The back half of 9-1-1’s eighth season on the 2025 TV schedule was rough, to say the least. It saw the heartbreaking and surprising death of Peter Krause’s Captain Bobby Nash, leaving the 118 not only without a father figure but without a captain, as Gerrard's position was only temporary. After Aisha Hinds’ Henrietta "Hen" Wilson turned down the job, some eyes are now on Kenneth Choi’s Howard "Chimney" Han. The two aforementioned cast members are now sharing their thoughts on that prospect, and I agree with one of their takes.
Chimney was briefly interim captain at one point when Bobby was out of commission, and he went a bit overboard. Plus, Bobby cast a large shadow, and it'd be hard for someone to follow in his footsteps. So it’s not surprising that Chimney -- a firefighter and paramedic -- has been a bit on the fence about throwing his hat in the ring. But that’s not the only reason, as Choi told TV Insider why he doesn’t think Chimney’s fit for the captaincy:
No. Chimney’s not ready for any type of dutiful responsibilities whatsoever. Never.
Given that Chimney went on a bit of a power trip when he was once interim captain, I can see Choi’s point. However, it’s been a while since that happened and, if his speech in the (lackluster season finale) was any indication, he knows how to wrangle the team together and give one heck of a speech fit for a captain. Sure, he may not be perfect, but Choi’s definitely not giving Chimney enough credit, and Aisha Hinds is thinking the same way:
I wouldn’t say never. I think that’s being a little hyperbolic. You are a responsible person, and I think he could be ready for it.
The best captain may be the one who doesn’t think he’ll be good enough to be captain. And I do agree with Hinds in that Chimney is a responsible person who knows how to be in charge and how to be there for someone. These comments resonate even more, considering that Hen even called Chimney “Cap” after his big speech. So it does my heart well to see that Hinds feels the same way her character does.
Obviously, it’s going to be hard to replace Bobby, even if fans keep the hope alive that something positive could come of his passing. Considering how great Bobby was, it makes sense that the show's characters and cast members would be on the fence about his successor. Still, it would make sense for the new 118 captain to be someone who is on the 118. With Hen out, the only logical choice is Chimney since Eddie and Buck are certainly not ready, and Chim has been on the job for a long time. Kenneth Choi might not think Chimney responsible, but Aisha Hinds raises a good point.
Since the 118 can’t go without a captain for very long, it’s likely that a new one will be chosen at the beginning of Season 9. That is, if one isn’t chosen off-screen in the interim. Whether or not it will be Chimney remains to be seen, but I wouldn’t mind seeing that happen. (At the very least, it needs to be someone who is the complete opposite of Gerrard.) 9-1-1 Season 9 premieres this fall on ABC, and current seasons are now streamable with a Hulu subscription.
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