9-1-1 fans were surprised to hear that the ABC show would be doing a crossover with Doctor Odyssey after that season seven three-part opener that saw Sergeant Athena Grant and Captain Bobby Nash face terrorists while on a cruise for their honeymoon.
Turns out, so was Angela Bassett, who has revealed that she “objected” and put her foot down as an executive producer when the original pitch was for both Athena and her husband Bobby (played by Peter Krause) to board the Odyssey together.
“I was like, ‘That doesn’t make sense’,” Angela said.
“Athena would never get back on a boat again. I just can’t imagine what would get her back on board, other than to go on, turn around and come right back off.”
The upcoming crossover, which will air on ABC on March 27, will see Athena board the ship after the FBI calls her to help when two passengers are suspected of targeting the ship’s vault.
Joined by Doctor Max (played by Joshua Jackson), “Athena raises the stakes in a dangerous game where not everyone will end up with a winning hand,” according to the log line.
The only thing that encourages Athena to get on board is “duty,” Angela told TV Line.
“Duty calls, so she has to go, much to her chagrin and displeasure.”
In March 2024 the season seven premiere for 9-1-1 – the first on ABC – saw Athena and Bobby board a ship for their honeymoon, only for an explosion and terrorist attack to see the ship capsize as the 118 raced against the clock to save the pair.
“[That experience is] still fresh in the cells of her body. It’s very anxiety provoking for Athena to be on that boat for any amount of time,” added Angela.
The season seven opener saw Athena reveal that her main concern over going on a cruise with Bobby was not her life-long fear after a childhood viewing of The Poseidon Adventure, but that without her children around, or the drama of their day-to-day lives working as Los Angeles’ first responders, the pair would have nothing to discuss, or worse, nothing in common.
Angela, a mom to twin college students Bronwyn and Slater, previously told HELLO! that the season seven opener was “perfect,” as it took “something that is so universal and that couples and mature people are dealing with” and was able to “find humor in it, and pathos”.
“It mirrored my own life,” said Angela, adding of her children: “These are their final months of senior high and they are itching and ready to fly, and I wonder: ‘How am I going to be?’ and I swear the writers have a bug in my house!”
9-1-1 is on ABC on Thursdays at 8/7c.
