The 9-1-1 Franchise Has 1 Major Problem That Can’t Be Easily Solved With Just a Crossover

There are always going to be growing pains when a franchise expands. 9-1-1 has had its share of shake-ups. They added a spin-off, 9-1-1: Lone Star, in 2020 (which somehow never quite managed to capture the magic or ratings of the original series). Then another huge change happened when 9-1-1 ended up switching networks from Fox to ABC in 2024. The franchise lost a lot of synergy when this happened, since the flagship show and Lone Star found themselves airing on different networks. Lone Star couldn’t recover from this massive change, resulting in its cancellation in 2024. The 9-1-1 team has now launched another spin-off, 9-1-1: Nashville, a few weeks ago, but that doesn’t mean that the franchise is now on stable ground.

‘9-1-1’ Still Hasn’t Gotten Over Bobby’s Death

Sometimes, shows that have been on the air for quite some time need to shake things up with a shocking storyline. Last season, the 9-1-1 writers decided to kill off one of the most beloved characters on the show. Captain Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) dies during a virus outbreak, selflessly giving the last dose of the antidote to Howie “Chimney” Han (Kenneth Choi). The entire firehouse is thrown into chaos with the loss of their leader. Chim has since taken over as interim chief, but it’s clear that this position has changed a lot of the dynamics within the firehouse. Chim isn’t even sure he wants to try and fill Bobby’s shoes permanently. Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark) is also struggling to cope with the loss of his mentor, but no one has been more affected by Bobby’s death than his wife, Athena Grant (Angela Bassett). Athena has thrown herself into several dangerous situations, including going undercover as a cop and volunteering to fly to space with Henrietta “Hen” Wilson (Aisha Hinds). She can’t seem to figure out how to live her life without her partner by her side, and the grieving process is ongoing.

It’s clear why this is the exact path the 9-1-1 writers wanted to take: Bobby’s death shakes up the narrative in tons of different ways. Bobby’s death affects each character differently, and there are plenty of moments for drama and tension because of it. However, the writers clearly underestimated what a huge reaction fans would have about Bobby leaving the show. Fans are still reeling, and some have even been trying to come up with ways that Bobby could still return (as a ghost?). We’re already four episodes into Season 9, and the series still hasn’t seemed to have gotten its mojo back completely. The 118 Firehouse is going out on calls and saving people throughout Los Angeles, but the absence of Bobby is still looming large. With this upheaval on the flagship, it’s sort of questionable why the 9-1-1 team would think it’s a great idea to launch a new spin-off at this exact moment.

The ‘9-1-1: Nashville’ Spin-Off Is Trying To Find Its Groove

9-1-1: Nashville premiered on October 9, and has only aired four episodes so far. Because it’s still in its early stages, it seems like viewers haven’t totally latched onto the series yet. Even though we’ve transferred over to a firehouse in Music City, we’re still a long way from feeling like a part of the team. The emergencies in Nashville are quite different from the ones featured in the Los Angeles-based series, including multiple tornadoes and people seeking shelter in storm cellars and barns. This is a good thing, since more unique natural disasters and emergency situations make the series feel fresh. The excitement level for the first slew of episodes has been encouraging. However, we’re still not quite convinced these characters can lead the series in the same way they do over on the original 9-1-1 show.

9-1-1: Nashville hasn’t quite found its footing when it comes to fleshing out the characters yet. We’re still getting to know everyone, but the minor characters haven’t distinguished themselves very much, and it can be a little tough to remember who’s who (especially when it comes to the members of the firehouse). Of course, with time, it’s very likely that these secondary characters will get their own storylines to make them more memorable. But right out of the gate, we don’t really feel all that embedded in their lives or in their firehouse. There has been a clear narrative established with Captain Don Hart (Chris O’Donnell) inviting his long-lost son, Blue Bennings (Hunter McVey), to be a probie at the station, and of course, everyone has secrets that will eventually come out. But so far, it doesn’t seem like these storylines could last for even a few more episodes. This makes it difficult to see how the show’s storytelling will progress throughout one whole season.

Shakiness Within the ‘9-1-1’ Franchise Could Be a Problem

There’s still plenty of time for 9-1-1: Nashville to find its footing. There are a few intriguing storylines that we’re curious to see play out, especially the fun, catfight battle between Blythe Hart (Jessica Capshaw) and Dixie Bennings (LeAnn Rimes). There are also a lot of plots left unexplored so far, such as Blythe’s wealthy family and their possible distaste for her marriage to Don. But it’s not a great sign that it’s taking so long for the series to feel like a must-watch show. Right now, viewers are still trying to get used to the show’s style and characters, and if you couple that with the uncertainty over on 9-1-1, it could mean that people just might tune out of the franchise completely. A loss of stability with either show could equal a dip in ratings, and it’s always possible that viewers might not decide to stick around to see how things play out with either series.

There’s still hope for the 9-1-1 franchise though. These kinds of massive shake-ups can actually lead to increased excitement surrounding the shows or even new viewers tuning in who are curious about either or both of the shows. Unfortunately, right now, the franchise is definitely experiencing growing pains that is making this line-up feel rather precarious. Hopefully, the 118 Firehouse (and viewers) can move on from Bobby’s death, and 9-1-1: Nashville will allow us to get more immersed in their world — but they’ll need to do that before we decide to start tuning out for good.

New episodes of 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Nashville air back-to-back on Thursday nights on ABC and are available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

Release Date

January 3, 2018

Showrunner

Tim Minear