ABCIt’s official – Bobby has been killed off in a contagion episode twist nobody saw coming. Actor Peter Krause won’t be returning for 9-1-1 Season 9, but there’s already an Easter egg in Bobby’s memory.
In the first half of the two-episode contagion arc, Chimey was set up as a red herring. He was tipped as a 118 member who’d died at the hands of a deadly virus outbreak in a lab set on fire by an unhinged scientist. After the virus became airborne, everyone trapped was at risk.
However, it was Bobby who met his maker. After saving Ravi and Hen, Bobby made sure new dad Chimey got the vial of antidote the outside team had found, meaning there was nothing left to do but give in to his deteriorating health.
The binge-worthy TV show will focus on Bobby’s funeral in the emotional Season 8 finale, which will air on May 1. Newly renewed 9-1-1 Season 9 will likely honor his legacy in some way – and that’s already started with a social media Easter egg.
9-1-1 Season 9 renewal news comes with a Bobby Easter egg
If you take a look at actor Oliver Stark’s Instagram post announcing 9-1-1 Season 9’s renewal, you’ll notice a photography credit to Peter Krause. It’s the first sign Bobby’s legacy is going to be honored in a bigger way going forward… but it’s anybody’s guess what that looks like.
Instagram/Oliver Stark“My heart is broken… I’m going to miss Bobby,” one fan commented under the snap, with a second agreeing, “Nah, not without Bobby… sorry.”
Obviously, it remains to be season how Season 9’s viewership might be affected by Bobby’s death, let alone the storylines themselves. Currently, all we know for certain is that Season 9 will have a further 18 episodes, likely beginning some time around fall 2025.
On top of this, we’ve got spinoff 911: Nashville starting at the same time, with Chris O’Donnell leading the charge as Captain Don Sharpe. If 911 fans aren’t happy with the main show after the loss of Bobby, this could be an easy place for them to head.
For showrunner Tim Minnear, it’s a progression that makes sense. He confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter, “Once I started thinking that somebody had to die, then the choice was, who? And the only choice that I thought made sense was Bobby. It makes sense for his character to have a tragic sacrifice as a conclusion of his entire journey in the show.
As you might have guessed, Buck will definitely be back for Season 9, being one of the first 118 fighters to get out of the lab unscathed. He’s going to be the person Chimey bares his soul to in the Season 8 trailer, seen in the trailer saying, “He gave his life so I could live… I’m just not sure what I’m supposed to do with that.”
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