Listen, it’s a day we don’t ever want to imagine getting here on 9-1-1, but unfortunately, Bobby Nash (Peter Krause, above, second from the left) can’t be captain of the 118 forever. (But we can happily imagine that one day, when he and his wife, Sergeant Athena Grant, played by Angela Bassett, eventually leave behind firefighting and police work, they’ll solve crimes together in some capacity.) The good news is that we can easily see any of the members of the 118 stepping into the role, but, as we await news of Season 7 on ABC (after the move from Fox), who should?
Chimney (Kenneth Choi) was the first to serve as interim captain, back in Season 2 when Bobby was suspended, and while he did say “never again” when the other man took time off for what would’ve been his and Athena’s honeymoon last year, that’s no longer true. After spending time at the academy (per Bobby’s orders) near the end of Season 6, he now feels like a better leader and is ready to see what his next steps are. So if the chance to be interim captain came up, no, he wouldn’t say “never again” this time.
“I personally think he would be a great captain. His problem has always been that he has a lot of self-doubt,” Choi told TV Insider after “Performance Anxiety,” which addressed his friend Kevin’s death and came after Chimney began working on his relationship with his father. “I think those two big puzzle pieces being discovered, he can now move forward. So as far as being interim captain, I think that he’d accept the challenge more willingly, absolutely.”
When Bobby was planning that time off for his vacation, Buck (Oliver Stark) was offended that he wasn’t his pick — and the other man told him he still had work to do on himself. By the end of Season 6, Buck was in a much better place, and we saw him take control during the finale emergency (as the least-injured member of the 118). After that, he’s “absolutely” as close to being ready to be captain as he’s ever been, Stark told us.
“Obviously, he thought he was already at that point at the beginning of the season and was quickly told that he was not and he had to go out and live some more life. I think we’ve seen him do that this season, and he really stepped up when he needed to in this finale,” he explained. “I think he’s on the cusp of being ready to assume that kind of role. Obviously, Bobby is very much alive and kicking and not going anywhere anytime soon. But if the position ever arose in any other capacity, I think Buck is proving that he’s a willing and ready candidate.”
That being said, Stark added, “I don’t think Buck is in a rush. He’s still at the start of his career and there are very strong arguments that there are many other people at the 118 that would be ahead of Buck in that queue. But I do think he has the charisma and the ability to, at some point, step into that role if it ever came his way.”
It was Hen (Aisha Hinds) Bobby picked to fill in while he was out, but she did so while also balancing med school. Since then, she’s realized the 118 is where she belongs. And even as she was spread too thin, she showed that she’s a great captain. She was even interim captain during the finale emergency with a head injury she didn’t get looked at until the 118 finally made its way to the hospital.
As for Eddie (Ryan Guzman), as he said in the Season 6 premiere when Bobby’s vacation came up, “I’d like to pressure him into not asking me.” But that could easily change in the future.
And then there’s always the possibility that someone new could be brought in when the day comes for a new (permanent) captain at the 118.
But what do you think? Vote in the poll below.
9-1-1, Season 7, TBA, ABC
