Angela Bassett Reacts to Peter Krause’s Potential ‘9-1-1’ Season 9 Return

Is there any chance of a future for Captain Bobby Nash after his tragic presumed death at the end of season 8 of 9-1-1?

Star and executive producer Angela Bassett was recently asked about the possibility of her on-screen husband, played by Peter Krause, returning to the hit series. 

Nash supposedly died after being exposed to a virus during a lab accident in episode 15 of the season, leaving Bassett’s character, Police Sergeant Athena Grant, devastated. 

However, fans have speculated that Nash, who is the first major character the show has killed off, is not actually dead. Considering viewers never saw his actual body, just a full body bag with his helmet sitting next to it, questions naturally arose. 

“My sister’s one of the fans, and she won’t stop talking about it,” Bassett told Today.com of Nash’s apparent death. “She is mad.”

Bassett added that her sister, D’nette, has repeated a phrase that many 9-1-1 fans have also said to her: “It don’t make sense … Is he coming back?”

But despite both her and Krause being executive producers on the Ryan Murphy series, Bassett claimed she has no insider knowledge regarding the true fate of Krause’s character. 

“I’m making no promises,” she said. “I’m wondering like you, just like the fans.”

However, she plans “to keep his memory alive in some way,” noting that Athena’s children will be featured more prominently this season. 

Bassett said that she often hears about upcoming plot points from members of the crew. 

“Maybe I have to go in for a fitting, so maybe I’ll hear, ‘Oh, you’re going to be doing something crazy,’ because a lot times the heads of the department will get, if not the script, the idea of what it’s going to be about before we do so they can get a little head start. And then sometimes they can’t help but share,” Bassett said. 

However, those details aren’t always accurate. 

“And then the script comes,” she continued, “and I’ve always made it out to be crazier in my head, just hearing about it, then when I read it, it’s like, ‘Okay, this is doable. I guess.’ ”

Athena fell for Bobby on season 1 of the show, amid her divorce, and the couple married in season 2. 9-1-1 is currently in production for season 9, however, showrunner Tim Minear previously confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter, “Bobby’s dead.” 

Krause previously said of the death of his character in a statement to THR, “I’ve heard that many fans are upset by this loss, and they have a right to be. It is a loss. That said, it was more than a bold creative choice on a bold show. Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice, and he was built for this. First responders risk their lives on the job so that others can see another day. His story arc honors them.”