9-1-1 season 8 starts on a unique note with a violent “bee-nado” unleashed over the city of Los Angeles. The resulting disaster results in a plane crash that forces Athena and a young boy to take control of the plane and land it on the freeway. After the dust settles after the first three episodes, two of 9-1-1’s major conflicts are resolved. Bobby takes back his rightful place as captain of the 118, and Hen and Karen’s foster licenses are restored, bringing a heartfelt homecoming for Mara.
With other major storylines ahead, there aren’t many updates on Buck’s personal life or his romance with Tommy. However, actor Oliver Stark shared that episodes 5 and 6 will feature more of Louis Ferrigno Jr., shedding light on the couple’s current status. Stark also discussed the aspects he feels are key to any on-screen relationship and shared his love for the show and its cast.
Screen Rant: I see that another 9-1-1 spinoff is in the works. What do you think? Are you hoping to do more crossovers in that universe?
Oliver Stark: Yeah, I mean, to be honest with you, I don’t know anything about that. I don’t know how it’s been officially announced. I know Ryan Murphy has said, “We’re doing this and we want to start shooting the first episode in March,” but I don’t know if the network or the studio has officially said that yet. So, I don’t know anything. I like the idea of that.
I think the idea of expanding the world and the universe of 9-1-1 is always exciting, especially if, as you say, it gives us scope for crossovers and we can dive into another world for a little bit. So yeah, I think it’s nothing but positive and I think it’s a testament to the power of the 9-1-1 franchise and how the fans have embraced it, even as a possibility.
I’ve asked you about this before, but now that you’ve been at ABC a little bit longer, are there any actors from other shows [you’d like to collaborate with] or any series you’d like 118 to be involved with?
Oliver Stark: We always joke that it’s like Abbott Elementary or something, but I see they’re collaborating with “It’s Always Sunny,” which I think is really funny. I guess The Rookie makes the most sense, right? It’s focused on first responders. I believe it’s set in L.A., so that’s great. I like the idea of two different teams working together in any situation. That’s something I can definitely get behind and see working.
Bobby’s back and he’s captain of the 118 again. Not only is the on-screen family back together, but what’s the adjustment like when Peter Krause comes back to base?
Oliver Stark: There’s really not been an adjustment, in the sense that we’re so used to each other and we’re a family. He’s missed when he’s not with us. Obviously we had that at the beginning of this season and the beginning of last season because he was away filming on a cruise ship for a long time. So I think it’s always a little bit of a difficult adjustment when he’s away, but as soon as he’s back here, we get back into the groove and it feels like home.
Aside from Bobby coming back, Hen and Karen have reunited their families. There’s been a bit of a plot twist with Gerrard coming in. Do you think any part of him wants to do something good or is it purely self-serving?
Oliver Stark: I think when we look back at the seasons and who he is, I think we can err on the side of self-serving. But ultimately, it works out for all of us. So whatever the character’s reasons are, we’ll accept that it ended the way it was supposed to.
We’ve had a lot of compelling storylines over the last four episodes, but we haven’t gotten to dive into what’s going on in Buck’s personal life. How would you describe his storyline trajectory this season?
Oliver Stark: We haven’t gone too far. We’re only shooting episode eight right now and obviously episode five is coming up this week, so I don’t know too much. I do know that between episode eight and now, Buck’s life is going to change a little bit and he’s going to be dealing with some changes.
So, in the next couple of episodes, there’s a story, in terms of pace, [with] quite a lot happening for him. But then things seem to settle down a little bit and I’m excited to see what the next step is. He’s at this point in his life where there’s a lot of possibilities for him. So I’m excited to see, first of all, what the next couple of episodes are going to be and then where that story goes in the not-too-distant future.
Have you shot an episode that’s more about Buck’s relationship with Tommy this season?
Oliver Stark: Yeah, he’s in Episode 5, quite a bit.
