There are always some characters on TV that stand out more than others. Bobby Nash is one of them, quickly proving to be not just one of the greatest characters in 911, but also one of the greatest characters on TV of all time.
911 made a huge mistake killing Bobby off in season 8. It’s happened for “creative” purposes and not because actor Peter Krause wanted to leave the show. Now we’re left with a gaping hole in the 118, and on our TV screens every week. The series is not going to be the same without him.
But how did Bobby become one of the best characters in the series? What does he have that so many other characters don’t?
Bobby isn’t afraid to put his life on the line for others
From the beginning, we saw that Bobby would sacrifice everything for other people. He would put his life on the line for literal strangers, and he never forgot those he had lost. In fact, in 911 season 1, we learned that he was making a note of names to counter the lives lost in an apartment building fire that he accidentally started.
When it comes to his team, he continued to put his life on the line. In fact, that’s how his end came, because he needed to make sure the rest of his team got out.
For some of his life, Bobby was living in purgatory, waiting to rejoin his wife and children who perished in the same apartment fire that he’d started. He didn’t really view his own life as worth living, and he was surviving just to pay back everything that he felt he had taken. Yet, he didn’t give up even after the list was finished, showing he knew he still had work to do.
Bobby could see the goodness in people in 911
When Buck first came to the 118, he was a bit of a wild horse. He still is at times, putting his life in danger to save people, but not really thinking everything through. A lot of captains would just be annoyed at that and try to tear down his spirit, but Bobby saw the goodness that was inside Buck. He could tell that Buck was just eager to save lives, and he was able to help train Buck to use that drive better and safer.
He was a compassionate boss, seeing when people are at their breaking point, and stepping in before it gets to that. Due to his own personal experience, he knew that people have their own way of coping, but he also knew that sometimes people need an intervention. Working on connecting to the goodness within, he was able to support everyone in their darkest times.
He quickly became a father figure to many members of the team, giving people a home to come to within the firehouse. The 118 was more than just a team; they were a genuine family. Now they need a captain who will be able to continue that, although having Bobby back will be even better.
Bobby will be missed in 911, and there is nobody who can ever replace him. Killing the character off in 911 still doesn’t make sense.
911 will return on Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC in fall 2025.