9-1-1 may be known for its big emergencies and multi-episode disasters, but it also consistently delivers heart—and occasionally features an entire episode all about one of the character’s pasts in a way that connects to the present. Such is the case with “Step Nine.”
In it, hospital burn unit nurse Amir (perpetual scene-stealer Malcolm-Jamal Warner) was in that tragic fire that Bobby (Peter Krause, who’s always in touch with his character’s grief and guilt) accidentally caused and that killed his family. Amir, too, lives with the trauma of that tragedy: He lost his wife, and half his face is burned. Amir goes to Bobby’s AA meeting and makes it clear he knows who he is—and so the captain then tracks him down, where he’s volunteering at a migrant encampment. When Bobby finds him, Amir has been shot, and while the nurse doesn’t want his help, the two men need each other to survive the desert and the people after them. They do make it, and Amir makes it clear he won’t forgive Bobby. But he knows that in his post-fire job, he’s trying to save his wife. So he can’t help but wonder who Bobby’s trying to save. Well…
This is where the flashbacks come in—to Bobby’s childhood! His father, Tim (John Brotherton), was a fire captain, awarded for his dedication off the job as well as in uniform. He was Bobby’s hero. But he had a drinking problem (and offered Bobby his glass to finish), and eventually, Bobby’s mother left him, and his older brother, Charlie, went with her. Bobby stayed. Tim kept drinking. Bobby set the kitchen on fire trying to cook himself and had to call 9-1-1. Tim was angry because of how it would make him look and threw out the scrapbook that Bobby made of all the people he saved. Bobby locked himself in his room and refused to come out when his father apologized. But then after Tim took the scrapbook out of the garbage, he tripped and hit his head on the coffee table—and died! The next morning, Bobby found him. And later, after the firefighters left, Bobby poured himself a drink…
Below, Warner talks about filming this episode, teases what’s ahead for Amir, and more.
Talk about filming this episode with Peter because it is the two of you for almost everything in the present day.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner: Yeah, it was—what’s the word? I can’t say the word is fun. [Laughs] But I’d say Peter and I had fun in the midst of non-fun shooting conditions. That was our second episode together and we were out up in the Antelope Valley, the beginning of the Mojave Desert. And yeah, the conditions just weren’t the greatest, but we knew we were there for five days, so we knew we had to make the best of it. And because this was the first time that we were really spending this amount of time together, two things were going on at the same time, which were kind of cool. There was the off-camera bonding experience that Peter and I were having and then this on-camera tension that Amir and Bobby were having. And at the same time, we are both kind of doing this on-camera dance while we’re having this off-camera experience of a mutual love and respect for each other’s craft. So it was a really cool—despite the physical conditions—way of working.
Something that’s understandable is that Amir doesn’t forgive Bobby even after what they went through, but given who Amir is, could he one day?
Forgiveness is—that’s big, especially because of Amir’s experience and the daily reminder that Amir has every time he looks in the mirror. So I think forgiveness is a big step, but I think there is, given what they’ve been through, room for a possible appreciation for what he’s doing now, maybe.
Has Amir’s perspective changed a bit in the way he’s looking at the fact that there are two Bobbys, the one then and the one now?
Yeah, but I think it’s important for Amir that, in Bobby’s life now, he does not get to state what he did. And I think the whole reason why Amir even came to that AA meeting was because he wanted Bobby to know. It was like an “I see you” kind of moment: “Whatever it is you’re doing here, whatever life you have created for yourself, people may not know your past, but I see you and you should not be allowed to get away with just trying to forget that.”
What can you say about what’s coming up with Amir and Bobby in the remaining episodes of the season?
Just the storyline does not end in a neatly wrapped bow, as it seems like it will. [Laughs]
So does that mean there’s any chance of seeing you return in Season 8?
I think because there is a Season 8, there are all kinds of possibilities.
Going back to your first episode, Amir had that great scene in which he met Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), which felt important given what came next in this episode. So talk about having that be the introduction of your character.
Yeah, I love that the first time you see Amir, he is this really empathic soul. And I love being able to see that from the onset, especially the journey that we see him go through after that. It’s like, oh wow, there are a lot of layers to this man and it actually takes a lot for him to live in that space where we first him, if that makes sense.
It does. Might we get any Amir and Athena (Angela Bassett) scenes? I feel like that would be rough on Amir given what he lost and hasn’t gained like Bobby has, but at the same time could lead to some important stuff.
Yeah, I guess I can tease that there will be some Amir and Athena scenes.
Can you say anything about the tone or just working with Angela?
This is my fourth time working with Angela because she was on Cosby. We did Tour of Duty together back in ’86 and then American Horror Story. So it’s always great working with her. Looking at both of our journeys from where we were 40 years ago to where we are now, it’s really cool to be with someone, and our paths have crossed so many times on this journey and the fact that we’re both still here, it’s always a treat to be able to work with her.
Who else will Amir be interacting with that you can say? Will we get more with Maddie?
I did not get to work with Jennifer again. From here on out, it’s really me and Peter or me and Angela.
How is Amir doing going forward now? Interacting with Bobby can change things for him and what he’s been thinking all these years.
Yeah, I think the big thing is Amir no longer has the opportunity to bury himself in his work to the degree that he doesn’t have to deal with his resentment and anger. Now he is forced to deal with those emotions head on and not have the opportunity to be able to stuff them down.
Are we going to see Amir in the middle of any more emergencies or was this really the big one for him?
Well, it is the end of the season, so Season 8 can bring on all kinds of possibilities.
