When a show like 9-1-1 hits us in the feels, fans don’t just move on — they analyze, critique, and mourn. And after Bobby Nash’s death in Season 8, let’s just say the fandom was shaken to its core. But beyond the heartbreak, what came next left many viewers speechless — and not in a good way. That’s where one brilliant fan stepped in with an analogy so on-point, so savagely accurate, that it instantly went viral. And honestly? They might have just said what we were all thinking. Let’s break it down — from Bobby’s death to the aftermath, the fan reaction, and this unforgettable analogy that captured the chaos perfectly.
A fan of 9-1-1 has the perfect analogy for season 8’s worst decision, which connects closely to Bobby’s death. Unexpected and largely rejected by viewers, the death of Captain Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) came late in the show’s eighth installment. Bobby sacrifices himself after contracting a lethal virus, keeping his terminal condition a secret for the sake of his 118 family.
Co-creator and showrunner Tim Minear defended the unpopular twist in interviews, explaining there were high stakes in the life-threatening emergencies that the main characters respond to in nearly every episode. But as much of a shock as Krause’s exit from the long-running procedural was, and as unconvincing as the justification for it proved to be, the aftermath was even more confounding in some ways. That is represented in the decision to sideline a main cast member for a recurring character that was never that popular in the first place.
Eddie Should Have Been In The Lab For Bobby’s Death (Instead Of Bringing Back Tommy). Eddie (Ryan Guzman) doesn’t appear in three episodes during the latter half of season 8. That includes “Lab Rats”, which ends with Bobby’s final farewell to his wife Athena (Angela Bassett). Eddie is in Texas, attempting to repair his strained relationship with his son Christopher (Gavin McHugh). Even though Eddie is not there, Tommy Kinard (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) is all over “Lab Rats.” He plays a crucial part in the story, essentially helping his ex-boyfriend Buck (Oliver Stark) deliver the cure that helps to save Howard’s (Kenneth Choi) life.
Tommy never interacts with Bobby, who is trapped in a lab, alongside most of the 118. But his spotlighted inclusion in the episode, providing a heroic assist during such a pivotal moment, rubbed fans the wrong way in light of Eddie’s absence. Tommy is reintroduced in 9-1-1 season 7, essentially being a catalyst to help Buck realize his bisexuality. But this depiction of him is at odds with how Tommy is portrayed during the procedural’s early seasons.
It is outright galling precisely because of Eddie’s faded presence and bizarre arc in the second half of season 8. 9-1-1 does try to get some dramatic tension out of Eddie not being there after Bobby’s death. A flashback in the penultimate episode, “Don’t Drink the Water,” lingers on Eddie’s utter devastation in the immediate aftermath of receiving the news that Bobby is gone. Still, because of the limitations of being a 42-minute network drama with multiple actors to serve, Eddie’s place in the story never gets the exploration it warrants…. there’s not a single scene that reveals his reaction to moving back to Los Angeles after apparently building a life and community in a different state.
After making so much out of not wanting to disrupt Christopher’s life and needing to remain in Texas, all it takes is one rousing speech from Howard to change Eddie’s mind. After the show makes so much out of the importance of what Christopher needs, there’s not a single scene that reveals his reaction to moving back to Los Angeles after apparently building a life and community in a different state. It’s a bizarre way to diminish the journey of two crucial characters, which may have been alleviated by including Eddie during an absolute turning point for the series.
