision to kill off the captain of the 118, one aiming for realism—something the show generally doesn’t abide by. In a show where we have seen a firefighter with rebar through his brain survive, two people have their throats slit and survive, and a multitude of close-calls with characters found dead who are then revived, reality isn’t always apparent in this universe.
However, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Minear nods to the priority of realism within the story: “It was time for there to be some real tragic fallout from a story”. Despite this being the best storyline idea they came up with, it has ultimately brought the season to a halt when it was so close to being at its best. The shock creative decision has many fans stating that it has completely ruined the show for them.
It is clear that Minear is unaware that the fans have never called for realism to exist, rather the ensemble cast is what kept viewers coming back. The love for the show came from watching and engaging with the adventures of the 118, emotional development of characters and the suspense of emergencies each episode, not the death of a beloved character. Nash is one of the key characters within this, and after his death, it is inevitable the team dynamics will no longer be the same.
Grief
In episode 16 ‘The Last Alarm’, we see the funeral of Captain Nash take place, in what was a thoughtful send-off, though arguably not executed correctly. Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) has been living in El Paso for the past few months after making the move to be with his son. In the latest episode we see he is back at his old house—which Buck (Oliver Stark) is currently renting. However, many are wondering why he did not come back sooner? If Eddie was as close to Bobby as everyone thought, surely he would be back in LA as fast as he could, not two weeks later. We are also missing his reaction to it all, from a character who wasn’t involved in the contagion two-parter, it would have been interesting to see a bit more of him.
Amongst the other characters, the grief was shared out sparsely, with Buck not even shedding a tear throughout the episode whilst burying the man who fathered him for many years. This may bring up the debate that the characters may express their grief in later episodes, but with only two left of the season it doesn’t seem to be going out on a high.
Chimney and Athena (Angela Bassett) provided the most moving performances of them all. Athena showcased her vulnerability as we see her break down in the arms of Hen (Aisha Hinds), struggling to process that Nash is gone. Similarly, Chimney is caught up in a storm of grief and guilt as he lashes out at those around him, battling the internal belief that he is to blame.
It ultimately seems the writers forgot who the characters were in this recent episode. Where were the raw emotions? The telling of friends and family? It seemed as though the writers wanted to gloss quickly over these details. The 118 were a family, yet they have never seemed so disconnected.
Let’s not forget to mention that there was another storyline intertwined in this episode, with Athena proceeding to investigate the death of a child for the majority of it. Might we also wonder why no one was regularly checking up on Athena since her husband has just passed away?
What was going well?
The majority of season eight has provided high ratings and well-received episodes, from the opening ‘beenado’ emergency to the two-part thriller of Maddie’s (Jennifer Love Hewitt) kidnapping.
We were provided with fun and captivating episodes that shone light on the characters such as the ‘Hotshots’ saga and Buck and Eddie providing their unbreakable bond. Featuring thrilling emergencies with the blend of emotional development of characters which 9-1-1 knows how to do best.
Many fans have expressed that the reason they enjoyed the show so much was because none of the main characters died, creating the perfect comfort show. Whilst a lot of it has been unrealistic, it has not taken away the suspense you feel for a near-death experience of a beloved character.
What is next?
In a trailer for episode 17 ‘Don’t Drink The Water’, we see the discussion of the next Captain arising and the team are back to fighting fires. It is almost certain the grief of Bobby will be intertwined throughout this episode (we hope), as well as the rest of the season.
Fans have voiced their outrage over accused sloppy writing and terrible creative decisions, but 9-1-1 has now dug itself a hole it needs to climb out of fast. Many fans of the show have expressed not watching any further after the surprise death of Bobby, just as the show has been renewed for season nine. Fans were so emotionally connected with Nash, having learnt his backstory and struggles, leaving a significant emotional void.
There may need to be a miracle back-to-life storyline to change the reaction of recent episodes. For a character who has been the emotional anchor since the beginning, the send-off felt abrupt and did not align with the impact of the character. Fans can only wait and find out what happens next, but if it is realism within the show, it is unlikely that it will go down well.
