9-1-1 Recap: Buck and Eddie Clash Over Bobby’s Death

The 118 is still struggling to find a new normal in the wake of Bobby’s death on 9-1-1.

After last week’s emotional funeral and goodbye, season 8, episode 17 of the ABC series, titled “Don’t Drink the Water,” follows the character’s through their next chapter of grief. While Athena (Angela Bassett) attempts to heal by throwing herself back into work, others still find themselves unraveling without their fearless leader.

Warning: Spoilers below for season 8, episode 17 of 9-1-1.

Chimney (Kenneth Choi) in particular continues to battle his guilt after taking the single anecdote for the rare virus he and Bobby (Peter Krause) both contracted when attempting to save people from a lab explosion.

“Kinda worry that maybe I did [cause this],” Chimney tells wife Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) during an emotional moment in the Thursday, May 8, episode. “I’ve been thinking about that day and Bobby and I were talking about the baby and I asked him to take care of you and the kids after I was gone and he promised not to let anything happen to you guys. I mean he must have known at that point that he was infected so was that the moment that he decided? Because I reminded him that I have a kid on the way?”

New episodes of 9-1-1 air on ABC Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET. Keep scrolling to see how every character’s story unfolds in “Don’t Drink the Water”:

Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley

Although he seemingly handled Bobby’s death well initially, Buck (Oliver Stark) crumbles in “Don’t Drink the Water,” overwhelmed with memories of his captain and frustrated by how disconnected the rest of the 118 feels. He attempts to go to confession with Father Brian (Gavin Stenhouse), Bobby’s former priest but ends up venting about how things have changed in the firehouse instead. He’s interrupted by a small earthquake, which he takes as a sign from above.

When he returns home to his apartment — where Eddie (Ryan Guzman) is still staying — he voices his anger over his best friend not coming clean about being offered a job at a firehouse in Texas, noting that he had to hear it through their mutual friends. The two argue to a point where they almost come to blows. When Buck questions if Eddie thinks Buck could have done more to save Bobby, Eddie storms off, saying, “I don’t know, Buck. I wasn’t there.”

The next day, Buck finds a note from Eddie that says he went to the airport. Assuming he left for Texas, Buck throws the note, muttering that Eddie is a “jerk” under his breath. Later after work, Buck’s surprised by Eddie who is still in town. Eddie apologizes by bringing his son, Christopher (Gavin McHugh), to L.A. to cheer Buck up. Eddie’s aunt is also there to cook them dinner, and she has a heart-to-heart with Buck where they lament over how great of a dad and person Eddie is and the importance of embracing change, as hard as it may be.

Eddie Diaz

Eddie is still in Los Angeles at the start of episode 17, worrying about Buck’s mental health while also grappling with when he should return to Texas. He reveals to Hen (Aisha Hinds) that he was offered a job at a firehouse in El Paso, but when Hen asks when he plans to tell Buck he’s leaving, Eddie asks her to do it for him. “Get out of my house,” she jokes in response.

Eddie later returns to Buck’s apartment to find a frustrated Buck, who is upset he learned about Eddie’s Texas offer through the grapevine. Eddie then gets angry himself, claiming Buck wouldn’t be happy for him because of how self-centered he can be. He then confronts Buck for never asking how it felt for him to get a call about Bobby’s death while alone in his house and then having to tell Christopher “another person he loved died.” He expresses how guilty he feels over not being there and that he questions if he could have saved Bobby had he been around.

The next day, Eddie is nowhere to be found. While Buck assumes he’s gone back to Texas, he surprises Buck with bringing Christopher into town, admitting he’s been “mean.” He and Christopher end the episode enjoying time together on Buck’s couch.

Henrietta ‘Hen’ Wilson

Hen starts off the episode by revealing that she’s been offered the role of captain in the wake of Bobby’s death, but isn’t sure if she wants to take the job. She expands on those thoughts during a night in with Athena, where she explains that she still thinks of Bobby as their Captain. Still, she notes that once someone puts off a promotion they often feel “stuck.” She ultimately chooses to turn down the new position.

Athena Grant

Athena is still adjusting in the wake of Bobby’s death. While kids May (Corinne Massiah) and Harry (Elijah M. Cooper) tell her that they understand if she wants to sell the family home once it’s renovated, Athena declines, sharing that she plans on sticking around. She also reveals that she’s decided to return to work earlier than expected, which doesn’t surprise her kids.

Elsewhere in the episode, she assists in clearing up a dispute and a laundromat before spending some down time with Hen. As they discuss how Bobby would “want” Hen to take the job of captain, Chimney brings Hen and her wife, Karen’s (Traci Thoms) kids’ home from the movies. Athena then immediately leaves, making it clear that things are still not cleared up between her and Chimney after Bobby sacrificed himself so Chimney could live.

She later tells Karen that she doesn’t “blame” Chimney for Bobby’s death, but when she looks at Chimney, she sees “the man who isn’t here.”

“He’s alive and Bobby’s not. I know it’s not fair,” Athena says, noting that every time she looks at Chimney she gets “angry.” Ultimately, she says that it’s best the pair keep their “distance” and simply remain “professional.”

Chimney Han

Chimney is still reeling and dealing with the guilt over surviving over Bobby. He expresses wanting to patch things up with Athena but notes that it’s hard when they “can’t be in the same room.”

He throws himself into projects for the upcoming baby, and he confesses to Maddie he thinks he might have “caused” Bobby’s death by asking Bobby to take care of his family when he thought he was going to die.

Maddie Buckley-Han

Maddie once again takes a supporting role in “Don’t Drink the Water,” handling multiple emergencies at the 9-1-1 call center — including a situation with contaminated water and a dentist visit gone wrong. She also has a conversation with Chimney about his guilt over Bobby’s death and Athena’s anger, explaining that she might just “need some time.”