'9-1-1' Showrunner Reveal New Season 10 Details; Learn More

The tenth season of 9-1-1 will kick off with a major disaster. Showrunner Tim Minear revealed that the new season will feature a massive sinkhole in Los Angeles, but things will get even worse: the accident ends up triggering the eruption of a volcano in the middle of the city. Curiously, life imitated fiction. The 9-1-1 team was already preparing this storyline when a real-life sinkhole opened up in West Hollywood in July: “It was maybe the first time we were getting something ready and the real world beat us to it,” Minear said.

Minear also said the team drew inspiration from the film Volcano (1997), but made it clear that the catastrophe will have its own identity. In addition, the season will also feature a “mini crossover” with 9-1-1: Nashville, which will air during the volcano arc.

Buck takes on a new role

Another major change will come in the life of Buck (Oliver Stark). After Theo’s parents die at the end of season 9, he begins caring for his own biological son. According to Minear, the plot will be “fun and moving,” but the goal is to avoid the clichés typical of this kind of story.

The 118 team will also play an important role in that moment. The group, which already functions like a family, is expected to support Buck as he adjusts to the new responsibility. Eddie (Ryan Guzman), who is raising Christopher on his own, and Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Karen (Tracie Thoms), who have gone through fostering and adoption, are cited as references for this new phase.

Athena in a new position

Athena (Angela Bassett) will also undergo a major change. After years of being placed in the middle of the series’ investigations, she will now officially be a detective after leaving her job as a patrol officer. For Minear, this makes it easier for the character to take part in cases, since she will no longer need a justification to be involved.

The new season will also show May (Corinne Massiah) training to become a nurse, bringing her journey even closer to the rest of the team. Minear also confirmed the return of Ian Bradley (Tre McBride), a character connected to May’s story.

Despite the changes, the showrunner says 9-1-1 will continue investing in the formula that made it a hit. He also intends to experiment with episodes outside the usual mold, as happened with Buck and Eddie’s trip in season 9, but without abandoning the series’ traditional style.

Season 10 of 9-1-1 premieres on October 15 on ABC.