‘9-1-1’s Oliver Stark Teases Buck’s Season 9 Journey, Praises Mark Consuelos, And Shares Love For Peter Krause

Five months after the finale of 9-1-1‘s most emotionally devastating season yet, ABC’s hit first responder procedural returned with its Season 9 premiere and another out-of-this-world opening emergency.

Over the years, 9-1-1 has kicked off new seasons with everything from an earthquake and a tsunami to a capsizing cruise ship, a bee-nado, and more. This time? A billionaire gets eaten by a whale, the 118 saves him, he sends Athena (Angela Bassett) and Hen (Aisha Hinds) to space in a show of gratitude, and a geomagnetic storm threatens their safety — along with the city of Los Angeles.

9-1-1‘s Oliver Stark confirmed that Season 9’s first three episodes will be another wild, campy, incredibly entertaining ride, especially because billionaire Tripp Hauser is played by actor and LIVE with Kelly and Mark co-host Mark Consuelos.

“He was so lovely. What a gentle, very kind man,” Stark told Decider over Zoom ahead of the premiere. Though his character Buck doesn’t swim to Tripp’s rescue like Eddie (Ryan Guzman) or give him lifesaving CPR like Hen, Stark enjoyed having Consuelos on set and watching him play a character with a drastically different persona.

“We were excited to have him with us. He came in, did a great job, and was thrown into some extreme circumstances that you don’t expect when you’re joining a new show,” Stark reflected. “Dragging him out of the water, we were commenting on, ‘How are you so in shape?’ He’s so fit, and also has really lovely, warm energy. He dealt with everything with a lot of grace, and it was really cool to have him on the show. He’s a real great addition.” 

The dramatic installment, aptly titled “Eat The Rich,” picks up six months after we last left the members of the 118, who were mourning their fearless captain, Bobby Nash (Peter Krause). “Obviously we left last season in a really dark place and with a lot of heaviness and grief. With time comes healing, of course,” Stark explained. “So I think we’re seeing these characters in a slightly more evolved state of that grief, where it’s in the past. It’s not left them, but they’re taking forward steps.”

One of those steps involves renaming the firehouse in Bobby’s honor, but as we saw at the end of Season 8, everyone deals with loss in their own ways. Bobby’s late wife, Athena, throws herself into work, creating distance between her and her kids, Harry and May (Elijah M. Cooper and Corinne Massiah, who were recently promoted to S9 series regulars). Interim captain, Chimney (Kenneth Choi), is missing Bobby and has doubts about filling his shoes. And Buck pours his heart out to an unlikely confidant: his nephew, baby Bobby Nash.

“I really loved having that little scene, because sometimes I think we’re our most honest, open, and vulnerable with people who we feel can’t judge us, not necessarily our friends who do know us. Not that baby Bobby is stranger, but we’re almost more open and honest with strangers, because there’s no expectation. There’s nothing that will carry on from it,” Stark said. “I think Buck almost using the baby as a form of therapy is a really lovely touch. And the fact that he’s obviously named after Bobby helps. I think it’s a nice outlet for Buck to be his most honest and true self and say things out loud that he’s not necessarily wanting to say to other people.”

Just as 9-1-1‘s characters are working to heal from Bobby’s devastating loss, the show’s cast and crew are still navigating their own heavy emotions around Krause’s departure in Season 9. “We’ve all kept in contact. He’s been, eight years — day in and day out — in our lives in a very intense environment. So I truly believe this show has formed lifelong bonds,” Stark shared. “He’s obviously missed, but he’s still a huge part of our lives.”

Though Krause isn’t active on social media, Stark assures fans that he’s felt the outpouring of love from the 9-1-1 community since Bobby’s death. “He’s very, very aware of the love for his character and that he, himself, has received. He knows, for sure,” the 9-1-1 star said. When asked if Krause also knows about hopeful fan theories that imagine Bobby is still alive in a government lab, Stark simply chuckled, and said, “Maybe he’s aware of that. I don’t know.”

As the series sets out to show how the 118’s patriarch lives on in characters’ hearts, Stark took a moment to reflect on Krause’s formative impact, both on and off screen.

“I was 26 when I joined the show, and Pete was a huge guiding force in my journey and my understanding of the job. That’s something that I’ll always remember. And if I am now able to do that for others, then that’s a role I enjoy stepping into. I enjoy pushing our younger cast mates in ways that they sometimes like and sometimes don’t,” Stark chuckled. “But it’s all in good humor and good nature. So it’s been really lovely to do that as Oliver, and I do think there’s a place for Buck to be able to do that. We kind of saw it a little bit last season, even with Ravi. Buck, at heart, there is a a leadership quality that has been instilled in him. And now that Bobby is no longer with us, I think it’s a chance for Buck to embody that a little bit more.”

With Chimney stepping in for Bobby, the 118 had to make a few adjustments to the team, so at the start of Season 9, Eddie is on paramedic duty with Hen, and Ravi (Anirudh Pisharody) and Buck are teaming up.

“It’s been really lovely having Ani. He’s with us quite a lot this season. Elijah, too, is in and out with us. So it’s nice to have new energy, and they’re really excited to be there,” Stark said. “Over the years, it’s been difficult, because we as the 118 have such strong foundations. And sometimes when a new person comes in it’s a process working them in. But those two, in particular, have just fallen right in step with us. It’s like they’re right where they belong.”

While the switch-up may help Buck and Ravi’s mentor/mentee prophecy continue to unfold, after an emotional Season 8, how will Buck and Eddie handle the distance? “They’ve always, and always will, have that closeness. There’s some fun back and forth, mostly in Buck’s head, with Eddie and Hen being partnered up, but nothing to any serious degree,” Stark reflected, stressing that there’s also not much time in the first three episodes to focus on personal dynamics, “because end of the world stuff is happening.” 

When the show does reacquaint viewers with the 118’s personal lives outside of the firehouse, Stark looks forward to delving deeper into Buck’s bisexuality, as he expressed in a recent Instagram Story.

“Me and Tim talk about it, but it’s not something I need to bring his attention. He’s every bit as aware of the importance of the storyline, since he’s the one that concocted it to begin with,” Stark explained. “We have some fun storylines that I think really hammer home some of the things Buck is learning about and experiencing for the first time. So I’m excited to continue to dive deeper into that story and see what we can dig up, because it is something that I found real pride in having a chance to play.”

While Stark did say he would like to see Buck get married and have kids one day, ahead of Season 9, he’s in no rush for his character to be in a serious romantic relationship. “I enjoy the show a lot when Buck is having fun. Not that I need him to go back to this reckless whatever, but I like Buck to have a good time. I enjoy playful Buck. And I like that he’s free, and open, and enjoying himself. He has every right to,” the 9-1-1 star said. “I want to just continue on his journey. I like when Buck isn’t too weighed down by romantic things. I like him to be a free spirit of sorts. That doesn’t mean — I’m going to finish right there, actually.”

When we last saw Buck in Season 8, he was not only recovering from a break-up, but also hunting for a new apartment. Instead of another loft, Season 9 will see him buying his first house — one with refreshing warmth and personality. “I really like the space that they’ve moved him into. It’s got a lot more character than the apartment,” Stark teased. “It’s a lot more lived in, and feels a lot more Buck. So I’m really excited to get to explore more of his life within that space. I think it’s a really good match.”

During his chat with Decider a week ahead of 9-1-1‘s Season 9 premiere, Stark revealed that the cast was “up to Episode 7,” so they have insights into nearly half of the season. When teasing Buck’s upcoming storylines, however, Stark did his best to maintain an air of mystery, saying fans can expect “a continued journey of becoming and finding himself within this new space, stepping more into his own skin, and finding himself in some bizarre situations.” But first? He has to help save LA from the falling sky!

New episodes of 9-1-1 premiere Thursdays on ABC with next-day streaming on Hulu.