Editor’s note: The below interview contains spoilers for 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 1.9-1-1 is officially back after a devastating Season 8 finale. Six months following the loss of Captain Bobby Nash (Peter Krause), the team is still healing in many ways. Athena (Angela Bassett) is distancing herself and throwing herself into work, and the 118 is still running with an interim captain in Chimney (Kenneth Choi), but, for the most part, Season 9 returns to the tempo and pace of previous installments. The season’s initial story arc surprisingly kicks off with an Elon Musk-esque billionaire, played by Mark Consuelos, getting literally eaten by a whale, and it ends with him sending Hen (Aisha Hinds) to space. As Hen takes Athena with her onto the shuttle, we know with 9-1-1, nothing is ever simple, and while the premiere ends on a high note, anyone who’s been keeping up with the promotion for Season 9 knows there are more problems incoming. Ahead of the Season 9 premiere, Collider spoke with Oliver Stark, who plays Evan “Buck” Buckley, about the events of the episode, as well as the loss of Bobby and Peter Krause from the cast, and what’s next for Buck and Eddie’s relationship (Ryan Guzman) — with Stark even teasing future scenes with Buck and Christopher (Gavin McHugh) to come.
Oliver Stark Discusses the Fallout of Bobby’s Death in ‘9-1-1’ Season 9

“We’re still recovering and restructuring and working out what the 118 is going to look like…”

COLLIDER: How is Buck coping with the loss of Bobby, now that it’s been six months after his death this season? Did you have any conversations with the writers or Tim Minear about where you wanted to see his character going in the mourning process? OLIVER STARK: I think the wound is not as fresh, right? It’s healed over, but it’s still there. It’s a scar. I guess you could say it’s never going to be forgotten, but we’re not actively bleeding anymore. We’re still recovering and restructuring and working out what the 118 is going to look like, but it’s no longer this fresh, gaping wound. There has been an evolution and a progression, and it’s always going to weigh over the story and the narrative, in some sense, but it’s not always going to be as present as it was at the end of Season 8. Can you talk about what it’s been like working on this show this year, filming without Peter Krause around anymore? STARK: Strange is the first word that comes to mind. It is sad but mostly just strange. His voice is missed. His presence is missed on and off camera. He was very much our leader, even when we weren’t on-screen. It’s a big loss to the show, but it’s also an opportunity for the show to shake things up and move in a new direction. And there’s a lot of story that’s able to come out of it. As much as it is a sad thing, it’s also somewhat exciting for where the 118 can move into next. When we first met Buck, his relationship with Bobby was very much like a mentor-mentee role. He was a father figure. Will we ever see Buck take on a similar role for somebody else, now that Bobby is gone and he’s matured a lot more since the early seasons? STARK: Yeah, absolutely, I think that’s a great place for Buck to go. And I think that’s almost the ultimate honor and tribute to Bobby, that Buck takes the lessons that he was taught by Bobby, and he’s able to teach those to those around him. For me, that’s the most wonderful way for Buck to honor Bobby’s memory.
Oliver Stark Teases Future Scenes Between Buck and Christopher in ‘9-1-1’ Season 9

“He’s not so cutesy anymore.”

Eddie (Ryan Guzman) with Christopher (Gavin McHugh) in 9-1-1Image via ABC

Last season, we saw that Eddie was leaving for Texas, and now that he’s back, will there be any fallout from that decision to leave, and will that affect any of Buck’s interactions with Eddie moving forward? STARK: I don’t think so. These characters are all pretty good at understanding that everybody’s dealing with some stuff, and sometimes when decisions are made in the moment, it can feel hurtful and personal, but in retrospect, it’s like, no, you had some stuff going on that you had to take care of. I think the most important thing for all of them is the now, and we’re together and we’re working and we have each other, and that’s what matters. Are we going to get any more scenes between Buck and Christopher? They’re just the most adorable people whenever they’re together. STARK: Christopher’s moving into that age where he’s turning into a little bit of a sassy teenager. So he needs Buck in different ways now. We’ll have some scenes with them later on in the season, but he’s not so cutesy anymore. He’s got a bit of an attitude on him that we need to discuss. He’s reached that age. STARK: He’s for sure reached that age.
Oliver Stark Breaks Down His Feelings on the Eddie and Buck Romance

“I try these days not to have an opinion on it.”

Ryan Guzman in 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 1 “Eat the Rich”Image via ABC

Obviously, there’s a lot of talk from fans about Eddie and Buck’s relationships. From your point of view, is that ever something that you would want to pursue as Buck, looking into a possible romance with Eddie? STARK: This is kind of a cop-out answer. I try these days not to have an opinion on it, right? Because on one hand, there’s a show that we make and I don’t write it, but then, on the other hand, it’s so hard to not have my opinions be somewhat swayed by the slew of things that I do read online. And I think there’s something to be said for keeping the fan opinions of the show out of your head as the actor. We should just make the thing that we make and then give it over to the audience, and they can do whatever they want with it and they’re free to run with the storylines in whichever direction they want, or read into them however they want. But I think there’s something to be said for keeping, I think I’m using these terms correctly, fanon and canon separate. I don’t think it’s the responsibility or the job of the actor to dive too much into the fanon side of things. If I’m using that word incorrectly— No, you’re using it right. STARK: I think having a barrier between them is the right way to go, and that is more freeing for both sides. I don’t think they should have opinions based on what I say in an interview. They should just watch the show and have those opinions. And then, same thing, I shouldn’t let their opinions impact the way I make the show. I think there’s something to be said for keeping them separate.
Oliver Stark Discusses Potential ‘9-1-1’ Storylines That Still Can Be Explored

“I was really happy with the way that those storylines played out when we did them on the show.”

911 Angela Bassett Oliver StarkImage via: ABC

I love looking into Buck’s past, because I feel like every time, it just gets wilder and wilder. Are there any storylines in his past that you’d be interested in exploring? STARK: I think the way he was parented growing up obviously had such a huge impact on him. And he had “Buck Begins,” and we’ve seen that, but I think it kind of messed him up in a way beyond what we’ve seen, or, I guess, more that we could dive deeper into it. Why he is the way that he is, in terms of always wanting to throw himself first into the fire. I think there’s maybe something more there, if we ever wanted to. But, I was really happy with the way that those storylines played out when we did them on the show, and I thought they contextualized who Buck is in a really great sense. I don’t think it’s something that we necessarily need to dive into, but I think it could be there if ever we wanted to. Is there a character from the show that you wish you had more screen time with, or somebody you wish you had more scenes with that you haven’t had before? STARK: I think I’ve had scenes pretty much with everybody. But for obvious reasons, when I get a little Buck and Athena story, that’s always exciting for me, just getting to work with Angela. But I also love the Buck and Athena dynamic and the way that it’s progressed, like, if you go back to the pilot, that lack of respect between the two of them to where they are now. I love that growth and that progression. Any Buck and Athena storyline, I’m always here for. We see Athena go to space in the premiere. Will we ever see Buck go to space? Is that a possibility? STARK: Not this time around. If the show happens to continue on and we circle back around to space, maybe we’ll be Buck’s time. Would you trust Buck going into space? STARK: Oh yeah, I trust Buck in any situation. He’s pretty capable. Your confidence in him is much stronger than mine is, because I would be a little bit worried. STARK: What do you think he’s gonna do? I don’t know! That’s the problem. I never know what he’s going to do. STARK: Well, great. That’s the fun of it, yeah? OK, that’s true. The next tragedy in space, he’ll be involved. STARK: Or the cause of. New episodes of 9-1-1 Season 9 premiere every Thursday at 8 PM EST and will stream on Hulu the next day in the U.S.

Release Date

January 3, 2018

Showrunner

Tim Minear

Directors

Bradley Buecker, David Grossman, Brenna Malloy, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Jann Turner, Jennifer Lynch, Marita Grabiak, Sarah Boyd, John J. Gray, Barbara Brown, Robert M. Williams Jr., Kristen Reidel, Marcus Stokes, Tasha Smith, Millicent Shelton, Juan Carlos Coto, John Gray, Greg Sirota, Alonso Alvarez, James Wong, Kevin Hooks, Varda Bar-Kar, Shauna Duggins, Sharat Raju

Writers

Tim Minear, Andrew Meyers, Brad Falchuk, David Fury, Ryan Murphy, Christopher Monfette, Nadia Abass-Madden, Nicole Barraza Keim, Erica L. Anderson, Matthew Hodgson, Stacey R. Rose, Taylor Wong, Tonya Kong, Adam Penn