Despite every hint pointing to his permanent demise, a rabid online fan campaign to bring Bobby back in some capacity has already begun. Coupled with star Angela Bassett’s recent comments about honoring Bobby’s memory, the external pressures could persuade showrunner Tim Minear to do the unthinkable and resurrect a deceased character. Perhaps a series of flashbacks could be a win-win compromise. Either way, it’s worth wondering if fans have seen the last of Bobby Nash on 9-1-1.
Who Is Bobby Nash in ‘9-1-1’?
A lovable series mainstay since 9-1-1‘s inception, Bobby Nash is the captain of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Station 118. At work, Bobby is a well-respected professional who turned the 118 station around after it established a poor reputation. Bobby is extremely close to his colleagues and subordinates, and becomes a dutiful father figure to Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark). As an upstanding leader, Bobby is fair, firm, and fully committed to keeping the city safe.
For Bobby, Station 118 was a form of salvation. By devoting himself to work and becoming a father figure to Buck, Bobby began to heal from the unspeakable losses he suffered. Home was even more heartening for Bobby, with his devotion to Athena and parental love for stepchildren, Harry (Marcanthonee Reis) and May (Corrine Massiah), giving him a newfound purpose. Considering his painful path toward love, family, and meaningful work, Bobby did not deserve to suffer such a tragic fate in 9-1-1.
What Happened to Bobby Nash in ‘9-1-1’ Season 8?
In 9-1-1‘s heartbreaking Season 8, Episode 15, “Lab Rats,” Bobby Nash became the first main character in series history to be killed off. Responding to an emergency, Bobby raced headlong into danger to save Chimney’s (Choi) life. Inside the biological laboratory, an explosion damaged Bobby’s protective firefighting suit, fatally exposing him to a viral infection. Bobby hid his damaged suit from the rest of his colleagues so that he could administer the final antidote to Chimney, who had also been exposed to the virus and had only minutes to live.
As such, fans have begun tearfully pleading and protesting online to bring Bobby back in some form. According to EW‘s Instagram, plans have been made to memorialize Bobby with an honorary plaque in Season 9, but fans are not satisfied and want him to return in earnest. But will he?
Will Bobby Nash Return to ‘9-1-1’ in Some Form or Fashion?
With the pressure mounting on Fox to bring Bobby Nash back to 9-1-1 Season 9, showrunner Tim Minear and star performer Angela Bassett have weighed in on the subject. Minear continues to defend the decision to kill Bobby off, telling EW:
“It just felt fitting and right. There’s a balance you have to strike. You don’t want to come in and feel like everything is just going to be sad from here on out, but Bobby’s memory should be blessed. And this is a thing that fire departments do in real life. They will name a fire station after a fallen hero. I think the idea that this will always be ‘Bobby’s house’ is kind of beautiful, and not depressing.”
Season 9 of 9-1-1 plans to honor Bobby’s memory and legacy by focusing on how Station 118 rebounds in his wake. Meanwhile, Athena will be hit the hardest after losing her husband and loving stepfather to her children. The loss is as hard to take for Bassett as it is for fans, with the superb actor vowing to honor Bobby in some capacity in Season 9.
Speaking with USA Today, Bassett admitted that her real-life sister is still irate about Bobby’s demise and hasn’t forgiven the decision. “She is mad,” says Bassett, whose sister still wonders four months after the Season 8 finale, “It don’t make sense … Is he coming back?”
As Bassett waits to see what the writers have in store for Bobby’s Season 9 memorial, she stops short of promising Bobby’s return, but assures fans that his memory will not be forgotten. In Bassett’s words:
“I have to keep his memory alive in some way. I’m making no promises. I’m wondering just like you, just like the fans.”
Of course, keeping Bobby’s memory alive will be tricky. Peter Krause returned as Bobby through flashbacks in “The Last Arm,” which, as mentioned, has the lowest IMDb rating in the series to date. Physically speaking, Athena had Bobby buried beside his first wife and children in Minnesota, making it harder for her and her children to visit his grave and keep his memory alive that way.
