9-1-1 Stars React to Bobby’s Fate, [Spoiler]’s Departure and Other Season 7 Finale Twists — Grade It!
The seventh season of 9-1-1, which concluded on Thursday with another game-changing finale, will be remembered by series star Peter Krause as “the strongest 10-episode arc we’ve ever done.”
Of course, this historic arc hasn’t been particularly kind to Krause’s Bobby Nash, who began the season surviving a sinking cruise ship and ended it fighting his way out of a coma. Despite all signs (and promos) suggesting otherwise, the former captain of the 118 pulled through on Thursday, surviving the hour and living to mentor another day.
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This being the show’s first season on ABC, Krause is glad that 9-1-1 revisited so much of Bobby’s painful backstory, helping “any audience members who hadn’t seen the show and might be joining it in Season 7.” But he also hopes that this latest arc “gives Bobby a new launching pad to kind of let go of his past even more.” He’s looking forward to “more romantic comedy and crime-solving with Athena and Bobby moving forward.” And aren’t we all.
Unfortunately, Bobby already has a new fight on his agenda for Season 8, as his return to the 118 comes under new leadership — literally the dumbest, meanest, most racist, homophobic option conceivable. And that was just one of several dramatic finale developments, which also included Christopher’s shocking reaction to Eddie’s affair, and an unexpected turn of events in Hen and Karen’s ongoing battle to adopt Mara.
Fortunately, Krause and Ryan Guzman were more than happy to break down those game-changing moments for TVLine. Read on for their thoughts on what the future holds for the 118, then grade the finale in our poll and drop a comment with your own hopes for 9-1-1 Season 8.
Gerard’s Way
We’ll start with the final surprise — that Gerard is officially taking over as the new captain of the 118!
Speaking for the entire fandom, Guzman shares his reaction to the jaw-dropping twist: “I was just like, ‘Wait a second, we’re losing Bobby again? And to this a-hole?!”
Krause chooses to look at the glass half-full. “I like them butting up against each other,” he tells TVLine. “I could see Gerard having a real grudge against Bobby for getting all this positive attention after he took over Gerard’s firehouse, and now we he wants it back.”
He doesn’t know any specifics about which “legitimate or illegitimate obstacles” Gerard will employ to keep Bobby from reclaiming captainship of the 118, but Krause is certain that showrunner Tim Minear “has a plan that will be very satisfying.”
Guzman sees Eddie having to play things by ear next season, and he hopes that working under Gerard doesn’t have a negative impact on him.
“Eddie doesn’t really know Gerard yet, but from what he’s heard, he’s the worst parts of a human being,” Guzman says. “So is that going to propel Eddie to go back to what he came from — a ‘masculine’ man who doesn’t talk about his emotions? Is that going to make Eddie go back to a version of himself that didn’t lead him any anywhere healthy? Who knows. If you take that away, all kinds of chaos can happen.”
Athena Grant Did the Thing
Believing that Amir set the fire, and blaming herself for letting him into their home, Athena Grant (aka “MRS. Bobby Nash!!!”) started waving her gun around until she got some answers. They weren’t the answers she was expecting — specifically that Bobby and Amir’s cartel enemies were responsible for the blaze — but they got the job done.
Amir and Bobby reconnected one last time in the ashes of his and Athena’s home, a scene Krause will remember as being “very meaningful,” especially when Bobby held up his medal, an act that reminded Bobby of “the dedication that he feels towards the service of firefighting.”
Bobby also feels called to help people in other ways, which Krause says he has discussed with Minear. “It depends on what works for the show,” he explains, “but we’ve talked about Bobby being more active in A.A. and being there for people like that.”
Is Christopher Really Leaving?
Despite Eddie’s best efforts, which included bringing in the big guns (aka Buck), Christopher still can’t forgive him for cheating on Marisol with his dead mother’s doppelganger. Unbeknownst to Eddie, Christopher called his grandparents, who flew up from Texas to help out — which ultimately meant giving Christopher a place to stay while he grapples with his father’s betrayal.
“That was a very difficult scene,” Guzman says of Eddie and Christopher’s goodbye (for now). “My real life started to bleed into my acting and I became focused on how I would say this to my son. How am I going to show my son that what is about to happen is going to hurt me beyond belief? But how can I also stay strong for him and allow him to follow through with his decision? It was a lot.”
As for how long Christopher will remain out of the picture, Guzman says, “I know for sure that in the first episode [of Season 8], we likely won’t see Eddie and Christopher together. My hope is that Eddie has a good portion of time without Christopher, which would allow him the opportunity to find new structure, maybe rework who he is a little bit and find new textures of life for him.”
And What About Marisol?
While we don’t have official confirmation on the matter, something tells us that Marisol won’t be sticking around to help Eddie find himself all over again.
“I liked working with [Edy Ganem],” Guzman says of Eddie’s time with Marisol. “I liked that he chose a new route with her, that he wasn’t going as fast as he did with previous women. So there was hope there.”
But even Guzman admits that “it would be very hard to breathe life into that relationship” at this point. The fact that we didn’t see Marisol in the finale certainly doesn’t bode well for future appearances.
Dirty Talk
We didn’t get to spend much time with Buck and Tommy in the finale, but the little we did get from them was pure gold. Here’s an actual exchange between the couple while discussing how Bobby is like a second father to Buck:
BUCK: “Maybe we both have daddy issues.”
TOMMY: “I don’t.”
BUCK: “What makes you think I do?”
TOMMY: “God, I hope so.”
It was easily their best interaction since Maddie and Chimney’s wedding, when Tommy said, “Sorry I’m late, that fire was a beast,” and Buck replied, “So are you.” These two are giving big horny energy at all times, and we’re here for it.
#Henren’s Happy Ending
The best news to come in the finale — besides Bobby surviving his latest brush with death, of course — was that Mara will get to remain in Hen and Karen’s lives, despite the best efforts of that evil councilwoman. Following a heartbreaking visit to Mara’s new group home, where it was clear that the poor girl was miserable, Maddie and Chimney were approved to temporarily house her. So at least Mara can be part of the Wilson family, even if they aren’t able to live under the same roof just yet.
OK, your turn to talk:
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