9-1-1’s New Bobby Replacement Saves Athena’s Original 118 Role
Misty Layne started as an actor and sketch comedy writer before deciding to concentrate mainly on writing. Utilizing both her love of television and film and her behind-the-scenes knowledge, she began a website reviewing films in 2013, with a focus on horror and indie media. Eventually, she began writing about all things television and film for other sites as well. Misty shares a home with five cats, a ton of books, and a fairly impressive vinyl collection.
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The loss of Bobby Nash in 9-1-1 season 8 hit hard. Fans of the show were left grieving, but more importantly, so were Athena, May, Harry, and the entire 118. Every character was still trying to adjust to the reality of Bobby's death in 9-1-1's following season, with people figuring out where they now stood in jobs and relationships. Eventually, this shift led Harry to return and carry on Bobby’s legacy by becoming a firefighter (and, of course, getting assigned to the 118).
By essentially becoming Bobby’s replacement, Harry didn’t just help even out the dynamics of the fire station after the loss of Bobby; he also brought new blood and a fresh perspective to a long-running series that very much needed it. More importantly, since 9-1-1 moved Harry to the 118, he's become Athena’s new tie to the firefighting world. Without that, the show might have taken Athena’s character arc in a direction that created far more change than what we've seen over the past couple of seasons.
Bobby's Death Leaves Athena Disconnected To The 118
The 118 is a family, and Bobby brought Athena into that family. Even without him, she still would have been part of it, and she would have interacted with the firefighters at the 118 in the course of her job. She likely would still have seen Hen and Karen often, too.
But losing a partner can naturally lead to changes in the relationships that are left behind, especially with the people the spouse worked with. Athena might still be family, but she also might have seen Buck, Eddie, Chimney, and Maddie less often outside of work. Bobby was the one more likely to plan get-togethers or after-hours dinners, after all.
It wouldn’t have been a purposeful change; the death of a loved one can simply lead people in unexpected directions. That sort of growth is healthy and can be a good thing (like Athena finally being promoted to detective for 9-1-1 season 10), especially in a series that’s been on so long. However, separating Athena from the 118’s storylines would have changed the core of the show. Athena needed a new connection to the firefighters, and the show provided the perfect one.
Harry Keeps Athena Tied To 118 In 9-1-1 Season 10
Harry returning to the show was an excellent idea on its own. With him, May, and Ravi, there’s now a younger cadre coming into their own (mostly via trial by fire — literally, with the volcano erupting in Los Angeles at the start of season 10), which adds a new dynamic to 9-1-1. It works as a fantastic contrast to the old guard, bringing new depth to the series, and watching Harry and May, in particular, take on the adult world is fun for viewers who have watched them grow up.
More importantly, Harry taking up Bobby’s mantle (with Buck helping, as Bobby's final 9-1-1 prophecy predicted) means he also took up his place as Athena’s formal tie to the gang at the 118. With Harry on the job, it ensures that Athena’s relationships with those characters don’t become distant and does so in an entirely natural way. She’ll always be checking in on her son and — as evidenced in the recent underground volcano storyline — Harry will likely be saving her many times, just like Bobby did. Athena also has more reason to spend time with the gang during off-hours.
Despite Harry stepping into Bobby’s place in certain ways and becoming Athena’s remaining link to the firefighters, he still isn’t Bobby. No one will ever be able to replace that character, which honestly is a good thing. Bobby should be remembered, not replaced, and so far, the way everyone has grown into the roles that Bobby played, but without trying to become him, has been the right move for 9-1-1.
- Release Date
- January 3, 2018
- Network
- ABC, FOX
- Showrunner
- Tim Minear
- Directors
- Bradley Buecker, John J. Gray, Brenna Malloy, Jennifer Lynch, David Grossman, Marita Grabiak, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Jann Turner, James Wong, Marcus Stokes, Chad Lowe, Juan Carlos Coto, Christine Khalafian, Dawn Wilkinson, Maggie Kiley, Millicent Shelton, Sarah Boyd, Tasha Smith, Tessa Blake, Aisha Hinds, Kristen Reidel, Shauna Duggins, Jonathan Lawrence, Robert M. Williams Jr.
- Writers
- Tim Minear, Andrew Meyers, Taylor Wong, James Leffler, Molly Green, Christopher Monfette, Nadia Abass-Madden, Stacey R. Rose, Nicole Barraza Keim, Bob Goodman, Brad Falchuk, David Fury, Ryan Murphy, Ted Griffin, Erica L. Anderson, Matthew Hodgson, Zachary Reiter, Tonya Kong, Adam Penn, Aristotle Kousakis, Molly Green, Rashad Raisani, Ian Sobel
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Angela Bassett
Athena Grant
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Peter Krause
Bobby Nash
A group of first responders—including police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and dispatchers—manage emergencies while balancing out their personal lives.
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