9-1-1 Season 8 started with a buzz and ended with a smack (and a plane crash — but that’s a whole other story).
We assumed any near-death experiences in the three-episode Bee-nado arc of 9-1-1‘s highly-anticipated eighth season would be strictly related to the two million killer bees on the loose in Los Angeles, but before Season 8, Episode 1, “Buzzkill,” ended, the 118’s new captain wound up lying on the floor of the firehouse bleeding from the head in an unexpected twist.
Shortly before 9-1-1‘s Season 8 premiere concluded, Captain Gerrard (Brian Thompson) and Buck (Oliver Stark) were butting heads in the firehouse while construction noises were blaring outside. As Gerrard talked down to Buck, the fan-favorite firefighter grew increasingly fed up, until finally, he lunged forward and tackled Gerrard to the ground. But wait! The move was more complicated than you think…
Buck saw that one of the construction workers’ blades had come loose from a machine and was hurtling toward Gerrard. Buck chose to push his tough new Captain to safety, but in doing so, he accidentally smacked Gerrard’s head against the concrete floor, leaving the villain’s fate up in the air until Season 8, Episode 2.
“You saved him,” Eddie (Ryan Guzman) said after seeing Buck’s heroic feat. “Or maybe you killed him,” Chimney (Kenneth Choi) added after realizing that Gerrard was unconscious and bleeding from the head. So which is it? Is Gerrard dead or alive? We’ve got a pretty good idea.
So Does Captain Gerrard Die In 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 1?
We’ll admit that things don’t look good for Gerrard at the end of Season 8, Episode 1, “Buzzkill,” but Captain Gerrard essentially rose from the dead once before (when he returned to the 118 in Season 7 despite being let go in a Season 2 flashback episode), so an accidental premiere death seems a little too easy, don’t you think?
Ahead of 9-1-1‘s Season 7 finale, Peter Krause told Decider, “I’m sure it’s not going to be an immediately easy road for Bobby to regain captainship of the 118. I have faith that he will. But I’m not sure exactly what he’s got in store,” so it sounds like it will take longer than one episode to replace Gerrard. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned about old/new captain, it’s that he’s a fighter. Though we last saw Gerrard literally bleeding from the head, he was in the presence of top-notch paramedics, who — despite their deep dislike of him — will step up just like Buck did and do everything to try to save his life.
Another reason we believe Gerrard’s not down for the count quite yet? Behind-the-scenes footage appears to show the replacement 118 captain being rolled out of the firehouse while holding his head, which suggests he is, in fact, still alive! Plus, in a pre-premiere interview with TVLine, showrunner Tim Minear teased that Captain Gerrard and Councilwoman Ortiz are “connected in many ways,” which suggests we’d see scenes that involve the two of them as the season progresses.
Those who’ve been watching 9-1-1 since the early days (and are not just tuning in for Bee-nado) will recall that when Chimney saved Tommy’s life in his Season 2 flashback episode, Tommy had an epiphany, changed his behavior for the better, and sincerely befriended Chim. Could Gerrard be capable of that sort of growth after Buck saved him from the rogue construction blade? And if Gerrard needs medical leave, could this be how Captain Nash (Peter Krause) makes his triumphant return to the 119?
We’ll have to wait and see, but we have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of the new Season 8 boss quite yet — especially since Brian Thompson told Decider, “Captain Gerrard is a tough old buzzard. I’m not sure he would let a tiny hit to the head full-force on a slab of concrete slow him down” during our pre-premiere interview. “As with the other characters, keep hope alive for Captain Gerrard, because there’s room for him to grow higher too,” Thompson continued. If that’s not assurance that Gerrard will live, I don’t know what is!
While you anxiously wait to learn Gerrard’s fate, be sure to read our full interview with 9-1-1‘s Brian Thompson for more insights into his character, his time on the show, and 9-1-1 Season 8.
