While 9-1-1 Season 8 had some great moments, there was still a lot left on the table that we’d like to see more exploration of in 9-1-1 Season 9 when it returns this fall. There’s not much we know about the next season of 9-1-1, but this season left plenty of dangling threads that could point to where 9-1-1 Season 9 could be headed. Bobby’s (Peter Krause) loss was a shocking development, but one that promised an interesting shake-up for the show. The final three episodes of 9-1-1 Season 8 tried to cover everyone’s grief in the wake of losing their captain, but the end result felt rushed.
In just three episodes, it’s hard to quantify Bobby’s impact on the 118 and the character himself. It would be great to see that grief carried over into 9-1-1 Season 9. There are still so many milestones to go through in a Bobby-less world. Whoever becomes captain will have big shoes to fill. Athena (Angela Bassett) will be living somewhere else, which isn’t the home she and Bobby had been building together. What will that be like for her? How does she move on from losing another significant other? Bobby’s legacy lives on in Baby Han — what’s that dynamic between Athena and Hans, who named their baby after her late husband? While hallucinations of dead loved ones can quickly turn into cheap parlor tricks, bringing Peter Krause back for Bobby to haunt the narrative occasionally would keep the grief for Bobby front and center.
Give Hen and Karen a break. Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Karen (Tracie Thoms) have been through the ringer with their family. From foster and adoption woes to almost losing Denny in 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 5, the two haven’t had a carefree storyline in a long time. Or at least one that didn’t involve almost losing their kids. The drama is all good, but repetitive drama can get tiring fast.
Hen and Karen deserve a break in 9-1-1 Season 9. Send them on vacation, or have them chase down another thief together. Bring back their fun storylines! But also, Hen turned down the captain position for her family — how does that decision play out between Hen and Karen? There’s so much more with them to explore beyond the drama about losing their kids. Buck in queer spaces One of the best parts of 9-1-1 Season 8 was seeing Buck (Oliver Stark) in a queer relationship after coming out as bisexual in 9-1-1 Season 7. But beyond a questionable speech from Josh in 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 6, Buck doesn’t talk to other LGBTQ characters.
9-1-1 Season 9 has an excellent opportunity to put Buck in more queer spaces and talking to other queer characters. He’s not had one conversation with Hen about being a part of the queer community, which is a huge missed opportunity. Hen has been a lesbian on this show since the pilot episode; seeing some queer solidarity and community between characters would be a huge win.
Whether we see him at queer bars, clubs, or groups, seeing Buck immerse himself in the queer community beyond who he’s dating would be another significant step in exploring Buck’s identity in 9-1-1 Season 9. Watching him with Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) all season has been great, but Buck never really talked about his sexuality except during the coming-out arcs in 9-1-1 Season 7. And he has yet to say he’s bisexual despite other characters all stating their sexuality (one of those being straight!). Bisexual representation is still very few and far between on television, so hearing Buck explicitly state his sexuality on screen would go a long way in honoring that representation.
