‘9-1-1’ Peter Krause Reflects On Bobby’s “Deeply Personal” Season 7 And The 118’s Concerning Cliffhanger

After Bobby Nash survived a deluge of emotional trauma, an epic cruise ship catastrophe, a desert cartel attack, a car crash, a raging house fire, and cardiac arrest brought on by smoke inhalation, 9-1-1‘s Season 7 finale gave Peter Krause’s character a much-needed break — for mere minutes.

Before the end credits rolled on Season 7, Episode 10, “All Fall Down,” the hit ABC procedural couldn’t resist dropping one more bombshell on Bobby. He’s been replaced as captain of the 118 by deeply problematic leader Captain Gerrard (Brian Thompson), who terrorized Hen, Chim, Tommy, and the rest of the team back in the day.

“It was a bit of a storytelling leap,” Krause told Decider over Zoom ahead of the highly-anticipated episode. “I’m not sure exactly what Tim [Minear] has planned. But I’m sure it’s not going to be an immediately easy road for Bobby to regain captainship of the 118. I have faith that he will. But I’m not sure exactly what he’s got in store.”

On the heels of an especially dangerous, distressing season for Bobby and his wife Athena (Angela Bassett), fans were likely hopeful that showrunner Tim Minear would reward the couple’s strength with some well-earned rest. But Krause? He not only embraces the chaos unleashed on his character, he knows it’s essential.

“It truly is a comic book about first responders come to life and we survive things that normal people wouldn’t. But I like that. That’s the language of the show. It’s meant to be a piece of entertainment,” the actor said, noting that the show is so much more than its emergencies. “This season particularly, Bobby did some deeper character work and inner work in terms of guilt over the past and his relationship with Athena. The show does go deep. We do a lot of things to keep expanding the landscape of storytelling.”

Looking back on the season, which included 9-1-1‘s monumental 100th episode milestone, Krause took a moment to marvel over what a “great job” Minear did executing the ambitious vision. “I think that we came back stronger than ever — coming out of the strike, as well. It was really nice to have this relaunch on ABC with these really strong 10 episodes. And going from that romantic comedy in the beginning, to the extended emergency adventure in The Poseidon Adventure arc, to this really deeply personal level by the end was terrific,” he said.

In order for Krause’s character to reach that “really deeply personal level” — one that involved flashbacks to his childhood, confronting his family’s history with alcohol, retiring as captain of the 118, and questioning whether or not he was worthy of any of his life’s many blessings — 9-1-1 introduced someone with unexpected ties to Bobby’s past: Amir Casey, a burn unit nurse played by The Resident‘s Malcolm-Jamal Warner. After learning that Amir survived (but lost his wife in) the tragic 2014 fire Bobby accidentally started in his Minnesota apartment building, Bobby set out to make amends with the travel nurse, unintentionally landing them in a series of life-or-death situations.

In an interview earlier this season, Warner told Decider, “I was a huge Six Feet Under fan. So getting to spend so much time with Peter was really exciting.” He said the two bonded during intense Jacumba shooting conditions, explaining that as Leos, they shared a similar sense of humor. Krause swiftly returned the love for Warner, saying, “He’s fantastic — one of the most generous actors with whom I’ve ever had the pleasure of working. He also did a great job with that character. That was not an easy role to play.”

When asked about the many serious moments Amir and Bobby shared on screen, Krause added, “[Warner’s] a pretty great guy. He’s funny. We did have to shut down our comedy and laughter once in a while to be able to do our scenes, but off-camera we got along very well and I’d love to work with him on something else.” While The Resident star said there’s hope for Amir to return to 9-1-1 down the line should the story call for it, if the travel nurse doesn’t cross paths with the 118 again, Krause has a backup plan. “I’ve said to him that I’d love to do a real Western with him sometime.” (Taylor Sheridan, where you at?!)

“One of the things — whether I’m back on the show or not — I will always have with me how much Peter and I laugh,” Warner told Decider when recalling his favorite memory from the 9-1-1 set. “Whenever Peter sees me, he calls me ‘a Swiftie Belieber,'” he added, admitting that he heard songs from the artists in his makeup trailer and was intrigued. When Decider shared that anecdote with Krause, bringing up his own viral Taylor Swift video and suggesting that perhaps he’s the real Swiftie, he started cackling. “Oh, yeah. Well, there’s a PA on set who is constantly trying to get me to be a Taylor Swift fan. She’s the one who filmed me. She was playing that song ‘Peter’ and secretly filming me with her with her iPhone. That’s how that came to be,” he said with a chuckle. “And Malcolm was recounting some Justin Bieber lyrics, saying, ‘That’s pretty good, right?!’ So I said, ‘I guess he speaks to you.’ We had a great time.”

Though Season 7 finale teasers led fans to believe Amir started the fire at Bobby and Athena’s house, and that the arson ultimately killed Bobby, in truth, the cartel members Bobby and Amir encountered earlier in the season intentionally set the blaze, and Bobby pulled through once again — an ideal outcome for viewers and Krause alike, as he isn’t ready to say goodbye to the show. “I love working with Tim and I love this fantastic cast. You could take this cast and make an entirely different show if you wanted to. It’s a really great bunch of people.”

In true Bobby Nash fashion, when his own achievements are celebrated, Krause jumps at any opportunity to highlight others. The actor spent approximately half of his 10-minute interview with Decider praising his co-stars, stressing his love for episodes that allow certain characters to carry the ball. “We have names for the episodes, like an Eddiesode, or a Henisode, a Buckisode, or an Athenasode. I guess some people have said Chimneysode, but I say Kennysode,” he explained, intentionally leaving out “Bobbysode” or “Capisode” to shift attention away from himself. Krause took a beat to shout out the “absolutely fantastic” work of Kenneth Choi in Madney’s wedding episode, saying, “He’s such a great actor and such a fun guy. And he’s merciless with pestering me and harassing me.” Then he showered another co-star, Oliver Stark, with love.

“I was very pleased with the Bobby and Buck scene that Tim wrote in the locker room,” Krause said, referencing a Season 7, Episode 9 exchange in which Bobby tells Buck he’s come a long way over the years. During the Season 7 finale, Buck admits that Bobby is the father he never had. Based on Krause mirroring part of Bobby’s pep talk, it’s safe to say the actors have a special admiration for each other off-screen as well. “That was a very important and meaningful scene to me,” Krause shared. “I really enjoyed working with Oliver over the seasons. All these actors are just fantastic, but I think over the course of time, Oliver’s been a very brave performer and I think he’s doing a great job.”

Last, but certainly not least, on Krause’s compliment list? His on-screen partner, Angela Bassett, who gave a stellar performance throughout Season 7, culminating in captivating displays of rage, heartbreak, fear, relief, and adoration in the finale.

“She’s so wildly talented in so many ways. Getting to do some romantic comedy with her in the beginning of the season was one of the most fun things I’ve gotten to do in the show. It was really fun to play, and a lot of people don’t realize how funny Angela Bassett can be. She got to show off her comedy chops, which I really enjoyed,” Krause said. “Then at the end of the season, you see Bobby and Athena — they’re so in love with each other, and so committed, but to see Athena be afraid that she’s gonna lose Bobby, and that he withheld some of his inner struggles from her, and for her to pointedly say she does not want that: ‘Do not hide from me. I want to know all of you. And I want you to be here for me. And I love you.’ That’s really powerful.”

As for Bathena’s future, Krause — and this may shock you — hopes the fan-favorite couple gets another shot at a honeymoon. Whether the two are house-hunting, living in a hotel or apartment, or crashing with friends in Season 8, Krause knows he wants to see Athena and Bobby on an RV trip. “I just feel like after The Poseidon Adventure episodes there’s still some honeymoon that they haven’t completed yet. And and I think that somehow on an RV trip…what could go wrong?” he laughed.

Though the 9-1-1 star isn’t entirely sure what Tim Minear has up his sleeve next season, he likes to think Bobby finally reached a place in life where he believes he earned his second chance. “I think he’s still going to be leaning into a life of service, and maybe some of that is going to spill over into helping people in the AA world. And he’s certainly going to be there for his 9-1-1 family,” Krause teased. “Athena is still on the case about how their house burned down, so I think that is probably fuel for the beginning of Season 8.”

Before we wrapped, the actor took a moment to soak in his 9-1-1 experience, channeling Bobby’s love of gratitude and admitting, “I can’t believe it’s already going to be Season 8. I can’t believe that we’ve made seven, and we’re going into Season 8.” 

While we wait for new 9-1-1 episodes to premiere, Season 7 is streaming on Hulu for all your rewatch needs. Be sure to read Decider’s Season 7 finale interview with Ryan Guzman, along with everything we know about the future of the ABC series.