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Buckle up for the Season 7 finale of 9-1-1 on May 30, 2024, as it might just bring some fans’ worst nightmares to life. When does the first responder drama return for Season 8, and who’s in the cast next season? Keep reading to learn everything we know about 9-1-1Season 8.
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9-1-1 is ABC’s first responder drama that follows the heroic firefighters, paramedics, and other emergency personnel at the Los Angeles Fire Department’s fictional Station 118. Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear, the show premiered in January 2018 and spawned the spin-off series9-1-1: Lone Star.
The first six seasons aired on FOX, but the network shockingly canceled the series in May 2023. Deadline reported that FOX decided not to renew the series due to the high financial cost of producing it. Sources told our sister site that 9-1-1 costs $9 to $10 million per episode due to the expensive visual effects and stunts to create the series’ disasters, as well as its highly paid cast.
Is 9-1-1 renewed for Season 8?
Thankfully, ABC picked up 9-1-1 for its current seventh season. In a statement, Disney Television president Craig Erwich called the show “one of the most defining and original dramas on network television.” He continued, “It’s a privilege to keep 9-1-1 in thefamilywith 20th Television producing, and we look forward to telling more heart-racing and uplifting stories about these beloved characters on our air.”
The network’s decision to renew the popular procedural is clearly paying off because, in April 2024, ABC renewed 9-1-1 for an eighth season just days ahead of its 100th episode. The Season 7 premiere earned approximately 11.8 million multiplatform viewers in its first seven days of availability, making 9-1-1 themost-watched ABC current series across all platforms this season.
Season 7 has been packed with engaging and emotional moments. One of the most impactful storylines was Buck’s revelation about his sexuality, leading to his first queer storyline in Episode 4, “Buck Bothered and Bewildered,” where he shared a kiss with former Station 118 firefighter Tommy Kinard. Another significant event was Maddie and Chimney officially tying the knot, though their wedding day was not without its share of drama.
This season has also endured a few cast changes, including Elijah M. Cooper taking over the role of Athena’s son, Harry. Viewers also saw the return of Tommy Kinard, played by Lou Ferrigno Jr., who rejoined the team to help with a major rescue. Read on for what we know about 9-1-1 Season 8, including the return date, cast, and plot.
Who’s in the 9-1-1 Season 8 cast?
Who’s in the 9-1-1 Season 8 cast? The Season 8 cast has not officially been announced, but most of the Season 7 characters are expected to return, including Athena Grant-Nash (Angela Bassett), Bobby Nash (Peter Krause), Maddie Buckley (Jennifer Love Hewitt), Buck (Oliver Stark), Chimney (Kenneth Choi), Hen Wilson (Aisha Hinds), and Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman).
The one character confirmed not to return is Eddie’s son, Christopher Diaz (Gavin McHugh), who left in the Season 7 finale, “All Fall Down,” after he caught his father cheating on his girlfriend, Marisol, and asked to move back to Texas with his grandparents.
Prior to the Season 7 finale, fans worried that 9-1-1 planned to kill off Bobby after he resigned as captain of Station 118 and had a heart attack after he saved his wife, Athen, from a house fire. Though the preview for the finale showed Bobby hospitalized and intubated, he survived in the end, with clues nodding to him returning to Station 118.
Following9-1-1’s move from FOX to ABC, fans suspected Krause or Bassett would exit in Season 7 to cut costs. However, Krause seemed more likely due to Bassett being the top-billed actor in the series. (Krause and Bassett are executive producers, so Krause could would remain on the series creatively.) However, it doesn’t look like fans have anything to worry about after Bobby’s survival in the Season 7 finale.
What will happen in 9-1-1Season 8?
What will happen in 9-1-1Season 8? The storyline for Season 8 is currently under wraps, but the next season will pick up after the action-packed events of the Season 7 finale. “Following the devastating fire at the Nash home, Bobby’s fate remains uncertain, while Athena embarks on a mission to uncover the truth. Meanwhile, Hen and Karen engage in a heated custody battle, while Christopher grapples with forgiving Eddie,” the finale’s logline reads.
The finale ended on a cliffhanger as Bobby, having recovered from his heart attack, attempted to return to Station 118 only to learn that former Captain Vincent Gerrard (Brian Thompson) had taken his spot after coming out of retirement to fix things he believed Bobby broke, so it’s clear that the feud between Gerrard and Bobby will be a main storyline in the first part of Season 8. “Gerrard holds a grudge against Bobby because he, of course, took over the firehouse after Gerrard. So I’m wondering if there isn’t some sort of conflict and some skullduggery behind the scenes that Gerrard is up to,” Krause told The Wrap after the Season 7 finale.
Krause also told the site that he never once doubted that Bobby would survive after his heart attack. “Well, the characters in the show have survived so many horrible and life-threatening accidents, like characters from Looney Tunes cartoons — none of which ever died,” he said. “So in keeping with the language of the show, we are incredibly resilient characters. We go through things and we come back … We want to speak to people’s resilience and, in Bobby’s case, redemption. So, I don’t know if killing off characters is necessarily a part of the language of the show — at least not the main characters.”
He also reacted to Bobby’s cliffhanger. “It was an interesting scene to play. I wasn’t quite sure why Bobby just showed up, I had to go along with it,” he said. “But when Bobby showed up after resigning, I thought maybe he had a minor bit of amnesia. But obviously after the scene that he has with Amir (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), Bobby has a renewed sense of commitment to his place in the world and his job. So he shows up and, of course, it leads to that odd moment.”
He continued, “I did resign, but I didn’t think necessarily that the paperwork went through. We don’t get to say all that in the scene. But now (showrunner Tim Minear) set up this situation where Bobby has to now somehow regain the captainship of the 118, I’m not sure exactly how that’s going to play out in Season 8, but I’m confident Bobby will prevail.”
When does 9-1-1 return for Season 8?
When does 9-1-1 return for Season 8? ABC has not announced a return date for Season 8, but it will likely be sometime in the fall for the 2024-2025 season.
This schedule differs from last year when the now-resolved actors’ and writers’ strikes pushed the most recent Season 7 to premiere in March. Thankfully, viewers don’t have to wait as long as last year to see the 9-1-1 crew again! As for the episode count, it’s reported that Season 8 to have a standard season with around 18 episodes.
9-1-1 is available to stream on Hulu.
For more on 9-1-1 and the lives of the actors, check out the cast’s real-life children and families in the gallery below.
