'9-1-1' Did a Major Character Dirty

Major Spoiler

I’ve been watching 9-1-1 off and on for eight seasons now. I initially tuned in for the wild emergencies, which often felt like the only real draw. In recent years, though, the show has leaned way too hard into the characters’ personal lives, melodrama that often borders on insipid. Still, I kept watching these characters survive near-death experiences week after week, mostly because Angela Bassett’s Athena Grant, Kenneth Choi’s Chim, and Peter Krause’s Bobby Nash kept it grounded.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Peter Krause because of Six Feet Under, and after the devastating loss of his character in that series, I had to watch him die all over again in this week’s 9-1-1. As is often the case with this show, the episode was dumb as hell but Krause, as the fatherly captain of the 118, somehow made it work. And damned if it wasn’t moving.

Here’s the nutshell version: It was a two-parter. Last week, a lab explosion infected Chim with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, a fatal disease that kills within 90 minutes. Hen was injured in the same blast, but Bobby managed to perform life-saving surgery on her. At one point, Ravi’s suit nearly ran out of oxygen, but Bobby MacGyvered something so he could breathe. Meanwhile, Athena and Buck tracked down a rogue scientist who was trying to sell the antidote to a wannabe Lex Luthor. Athena retrieved it and evaded the FBI to bring it back in time to save Chim.

Bobby administered the antidote, then told everyone to clear out of the lab. Unbeknownst to the others (because his face was obscured by his suit), Bobby had also contracted the virus. But he gave the antidote to Chim anyway, sacrificing himself. He delivered some parting wisdom to Buck, shared a tearful goodbye with Athena, and then Bobby died.

The hardest part was watching the anguish on the faces of Hen, Chim, Athena, Ravi, and especially Buck. It was a gut punch, even for a show this ridiculous.

“I’ve heard that many fans are upset by this loss and they have a right to be. It is a loss,” Krause told Variety. “That said, it was more than a bold creative choice on a bold show. Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice and he was built for this. First responders risk their lives on the job so that others can see another day. His story arc honors them.”

I wouldn’t call it an especially “bold creative choice.” The episode felt like something out of a goofy comic book, but it was affecting. But if you ask me, it sounds like this was a ‘creative’ choice, one that maybe Peter Krause didn’t necessarily love. Showrunner Tim Minear almost seems to confirm as much:

“I had to convince everybody about this. The network was not like, ‘Yeah, get rid of him, it’ll save us money.’ It was nothing like that. I had to pitch this at the highest levels and just walk through the whole story and try to infect them — funny choice of words, given the storyline — because, as I pitched it, you could understand, as a writer, how suddenly the whole world felt more alive. It felt more real because this thing had happened.”

So, the show got rid of a major and beloved character, not because it was necessary. But because it made the show feel “more alive”? The only part of the episode that felt “alive” to me was when Bobby was dying, and now that character who made it feel alive is gone. Feels like a short term gain for a long-term shitty creative choice.

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that this gives Peter Krause a chance to move on to something better. And for a guy with his résumé of television successes, I don’t imagine the offers will be in short supply.