In a show about first responders rushing into the most dangerous of situations, there’s more than enough drama and trauma to go around. Still, that doesn’t stop the loss of a beloved character from being any less shocking. As9-1-1prepares to kick off its seventh season later this month in its new home on ABC, there are a lot of episodes to look back on — including the ones that surprised us and shocked us, as well as the ones that served as a huge turning point for the flagship series moving forward. Below is our list ofthe most devastating deaths in the9-1-1universe, including the9-1-1: Lone Starspinoff series, ranked.
Explores the high-pressure experiences of the first responders who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking, and heart-stopping situations.
11Honorable Mention: Daniel Buckley (9-1-1)
While he only appears briefly in photographs, having died only a year after Evan (Oliver Stark), his younger brother, was born, Daniel still deserves a mention on this list. Suffering from juvenile leukemia, Evan and Daniel’s parents had planned for Evan to be a “savior sibling” whose cells would have been used to help with Daniel’s treatments. However, when the cells didn’t graft, eventually leading to Daniel’s death,Evan’s parents became distant from him and his remaining sibling, Maddie(Jennifer Love Hewitt), leading to resentment. This, added to the fact that Evan didn’t even know about his brother until he reached adulthood, makes Daniel’s death all the more impactful, despite his never actually making a full appearance on the show.
10Honorable Mention: Lou Ransom (9-1-1)
(Season 5, Episode 1)
Any character that dies during a season premiere is sure to be remembered, andLou’s (Sasha Roiz) “death” in the first episode of Season 5 is no exception, especially considering that fans were excited to see more of the detective. After a stressful court hearing is cut short for serial rapist Jefferey Hudson (Noah Bean), who escapes duringthe power outagethat pauses the hearing, field sergeant Athena Carter (Angela Bassett) and Lou set off to track him down. Due to Athena’s quick thinking, the two manage to find Hudson, following him to his former attorney, whom he seemingly had some beef with. But, in a shocking turn of events, the attorney teams up with Hudson, sneaking up behind Lou and slitting his throat. However, it is soon revealed in the next episode that Lou has miraculously managed to survive the attack and helps Athena apprehend Hudson. Phew!
9Daniel (9-1-1)
(Season 2, Episode 4)
While we only knew him for one episode, Daniel’s (Tommy Savas) death in the episode “Stuck” is shocking enough to earn a place on this list. While trying to propose to his girlfriend, the escalator that Daniel is standing on malfunctions, and he falls through, becoming trapped by the escalator’s gears and inner workings.Despite the first responders' best efforts to save him, Daniel eventually dies from his injuries, leaving behind his would-be fiancé.
8Timothy Rosewater (9-1-1: Lone Star)
(Season 2, Episode 2)
Perhaps the most memorable thing about Tim’s (Mark Elias) death is just how sudden it is… and maybe a bit unbelievable as well. When he and the 126 are called to the scene of a volcanic eruption, everything seems to be going relatively normal (or as normal as it can be during a volcanic eruption).
Tim’s ongoing doubt regarding Tommy (Gina Torres) rears its head again when he makes a comment to a young patient that “nobody is going to die today” and is chastised by the captain for saying that when he can’t actually be sure that a victim will be okay. While Tim is annoyed by her remark,Tommy turns out to be right — in the worst way possible. While helping another patient, Tim is struck by a falling lava rock and dies instantly. His death is so sudden, especially when on the heels of promising his current patient that he’ll help in any way he can, and the trauma of watching Tim die haunts fellow paramedic,Owen Strand(Rob Lowe).
7Emmet Washington (9-1-1)
(Season 3, Episode 7)
While only in the show for one episode, and during a flashback no less, Emmet’s (Jeff Pierre) life (and death) is an important part of Athena’s life as a first responder. He encourages her to give up her prior plans to become a lawyer and instead join the LAPD, andthe two are set to be married before he is unceremoniously shot to death during a robbery. His death 30 years before the start of the show is brought to the forefront of Athena’s life once more when his murder weapon resurfaces in the episode “Athena Begins” and she finds herself searching for answers to his murder. While only ever seen in flashbacks, it’s made clear the impact of Emmet’s death on Athena and her life by the time the show begins, and it’s also apparent that Emmet is always somewhere in the back of Athena’s mind.
6Marcy Nash and Her Children (9-1-1)
(Season 2, Episode 16)
Like Emmet Washington, Marcy Nash (Laura Allen) is only ever seen in flashbacks. However, her death and the horrifying circumstances that surround it are something that neither the audience nor Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) will ever forget. Bobby’s late wife is killed, along with their two children, in a fire started by Bobby’s own space heater.
Prior to the fire, Marcy had kicked Bobby out of their apartment after learning about his relapse; while Bobby initially meant to go to his “drug den” apartment, he ended up on the roof of the building when he could not find his keys. When the space heater in his other apartment sparks and causes the rest of the building to catch fire, Bobby is removed from the scene by first responders;his children die at the scene and Marcy, suffering from terrible burn injuries, later passes away at the hospital. However, there is more than the fact that Bobby inadvertently caused the fire that killed his own wife and children that makes these deaths so memorable; not only are they a tragic reminder that Bobby must carry with him for the rest of his life, but the fact that a total of 148 people died in the fire makes it all the more horrible.
5Patricia Clark (9-1-1)
(Season 1, Episode 9)
While only in the show for a little while, Patricia (Mariette Hartley) and the impact that she had on her daughter Abigail Clark’s (Connie Britton) life is difficult to ignore. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Patricia needed constant supervision and was under the care of her daughter; while Abby loved her mother, the strain that Patricia put on her life and her relationships was constant. However, this did not make her death any less tragic, andAbby’s heartbroken calls for her mother upon finding her the morning after her deathare sure to stick in the minds of viewers for a long time.
4Charles Vega (9-1-1: Lone Star)
(Season 2, Episode 13)
Charles Vega (Derek Webster) was the husband of paramedic captain Tommy Vega. Known for doting on his twin daughters, Isabella and Evie, Charles was a dedicated father and supportive husband; he supported Tommy in her work as a paramedic and, even when he and his wife could not see eye to eye, he still made sure that his daughters were happy and healthy.
So, after being a seemingly immovable force throughout the second season of the show,it came as a shock when Tommy returned home one day to find Charles sitting in his armchair, having died from a sudden aneurysm. For all that Charles was a bright spot among the sometimes chaotic and traumatic world that Tommy lived in, his death was quiet, though no less terrible. Perhaps what makes this death so memorable is the life and family that Charles left behind.
3Shannon Diaz (9-1-1)
(Season 2, Episode 17)
While Shannon (Devin Kelley) spent much of her time away from her husband, Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman), and their son, Christopher (Gavin McHugh), flitting in and out of their lives before eventually disappearing for over two years, her final months are spent with them, trying to reconcile with Eddie and become more active in Christopher’s life. No matter how you felt about her, it seemed Shannon was here to stay.
So, it came as a shock when, after finding out that a possible pregnancy was actually just a late period, Shannon decided to leave again. She confesses to Eddie that she wants a divorce and even writes a letter to Christopher explaining her actions. Of course, her plan would never come to fruition;the day after her confession, Shannon gets struck by a car. While she initially survives and can speak to Eddie one last time, expressing guilt over the situation and admitting that she loved him, Shannon eventually dies from her injuries, leaving Eddie and Christopher behind for good.
2Doug Kendall (9-1-1)
Unlike the other entries on this list, Doug (Brian Hallisay) was not a particularly well-liked character; as Maddie’s husband, he was abusive and violent, eventually tracking her down and kidnapping her after she fled to LA. His violence didn’t only apply to Maddie, either; Chimney (Kenneth Choi) was also a victim of Doug’s malice, tricked into thinking that he was a friend only to be stabbed by the man several times. Of course, Doug gets what he deserves in the end, and it’s his past actions combined with Maddie’s determination to survive that makes his death so much more memorable.It’s a bloody and bitter fight in the snow, with each grappling to gain the upper hand, but, in the end, it’s Maddie who lives to see another day.
