I Just Can’t Accept That Bobby Is Going To Die In 9-1-1, Here Are 5 Other Explanations For His Funeral Scene

Although 9-1-1 seems poised to kill off its first main character, I’m convinced Bobby’s upcoming funeral scene is nothing more than a plot twist in the making. Peter Krause’s Captain Robert “Bobby” Nash has been a pivotal part of the fictional LAFD station 118 since the series began, overseeing the main ensemble during 9-1-1’s most intense disasters. Shockingly, the leader seems destined to meet his end sometime this year.

9-1-1 has avoided main character deaths since its 2018 debut, but new set photos clearly show an imminent funeral for Bobby. From his hanging turnout coat to his grieving wife, Athena (Angela Bassett), the pictures paint a devastating affair both on and off-screen. Yet, Bobby’s possible death in 9-1-1 seems too abrupt (and perhaps too heartbreaking) to be true— luckily, there are ample possible alternatives.

5Bobby Has A Vision During A Near-Death Experience

The Funeral Scene Is A Manifestation Of His Fear

The simplest and most realistic explanation for Bobby’s funeral is that the scene will be a purgatorial hallucination. The 118’s fire captain is no stranger to 9-1-1’s near-death experiences, and I wouldn’t bat an eye if season 8 left Bobby on the brink of life and death once again. With so much to lose now compared to where he started, Bobby’s “afterlife” could flash before his eyes.

Imagining his wife and step-children mourning him alongside the crowd of funeral attendees could be the jolt Bobby needs to keep fighting, culminating in an emotional crescendo as he’s resuscitated. The funeral scene may be shot as if it’s reality, but it could play out like a surreal, visible panic attack. The funeral could even be interwoven with other consequences Bobby dreads, like the 118’s potential new captain.

4Eddie Imagines What Would Happen If He Never Returns To LA

The Funeral Could Be In The Fictional Future

One of 9-1-1’s best episodes followed an alternate reality where Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark) explores what the world would be like had he never made it to LA. Now that his best friend, Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman), has moved to Texas with no shortage of cosmic setbacks, the It’s A Wonderful Life motif could make a meaningful return. Thankfully, Eddie wouldn’t need a coma to explore his greatest fears.

A simple dream could expose everything Eddie is afraid of missing if he stays in Texas, including not being there when Bobby passes away. Other details from the set photos, like the odd inclusion of Buck’s ex-boyfriend, could imply that Eddie’s subconscious will reveal hidden truths about his complicated feelings regarding his move. One bad dream could be all Eddie needs to kick-start his 9-1-1 season 8 return.

3Bobby’s Death Is A Nightmare Sequence

It’d Be A Sore Subject For Many Characters

Another realistic reason for Bobby’s funeral is for it to simply be a dream sequence. From Bobby and Chimney’s (Kenneth Choi) close friendship to Buck and Bobby’s found father-son relationship in 9-1-1, the bonds Captain Nash forged with his team run far deeper than workplace acquaintanceship. It would be plausible for any member of station 118 to view Bobby’s death as a nightmare scenario.

It wouldn’t be the first deadly dream that initially seems real, with Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) even cold-opening 9-1-1 season 8, episode 12 (“Disconnected”) with a hyperrealistic dream about her throat being cut at her desk. Bobby’s funeral could play out in a nightmare, setting up the dreamer’s episodic conflict. The extent of the consequent paranoia would depend on the character, but the nightmare would understandably rattle anyone.

2Athena Worries Bobby Will Face The Same Fate As Emmett

Her First Love Died Young

Bobby and Athena may be one of the best couples in the 9-1-1 franchise, but that doesn’t mean their relationship is without conflict and, at times, fear. Athena has had to deal with near-death experiences both firsthand and involving Bobby, as recently as 9-1-1 season 7’s finale— which included both herself and her husband nearly dying after an arson attack. However, her relationship with death has a lengthier history.

In her younger years, Athena was engaged to Emmett Washington (Jeff Pierre), the police officer who first encouraged her to join the LAPD. Sadly, Emmett died young following an armed robbery, leaving Athena haunted by his murder until she finally found answers in 9-1-1 season 3. Yet, the emotional scars Athena has could easily be reopened and cause her to spiral out, imagining Bobby’s premature death.

1Bobby Has To Fake His Own Death

Outlandish But Not Impossible

Even the most ridiculous notions have a certain degree of credibility within 9-1-1, given the procedural is a Ryan Murphy show that is saturated in his characteristic camp factor. Perhaps the funeral is a real event in 9-1-1 season 8 that is meant to convince someone Bobby is dead. There is no shortage of wildly fanciful explanations, including a Witness Protection storyline or elaborate prank.

While amusing to entertain, this theory is, unsurprisingly, the least likely outcome of Bobby’s funeral scene. A fake-out death would undercut Bobby’s serious plots in 9-1-1 season 8, and even if his disappearance would be temporary, it’s unimaginable that 9-1-1 season 9 would feel right without Bobby. That sentiment carries over to the slim chance that Bobby is truly dying, meaning 9-1-1’s first main character death could jeopardize the entire series.