[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 15 “Lab Rats.”]
9-1-1 simply delivered its most devastating episode but with excellent performances from everybody, particularly Peter Krause, Angela Bassett, and Oliver Stark. (If solely the Emmys acknowledged extra broadcast reveals — Krause can be a severe contender.) And in it, the present killed off its first main character.
The episode picks up the place Episode 14 left off, with Bobby (Krause), Hen (Aisha Hinds), and Ravi (Anirudh Pisharody) below lockdown within the lab, and Chimney (Kenneth Choi) quarantined after being uncovered to an excellent pressure of CCHF (Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever). On the surface, Buck (Oliver Stark), Athena (Angela Bassett), and Karen (Tracie Thoms) observe down the scientist accountable, and the girl brings the antiviral to the lab whereas Buck and Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) distract the FBI and navy. However as soon as the 118 has been evacuated, Bobby locks himself within the lab, revealing that his air provide line tore through the explosion and he, too, was uncovered. There’s no antiviral left. “I really like you, child,” he tells Buck earlier than sending him away so he can have time together with his spouse for a really emotional, heartbreaking goodbye.
“I’m sorry, this isn’t how I needed to go away you,” Bobby tells Athena. “I’m not selecting to go away you. I selected to avoid wasting my crew as a result of it was the best factor to do. It was by no means as a result of I needed to go. I don’t wish to go. If I may select, I might stick with you at all times.” Whereas they need extra time, they don’t have any, and, he provides, “Mine was at all times borrowed. L.A. was alleged to be my penance, not my dwelling. Then you definately mentioned sure to a dinner invitation, and I began to reside once more.” As he coughs up blood, he tells Athena, “I really like you, child, I really like you,” then tells her to go as a result of she will’t be there for the following half. However she’s not going wherever: “I’m right here, for all of the elements that we’ve got left.” They put their fingers up towards the glass, then Bobby turns, walks away, kneels in prayer … and the episode ends with everybody crying, alone, and a physique bag being carried out, and the final shot is Bobby’s helmet.
Under, showrunner Tim Minear explains that completely gut-wrenching ending, teases how everybody shall be grieving, and extra.
Why kill off Bobby? Did Peter wish to go away? And why did you do it on this manner?
Tim Minear: No, it was a inventive choice. No one needed Peter to go away, most of all me, however I simply felt like we’re going into Season 9 and it will’ve been comfy to maintain all the pieces established order and completely happy completely happy. But it surely’s a primary responder present, and I put these folks in life and loss of life conditions, besides you would in all probability have a look at it and say I simply put them in life conditions as a result of nobody ever dies. So it simply felt prefer it was time.
Disney / Christopher Willard
And look, I had thought of different attainable deaths, however once I was breaking this story and noticed that this could possibly be a very epic goodbye for a personality, I simply figured it ought to be the character who’s going to have an effect on each character’s story on the present. And that’s Bobby, and Bobby’s character. It made a specific amount of sense for the arc of his character and that he got here right here for redemption and that he got here right here with a loss of life want, actually. After which his complete story is about how he not has a loss of life want. He by no means feels utterly worthy of the happiness that he’s acquired, however when he makes that sacrifice, he doesn’t wish to go, however he achieves the end result of all the pieces that has been driving that character for eight seasons. So it wasn’t a tough inventive option to make. It was a very onerous inventive option to make, if that is sensible.
What are you able to share concerning the conversations you had with Peter?
I let him know earlier than I let anybody else know. So he and I knew collectively for a few month earlier than I advised any of the opposite forged. He understood why I used to be doing this creatively. Peter Krause was kind of an unlucky casualty of Bobby’s loss of life as a result of everybody loves working with Peter. He loves engaged on the present. So it was a extremely onerous private sacrifice that we’re all sort of making. However he’s a professional, and he utterly understands why the present would profit from one thing like this. And I advised him, I mentioned, “Look, I do know that is the best choice, as a result of as quickly because it began to occur in my head, the entire world of the present felt extra actual to me. These folks felt extra actual to me.”
After which shockingly, I might say, having accomplished this for a few years and having killed off plenty of characters — on Angel, I used to be referred to as the Tim Reaper, I simply kill the beloved characters on a regular basis, and Peter’s died on different reveals — however this time I feel all of us simply felt like we have been dropping an actual particular person, somebody that we liked. And so everybody had deep, deep emotions about this and nonetheless do. I imply, it’s nonetheless fairly contemporary, however Peter’s nice. We discuss on a regular basis, and I can’t wait to do one thing else with him. I simply assume he’s one among a form.
Peter’s efficiency on this episode was one among his finest on the present. What did you see in him in that closing scene?
What I noticed in him was a mix of Bobby and Peter. A few of that’s Peter. A few of that’s Peter possibly even speaking to me. I used to be there for that. And it was difficult how we have been going to method this as a result of simply primarily based on what that virus was and what it does, the factor may have was a ghoulish, physique horror, horror film, which isn’t what we needed. You need to perceive what’s occurring, however we additionally simply didn’t need it to be a very ugly loss of life, which is what this could be.
And it was Peter’s concept to show away from Athena and go to that desk and sort of get right into a prayerful posture. That was Peter. That was all Peter. So I simply thought that was a extremely beautiful alternative on his half. And it simply saved issues sort of elliptical and sort of non-linear as a result of what you’re actually watching in these final no matter, two minutes, in all probability would’ve taken place over some hours.
After which the opposite factor that I actually liked about it and hate about it on the similar time is that due to the story I had been telling for these two episodes, the characters couldn’t be collectively. They’re all remoted. They’re all in a plastic bubble or in a tent or Buck’s on the opposite facet of a factor and breaking down, and Tommy’s watching him from a monitor. Nobody is there to consolation anybody.
After which I simply actually felt it was necessary to be definitive about it, which is why then I went to the physique bag and never simply the physique. I feel I’m going out on the safety digital camera perspective. So it’s very chilly. It’s very scientific. It’s not heat in any respect. I bought related reactions once I killed a fowl on Lone Star as soon as. I’m like, then Rob Lowe walks in and appears down the fowl’s down the underside of the cage, isn’t that humorous? Nobody thought it was humorous. I believed it was nice.
Disney / Christopher Willard
What was necessary to have with Bobby’s second with Buck and his goodbye with Athena? As a result of the “I really like you, child,” after which “if I may select, I might stick with you at all times” have been notably heartbreaking.
I felt like Buck is, in a manner, his surrogate son, or in all probability extra realistically, Bobby is Buck’s surrogate father. So Buck, I feel, wanted to listen to one thing from Bobby earlier than the tip. And Bobby and Athena, I imply, clearly I needed it to be a scene between them and I didn’t need him to get hit by a bus or have a factor dropped on his head or he expires in a coma or one thing. It wanted to be face-to-face.
Will this be the final time we see Bobby or will Peter to be again? There’s flashbacks, desires, hallucinations. There’s at all times a technique to convey again a personality who has died. So are we going to see him once more?
This isn’t even his final look this season.
What are you able to preview?
That you simply’re going to see him earlier than the tip of the season, that you simply’re going to see him in a few of these methods that you’ve got enumerated. I don’t wish to mislead anybody. He’s lifeless.
How is Athena going to be dealing with her grief?
At first, not effectively. Actually, I might say that that might apply to all of the characters.
What are we particularly going to see from Athena?
You’re going to see Athena attempt to obtain a miracle that she didn’t get with Bobby.
Are we going to see Eddie discover out on display screen?
You’ll not see him discover out on display screen, however you’ll hear what his expertise was when he lastly opens as much as anyone.
Is that this bringing Eddie again to L.A. completely?
I imply, Eddie goes to be coming again for the final couple episodes.
What are you able to say about Buck, Hen, Chimney, and Eddie grieving and who’s leaning on whom?
Nicely, they’re all leaning on one another, and but they’re all sort of fractured on the similar time. Discovering an equilibrium for that grief, it was essential for me that I had a run of episodes after the occasion in order that the viewers may attempt to get their bearings with the characters to grieve with the characters. So all of the phases of grief shall be represented within the final three episodes with all of the characters.
What are you able to say about particularly who’s sharing essentially the most important scenes in relation to that going ahead?
Nicely, there’s three episodes. They’re all going to get scenes. I might say on the heart of it, although, is Chimney, who’s feeling notably … he’s bought the survivor’s guilt huge time. There’s a second in there, within the episode tonight, the place he will get Bobby to vow to take care of Maddie as a result of he simply assumes he’s not making it out of right here. And you’ll see even by that goddamn face masks, that’s the second that Bobby makes the choice that if there’s a option to be made Chimney’s strolling out and he’s not.
That’s what I believed.
100%. So when he says, “I promise I cannot let something unhealthy occur to your loved ones,” he already is aware of what’s coming. So you might have Chimney having Bobby make that promise, and he can’t actually do the identical for Bobby as a result of I’m unsure Athena’s going to be open to plenty of consolation from the person who’s alive as a result of — not that she blames Chimney, however that’s going to determine in rather a lot to the final three episodes.
Since you talked about what Bobby meant to Buck, who’s Buck leaning on extra, Maddie or Eddie?
Buck is attempting to lean on himself. As a result of Bobby says to him, “You’re going to be okay and so they’re going to wish you,” and that’s going to confuse Buck. He’s not going to fairly know what to do with that. Everybody’s going to be just a bit off their equilibrium in these final three.
So when Buck does confide in somebody, who’s it going to be?
He’s going to confide in everybody on some degree. Yeah, you’ll see. You’ll see, Meredith.
How a lot is grief going to be a part of the present? As a result of it’s onerous to think about them going again to work despite the fact that they should.
Proper. And that’s why I felt like I wanted a run of episodes to let that breathe. … Each episode [through the finale] is about this.
Talking of the finale, if these have been your Episodes 14 and 15, what are you doing for that?
Nicely, we’re going to do an actual 9-1-1 emergency finale. I feel we’ve got, I don’t wish to say enjoyable, however I feel we’ve got a enjoyable conceit in Episode 17, sort of a factor we haven’t actually accomplished earlier than, which is able to then result in a mass casualty occasion. And even of their grief, they’re first responders, they bought to place that apart and work collectively to avoid wasting folks. So I feel what you’ll see within the final three episodes, sure, grief, love, loss, unhappiness, and rallying and victory.
As painful because it’s going to be, the 118 goes to wish a brand new captain. Are we going to see Hen stepping in as interim once more? Bobby does say to Buck that they’re going to wish him. Is somebody new coming in? How are you dealing with that?
You’re asking about all questions that shall be answered in Season 9.
So that you’re giving them time to simply accept what’s occurred.
Yeah, I’m not fixing that drawback immediately for the remainder of this season. There’s an interim captain there who is just not going to be the captain going ahead, however the final three episodes aren’t about who’s in Bobby’s chair. The final three episodes are about that chair is empty.
Was there ever a query of the episode ending on something however Bobby’s helmet?
Yeah, there was truly. Initially, it was simply going to be the physique bag.
Oof.
And I do know, precisely, the response that you simply’re having is the response that I used to be going for. Individuals didn’t appear to love that, which is why I knew it was in all probability proper. However after we have been enhancing the episode, we discovered that shot, and I’m identical to, “Put it on the finish.”
9-1-1, Thursdays, 8/7c, ABC