9-1-1 used to be one of broadcast TV’s best procedurals. It knew how to balance outrageous emergencies with grounded character drama, and it gave us a team of first responders we actually cared about.
But with Bobby Nash gone and Athena and Hen suiting up for a space mission on 9-1-1 Season 9, it’s safe to say the show has officially gone off the rails.
The real breaking point came with Bobby’s death.
Remember 9-1-1 Season 7? Bobby had a heart attack, ABC hyped up promos making it look like he might not make it, and the whole crew gathered at his bedside.
He survived — only for the writers to pull the plug one season later. It honestly felt like they wanted to kill him on Season 7, chickened out, and then circled back a year later.
Killing Bobby wasn’t just a creative stumble. It was a slap in the face.
Bobby was the heart of 9-1-1. His leadership, his moral compass, his flaws — he grounded the chaos around him.
9-1-1 Should Be Doing Damage Control
When you discard a character like that with such a weak storyline, you’re basically telling viewers their investment doesn’t matter. For me, the show started flatlining the second he was gone.
And now? Athena and Hen are going to space.
When I saw the teaser, I thought, “Is this The Fast and the Furious?” Like… what the hell are we doing here? Yes, the writers have run out of ways to top themselves, but space?
I’d rather have no disaster at all than one that makes the show look like a parody. Athena and Hen are amazing characters, but not even their talent can sell a storyline that’s this absurd.
What made 9-1-1 great was that the disasters, while heightened, still felt like they could happen.
Earthquakes, tsunamis, blackouts — there was always a sliver of reality. That’s what made the show gripping. Once you’re putting first responders in orbit, you’ve broken the trust.
And let’s be real: this isn’t creative. It’s a sign of a show that has run out of gas.
Bobby’s death was clearly financial. Broadcast dramas are hemorrhaging money, and cutting a veteran actor is an easy way to save on the budget.
A Space Disaster Isn’t 9-1-1
But sending characters to space? That’s just a desperate headline grab after fans revolted over Bobby’s exit.
The network knows the buzz will get people talking, even if it’s for the wrong reasons, but that doesn’t translate into long-term loyalty.
That’s the part ABC doesn’t seem to understand. Fans aren’t asking for bigger and flashier disasters.
They’re asking for respect. They’re asking for the characters they’ve invested in to get the kind of thoughtful arcs that made this show a hit in the first place.
If you’ve burned trust by killing Bobby, you don’t rebuild it by throwing Athena and Hen into orbit. You rebuild it by telling honest, emotional stories again.
If I were running things, I’d go smaller, not bigger. Forget the spectacle. Go back to the characters.
That’s when 9-1-1 worked best — when it let the disasters highlight the people at the center, not overshadow them.
The more the writers chase headlines, the more the soul of the show slips away.
But instead, we’re stuck with a series that keeps trying to one-up itself until there’s nothing left.
Bobby’s death was the real breaking point, and this space arc is the final nail.
Unless the writers pull a Dallas and tell us the last two seasons were all a dream, I don’t see how the series comes back from this.
9-1-1 has officially jumped the shark. And it’s not coming back down to Earth.
What’s your take on the matter, 9-1-1 Fanatics? Do you think the series has lost its lustre?
If you’re tiring of the original 9-1-1, you can take solace in the fact that we’ll be covering 9-1-1: Nashville, which actually looks pretty good!
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9-1-1 Going to Space Proves the Show Has Jumped the Shark
9-1-1 burned its fanbase by killing off Bobby, and if producers think a splashy space story will fix things, they’re wrong.
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9-1-1 Season 9 Trailer Blasts Off With Space Disasters And High Stakes
Oh, yes, 9-1-1 is back to give us our most outrageous emergency yet, and now we have the trailer to give us a taste … of space!
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Heads Up! 9-1-1 Kicks Off Season 9 With a Meteor-Sized Emergency
9-1-1 Season 9 is right around the corner, and the first promo is teasing…a meteor shower? Let’s discuss!
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