Why Is Peter Krause Leaving ‘9-1-1’? The Reason Behind His Shocking Exit As Bobby Nash

Warning: Spoilers ahead for 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 15, “Lab Rats.”

ABC’s first responder drama, 9-1-1, delivered a shocking twist on Thursday night by killing off one of its main characters. Following the emotional episode, many fans are left wondering why Peter Krause is leaving the series and what led to the death of his beloved character, Bobby Nash.

For eight seasons over nine years, Krause played Nash, the captain of LAFD’s Station 118. But in Season 8, Episode 15, titled “Lab Rats,” his character met a tragic end after heroically giving the only available vial of a life-saving vaccine to his teammate Chimney (Kenneth Choi), sacrificing his own chance at survival.

Rumors have been swirling about Krause’s potential departure from the procedural for the past few weeks after photos leaked on social media of the series shooting a funeral scene in downtown Los Angeles, according to Variety. (Last season, Krause’s character was on the verge of death after collapsing from cardiac arrest while rescuing Athena from their burning home. He ended up on a ventilator and was in a coma, but survived).

Krause’s recent departure marks the first major cast exit since Connie Britton left her role as emergency dispatcher Abby Clark after Season 1. But was the actor’s decision to leave? Here’s what we know about the heartbreaking sendoff and whether the show’s creators were behind it.

Why Is Peter Krause Leaving 9-1-1?

Peter Krause’s exit from 9-1-1 wasn’t the actor’s decision, but rather a creative choice made by the show’s team, according to showrunner Tim Minear.

“It was entirely creative,” Minear said in an interview with Variety. “A very difficult creative decision, because there’s practically no one I love on this Earth more than Peter.”

As for why it had to be Bobby and not a smaller character, Minear explained that the decision made more sense in the context of the captain’s overall character arc.

“It didn’t feel arbitrary, because if you track the tragic arc of his character, of where he started, and how he came to LA looking for atonement, it just makes a kind of tragic sense for his character in a way it wouldn’t for another character,” he explained. “But also, I just didn’t want to go small. Not that any of the characters are small, but Bobby’s death affects every single character’s story in a way that really no other character death would.”

In a statement, Krause said it was his “honor” to play Nash. He acknowledged that many fans are upset over his character’s death and admitted they have every right to be, noting that viewers have followed Bobby through storylines involving “grief, guilt, anger and addiction while exploring his relationship with a higher power, forgiveness and grace.”

“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,” he continued. “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.”

He added, “I will miss all my 9-1-1 family. Our incredible crew whose professional excellence is second to none. All the writers who keep pulling rabbits out of hats. All the directors tasked with the same. All the incredible guest cast over the years as well as Jennifer Love Hewitt and the cast in the call center.”

The actor concluded his statement with: “This has been one wild adventure. I thank you all, with all my heart.”

How Did Bobby Nash Die In 9-1-1?

Bobby’s death took place during the second half of ABC’s special two-part episode, which aired Thursday, April 17. As Chimney’s condition worsened after being exposed to a rare and deadly virus from a massive lab explosion, Buck (Oliver Stark) and Athena (Angela Bassett) raced to track down the only dose of antidote available. But in the episode’s final moments, it was revealed that Captain Bobby Nash’s protective suit had been compromised. So he too, had been infected.

Bobby revealed he had kept his infection a secret to protect his team. While coughing up blood, he shared an difficult goodbye with Buck and his wife, Athena. In his final moments, he walked to a table, knelt down, and clasped his hands in prayer before the virus took his life.

Minear told Variety that he had to pitch Bobby’s death scene to “the highest levels” before it was officially approved.

“I had to convince everybody about this,” Minear explained. “The network was not like, ‘Yeah, get rid of him, it’ll save us money.’ It was nothing like that. I had to pitch this at the highest levels and just walk through the whole story and try to infect them — funny choice of words, given the storyline — because, as I pitched it, you could understand, as a writer, how suddenly the whole world felt more alive. It felt more real because this thing had happened.”

As for what’s next for 9-1-1, Bassett told Variety she has “not dared” to ask Minear about what comes next. “But part of me can’t help but think that that means more is going to land on Athena’s shoulders.” She also added that she’s pretty sure Athena is “probably done” with relationships.

Meanwhile, Minear told the outlet that he purposely chose not to have Bobby’s death occur in the Season 8 finale to allow “the audience and the characters to get their heads around it.”

“I’m not saying that the last three episodes are a therapy session, much,” he clarified. “There’s still thrilling adventures and high-stakes first-responder action taking us into our finale, but every single episode of the next three, they’re all about Bobby’s death.”

9-1-1 airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. New episodes are available to stream the following day on Hulu.