We might not know who exactly will be back for 911 season 9, but there is one actor whose future is apparently very much up in the air. And no, we’re not talking about Peter Krause.
Anirudh Pisharody has been a key recurring member of the 911 family since season 4, playing firefighter Ravi Panikkar, but it appears his return remains uncertain heading into season 9 of ABC’s hit show. While it seems likely we’re going to see Ravi back in season 9, it remains to be seen whether we’ll finally see Ravi taking on a larger role on the show by becoming a series regular.
“That's a good question. I should ask you that. I think it's just the nature of a show like this. There are so many characters, there are so many storylines. If it's a right fit, it's a right fit. I'll petition Tim. I'll send him a petition.org, a signature page to do it. I'm hoping it happens. I'm definitely hoping it happens. I love the show, I love the people, and it's a part of me in more ways than one,” Pisharody told Screen Rant when asked about Ravi sticking around in season 9.
Honestly, it would be a major miss for ABC not to bring Pisharody back as Ravi, and it’s high time the show promoted him to series regular!
Since his introduction, Ravi has been a recurring fixture on the show, but in season 8, we really got to see Ravi find his place among the 118. When Eddie left town to move to Texas, the 118 brought Ravi in to fill his place on the team, which allowed us to see more of Ravi than ever before. At first, Ravi was a bit overlooked when he first came back to the firehouse, but as the episodes progressed, we saw Ravi really settling into the firehouse and getting some standout moments, including a fun development in Ravi and Buck’s dynamic.
When Ravi questioned his time at the firehouse after he failed to properly clear a car and almost cost a child their life, it was Buck who helped reassure him. It was a simple moment, but one that made us long for more of the pair and the opportunity to see Buck sort of take on a mentor role to Ravi, paying forward the lessons he learned from Bobby.
Speaking of which, it only makes sense that Ravi be a part of the 118’s future moving forward after forming a lifelong bond with the group, having been on the call when the team lost their captain. Ravi was right in the thick of things and was there with the rest of the team when they lost Bobby. After being there at such a pivotal moment in the franchise, Ravi deserves to be a part of the next chapter of the 118 as they work to move forward without Bobby in their lives.
After recurring for four seasons on 911, we’re ready to see Pisharody promoted to a series regular and to get to see Ravi become a more permanent member of the 118.