9-1-1 Cast Gets Emotional After Peter Krause’s First Public Message Since Divisive Exit

Peter Krause is reunited with his 9-1-1 crew, sort of.

The past season and a half haven’t been easy for ABC’s premier first-responder. While deaths are the norm for procedurals like it, a major character loss in its storytelling simply didn’t exist until Bobby died in 9-1-1 season 8. Questions about how the show would move on from the tragedy had been at the heart of many fan conversations. The truth of the matter, however, is that the series has no choice but to move forward, especially since 9-1-1 still has stories left to tell.

Showrunner Tim Minear explained that the decision to write out the character in such an unexpected way had something to do with their commitment to realism. Athena and the rest of 118 have been gradually moving on from the tragedy. Admittedly, Bobby’s presence still looms in the show, especially as some of his loved ones enter new phases in their respective lives. It’s a testament to his legacy in the series. Similarly, Krause remains ever-beloved by his former 9-1-1 crew.

During Empire Conventions‘ Saving Lives panel, which was attended by Oliver Stark, Ryan Guzman, Aisha Hinds, Kenneth Choi, and Anirudh Pisharody, a special message from Krause was played on the screen. This left the group surprised and elated, as they weren’t aware that this was happening. This marked the actor’s first video message released publicly since his departure from 9-1-1. Watch the video below:

While the main cast of 9-1-1 had no choice but to continue with their professional and personal responsibilities, killing off Bobby remains a controversial topic for loyal followers of the show. Up until now, some are still holding out hope that he might still be alive, and this whole plot is a long-drawn arc with a twist ending, although, admittedly, it isn’t as intense as it was when the twist death happened. Krause’s surprise appearance in the Empire Convention might spur new theories that he is coming back as Bobby in 9-1-1 season 10.

Unfortunately, that is unlikely the case. On the heels of Bobby’s death on the ABC show, the actor kept mum about the matter. Apparently, behind the scenes, however, Krause was working on a new project for his TV comeback with NBC’s Line of Fire. The actor said that he was attracted to the show’s script, written by Josh Safran. A mix of tried-and-tested law enforcement-focused stories with family drama, it will see “a family of law enforcement agents [that] bridges personal differences and crosses professional boundaries as they tackle cases for the FBI, US Marshals, Secret Service, and Department of Justice.” Krause plays the family patriarch, Mike Hollingsworth.

Krause booking another network TV show in Line of Fire effectively confirms that Bobby is indeed dead. Even if Minear and his team wanted to reverse their decision about him, it would be difficult to see the actor back in 9-1-1 full-time, considering his commitment to the NBC series. Still, expect that his legacy will live on as the 118 continues their commitment to saving lives.

9-1-1

8/10

Release Date

January 3, 2018

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  Angela Bassett

  Athena Grant

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  Peter Krause

  Robert ‘Bobby’ Nash