“People did not seem to like that”: 9-1-1 showrunner reveals Bobby’s death scene was supposed to be even darker

9-1-1 fans are shaken by the death of Robert "Bobby" Nash. The LAFD Station 118 captain succumbed to a virus in Season 8 Episode 15, Lab Rats. The moment came as a shock, as nobody expected the lead character to suddenly die in the storyline.

In his final scene, Bobby, played by Peter Krause, knelt down in prayer as he knew his time had come. The final shot showcased his helmet as a tribute to the station captain. However, the scene was initially planned to be much darker.

In an interview with TV Insider, 9-1-1 showrunner Tim Minear has revealed that he originally thought of depicting just the body bag being carried, instead of the helmet, which would have left fans even more shocked and sad:

“Initially, it was just going to be the body bag. And I know, exactly, the reaction that you’re having is the reaction that I was going for. People did not seem to like that, which is why I knew it was probably right. But when we were editing the episode, we found that shot, and I’m just like, ‘Put it at the end.’”

9-1-1 showrunner talks about Bobby’s death scene

In the interview, Tim Minear also revealed that actor Peter Krause contributed creatively to his character’s death sequence in 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 15. The showrunner said it was the actor’s idea to get into a prayer pose in his final moments:

“It was Peter’s idea to turn away from Athena and go to that table and kind of get into a prayerful posture. That was Peter. That was all Peter. So I just thought that was a really lovely choice on his part.”

Talking about how the tragic event will impact other firefighters like Chimney, Buck, Eddie, and Hen, Minear said they are all heartbroken and would be supporting each other, which forms the premise of the rest of the episodes in the season:

“They’re all leaning on each other, and yet they’re all kind of fractured at the same time. Finding an equilibrium for that grief, it was very important for me that I had a run of episodes after the event so that the audience could try to get their bearings with the characters to grieve with the characters. So all the stages of grief will be represented in the last three episodes with all the characters.”

Bobby had been a main character on 9-1-1 ever since the show’s inception. Apart from his leadership qualities, his relationship with Athena Grant also became a highlight of the series. In the episode Lab Rats, Bobby got infected by a virus while on duty, and sacrificed himself by saving the last vial of antidote for Chimney.

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9-1-1 airs new episodes on ABC on Thursdays.

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