“It Was Incredibly Emotional”: ABC Addresses That ‘9-1-1’ Death That Has Fans Up in Arms

Bobby Nash’s (Peter Krause) death in 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 15 was one of the biggest things to happen on the show. It was a monumental shift that was necessitated by the need to keep the show creatively sharp, but it wasn’t less sad, nonetheless. “As a viewer, it was incredibly emotional,” Craig Erwich, President of Disney Television Group, told Deadline about that development. “He’s a beloved character, and there was so much grist for the mill for Angela Bassett, who I thought gave such an incredible performance in both the episode where he died and the funeral,” he added. Killing off a character like Bobby required collaboration between different factions involved in bringing the show to life. Erwich discussed how that happened and what it means going forward, saying:

“Ultimately, it’s about the creative, and it was a decision that Tim Minear came to us with, and we supported him, as we always do. It was a really great night of television that created a massive amount — not just of viewing, but really social conversation. And I think it’ll give us a lot of momentum going into Thursdays next year. And it’ll be a great lead-off for 9-1-1 Nashville, which will be a huge priority for us.”

“The decision about who to do it to, that was the hard one. But I just felt like, ‘If I’m going to do this, I need to do it in such a way that it will have the maximum effect for every character story,'” showrunner Tim Minear told Entertainment Weekly after the episode aired. “And so it’s Bobby, right? I mean, that’s going to affect everybody.” Minear explained how Bobby’s story fit that decision, saying:

“It also made sense for me in terms of it not being an arbitrary death. In a way, it is the tragic, logical culmination of his arc. He came to L.A. with a death wish, and then he learned to love life again. And then when he finally has to make the sacrifice, it’s not because he wants to go, it’s because it’s the thing he has to do. It is true redemption. So everything about it lined up.”

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Prepare for More ‘9-1-1’ This Fall

Season 8 concludes this Thursday, but there will be more when the next TV season begins this Fall. 9-1-1 was renewed for Season 9 and will continue airing on Thursdays. It will be joined by the new spinoff, 9-1-1: Nashville. The newest entry into the franchise after 9-1-1: Lone Star concluded earlier this year, 9-1-1: Nashville is a high-octane procedural about heroic first responders, as well as their family saga of power and glamour set in one of America’s most diverse and dynamic cities. The all-new series stars Chris O’Donnell as Captain Don Sharpe, Jessica Capshaw, LeAnn Rimes, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley.