I’m still rocked by the devastating loss of Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) in 9-1-1 season 8. Heck, I may even rank its impact right up there with Grey’s Anatomy’s Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) being killed off the Shonda Rhimes medical drama in a shocking car crash. In both instances, I didn’t see it coming.
Even as I try to process Bobby’s death, I find myself looking ahead to the already confirmed 9-1-1 season 9, zeroing in on what’s next for Athena (Angela Bassett), particularly in the romantic realm. Now, before I go further, allow me to say that in the real world, I wouldn’t attempt to play matchmaker with widows so quickly after the passing of a loved one, but we’re talking about the fictional world here. And as the saying goes, “The show must go on.”
As I sat and contemplated Athena’s future, it dawned on me that she may have already met her next big romance. I’m talking about Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Nurse Amir Casey.
Viewers will recall that back in 9-1-1 season 7, Amir surfaced as a man who used to live in the infamous apartment that burned down in Minnesota. The very building that Bobby always blamed himself for setting ablaze due to his drunken mistake (despite fire marshals pointing to the building owner for not keeping the apartment up to code). Amir, who lost his family in the fire, was furious when he happened to cross paths with Bobby, as he agreed with Bobby that the fire was his fault.
Amir’s presence shook Bobby to his core, and Bobby subsequently attempted to make amends. Despite Amir’s initial resistance, Bobby was so determined in his quest for forgiveness that he tracked Amir to the desert where the nurse was doing some volunteer work. The duo made contact with the cartel, though, and had to rely on each other to survive. But Amir still didn't necessarily offer up his forgiveness.
Then when Bobby and Athena’s house was burned down, with Bobby narrowly escaping death, Athena suspected Amir was behind the whole ordeal. That is, until the cartel showed up in LA. Amir literally sacrificed himself so the cartel wouldn’t kidnap Athena, and she later repaid the favor by rescuing him.
With all that being said, Amir and Athena’s scenes together made for great TV. They weren’t romantic in nature by any means, but they were still thoughtful and captivating. It’s easy to picture those convos becoming more personal should the two bump into each other in the future. Knowing both characters have experienced profound senses of loss, him a widower and her a widow, they might find their ability to relate to one another on that front oddly comforting as they're able to be raw and vulnerable.
It’s also worth noting that Warner stated just last month that he’s open to returning to the series. In an interview with TV Insider, when asked about popping back up on 9-1-1, he said, “I would love to go back. Just not deal with another fire, give me anything else but another fire.” Additionally, Warner commented that he’s worked with Bassett a number of times on projects and “it’s always great being able to reunite with her.”
Considering 9-1-1 co-creator Tim Minear is also on board with having Warner back on the 9-1-1 set, according to the article, I think fans shouldn’t be surprised if my prediction rings true.
New episodes of 9-1-1 air live on ABC on Thursdays, with episodes becoming available to stream the following day on Hulu.
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