9-1-1 Season 9’s Over-The-Top Case Ruins The Point Of Bobby’s Death
9-1-1 ruffled millions of feathers by killing off Peter Krause’s iconic Bobby Nash, but the impending season 9 premiere will only rub salt in the wound. Krause’s fire captain led LAFD Station 118 for eight seasons before becoming the most tragic death in the 9-1-1 franchise, but nothing about his exit sat right with fans— and the storm rages on.
The first-responder procedural has started to establish its post-Bobby landscape, from hyping up Howard “Chimney” Han (Kenneth Choi) as the team’s acting captain to turning LAFD Station 118 into a memorial for Bobby. Yet, 9-1-1 season 9 will be a pivotal moment for the series, and the lingering controversy surrounding Bobby’s death could jeopardize everything for ABC’s hit firefighter drama.
9-1-1 Justified Bobby’s Death By Wanting To Make The Show Realistic
Bobby in his firefighter gear and looking ahead in 9-1-1Image by Milica Djordjevic
Even if 9-1-1 had written the perfect sendoff for Bobby Nash, there would have been inevitable backlash from fans of the show who had come to rely on the unspoken no-kill rule. Throughout the plentiful near-death experiences in 9-1-1, there was comfort in knowing that the main characters always pulled through. Furthermore, season 8’s twist relied on that longstanding tradition.
Bobby dying simply seemed impossible based on 9-1-1’s track record— which is exactly what the procedural was counting on. For all of 9-1-1’s heartwarming moments and comedic subplots, nothing hits harder than a good old-fashioned tragedy. Plus, now that Captain Bobby Nash of all people has died, 9-1-1 fans are painfully aware that no main character is ever truly safe.
Aside from raising the stakes and capitalizing on some emotional whiplash, showrunner Tim Minear discussed Bobby’s death at length following the initial airing of 9-1-1: Contagion. As Minear explained, Bobby died to give 9-1-1 more realism, sacrificing their captain to represent the real-life dangers of emergency response workers. Yet, the “realistic” angle only served to further stir the pot.
For one, there were major issues with the twist death that Minear’s justification didn’t account for. Throughout the drama’s pilot season, Bobby’s suicidal history in 9-1-1was an important undercurrent to his character. When Bobby went out with Athena (Angela Bassett), he wasn’t just moving on from his late wife— he was choosing life, a sentiment his death speech ruined.
Claiming 9-1-1 needed to be more realistic was a contentious statement by itself. For many, the first-responder drama was a comfort show, standing out from the Grey’s Anatomy-types of the world precisely because it never crossed the line of killing a main character. Bobby sacrificing himself may have upped the realism, but it was an unwelcome addition for most viewers.
The shock value of Bobby’s twist death may have created a viral moment for 9-1-1, but the show now has to reckon with the fallout of its divisive appeal to realism. With its beloved captain gone for good, 9-1-1 has to replace Bobby, but he will continue haunting the narrative as long as disgruntled fans have the energy to protest.
9-1-1 Season 9’s Opening Case Will Be So Ridiculously Over-The-Top
The explanation Minear offered regarding the decision to kill Bobby was controversial, but it suggested 9-1-1 at large was headed towards a new era to back up its new priority: realism. Gone were the days of over-the-top 9-1-1 calls and goofy montages; in its place would be the new normal, rooted in gritty realism and true-to-life casualties of perilous disasters.
The tone shift would be drastic, but it would at least prove that Bobby died for something. As such, the reveal of9-1-1 season 9’s premiere emergency left a bad taste in most mouths. After swearing Bobby’s death served a purpose and grounded the show in reality, 9-1-1 is choosing to open season 9 with an absurd first case.
Both 9-1-1 and LIVE with Kelly and Mark have disclosed that the opening disaster of season 9 will follow Mark Consuelos’ billionaire CEO Trip being swallowed alive by a whale. Despite the case being based on a true viral video (meaning it’s technically “realistic”), the grandeur of 9-1-1 season 9’s first storyline goes against the alleged point of Bobby’s death.
Sadly, opting for an over-the-top opening emergency is yet another sign that 9-1-1 season 9 will disrespect Bobby, even posthumously. It was already hard to believe a show that had a bee tornado wanted to pivot to realism, but the whale rescue proves that 9-1-1 will still be larger than life— it just won’t be afraid to take lives, too.
It has already been confirmed that Athena’s storyline in 9-1-1 season 9 won’t necessarily focus on her grief, leaving a glaringly unresolved plot. To an extent, it feels like 9-1-1 made the 118 a memorial just to wash its hands of Bobby’s death. Unfortunately for ABC, the backlash to 9-1-1 season 8’s saddest moment won’t go away without a fight.
As divisive as it is, 9-1-1 can’t have the best of both worlds. Bobby’s death can’t be a necessary sacrifice for the sake of realism while season 9 immediately returns to borderline unbelievable rescue missions. Sadly, although many will continue to voice their frustrations, 9-1-1 season 9 seems like the first step to putting Bobby Nash in the rearview.
Enjoy ScreenRant’s primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for our weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check “Network TV” in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series.
Bradley Buecker, David Grossman, Brenna Malloy, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Jann Turner, Jennifer Lynch, Marita Grabiak, Sarah Boyd, John J. Gray, Barbara Brown, Robert M. Williams Jr., Kristen Reidel, Marcus Stokes, Tasha Smith, Millicent Shelton, Juan Carlos Coto, John Gray, Greg Sirota, Alonso Alvarez, James Wong, Kevin Hooks, Varda Bar-Kar, Shauna Duggins, Sharat Raju
Writers
Tim Minear, Andrew Meyers, Brad Falchuk, David Fury, Ryan Murphy, Christopher Monfette, Nadia Abass-Madden, Nicole Barraza Keim, Erica L. Anderson, Matthew Hodgson, Stacey R. Rose, Taylor Wong, Tonya Kong, Adam Penn
0 Comments