6 Years Later, 9-1-1 Fans Are Still Fuming Over This Controversial Guest Star

A focus on lovable firefighters instead of grizzled detectives and cops isn’t the only thing setting ABC’s (formerly Fox’s) 9-1-1 apart in the densely populated world of procedural television. In addition to its riveting stories, the show keeps its lens pointed firmly towards its main cast. There may be an occasional guest star, but their inclusion rarely puts them in the spotlight.

There is, however, one prominent exception. In 2019, as the show entered its third season, 9-1-1 introduced a new character. Lena Bosko, played by WWE’s Rona Rousey, is introduced as a former member of Los Angeles’ Station 136 and a temporary addition to the central 118. Her five-episode stint begins in “Sink or Swim”, the second episode of Season 3.

Ronda Rousey Portrayed Firefighter Lena Bosko on 9-1-1

• Rousey’s brief stay on 9-1-1 was not her first. Interestingly, that distinction belongs to a Honoo-no Taiiku-tai TV, a Japanese gameshow, on which she appeared in 2011.

In some ways, Lena Bosko’s origins can be traced to an episode that aired four months before her first appearance. In the Season 2 finale, “This Life We Choose”, an explosion leaves fan favorite Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark) with a severely broken leg. He is temporarily relieved of duty while he heals. Of course, being 9-1-1, he’s promptly thrown into a catastrophic tsunami during the Season 3 premiere, “Kids Today”. The disaster’s massive scale understandably devastates the area and leaves all but one member of Los Angeles’ Station 136 injured.

Naturally, the last member of Station 136 left standing is Lena Bosko. Fortunately for her, Buck is still stuck doing administrative duties, and Bosko is sent to fill the 118’s open spot. During her brief service under Captain Robert “Bobby” Nash (Peter Krause), Bosko crosses paths with a grieving Edmundo “Eddie” Díaz (Ryan Guzman), whose ex-wife tragically died in Season 2’s “Careful What You Wish For”. She ultimately ends up giving Eddie an inadvisable outlet for his grief by introducing him to an underground fighting club. In Bosko’s last appearance, “Malfunction”, she witnesses Eddie’s military background get the better of him. A nasty fight leaves Eddie’s opponent in the hospital and exposes his involvement to Bobby.

Fans Were Split on Lena Bosko’s Role in 9-1-1

• Ronda Rousey needed some real EMS workers to help her after an accident on her first day of filming for 9-1-1. Two of her fingers somehow got jammed in a boat door, resulting in some nasty damage. Rousey shared the injury — and a plug for the show — on her Instagram.

It’s hard to argue that Rousey’s character has no place in 9-1-1’s Season 3 narrative. While her inclusion — and, in some ways, the “fight club” subplot — is one of the show’s stranger choices, it makes sense in context. When Rousey, as Bosko, joins 9-1-1, two of its most beloved characters are suffering traumatic losses. Buck is being forced to perform desk duties, and Eddie has just lost his ex-wife. Notably, having both characters in different personal predicaments prevents them from being emotionally available to support each other as they had previously.

Rousey’s character thus fills a logical gap. While she has few interactions with Buck, who returns to active duty with the 118 one episode before Rousey’s departure, she plays a massive role in Eddie’s life. Introducing him to the fight club may not have been a particularly logical or good idea, but that moment acts as a catalyst for some much-needed healing and self-reflection. For some fans, Rousey’s narrative importance is a sufficient “excuse” for her Season 3 presence.

With fan favorite Buck temporarily out of the picture, she serves as his social and professional stand-in. Arguably, her inclusion may have boosted viewership by drawing some WWE and sports fans to the beloved procedural. But, as vocal as she is, not everyone in the 9-1-1 fan community was pleased with Lena Bosko. One of the most common criticisms was leveled against Rousey, with some calling her out for poor acting. Others simply thought Eddie’s grief could have been handled differently. Joining an underground fight club is, after all, a rather strange way to cope with your ex-wife’s death. Fortunately for the Bosko detractors, they didn’t have to put up with her for long. After her final appearance in “Malfunction”, Rousey departed the show near the midpoint of Season 2.