With Season 8 officially behind us, 9-1-1 fans can begin placing their bets about what will happen when the hit ABC series reconvenes for Season 9 in the fall. Following the divisive decision to kill off Peter Krause’s Captain Bobby Nash, the 118 is in desperate need of finding a new leader, but just who that leader will be was left up in the air when things came to a close last Thursday. However, we’d expect that it’s a question currently being addressed by showrunner Tim Minear and the rest of the creative team, as the importance of its answer is what the very success of the long-running procedural hinges on.
Recently speaking with ScreenRant, series star, Oliver Stark, addressed how he believed his character, Buck, would respond to whomever the crew’s next leader may be. Having seen Krause’s Bobby as not just a mentor but even a father figure, Buck will undoubtedly have plenty of opinions on the matter, with Stark sharing that while his character will “have to eventually” accept whoever is chosen for the job,
“I think there’s going to be a lot of difficulty involved with that. I think the whole dynamic of the 118 is up in the air at the moment. Time heals all. But I do think it’s going to take a little period, and I think it will depend on who that captain is. If it’s internal, I’m sure it’ll be an easier adjustment for Buck. If it’s external, I predict some issues moving forward.” Who Would Buck Accept As the 118’s New Captain? Just ahead of the Season 8 finale, Stark chatted with TV Insider and revealed that he thought his character could see either Aisha Hinds’ Hen or Kenneth Choi’s Chimney taking over Bobby’s position with nothing but respect. In his interview, the star said,
“It’s a job that Buck probably sees himself one day hoping to do, but I don’t think he would feel comfortable wanting that position now. I think he looks at Hen and Chimney and he’s like, ‘Those are the people that I look up to.’ They’re every bit cut from the same cloth as Bobby was, and I think he’d have nothing but admiration and respect for Chimney in the role.”
Oliver Stark didn’t make that statement lightly. “There’s going to be a lot of difficulty” isn’t just dramatic flair—it’s a promise. As viewers, we’re in for emotional tension, leadership drama, and possibly one of the most compelling arcs in 9-1-1 history. The 118 has never backed down from a challenge, but this one? It’s personal, and it’s coming from within.
