Why Did ‘9-1-1’ Kill Off [Spoiler]? Key Cast Member’s Exit Was a ‘Creative Decision’ 

Fans of ABC’s first responder drama 9-1-1 were left stunned when the show killed off a beloved character in the April 17 episode. 

[Warning: Spoilers ahead for 9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 15.] 

In “Lab Rats,” firefighter Bobby Nash – who has been played by Peter Krause since season 1 – sacrified himself to save his colleage Chimney (Kenneth Choi) after both were infected with a lethal virus. With only one dose of the antidote available, Bobby chose to save Chimney rather than himself, leading to a gut-wrenching scene between him and his wife Athena (Angela Bassett) as they said their final goodbyes through a layer of protective glass. 

“I’m not choosing to leave you,” Bobby tells Athena shortly before he collapses. “I chose to save my team because it was the right thing to do. It was never because I wanted to go. I don’t want to go. if I could choose I would stay with you always.” 

‘9-1-1’ showrunner explains ‘difficult’ decision to kill off Bobby Nash 

Bobby’s death was an unprecedented moment for 9-1-1. Though the show reguarly throws its characters into perilous situations, they’ve always managed to survive – until now. “Lab Rats” was the first time in its eight season history that the series dared to kill off one of its leads.

The brutal choice was all about raising the stakes in the show, showrunner Tim Minear told Variety, adding that he did not write the scene because Krause wanted to quit the series or as a cost-cutting move. 

“I had to convince everybody about this,” Minear said. “The network was not like, ‘Yeah, get rid of him, it’ll save us money.’ It was nothing like that. I had to pitch this at the highest levels.”

Instead, Bobby’s death was an “entirely creative” choice, Minear explained. “A very difficult creative decision, because there’s practically no one I love on this Earth more than Peter.”

“After eight years, it just felt like, if we have any hope of creating stories going forward that have actual stakes, then someone’s got to die,” he went on to say. (ABC recently renewed 9-1-1 for a ninth season.) “I think it needed to be Bobby for a lot of reasons. The first reason is that it made sense. It didn’t feel arbitrary, because if you track the tragic arc of his character, of where he started, and how he came to LA looking for atonement, it just makes a kind of tragic sense for his character in a way it wouldn’t for another character.”

Bobby’s decision to save Chimney rather than himself was the final moment in his long redemption arc. The character moved to LA from Minnesota after he accidentally started a fire that killed his entire family and dozens of other people. His mission since then has been to atone for his role in those deaths. 

Peter Krause says ‘9-1-1’ fans ‘have a right’ to be ‘upset’

How does Krause feel about what happened in “Lab Rats?” In a statement, the Six Feet Under alum called Bobby’s death a “bold creative choice on a bold show.” But he acknowledged that viewers might be hurt by the unexpected development. 

“I’ve heart that many fans are upset by this loss and they have a right to be,” he said. “It is a loss.”

“Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice and he was built for this,” Krause continued. “First responders risk their lives on the job so that others can see another day. His story arc honors them. We at 9-1-1 salute all the incredible men and women who do these dangerous jobs and strive to keep us safe.”

9-1-1 is streaming on Hulu. 

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