If you’re one of the millions of 911 fans who have been hoping Bobby’s death in season 8 was a terrible nightmare and not real, you might want to take a seat. This latest update is a brutal one and seems to dash any final hopes we had that Bobby somehow survived.
Bobby is truly dead. Yes, it’s a sad reality and one that we’re going to be reminded of moving forward not only in the fallout storylines ahead, but via a new memorial going up in Bobby’s honor at the 118 – which is getting a new name in the process.
As confirmed by Entertainment Weekly, Firehouse 118 will forever be known as the Robert W. Nash Memorial Station 118 moving forward. Not only is the firehouse getting renamed in Bobby’s honor, but there is even a memorial plaque going up at the firehouse to honor Bobby and the sacrifice he made in the line of duty.
"Gave his life while on duty proudly serving the citizens of Los Angeles," reads the plaque, which will serve as a physical tribute to the 118’s late captain.
The decision to honor Bobby by renaming the fire station after him was something the writers felt was a perfect way to commemorate the character, which drew from how many firehouses will do the same in the real world to celebrate fallen heroes.
"It just felt fitting and right," 911 showrunner Tim Minear told EW of the tribute honoring Bobby. "There's a balance you have to strike. You don't want to come in and feel like everything is just going to be sad from here on out, but Bobby's memory should be blessed. And this is a thing that fire departments do in real life. They will name a fire station after a fallen hero. I think the idea that this will always be 'Bobby's house' is kind of beautiful, and not depressing."
This approach is something we’ve seen before on TV many times in varying degrees. One of the best examples comes from fellow ABC drama Grey’s Anatomy, which renamed the hospital at the heart of the show from Seattle Grace Hospital to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in the show’s ninth season to honor two of its surgeons, Lexie Grey and Mark Sloan, who died in a plane crash.
While Robert W. Nash Memorial Station 118 might not roll off the tongue as easily as Grey Sloan Memorial, it’s definitely a fitting tribute to Peter Krause’s beloved character and a great way to honor Bobby’s legacy in a meaningful way. It’s something that the writers are likely to be doing a lot of in season 9 as the show navigates its first season without Bobby, who was such a pivotal figure in the lives of all of the characters.
911 season 9 premieres Thursday, Oct. 9 at 8/7c on ABC.