‘Bobby Nash Returns in ‘9-1-1′ – But Not as Fans Hoped’

Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) is officially back in 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 16. But before you get too excited — there’s a catch…

During the dramatic conclusion of the two-part episode “9-1-1: Contagion” in Season 8, Episode 15, Athena and Buck managed to obtain the antiviral medication just in time to save Chimney from near death. However, Bobby, the fearless captain, revealed he had been exposed to the virus and chose to sacrifice himself to save Chimney since there was only one dose of the antiviral available. Bobby said his goodbyes to Buck and Athena before passing away from organ failure.

Following Bobby’s shocking death, a letter was released by Deadline where actor Peter Krause expressed gratitude to his fans and colleagues for their support throughout the show. Showrunner Tim Minear explained the reasoning behind the decision to kill off Bobby, and Krause’s co-stars shared their devastation over his character’s departure.

As the preview for Season 8, Episode 16 hinted at Bobby’s emotional funeral, many believed that his death was final. Despite the history of protecting main characters on the show and some compelling theories, fans were hopeful for Bobby’s return. And indeed, he did return to the screen, but not in the way that fans had expected…

Rather than picking up right where 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 15 ended or kicking off with a check-in on the 118 or Athena, Episode 816 opens with a shot of — wait for it — BOBBY NASH’S BEAUTIFUL FACE! He’s alive! He’s responding to a house fire! And unfortunately, the scene is a flashback from eight years ago!

During the flashback, we see Hen, Chim, Tommy, and Bobby fail to save a baby named Michah from a burning home. Bobby breaks the news to the baby’s distraught mother, Leah. And all this context is provided because the emergency comes up in present-day, when Leah’s brother seeks out Captain Nash at the fire department and finds a grieving Athena instead.

Long story short, Leah is convinced that her son Michah isn’t actually dead. Instead, she thinks a woman from her prenatal yoga class stole him, changed his name to Cameron, and raised him as her own child. Leah’s brother was hoping Captain Nash could talk some sense into her. And in need of some hope, a distraction, and a renewed belief in miracles, Athena makes it her mission to crack the case. She turns her and Bobby’s under-construction dream home in her own personal HQ, and dives headfirst into Leah and Michah’s past.

As Athena is burning the midnight oil desperately trying to put the pieces together, Bobby appears before her as a vision, a ghost, a hallucination — whatever you want to call it! The point is, Krause is back on our screens again! And the husband and wife engage in an effortless back and forth as if nothing between them changed. When Bobby questions why Athena is trying so hard to solve an eight-year-old mystery instead of planning his funeral, she explains that the woman’s loss was important to him, so she’s helping her because he can’t. She also tells him that he “locked himself in a lab to die,” so he doesn’t get to tell her how to spend her time. Bobby replies, “Ouch,” and in that moment, it’s clear how many emotions regarding Bobby’s death and the way he was taken from her Athena has bottled. She reminds Bobby that she knows him, to which he replies, “You knew me. Past tense” and disappears. In the words of Captain Nash, “OUCH!”

Fans might assume that Bobby would visit other core characters, like Chimney, ahead of his funeral, but he only makes one more appearance in the episode in addition to many photos and conversations centered on him, that is. After Athena breaks down crying about her own loss to Hen, she heads to test Cameron’s DNA and learns he’s not Leah’s son. Her real son Michah did die in a fire, but Athena says Leah was so overcome with grief that she allowed herself to believe in a miracle. Before 9-1-1 says goodbye to Leah, we check in with her in her hospital room, where Bobby appears before her just like he did for Athena. The vision of Cap says he’s sorry for Leah’s loss and knows what it’s like to lose a child, rather, two (Robert, 11, and Brooke, 9). She asks him how he keeps going after a loss like that, and he says, “I live in the belief that one day I will see them again” before vanishing again.

So is that the last we’ll see of Bobby Nash? Is Bobby really dead? And is Peter Krause leaving the show for good? Here’s what we know after 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 16.

Apart from the unique appearances in flashbacks and visions, Bobby Nash technically remains dead throughout the entirety of 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 16. But a group of hopeful fans will undoubtedly believe that Cap could still come back to life after watching “The Final Alarm.”

Why? At the top of the list is Oliver Stark’s April Fool’s day script leak. Whether the script page briefly flashed on Stark’s Instagram story was an authentic part of Season 8’s plan or not, the fact that fans read script directions that showed Bobby Nash calling 911 from his coffin and telling Maddie he was being “buried alive” has them hoping the dream scenario will somehow become a reality.

While Athena and her kids did take Bobby’s coffin to the cemetery and said their goodbyes before the end credits rolled on Episode 816, Bobby’s coffin was still above ground. So does that mean there’s still hope that if the coffin is buried in, say, Episode 817’s cold open, Bobby could still come back to life and the script leak will play out on screen?!

Ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see. But don’t get too excited, because, again, the signs are SERIOUSLY pointing to Bobby’s permanent departure from the 9-1-1 world.

New episodes of 9-1-1 premiere Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. on ABC with next-day streaming on Hulu.