This story contains spoilers for Season 8 episode 15 of “9-1-1.”
Kenneth Choi was not going to let showrunner Tim Minear kill off Captain Bobby Nash without a fight.
In a sitdown with Entertainment Weekly, Choi, who plays firefighter Howie “Chimney” Han in the ABC drama series, said he “fought” Minear over the in-show death of Bobby Nash (Peter Krause), the captain of Chimney’s LAFD station 118.
“It was uncontrollable sobbing,” Choi said. “I was laughing at myself saying, ‘I don’t know what is happening! I know this isn’t real! Why am I acting like this?’ But it was devastating to me.”
He continued, “Then I just kind of went into those stages of grief. Denial, mostly: This doesn’t make any sense. Why would you do that? You’re kind of killing off our father figure … And he explained creatively why he thought it was the right choice, and I fought him on it. And I continued to fight him on it. I fought him on it up until we kind of did the funeral stuff, because I was thinking: Maybe they’ll pull it back. Maybe they’ll change their minds. Maybe they’ll reverse course.”
Unfortunately, Minear’s mind was made up. In episode 815 of “9-1-1,” entitled “Lab Rats,” Bobby seals off the doors to a lab containing a deadly virus. He traps himself inside in the process, saving his crew from catching the disease.
Following the episode’s premiere, Krause released a statement addressing his character’s dramatic end.
“I’ve heard that many fans are upset by this loss and they have a right to be. It is a loss,” Krause said. “That said, it was more than a bold creative choice on a bold show. Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice and he was built for this. First responders risk their lives on the job so that others can see another day. His story arc honors them. We at ‘9-1-1’ salute all the incredible men and women who do these dangerous jobs and strive to keep us safe. Our show is incredibly difficult to make at times with long hours, challenging stunts and elaborate disasters. We couldn’t do it without each other.”
