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9-1-1 Season 9 Premiere: Athena Chooses a Date Over Bobby’s Tribute

9-1-1 Season 9 Premiere: Athena Chooses a Date Over Bobby’s Tribute
Image credit: Legion-Media

9-1-1 returns with Season 9 under the shadow of Bobby’s death, and the premiere drops a stunner: Athena skipped his tribute ceremony for a date.

9-1-1 is back with Season 9, and the show wastes zero time reminding us that Bobby is gone. The premiere leans into that grief, puts Chimney in charge, and slips in a small gut punch about Athena that plays as a surprise, then makes perfect sense.

So where was Athena during Bobby's tribute?

The 118 held a memorial for Bobby that was as big as it sounds: they dedicated a plaque to him and even renamed the firehouse in his honor. The whole crew showed up. Except Athena. Which is jarring, because she is Bobby's widow.

Cut to Athena seemingly on a date. And yes, it is a date... sort of. She is running a sting. Just as she is about to make the arrest, the FBI swoops in, takes the collar, and leaves her standing there. Frustrated is an understatement.

Athena's coping mechanism is work, and it is catching up with her

The episode makes it pretty clear: Athena has been throwing herself into the job since Bobby's death. That hustle has turned into burnout. By the end of the hour, she is benched to desk duty. She is not happy about it, but her boss thinks the slowdown might actually help.

Meanwhile at the 118

Chimney is wearing the interim Captain title, and for the first time the team is operating without Bobby. Between their messy call and the memorial, the hour is a lot, but it also sets the board for where everyone is headed next.

  • Chimney steps in as interim Captain, marking the 118's first stretch without Bobby at the helm.
  • The firehouse is renamed in Bobby's honor, and a plaque is dedicated to him.
  • Athena skips the ceremony because she is undercover on a sting that the FBI abruptly takes over.
  • She has been coping by overworking, which leads to burnout and a move to desk duty for now.
  • Expect upcoming episodes to dig into what that means for her.
  • The Season 9 premiere is streaming now on Hulu.