Spoilers ahead for the 9-1-1 Season 8 premiere ("Buzzkill"). Read at your own risk.
The 9-1-1 Season 8 premiere was all the buzz, literally, and it ended with a character possibly dying. The season kicked off several months after the events of the Season 7 finale, which saw the much-disliked Captain Gerrard becoming the 118's new captain after Bobby resigned. Unsurprisingly, Gerrard is still very much disliked and getting on the nerves of basically everyone, mostly Buck, who just can't seem to get on his good side.
However, after showing off on two different calls involving the killer bees, Buck just about had it. Back at the firehouse, Gerrard was getting on his last nerve, and it seemed like Buck was going to punch him. Instead, Gerrard was in the path of a buzzsaw, courtesy of construction work being done right outside the firehouse so Buck tackled him in order to save him. Unfortunately, that's where Buck's luck ran out.
9-1-1 – "Buzzkill" – The 118 team battles an "un-bee-lievable" emergency when a trailer with millions of bees crashes on the streets of Los Angeles, unleashing a swarm. THURSDAY, SEPT. 26 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT) on ABC.
BRIAN THOMPSON
While Buck was able to save Gerrard from getting killed by a flying buzzsaw, the impact on the ground was another story. The captain was surrounded by a small pool of blood, and while it wasn't confirmed that he was dead, it's hard to not suspect that that is the case. Even though it wouldn't be too completely unfortunate if it happened since Gerrard is not particularly well-liked by any character or the fans, it would make for an interesting story if he lived. However, Gerrard dying would make for a good excuse to bring Bobby back to the 118 since he isn't having the greatest time as a technical advisor on a firefighter series (how meta).
Elsewhere in the premiere, because she just can't seem to stay away from danger, Athena found herself once again in a life or death situation when the plane she's on collides with another plane that was swarmed with bees. The plane now has a giant hole in the cockpit. It seems like Gerrard won't be the only one close to death, and the fact that the season has only just started means there's no telling what else could be on the way.
It's hard to tell if Gerrard really is dead, because just when you think you've gotten rid of him, he just randomly pops up again. 9-1-1 is unpredictable, but a pool of blood is definitely not a sign of someone being alive. Fans will just have to tune in next Thursday, Oct. 3 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC's 2024 fall schedule to see what happens.