A recent post to Anirudh Pisharody’s TikTok confirms his return as Ravi Panikkar in 9-1-1 season 9. The video, which humorously juxtaposes Pisharody’s knowledge of viral trends with Oliver Stark’s chronically offline confusion, shows both actors in the iconic LAFD uniform. As such, despite his tendency to fade into the background or disappear completely, Ravi is still with the 118.
@anirudh.pisharody excuse him he’s shy @911onABC ♬ Dame Un Grrr Funk – DJ R4
What This Means For 9-1-1 Season 9
The Long-Running Procedural Has A New Character To Develop
While Bobby is gone for good, 9-1-1 still has many firefighters in its iconic station 118. Now that Howard “Chimney” Han (Kenneth Choi) is positioned to take over the vacant captaincy, there’s an open spot in the core team that Ravi can fulfill. Up until now, Ravi has been a supplemental character. With Bobby gone, however, he may be promoted.
9-1-1 season 9 will likely shy away from addressing Bobby’s controversial death as much as possible. By bringing Ravi into the fold, 9-1-1 is giving itself a new avenue to explore. Ravi may pop up in more storylines or get an independent character arc of his own. Given that Pisharody filmed with Stark, Ravi and Buck’s friendship may even bloom.
Furthermore, Ravi’s presence suggests a shake-up in the former team dynamic. Ravi was Buck’s new partner after Eddie (Ryan Guzman) moved to Texas. With Eddie and Ravi both returning to the LAFD, Chimney being captain may have forced a reconfiguration of the 118. Ravi may now be Buck’s permanent partner, leaving Eddie to become a paramedic with Hen (Aisha Hinds).
Our Take On Ravi’s Return
The Former Probie Earned His Spot With The 118
Regardless of how big his role will be, Ravi irrefutably deserves to be in 9-1-1 season 9. His character has been sidelined time and time again, but the tragedy of losing Bobby may ironically give way to the long-overdue storyline of Ravi becoming a main character. Now that he’s experienced one of 9-1-1’s hallmark near-death experiences, Ravi has proven himself.
