Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from 9-1-1 season 9, episode 1, “Eat the Rich.”
Even though Bobby is gone, 9-1-1 surely isn’t forgetting him, especially with his sly replacement already making up for his absence in season 9. Peter Krause’s 9-1-1 character tragically died in season 8. Since then, the other first responders have struggled to move on from the loss of Bobby. On the bright side, he has a pretty cute replacement in the ABC series.
During the 9-1-1 season 8 finale, Maddie gave birth to her and Chimney’s second child. The couple decided to name their baby boy after Bobby, with Robert Nash Han serving as his full name. So, flash forward to the procedural drama show’s season 9 premiere, Bobby lives on through the newborn in one big way, especially when it comes to Buck.
Buck Opens Up To Baby Bobby The Same Way He Did To Bobby
The 9-1-1 Season 9 Premiere Features A Sweet Scene Between Buck & His Nephew
Oliver Stark as Buck talking with Baby Bobby in his crib in the 9-1-1 season 9 premiereABC
During the 9-1-1 season 9 premiere, “Eat the Rich,” Buck has a heart-to-heart talk with his nephew, whom we’ll call Baby Bobby from now on. Oliver Stark’s character has been struggling since the death of Station 118’s captain. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to open up fully to anyone about his grief in the episodes following Bobby’s death, except for his sister’s son.
While he’s just a baby, Baby Bobby is already living up to his namesake inseason 9. He can’t talk back to his uncle or give him any advice, like Bobby used to do, but he can be a sounding board for Buck and simply be there for him. Although the scene between Buck and his nephew is short, it’s the episode’s best scene.
We must see more sweet moments between Buck and Baby Bobby as 9-1-1 season 9 continues. If the firefighter can’t confide in anyone his age, his nephew is the next best thing. The newborn can’t fully take Bobby’s place, of course. However, based on the moment he shared with Buck, he’s doing a good job of filling in for him in this important aspect.
How Bobby’s Death Robs Buck Of A Father Figure & Confidante
Buck Is Lost
Buck in 9-1-1 season 8, episode 15, Lab Rats, crying
As the audience first saw at the end of 9-1-1 season 8, Buck hasn’t been doing too great in the wake of Bobby’s death. Sadly, not much has changed in 9-1-1 season 9. His struggles are to be expected, though. Buck saw Station 118’s captain as a father figure, and losing that person in his life has affected him greatly.
Bobby was also Buck’s confidante. With him not around, the 9-1-1 main character hasn’t had an outlet for his feelings. He could always turn to his sister (which he kind of is by proxy of Baby Bobby), Eddie, or any of his other friends. However, it’s not the same. Buck evidently doesn’t feel like he can talk to anyone, except for his nephew.
As fans learn during his talk with Baby Bobby in the 9-1-1 season 9 premiere, Buck is feeling lost and overwhelmed. He doesn’t do well with change, and losing Bobby has been the biggest change of them all. It also doesn’t help that Buck is feeling jealous of Eddie and Hen’s new partnership in and outside of Station 118 in the ABC series.
It’s safe to say that Buck is in a bad place at the start of season 9. It’s great that he has his nephew to turn to. However, at some point, he will need to talk to someone closer to his age, who can give him advice. Baby Bobby is quite cute, but he isn’t a therapist who can help Buck through his grief.
What’s Next For Buck After Bobby’s Death in 9-1-1 Season 9
Buck Is Still Grieving
Buck in 9-1-1 season 8, episode 17, looking sad
Unfortunately, Buck’s heart-to-heart with Bobby’s secret replacement in 9-1-1 season 9, episode 1 hasn’t magically cured him. He is going to need to sort through his issues and figure out how to better himself in the coming episodes. It’s not just Bobby’s death that has been affecting Buck, though. His relationship with Eddie isn’t great, either, especially after he’s moved back from Texas.
Buck is obviously jealous of Eddie’s friendship with Hen. The two characters have teamed up as paramedics, and Buck is seemingly missing his own partnership with Eddie. Yes, that could be an isolated problem, but it all actually comes down to the firefighter’s issues with change. Bobby is gone, Chimney has taken over as captain, and Eddie is working on the ambulance.
Based on all this information, Buck’s 9-1-1 season 9 story (at least, during its first half) will revolve around how he copes with change and Bobby’s death. That means that there weren’t be much room for romance in his character arc. So, fans shouldn’t expect much development on the “Buddie” front anytime soon in the ABC procedural drama.
The good news is that Buck is finally getting a place of his own soon. While speaking with Decider, Stark confirmed that his character will buy a house that “feels a lot more Buck.” So, not everything is doom and gloom for Buck. Plus, he’s got his nephew to confide in, which is sweet and exactly what Bobby would have wanted in 9-1-1.
New episodes of 9-1-1 season 9 air on Thursdays at 8 pm ET on ABC, followed by the first season of its second spinoff, 9-1-1: Nashville.
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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
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