After a fast-paced and intense seventh season, 9-1-1 is picking up steam with a hectic Season 8. The season premiere sees a car crash unleash 22 million bees onto Los Angeles, merging together to form a bee tornado, or “Bee-nado.” The show then takes things to the next level by having Sergeant Athena Grant (Angela Bassett) trapped on a crashing plane in a Bee-nado and having to save Dennis Jenkins (Glenn Plummer) from multiple people trying to kill him.
Despite the new disasters that have occurred since the season began, 9-1-1 Season 8 also picks up some threads left off at the end of Season 7. Captain Gerrard (Brian Thompson) is apparently still in charge of 118, although that may change after his near-death experience. With Gerrard in his old job, Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) is stuck as a consultant on a TV show about firefighting. While this storyline certainly adds some drama to the show, it will soon come to an end. Bobby needs to get back to 118 as soon as possible.
Bobby Nash was introduced in the pilot episode of 9-1-1 as a kind and capable captain who loves to cook and has a tragic past. His past was revealed in the first season. Before Bobby got sober, he had a wife and two children. One night, while drunk, Bobby left the heater on, causing a fire that burned down the building and killed hundreds of people, including his wife and children. This incident haunted Bobby throughout the entire series. He was tormented by guilt for years, believing that he could never be forgiven for what he had done. He had a breakthrough in Season 1 when he decided to let himself go after his redemption list was complete.
It seemed like Bobby had moved on enough to not let it define him anymore. However, his guilt returned when Amir Casey (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) resurfaced in Season 7. Amir had been living in Bobby’s apartment building at the time, and he lost his wife and was burned alive in a fire. Amir realized who Bobby was after their jobs overlapped, and he followed Bobby to A.A. to throw his story in his face. Bobby tried to make amends, but was so consumed by guilt that he quit his job and began saying goodbye. It seemed like 9-1-1 finally let Bobby move on from the fire, allowing him to find his place at 118 and in his newfound Grant-Nash family.
It felt like a slap in the face when 9-1-1 brought up memories of the fire only to punish Bobby all over again. He had spent years trying to rebuild his life and had changed the lives of those around him. Everyone who worked under Bobby at 118 and his own children had their lives touched by him. He had saved millions. Yet now, it seemed that 9-1-1 itself had not forgiven Bobby for the apartment fire and the program continued to punish him. It was time for the program to let him move on and stop making him suffer.
What has always and continues to set 9-1-1 apart from other programs is the central family unit that is found. During his time at 118, Bobby built something beautiful where his employees felt safe and heard. He cooks for them, they eat together, and they would all do anything to save each other, no matter the cost. Gerrard’s presence disrupts this dynamic in a way that won’t last for many more episodes. 118 is supposed to be a safe and supportive environment, with the emergencies they face being something they constantly have to fight for. Instead, the firefighters are at odds with their stubborn and hostile new/former boss, and it’s frustrating and exhausting.
