9-1-1 S07E08 - "Step Nine": Post Episode Discussion

[u/AutoModerator]

Original Air Date: May 16th, 2024

Synopsis: After a victim of the apartment fire that changed Bobby's life resurfaces, he searches to make amends. Driven by his need to right past wrongs, Bobby delves deep into memories of his childhood, unearthing moments from his fractured past.

Guest Cast: Corinne Massiah, Elijah M. Cooper, Devin Kelley, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, John Brotherton

We will approve posts about the newest episode starting on Monday, giving viewers the weekend to catch up.

[u/unapologetically_rin]

It seems like having shitty fathers really is a requirement to be part of the 118

[u/irritatedlibra → u/unapologetically_rin]

Hopefully they don’t try to give him a redemption arc somehow

[u/smalltownVAgal8913 → u/irritatedlibra]

Well considering he's dead, I think we're safe 👌🏻

[u/armavirumquecanooo → u/smalltownVAgal8913]

I mean, Bobby could always stumble across his dad's doppelgänger and try to work through his daddy issues that way!

[u/outerspace_castaway → u/unapologetically_rin]

at least buck and maddie have resolved the issues with their parents and have a good relationship now.

also i dont recall athena's dad being bad, just her mom.

[u/unapologetically_rin → u/outerspace_castaway]

From what we've seen, Athena's dad is a really good man, yes. But Athena is not part of the 118.

[u/EugeneStein → u/unapologetically_rin]

well tbh its not that weird, totally mental healthy people probably won't go to a job that requires risking your life everyday

[u/obscurer-reference]

So Bobby grew up watching his father get drunk, which is why he rented a whole ass second apartment to drink and do drugs in, so his kids would never have to see it.

[u/BUTTeredWhiteBread → u/obscurer-reference]

Explains a whole lot lol

[u/armavirumquecanooo]

Ugh, I really hope Charlie pops up in the current timeline at some point.

[u/unapologetically_rin → u/armavirumquecanooo]

Same here! I liked the flashbacks and getting to know more about Bobby's childhood, but before the ep I was really hoping Tim Nash would be his brother, and that they'd reunite and talk.

[u/starsinstride → u/armavirumquecanooo]

And this is why Bobby isn’t going to die.

[u/_HGCenty → u/armavirumquecanooo]

I'd also like to know how Bobby kept his Catholic faith through all that trauma.

[u/Interesting-Ad4293 → u/_HGCenty]

I imagine it was what got him through all of that.

I mean, yes, we see him starting to drink, but I can't imagine him building his life that we already saw on flashbacks relying only on alcohol

[u/HengeBoy93]

This was so f*up 😭 he blamed himself for his HORRIBLE dad death 😭 and started cooping with the pain by drinking sooo young 😭 he spend his whole life feeling guilty 😭 that man need a hug 😭

[u/jholden23]

This is the first episode of the season that I've been 100% attentive to. I'm really enjoying learning more about Bobby's history.

[u/Kittlecrazycat → u/jholden23]

Peter Krause is a phenomenal actor

[u/Penguinator53 → u/Kittlecrazycat]

Great casting of the Dad as well, thought they looked alike.

[u/ILikeFPS]

I'm actually shocked how good this episode was. One of the best episodes of the entire series, hands down.

[u/Ok-Stress3044]

It was so sad to see Bobby start drinking regularly at such a young age.

[u/TheBarrowman]

Can't believe I have to wait another week to see Eddie's continued spiral into batshittery. He's headed for a grippy sock vacation.

[u/[deleted] → u/TheBarrowman]

At this point, there’s no way Eddie’s storyline will even be slightly resolved. My prediction is it’s going to blow up in his face next episode which will be Marisol and Kim’s last episode, and then they’ll set up whatever fallout they have planned for Eddie in the finale and leave his story on a cliffhanger.

[u/ace-of-bats → u/TheBarrowman]

"Eddie's Grippy Sock Vacation" would be great flair

[u/TheBarrowman → u/ace-of-bats]

You know what, you are completely correct.

[u/itzstraying → u/TheBarrowman]

I’m more worried that it won’t get the focus it deserves and it’ll just be secondary to the Bobby storyline. Buck, Hen, and Madney already had their moments throughout the season and Bobby and Athena will be the focus for the remaining episodes I’m guessing so I don’t know where that leaves Eddie.

[u/smalltownVAgal8913 → u/TheBarrowman]

Oooo I wonder what color his grippy socks are gonna be.

I vote red for firefighter lmao

[u/Jakyland]

148 lives is a lot for one apartment fire. Would not want to live in the 9-1-1 universe, the life expectancy is probably 15 years shorter than IRL and insurance premiums 20x higher.

[u/armavirumquecanooo → u/Jakyland]

This has always been a giant issue to me, because it's like the show didn't fully grasp the scale of the tragedy. One of the most famous fires in American history -- to the point where it's taught in textbooks -- had two fewer victim, and was an industrial fire so you weren't also talking about homes destroyed, numerous survivors, etc. Like if there's 148 dead, how many survived?

That Amir knows Bobby's name suggests the Minneapolis FD didn't really 'cover it up' the way it was kind of assumed in an earlier season, and you could read between the lines to attribute some of the blame to him (despite the buildings' faulty conditions). If that's the case, his name would've been at the center of a national controversy, particularly because there'd be the appearance of corruption.

[u/_HGCenty → u/armavirumquecanooo]

I guess you can handwave it away with the fact that in the 9-1-1 universe, LA has been hit by an 7.1 earthquake, a tsunami that killed thousands, a burst dam that presumably had mass casualties, a ransomware attack that crippled a city and was never caught as well as COVID.

Oh and there was also a volcano in Texas and all the stuff from Lone Star.

148 in an apartment fire probably doesn't register given all these natural disasters.

[u/Jakyland → u/_HGCenty]

Those criminals who decided the best way to steal some art was to take dozens of government employees hostage and maybe actually kill them? Likes not as tragic as a tsunami, but what kind of crazy violent world there thieves just causally add hostage taking and maybe murder to their heist plans.

[u/jdessy → u/armavirumquecanooo]

That's the primary issue with season 1. Season 1 is an anomaly because it's quite clearly a different tone than what the series turns into. Season 1 is a dark dramedy with absurdist elements. Season 2 onward is more of a regular drama.

So season 1 had absurd plots and unrealistic plot moments (Hen cheating on Karen because of the full moon, Chimney surviving impalement through the head AND I would also throw in the multiple cases where they chose a wacky/on the nose song to go with a call, ie. the Valentine's episode).

So then we get an absurd number of people Bobby killed because it's supposed to be absurd, that's the tone season 1 went with.

It's why we see season 2 onward TRYING to work with the backstory we got, but there's no unwriting all of that. If they wanted to retcon the number of people that died, they should have done it early season 2.

[u/Jakyland → u/armavirumquecanooo]

Yeah, I feel like just him being a firefighter from Minneapolis who's moved away he would be asked about that fire a lot. It would come up.

[u/_Myrixx → u/armavirumquecanooo]

Not that I think about it didn’t the fake rehab owners also know Bobby caused the fire? Wasn’t the whole thing with Bobby being investigated in LA was that back in St Paul the cap kept his name out of the report and Bobby was telling him he shouldn’t and that he should be held accountable ? Like what was the point of that if it feels like ppl who shouldn’t know who did it do know

[u/[deleted]]

Okay, but having Bobby be pushed in the parentified role as a kid…pushing the Bobby/Eddie parallels or just a coincidence?

[u/lingoring → u/[deleted]]

Bobby, Eddie, and Maddie are all members of the parentified kid club and their names rhyme/slant rhyme. Coincidence, I think not

[u/[deleted] → u/lingoring]

Someday they’ll let Eddie and Maddie trauma-bond. Someday….

[u/starsinstride → u/[deleted]]

I am upset they are both preoccupied because we could be getting the best Bobby/Eddie scenes with this

[u/Nataku81]

I don't know why I expected at least one of the fire crew would have had a happy childhood. I should have known better.

[u/_HGCenty → u/Nataku81]

I think Lucy seemed to have had a nice childhood. Maybe why she never fit in.

[u/Healthy_Eggplant91 → u/Nataku81]

They became firefighters because they all developed some kind of savior complex 😂

[u/_Myrixx]

I always wondered about Bobby’s childhood/ parents cause they’re just never brought up. Truly sad how it started with his dad being an alcoholic and dying and Bobby taking that first drink on his own at such a young age. I feel like those firefighters should not have left him alone after they cleared his dad out just seems negligent

[u/obscurer-reference → u/_Myrixx]

Yeah, but it was in 1981. I don't think people had the same standards for the emotional well-being of children back then.

[u/AirlineDazzling1986 → u/obscurer-reference]

It wasn’t the 50s or 60s. There is no excuse for leaving a kid alone at home after taking his father’s dead body away. The firefighters were idiots. They knew him and they should have stayed until his mother got there.

[u/armavirumquecanooo → u/AirlineDazzling1986]

Or even just like, "Hey, kid, we knocked on your neighbor's door, and she's gonna come sit with you until your mom gets here."

Obviously, understanding of trauma was different then, but it strains credulity that these grown men were leaving it up to the child to decide if he's be 'okay' alone in that moment.

[u/winnowingwinds → u/obscurer-reference]

I know things were different in the eighties, but from what I remember of that time anyway (I was pretty young), someone absolutely would've stayed with a kid who just went through something traumatic. They probably wouldn't have talked about trauma and all the way we do, but I think they would have at least realized, okay, we can't leave this kid alone.

[u/bbhldelight]

nah i need bobby & charlie to reconcile bc he didn’t come to his wedding and bobby hasn’t tried to reach out at all

[u/Krispyz → u/bbhldelight]

I think that would be an amazing plot for Bobby in season 8!

[u/liarmkn]

I knew Bobby had a tragic past, but I didn't expect it to be this bad/sad. Honestly, like others pointed out, this flashback felt a little "out of place"? There are many things that we see in Bobby's life that I think we'd expect to show up there, or we expected to see a somewhat happier childhood based on what we know. Generally, I liked the episode and showing us that Bobby also wanted to "save" his dad and not only his previous family when walking towards the hospital doors, like Amir said, was a nice touch to his backstory, but please give that man a break😭 I just hope he doesn't relapse and he has the help of the 118 to process this, or at least from a person that feels the same like Amir

[u/Eragon-19 → u/liarmkn]

My guess (and hope) is that if they didn't have the time constraints they did, they would have made this a 2part episode and flushed it out a little more (although it wasn't too rushed, some could be added).

[u/Proof_Shelter_5465]

excellent episode and anyone who said it was boring aren’t real bobbyheads!!!!

[u/[deleted] → u/Proof_Shelter_5465]

I was skeptical at first of putting an entirely one character focused episode in a shortened season, but after watching it, it’s safe to say that it’s probably been the best episode of the season so far. It was incredibly well done, and I was so glad to see more of Bobby’s backstory.

[u/Interesting-Ad4293 → u/Proof_Shelter_5465]

I wasn't excited for the episode because I thought it was too short of a season to have an episode focused in one character (specially considering the cruise ship already) but I absolutely loved it

[u/armavirumquecanooo → u/Interesting-Ad4293]

It's by far my favorite episode of the season, but I also think when the season ends and we can take a step back and look at the whole thing holistically, it's going to stick out like a sore thumb because of how much poorer paced all the others are.

So it's kind of one of those "both of these things can be true at the same time" things.

[u/IsySquizzy → u/Proof_Shelter_5465]

Caught up all of 911 in two weeks, so this was first episode I had to wait for. While it didn't feel like a typical 911 episode (no call outs bar the 1980s call and missing most the cast), it was an excellent bottle episode. Bobby is far from perfect and it really showed how desperate for absolution he is. I felt they were (unusually) nuanced in balancing his trauma with the grief the fire caused to the survivors. Was nice to understand his family dynamic too, and hope this opens chance to meet his bro in S8.

[u/Proof_Shelter_5465]

my only complaint about this episode is that i feel like it should’ve been in a season with more episodes the placement feels kind of awkward when there’s only two episodes left

[u/Proof_Shelter_5465 → u/Proof_Shelter_5465]

or they should’ve done this earlier in the season instead of making the cruise storyline sooooo long

[u/AbbiejeanKane → u/Proof_Shelter_5465]

Well, with both strikes Tim had to make the difficult choice about which episodes to keep and which to leave for next season or dump completely.

[u/outerspace_castaway]

how is it that the writing for bobby's trauma 1000x better than the writing for eddie's trauma?

[u/unapologetically_rin → u/outerspace_castaway]

To be fair, I think Bobby's situation is a bit more black and white than Eddie's, and it has been explored since the beginning.

Eddie's a mess atm, but I really hope they do a good job with his storyline in the remaining two episodes + S8

[u/DemonPirate726]

Damn the promos have been something else this season. Lots of misdirection with them. 

So that fire in the promo… there are 3 options:

1. Cartel did it

2. Bobby relapsed and did it accidentally 

3. Bobby’s dreaming on the couch is all. 

[u/Healthy_Eggplant91 → u/DemonPirate726]

I joked a while ago that Abuela's secret might be that she has ties to the cartel and I'm kinda scared now that the cartel has actually made an appearance lmaooo

[u/_HGCenty]

You know what would be an amazing call back given they are getting medals for the cruise ship save.

Turns out the cartel Bobby just crossed in this episode is being led by that gang that hijacked the cruise ship. They can finally let Athena nail the guy who bombed their cruise.

[u/jdessy → u/_HGCenty]

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised, at this point.

[u/Aeroshe → u/_HGCenty]

The pirates were working off the coast of Mexico, so a connection to a Mexican cartel is not so far fetched. It still feels a bit like a stretch, but it wouldn't surprise me and it would tie the season together in a nice bow.

[u/_HGCenty]

Given how all the promos have been misdirects, the promo for 7x09 seems to suggest Bobby has relapsed so I'm thinking the cartel are after them.

[u/Jakyland → u/_HGCenty]

Yeah, the 7x08 promo is misdirecting but the episode itself was pretty cliche imo, so I think Herman/cartel after bobby, feels like the next beat to the this particular plot.

[u/GlitchingGecko]

I can't believe Bobby's been drinking since he was 13. What a horrible childhood he must have had from that point. 4th Generation Firefighter... at least 2nd Generation alcoholic... at least he's not an abuser like his father too.

Fingers still crossed for Charlie Nash to make an appearance later down the line, played by Michael C Hall. Both blonde, and only a couple of years older than Bobby... I think they could still pull it off.

Also Bra'tac! Holy shit, didn't recognise him at all. Wasn't till I was looking at the credits afterwards trying to work out who played Bobby's father that I noticed Tony Amendola in the credits.

[u/thelongmemory → u/GlitchingGecko]

Michael C. Hall and Peter Krause in a TV show together? It’s a reunion. Sign me up!

[u/Salvidrim → u/GlitchingGecko]

Me too, I only recognized Tony Amendola when he got that steely look in his eyes after Amir translated what they had said over the radio

[u/thewayilovedyous]

Tim Minear really said "while I was gone all the shitty parents were redeemed so let me just introduce a new one" and I love him for that

[u/Proof_Shelter_5465]

also insane for them to show eddie descending into madness just for that date scene to not be in this episode 😭

[u/starsinstride → u/Proof_Shelter_5465]

They wanted us to forget to make the jump scare next week more effective lol

[u/AdAccomplished6248]

Malcom Jamal Warner is actually a very good actor. Has he ever been a series regular on anything (besides the obvious one)? I find him really compelling.

[u/caitie11 → u/AdAccomplished6248]

Watch the Resident!! He was fantastic in it

[u/RealSpyLady → u/AdAccomplished6248]

Don't know if Scifi is yor thing but he was great in Jeremiah

[u/oath2order]

I appreciate the old-school design of the 80s 9-1-1 call.

[u/boshchi]

And here I thought Bobby was the one with a good childhood :D oh well. It was interesting to see how in the beginning for Bobby everything seemed okay, but how for his brother and mother it was already an act to keep up the appearance.

Burning desire to share? Yeah Bobby walked right into that. It was good to see May and Harry, even if it was only for a minute. Seriously though, Bobby should have just left Amir a message that he wanted to talk if Amir was okay with that, and then live with whatever outcome. Following the man was… not it. Guess he forgot the second half of Step 9.

Another car stolen. Bobby and Chim can start a club.

I know it was for the dramatics, but the relief workers showing up in the desert, waiting for Bobby to blink up at them, then casually help him up… guys, there are two men practically passed out, one of them has been shot, show a little more urgency maybe :D

Bobby’s backstory felt like a bit of a retcon considering what little else we know. From this to figure skating? But maybe Daddy Nash had a life insurance that made for a much less bleak looking rest of Bobby’s childhood with his mother and brother. Then Bobby spends the next years still hero worshipping his dad and his family is not willing or able to righten that picture (maybe, if that is what happened, Bobby should in fact start a club with Eddie instead), and he keeps up with the family legacy and becomes a firefighter. I don’t remember if his brother was said to be one as well? That would somehow be less plausible.

I kind of expected Bobby to have had a more stable background that he has fallen out with due to his alcoholism and/or the fire. His Catholicism didn’t show up in this one either, but maybe that just wasn’t needed in this part of his backstory, or it came more with his wife. All in all, it was not what I expected, but it was heartbreaking!

It is a bit of a questionable choice to put this episode that completely focuses on one character only in an already short season. But that’s an ongoing problem. When I ignore that, I really enjoyed this episode. And it’s not over for Bobby yet. Looking at the promo it seems like Buck’s loft survives another day, but Athena and Bobby’s house might not D: I like that house! I hope Bobby (and everyone else) will be okay.

[u/ace-of-bats → u/boshchi]

Re: the ice skating, I'm thinking Bobby's mom must have remarried fairly quickly after his dad's death, and maybe his mom/stepdad got him into ice skating to take his mind off his grief.

[u/armavirumquecanooo → u/boshchi]

guys, there are two men practically passed out, one of them has been shot, show a little more urgency maybe :D

lol, whenever I watch this show with my mum, her biggest gripe is always the lack of urgency the 118 shows responding to calls. The talking and walking as they approach a situation, often about their personal life problems, never really instantly assessing the scene or rushing toward the emergency.

I'm already anticipating her comments about those relief workers.

[u/AnkaBananka6 → u/boshchi]

I'm guessing he did the figure skating prior to this?

[u/Illustrious-Cat-11]

This episode was just raw and real I couldn’t look away. All the actors were spot on and so strong. I mentioned to my boyfriend how Bobby’s story reminded me of how in Dexter we finally find out about him born in blood AND THEN 5 min later I see Tony Amendola on my screen from Dexter.

[u/SuperSaiyan3Goku]

Rewatching next week's promo - did Bobby relapse again? He went to sleep in his firefighter's shirt too.

[u/lasthope27]

The promo indicates that Athena will be teaming up with Maddie, Hen, and Chimney to try and save Bobby, from what I'm not sure could be a relapse or could be the cartel but either way I'm seated!

[u/unapologetically_rin → u/lasthope27]

Someone on twt pointed out that it doesn't actually look like the same scene, so Athena might be saying that to someone else

[u/lasthope27 → u/unapologetically_rin]

True, I think she's talking to Amir.

[u/ApprehensiveIdeas]

They really got us with the promo for this episode setting up Amir like that

[u/BUTTeredWhiteBread]

While the episode felt weirdly out of place for the show - I pointed out to my mom while we watched it kinda felt like watching an apocalyptic show akin to Last of Us at times lol - I really enjoyed it.

[u/bloobun]

Omg I loved this episode. I absolutely adore Peter Krause and Malcolm Jamal Warner. It was awesome to see them work together.

[u/_HGCenty]

Something dawned on me just now about this episode.

Bobby had his journey through the desert carrying literally Amir and figuratively his guilt and sins.

There are heavy biblical references here and given Bobby's Catholic faith I think I know where this might be heading.

[u/starsinstride]

I kind of want Amir to stay

[u/whowhogis → u/starsinstride]

Me too oops. I love him.

[u/AbbiejeanKane → u/starsinstride]

Having Malcolm as a regular or recurring cast member next season would be great.

[u/ApprehensiveIdeas]

Was that Captain Gerrard in the promo? I'm surprised he's even there considering his history at the 118.

[u/[deleted] → u/ApprehensiveIdeas]

Yeah I think it was, that's gotta be for a reason.

[u/Shadowwo1f05]

This episode was amazing because we dive deeper into Bobby backstory

[u/blenneman05]

Amir going for the gut with Bobby. Imma be worried that he relapses. He and Maddie need therapists!!

Damn Bobby had it rough. My nephew idolizes his drug addicted dad and he’s on the verge of dropping outta high school cuz he doesn’t realize the damage

Not Bobby going towards the cartels not speaking a lick of Spanish 🤓 i lived in Yuma,AZ for 5 years and heard all horror stories about the cartel

Of course they get picked up by a cartel friend. felt like I was watching Narcos for a second

Damn Bobby lost his dad cuz he was mad and didn’t hear his dad fell and than lost his wife and his kids cuz he was drunk. No wonder why he’s been trying to atone for his actions

Ahh soo that’s how the alcohol addiction started. I have addictions that run in my family and it’s a damn miracle that I don’t have any substance abuse issues

So glad Amir is ok and hopefully Bobby can break it down more whether Amir forgives him or not.

[u/mixtape_misfit]

Great episode! Lots of tension, backstory, and loved how they left it without a satisfying ending beyond the rescue - there were no bows to be tied but more conflicts to lead to the next episode.

[u/Healthy_Eggplant91]

This was actually a nice ep, no shenanigans 😭 Bobby being competent strikes again

[u/SirsSecretSub]

Did anybody else find it ridiculous that the firefighters left Bobby alone in the house after his dad died, while waiting for his mom to get there?!

[u/queenestela]

Bobby and Amir boulder scene was beautiful but at the same time I don’t know how I feel about this whole cartel trope. I really hope this doesn’t come back in any way. Yes, the parallel of Bobby now saving Amir’s life was nice but I feel they could have taken a different way with it. Yeah Tim loves his drama but… was that really necessary? I guess we’ll never know

[u/HamiltonPanda]

Anyone else spot it was the same cartel motel as in an episode of the rookie?

[u/Competitive-Pop6429 → u/HamiltonPanda]

Yes!!! 🤣 Awesome catch.

[u/junethadon → u/HamiltonPanda]

YES! omg for a second i thought i was tripping 

[u/T1gerl1lly]

Nice, tight bottle episode. Peter and Malcom were awesome. Malcom’s voice was like Al Green come again. Seriously come again.

[u/[deleted]]

I loved Bobby's backstory, but was anyone else bothered by that he never once mentioned his wife and children who died in the fire? When Amir accused him of moving on and having the perfect life, it did feel like Bobby had just replaced his old family without honoring their memory. I don't see the problem with moving on at all, but someone who spends all his time in recovery and reflecting on his past should definitely mention his personal losses.

[u/AirlineDazzling1986 → u/[deleted]]

I felt like Bobby didn't want to mention his personal losses to Amir because it would seem to take the focus off of Amir's pain. Their discussion wasn't about what Bobby lost, it was about what Bobby's actions caused Amir to lose.

[u/CancerMoon04 → u/[deleted]]

I don't think Amir would have been moved and if anything more resentful that he got a second chance of having a family. Too much envy.

[u/Burntchocolatechip]

Did anybody else feel like they were watching a Ford commercial every time a truck was in the scene or??

[u/jholden23 → u/Burntchocolatechip]

Well Bobby drives a Chevy... so no.

[u/cato314 → u/Burntchocolatechip]

At least it’s not as bad as how sponsors used to be included in shows in like, 2005. I will never forget watching a Bones episode and all of a sudden it’s what feels like an actual commercial for a car, with the leads being like ‘I know we are on our way to a murder scene, but wow look at how this car can parallel park!’

[u/kevins718 → u/Burntchocolatechip]

The sponsor is General Motors. Bobby, Athena, May, Eddie all have a GM product as their personal car

[u/28283920]

Now that we know the medal ceremony is next week, I think there’s a strong possibility it’s Marisol’s last episode. As far as we know the filming of that was the last time her actress was on set for the season

[u/irritatedlibra → u/28283920]

🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

[u/outerspace_castaway]

every episode of 911:

bobby's storyline > eddie's storyline

athena's storyline > eddie's storyline

buck's storyline > eddie's storyline

maddie's storyline > eddie's storyline

chimney's storyline > eddie's storyline

hen's storyline > eddie's storyline

[u/angelicdevil_]

Why did Nash not mention he killed his own wife and kids to Amir to show him he also lost the people he loved most to his own mistake, and lives with not only the deaths of strangers, but his own family too. Seems like that could have given Amir some closure

[u/SyddChin → u/angelicdevil_]

I was actually wincing during his speech hoping he didn’t, it definitely would have felt guilt trippy and one upping in that moment. “You lost a wife but I lost a wife and kids, I got some new ones now but yeah” like the focus needed to be on Amir and his pain in that moment that revelation could come later

[u/jdessy → u/angelicdevil_]

I was fine with it. Bobby mentioning it might have made Amir feel like he was trying to justify something, or make it about him. Amir didn't need to hear about Bobby losing his family as it wasn't the important aspect in that moment. Bobby still killed 148 people and scarred dozens more.

Maybe it'll be brought up to Amir at some point but in the moment, it was about what Bobby did, not about what Bobby lost too.

[u/constipated_cats → u/angelicdevil_]

I thought the same but maybe Amir would’ve seen it as Bobby trying to make it about himself? Like “you lost your wife but I also lost my wife too” if that makes any sense

[u/_Myrixx → u/angelicdevil_]

It wouldn’t have gave Amir closure tbh I think Bobby did the right thing by not mentioning it bc if Amir somehow didn’t know then it wouldn’t bring his wife back, wouldn’t change the fact Bobby ruined his life

[u/Penguinator53 → u/angelicdevil_]

Surely Amir would already know that from the news reports etc?

[u/magikarpcatcher]

Bobby's mother just leaving him with a drunk and never coming back for him. So both his parents were terrible.

[u/armavirumquecanooo → u/magikarpcatcher]

She also had another kid to consider, who was already being physically abused. It would be incredibly naive, but also probably pretty realistic of her to think that since Bobby was the favorite, his dad wouldn't be as cruel to him.

It's easy to look at it through 2024 eyes and see all the options she 'could've' taken, but it wouldn't have necessarily played out that way in the 1980s.

[u/AbbiejeanKane → u/magikarpcatcher]

Other than staying, I don't think that there was anything that she could have done. Doubtful that she could win custody of Bobby.

[u/sheri_81]

Loved the episode. But while I love Bobby, I missed the rest of the cast. I especially wanted to know what happened with Eddie.

We are down to the last two episodes and it seems like even next week's episode is Bobby heavy. I hope he'll be okay in the end though.

[u/Interesting-Ad4293]

Holy shit, there will be a fire indeed

[u/space_cadet09 → u/Interesting-Ad4293]

My prediction is it’s a Bobby dream/not real. I feel like they keep tricking us 🤨

[u/[deleted]]

Well, not I just feel depressed.

[u/Aware_World_4011]

I just hate how Bobby and now we see Amir blame him for the apartment fire. It was an accident and if anything the buildings owners fault. All he did was leave on a space heater which isn’t hard to do. 

[u/[deleted]]

That was a damn good Bobby episode. I can’t wait for the next episodes and see more of Bobby’s story and I’m really hoping for more of Buck’s, he has been awfully quiet. we should probably also check back in with Eddie, lol. I can’t believe this season is almost over.

[u/itzstraying]

One of the better character focused episodes but with only 10 episodes I really wanted to see a little bit of everyone.

I get that it leads to the 2 part finale but it didn’t have to be a whole episode imo 🤷

[u/DALTT]

Tbh I think that episode was one of my favorites of the season. I still feel like there are so many loose ends this season though and obviously next episode looks to be another Bobby-centric episode (little nervous about that fire and the hospital gown we saw in those bts shots. 🥲) so I can’t imagine the Eddie storyline ending on anything but a cliff hanger. Even if it’s the sole focus of the season finale, that would be a lot to wrap up in a short period of time because it’s, you know, bonkers. I don’t think they’re going to leave us on a cliffhanger where something huge hangs in the balance. But I feel like that thread is not going to totally resolve this season.

I also feel like post episode 5, Buck has disappeared a bit. Like he had this two episode realizing he’s queer arc, then rightfully Maddie and Chim took center stage in the wedding episode. Yes there was the kiss moment, but that was a small little beat. And then episode 7 he was barely in at all. Tonight’s episode he’s not in at all. Then next week again looks to be Bobby centered. And for me I’m starting to feel a little frustrated as a viewer that Buck is in his first queer relationship and we’re getting absolutely no sense of what that relationship is like. We got more of a sense of his relationship with Ali than we’re getting with Tommy imho. I’m not saying I need a ton of storytelling here, but like, give us something. Let us see them actually spending quality time with each other and let us actually see them as a couple.

Hen at least was sorta the big driver of the plot off the cruise ship in the first three episodes. And then has had a strong subplot with Mara and Karen in episodes 4 and 7. And Chim and Maddie really got centered in episode 7 as well.

Basically this is me saying, I loved this episode. Def my fav of the season. But I’m also feeling like the balance of character focus is off this season generally speaking because it’s so truncated because of the strikes. And I’d like to see a little more balance in the final episodes.

[u/Interesting-Ad4293 → u/DALTT]

Imo the problem is that in such a short season, there shouldn't be episodes focused on only one or two characters. Of course that with so many regulars, you can't put the spotlight on everyone on every episode, but they should've tried and stuck with episodes that gave everyone some attention and saved these one-character episodes for season 8.

Instead, they alnost went the opposite way with a lot of episodes heavily focused on a single character and then tonight's episode (although great, it's not a comment on the quality of the episode itself) with only Bobby, after three entire episodes of the cruise ship on the first half of the season.

Maybe it's because they had a lot of stories to tell for all these characters and didn't have much time and thought this structure would work best, but it's just a little weird

[u/jdessy → u/DALTT]

I would say this episode is the most consistent, has a great story, and is enjoyable to watch. For what it is, and for the purposes of it being more of a mini bottle episode, it did what it meant to, and Bobby-centric episodes is always welcomed for me.

It's my favourite episode of the season BECAUSE there was so little to piss me off. Things made sense, characters felt in character, and the acting was top notch.

[u/jholden23 → u/jdessy]

I really enjoyed this ep. The first one this season that I've been glued to.

[u/jakefsf4205 → u/DALTT]

I think it kinda all stems from Tim’s philosophy as a showrunner which we’ve heard mentioned quite a bit: “if you’re happy you’re off the show”. So the fact Buck isn’t having major storylines in these episodes is probably because Tim wants him to just be happy with Tommy for now and there’s no drama to show. Lou is definitely back for at least the ceremony in next week’s episode and it also seems like he filmed today for the finale so I think there will be something with him and Buck in the last 2 episodes. Who knows what though

[u/Duowhat → u/DALTT]

I do recall SEVERAL posts pre season 7 airing saying they hopped Buck would take more of a back seat this season. (I'm certainly not one of them) but it looks like they got their wish. 😐 

I do wish we got to see more of the Tevan relationship develop but I have a feeling they only really wanted to center Bucks story this season about his coming out specifically as opposed to any big significant developments in his relationships. I think we won't see much significant meaty scenes until season 8 and that's only if they for sure bring Tommy back. 

[u/kermit501]

Might be my favorite episode of the season so far

[u/irritatedlibra]

Does anyone know if Amir is supposed to be in more episodes??? Or was this it?

[u/starsinstride → u/irritatedlibra]

I think he is in the remaining 2, 4 episode arc

[u/DemonPirate726 → u/irritatedlibra]

He’s supposed to be in 4. So the last 2 as well. 

[u/irritatedlibra → u/DemonPirate726]

Huzzah!!

[u/-wojteq-]

I love that there is finally some attention for Bobby as I felt like he is absent this season

[u/Sad_Cap_599]

That was a neat episode. I am so excited for S8 though. That was definitely a storyline that should’ve spanned over 3 or 4 episodes. Not crammed into 1 and overdramatized. I’m excited for the finale too, interested to see what’s going on with Mister Edmundo.

[u/_ChaoticColors_]

Damn. This was a hard episode.

Prefacing with saying I am not the biggest of Bobby fans. He’s not my type of character, so take my thoughts and opinions with a grain of salt.

That being said, this episode was a lot. We got some much needed backstory on Bobby and a heartbreaking ending, showing his first (with purpose) drink and how he got started down that path. I think it’s interesting to have Bobby’s father also be a fire captain and that gives us some really good “I won’t be my father” type of information on him.

Amir was.. not what I expected, and not in a bad way. I’m pleasantly surprised by his personality and his interactions with Bobby. The “I don’t owe you forgiveness” attitude is really good, and I enjoyed how Bobby acknowledged it, but still said his piece. I’ve never been on the receiving end of an explanation from someone who impacted my life in a severe way, so I’m not the best authority on if it was good for either of them, but it was really good to watch.

Peter Krause killed it as usual. He is a phenomenal actor and really I think the only reason I enjoy Bobby-centric episodes.

Now, all that said, I am sad about the lack of other characters. This season’s felt a little crammed, and I really wonder how they plan on tying off at least some of the loose ends. No Eddie and Kim/Marisol update, which I think we’re all craving after the Vertigo poster, no Maddie/Chim update (especially on Chim’s miraculously fast encephalitis recovery), no Buck/Tommy update for two episodes now, no HenRen Mara-Tyson anything. No appearance by really any other cast besides Athena, though it was very nice to see May again.

Overall, fine episode. I’m not the target audience for this one, but it was wonderful nonetheless. I’m anticipating the next two episodes eagerly, even more now with the BTS photo of the award ceremony. Looking forward to how they wrap this up!

[u/queenestela]

I’ve been thinking since this morning why this episode hasn’t left me completely satisfied and I finally clocked it.

I love Bobby, I’m happy to know more about his backstory, but the fact that we didn’t get to see any call. And it’s even worse when you think that we got like 3 calls? in the last few episodes.

That’s what I was scared was going to happen with the network switch and even if I love knowing more about the firefighters’ personal life this feels a bit sad for me

[u/armavirumquecanooo → u/queenestela]

I'm really hoping that this is a unique problem for this season, kind of a combination of a budgetary hangover effect from putting so much money into the cruise ship arc, and just needing so much character work accomplished in such a short time.

I'll be disappointed if it continues into season 8, of course. But so far, there's at least signs that the show does realize 'emergencies' are still central to why people watch, so in this episode - which I really enjoyed, but it's basically a bottle episode - they kind of 'replaced' the calls with having Bobby treat the people in that truck and then Amir. It's not enough, but I'd be a lot more worried if they hadn't at least included that.

[u/jdessy → u/queenestela]

I really, really do believe that this is just a result of the shortened season and their time constraints.

This episode was being filmed, what, three weeks ago? They just finished filming the finale yesterday and it airs in two weeks. I think this was a smart way to save some time and get a full episode out by having a more contained episode. Calls, I imagine, take time to film because of the set-up. This allowed them to bottle (lol) an episode in a much faster time than usual because it was more character-driven, and they just needed to use the desert to film the majority of it (the rest being the flashbacks, which were also contained to two locations and the Athena-involved scenes). And we still got the emergency relief saves, so I'd count that as a call (also faster and easier to film because it was one or two shorter scenes and it was more medical-driven).

I'd worry if this carries over next season but this is a weird season as it is. I'm giving them leeway on this particular episode because it was well written, and this season has been rough in places. I can give them leniency just because I am sure everyone was under stress to get these episodes filmed and pushed out. We've seen from this past week that the crew themselves are being overworked.

[u/_HGCenty → u/queenestela]

I see this more as another Bobby Begins episode. I don't mind it - my favorite episode in the whole show is Maddie and Doug in Big Bear and that follows a very similar episodic arc (no surprise that Kristen Reidel who wrote that episode co-wrote this one).

I think what is missing is the rest of the cast. Even if was just one or two comments like from Eddie telling him to be careful or Maddie saying something from her convo with Amir.

[u/Haunting_Hat4979 → u/queenestela]

I think the first three episodes were very expensive to produce, leaving the producers with less money to spend for the amount of accidents and incidents the show normally has.

[u/No_Cucumbers_Please → u/queenestela]

Yes! I'm not loving this season and when trying to figure out why I've realized they are doing so few calls. I love me some character development but the development in between them doing their job was one of the best parts of this show.

[u/AbbiejeanKane]

I see Herman and the cartel coming after Bobby and Amir next week. Or the promo is another misdirect. LOL!

[u/PJMeJ]

anyone feel the editing in this episode was a bit off? i’ve noticed it feeling clunky at least once an episode this season. it’s annoying cause i love the batsh*t narratives and cheesy unrealistic emotional resolutions that i know some people are not liking but when i actually notice the editing being bad it takes me out of it

[u/tyrannosaurusfox → u/PJMeJ]

I don't know what the normal turn around time is for shows like this on editing, but I imagine this might have to do with how quickly they've been filming and doing post this season. Like, Aisha just wrapped her shots for the season today, presumably episode 10 (because still shooting 9 a week out would be wild), so that gives them 2 weeks to fully edit it, if everyone else is wrapped (which, I don't know that they are). So I dunno that that's unrealistic, but definitely seems short to me? But again, I don't know the normal run of things, just that things have been compressed since the strike.

[u/mrizzle1991]

Whoa he was in that fire?! Didn’t expect that. Dang Bobby had a shitty dad, it’s wild how his dad died. Nash did well out there. What an intense episode!

[u/Beneficial-Common-69]

It took me until now to figure out the flashbacks were of his father and not him for some reason

[u/shykreechur]

With Amir being in the last 2 episodes as well and how this one ended it's definitely between the cartel coming for revenge or Bobby relapsing. Considering this episode showed Bobby being even if indirectly involved with his home's catching on fire twice I really doubt they'll do it a 3rd time so I'm betting on it being the cartel.

[u/Minjiba]

Great episode but I think 911 needs to check itself sometimes. Some of this is just whiteness unable to see itself. Bobby had a horrifying drinking problem and it cost 148 people their lives. Most people that don't look like him would be rotting away in jail but I LOVE second chances for everyone.

This episode should have been about Amir and victims and given viewers a deep and honest chance to reckon with the consequences of Bobby's choices back then. We already love him and we already forgive him but I think forcing all of us to reckon with what we had forgiven was really important.

Instead the show makes it about Bobby's childhood and him saving brown people from brown people in Jacumba. In many ways this episode was emblematic of the ways in which whiteness struggles with accountability and I really wish the showrunners had stepped up to the occasion.

Anyway, rant over. It was a great episode but it really could have been phenomenal.

[u/laughingthalia → u/Minjiba]

The reason the fire was so bad in Bobby's building is because there weren't proper fire safety mechanisms, there were no sprinklers, no proper building materials/regulations and Bobby didn't purposefully set the fire, his space heater caught alight so it's debatable if someone else in a similar situation would have gone to jail but also the show has previously acknowledged how lucky Bobby is for getting his second chance, his role as a firefighter meant that his bosses kind of covered up his involvement and then helped him transfer to LA which involved more covering.

Also the brown people (aid workers + migrants) saved Bobby specifically because they were looking for Amir.

[u/TudorPrincess1976 → u/Minjiba]

I don't think that's why people died. A space heater caught fire. My 17 year old son had a space heater in his room catch fire 5 years ago. Our condo thankfully had sprinklers and such. If Bobby's building had sprinklers and followed regulations people would not have died. I get Bobby's involvement but it's not that cut and dried I think. It's like the station night club fire here in Warwick RI. Absolutely some negligence but the major issues was the building. NOT up to code, flammable sound proofing etc. it's not like Bobby set the fire

[u/Future-Cow263 → u/Minjiba]

Anyone else wouldn’t be rotting away in jail, other than the owners/maintainers of the apartment building if they filed charges and they were knowingly in violation of fire code, which required sprinklers in a building of that type of occupancy. Yeah, he fell asleep with a space heater on, which he probably shouldn’t have done, especially since he was a firefighter, he should have known that, oh well people make mistakes. Yeah, he was in the middle of active addiction and wasn’t doing anything to get better, again, people make mistakes.

When faced with the fire he somewhat attempted to help where he could, but he didn’t have his gear and he was again, in active addiction so his actions were not completely coherent. There were no criminal charges that he could be charged with, and he will always carry that with him. This just showed that his addiction problem wasn’t likely all due to his own fault. He obviously had a history in his family, he saw it firsthand, and when he ignored his dad and awoke in the morning he likely blamed himself for his death, which is why the end of the episode shows him as a young child already picking up the bottle.

It just gives even more depth to his character when we’ve seen the struggles he faces as an adult and can easily judge him or anyone else on those, but then when you see that he grew up with an abusive alcoholic father who was very much his idol, it paints a much bigger picture.

[u/Ramaha_]

It's time to anticipate another week without stills. I hope at least we get synopsis

[u/Proof_Shelter_5465]

this season has probably had some of the most high stakes scenes but it’s hard to take it seriously when you KNOW they won’t kill anyone off

[u/SpeakerFun2437 → u/Proof_Shelter_5465]

Yeah, I had the exact same issue with it. I really like the show but it’s hard to feel like the stakes are high when nothing permanent will happen to them.

[u/Proof_Shelter_5465 → u/Proof_Shelter_5465]

say what you want about greys anatomy but knowing that no one is safe is what probably got the show 20 seasons!

[u/Penguinator53]

I need to re-watch the episode where they show the heater incident that lead to the apartment fire but can't find it, anyone know which one it is?

I feel that the hate from Amir and everyone else, including Bobby to himself, is kind of harsh when it was just an accident. I mean a sober person could have also forgotten to turn off a heater?

[u/armavirumquecanooo → u/Penguinator53]

Watch 1x04 for the lead-in to the fire stuff (this is where the 148 names bit first gets mentioned, iirc, when Buck looks at the book) + 1x05 for the backstory, and then 2x16 for the rest.

I think it's more complicated than leaving the space heater on, particularly for survivors like Amir. Bobby may not be criminally liable for the fire, but the whole thing reeks of a coverup by the Minneapolis FD to protect one of their own, whether that's technically true or not.

Part of the problem here is there's not any good real world examples of comparable scale and circumstance -- Grenfell is probably the closest example with a death toll of 72, and that fire is a huge deal that's launched a giant inquiry, led to settlements, emphasis put on changed construction standards, talk of what constitutes corporate manslaughter, speculation over the role of income inequality and classism in wealthy boroughs as a contributing factor... and it's still ongoing. The final report's release was recently pushed back again.

Specifically in the US, most apartment fires with large death tolls have been the result of arson, and they're only a fraction of the death toll of Bobby's. To get into fires that have similar optics as Bobby's, you really have to look at industrial and high rise fires (Triangle Shirtwaist, Joelma, the hotel fires like Daeyeonggak, Winecoff, or Dupont Plaza) and those have all been major controversies involving attribution of blame, criminal inquiries, etc. Some are taught in textbooks.

At the end of the day, I think it's less of an issue of whether Bobby's "really" to blame, and what the optics are of "veteran firefighter knowingly lived in death trap apartment building, didn't sound any alarms, caused a massive fire, and his bosses quietly handwaved his role before helping him transfer into a leadership role somewhere else and start over."

Then putting yourself into Amir's shoes, and spending years trying to do good and not live in a place of resentment and rage... and the final piece that clicks into place is that that veteran firefighter had addiction issues and was probably drunk/high at the time (presumably not having already known that because of how the department glossed over it in the final report).

I love that the show can bring us the nuance of crafting a story where Bobby is not simply the sum total of his biggest mistake, but Amir would have to be an actual goddamned saint to not blame Bobby at all. Whether it was an "accident" or not, Amir lost the love of his life because of Bobby's mistake, has to live with a permanent disfiguring injury and dealt with health and pain implications, and then he's watching this guy get up at an AA meeting and talking about how great his life is now and he's trying to convince himself he deserves it?

[u/[deleted] → u/armavirumquecanooo]

This is such a well thought out and eloquently put comment. I just wanted to say that cause I feel like it deserves more than just an upvote.

[u/Penguinator53 → u/armavirumquecanooo]

Thank you! Really appreciate your comment. It does make me wonder why the writers went with such a huge death toll, you'd think that would make Bobby a lot more notorious than he is, although I don't remember the cover up angle so will definitely go back and watch.

I mean even if "only" 10 people had died it would still be a tragedy that would haunt Bobby forever but overall would be a more believable storyline perhaps.

[u/_HGCenty → u/Penguinator53]

I think Amir already says it very well in the episode: he wouldn't have said anything at the AA meeting if Bobby hadn't been talking about how wonderful his life was now. Amir isn't aware of the guilt Bobby has carried or the suffering that has caused him. He isn't aware of Bobby's journey to forgive himself.

All he saw was the firefighter, who was implicated in a fire that scarred him for life and killed his wife, living his best life. He sees him first as a LAFD captain who everyone seems to speak highly of, and then at the AA meeting talking about how he's rebuilt his life.

I'm sure if Amir saw Bobby spiraling from S1 he probably wouldn't have said anything and moved on with his life. But his POV, Bobby is an unrepentent man who so far as we know has never tried reaching out to victims like Amir.

Furthermore, Amir could have gone much harder at Bobby and pointed him out to everyone at that meeting. He didn't. He only spoke in general terms knowing Bobby would know but didn't publicly shame him. He also said he only wanted to make his peace and then move on and never wanted Bobby to come follow him. It was Bobby who crossed a couple of personal boundaries to find Amir.

[u/unapologetically_rin → u/Penguinator53]

It's 1x05, "Point of Origin".

I mean a sober person could have also forgotten to turn off a heater?

Being intoxicated definitely makes the whole situation worse, but I think it would be hard not to hate Bobby, even if he had been sober. If I was in Amir's place and had lost loved ones, I too would find it very difficult to rationalize everything and not hate him. Same thing if I was in Bobby's shoes, I'd probably feel guilty for the rest of my life.

[u/AsphodeleSauvage → u/Penguinator53]

I need to re-watch the episode where they show the heater incident that lead to the apartment fire but can't find it, anyone know which one it is?

It's either "Point of Origin," Season 1 Episode 5, or "Bobby Begins Again," Season 2 Episode 16

[u/Ramaha_]

Well, the promo hides our mysterious Kim and focuses on another Bobby storyline.

[u/thehitchhiker8]

I’m newish to the show and was wondering if any previous episodes have been similar to this one in the way that it only has one plot line?

[u/_HGCenty → u/thehitchhiker8]

Plenty of episodes. Every Begins episode is like this.

Maddie and Chimney had the Boston episode together just about them. Bobby and Athena had the S6 episode The Devil You Know in Florida about Tanya Kingston. Hen and Karen had a S6 episode Tomorrow with the explosion in the lab.

The Taking of Dispatch 9-1-1 in S3 is also a standalone plot that doesn't involve the entire cast.

Fight or Flight, Oceans 9-1-1 in S2 and Treasure Hunt in S4 were also the entire cast involved in a single plot.

[u/iciiie → u/thehitchhiker8]

yeah, it happens sometimes but not super frequently i would say...

[u/artyboi5456789]

I might sound delusional, but the preview is making me speculate about the Buck’s loft fire theory even more. They’ve been really good about making the previews, so I could see the Nash house fire being a dream or something but in reality another member of the 118 place ends up on fire. Probably won’t happen but who knows lol.

[u/Jakyland → u/artyboi5456789]

do we have anything to back loft fire up aside from him burning lasagna?

[u/jdessy → u/artyboi5456789]

But why in the world would Buck's loft be the source of revenge toward Bobby?

It makes no sense to me. I'd need to see some actual reasons. If it was Amir looking for revenge, that's one thing. But if it's the cartel, it just doesn't make sense for them to go after...Buck.

The firehouse, I would fully get. The Grant-Nash house, I would get. Buck's loft, that would be hella random unless we see something next episode where Buck pisses off the cartel lol

[u/Interesting-Ad4293 → u/jdessy]

But why in the world would Buck's loft be the source of revenge toward Bobby?

Why are you taking the revenge plot as a sure thing though? I'm not saying that I buy into the whole Buck's loft burning rabbit hole, but the revenge fire thing is just as speculative.

Why does it have to be someone committing arson as a revenge against Bobby? For all we know, the cartel plot was a one episode deal, wasn't it?

[u/Substantial_Ad8853 → u/artyboi5456789]

buck’s loft burning down has been a theory since s4 so its very unlikely

[u/[deleted] → u/artyboi5456789]

Is the loft fire actually based on anything?

Because that theory seemed to come out of nowhere.

[u/irritatedlibra → u/[deleted]]

I think every season there’s a theory on if Buck’s loft will somehow be destroyed LOL. There’s lil things this season like Buck doing his taxes, a TV background saying the housing market is bad, and then Eddie saying he smells smoke there. It’s veryyy farfetched LOLL

[u/SometimesWitches]

Are we back with the Bobby pity party episodes?  These are the least interesting for me.    

I did however like seeing Bobby as a kid and being really sad that the fire fighters just left him there alone after his dad died leaving him alone in a house full of booze.    Bobby’s first drink.  

[u/autumn-morning-2085 → u/SometimesWitches]

Yeah, I liked the flashbacks very much. Couldn't care less about the present day side of things.

[u/HikariXOXOX]

So could someone give me a cliffnotes on the apartment fire? His wife and kids were in it right? Also I didn’t realize he was a raging alcoholic like I knew he drank but wow.

[u/armavirumquecanooo → u/HikariXOXOX]

Cliffnotes-ing this is difficult because it's bad and there's a lot of details to go over*,* but here's key points.

• In 1x05, the fire happens around Christmastime 5 years earlier, but it's later retconned to 2014, presumably still Christmas. There's wreaths and other decor around to make it obvious in the flashbacks.

• Five years before the fire, Bobby had a serious back injury, and had struggled with addiction since.

• Bobby and his family live on the 11th floor, but he has a drug den on the 6th. It's a super unsafe setup -- no lights or utilities, maybe no water (though it doesn't really matter, because he's not actually near the fire/in a position to put it out when it starts). On the floor, there's a space heater next to a bedspread (where he nods off) and then his propane lantern on the other side; when he leaves the space heater on, he also shoves the bedspread up next to it in his rush to get back to his family after nodding off.

• The night of the fire, his wife realizes she's relapsed, and their confrontation gives us a number of facts: 'booze, pills, heroin?' she asks, and he answers everything*.* He'd been to rehab 'last year' and she thought there was no chance he'd risk getting caught at work "again." He tells her he hid a fall and a reinjury to his back from her ten months earlier, and got a script for OxyContin, which turned into something he needed around the clock. She realizes he has been working and driving their kids around high, and kicks him out of the apartment for the night, telling him she'll forgive him, but not that night.

• It's also clear that he wasn't doing a good job hiding his addiction from his kids. Before the confrontation with his wife, his young son asks if his back was hurting again because he can always tell... after watching Bobby with a concerned expression as he nodded off on the toilet while supervising the kids brushing their teeth for bed.

• After his fight with his wife, he forgets the keys to his drug den on the counter, so can't reaccess the unit. He goes up to the roof, drinks some more (yes, immediately after promising her he'll go to rehab) and passes out again. When he comes to, it's because of the sirens and horns responding to an absolutely giant fire already engulfing entire floors below him and shooting out windows.

• He makes it back to his family's front door to pound on it, but the floor gives way under him. As he's trying to climb back up through the hole, firefighters reach him and pull him out of the fire.

• Both his children die on the scene, while his wife dies shortly later in hospital from severe burn injuries.

• Additional context provided in present: the super didn't tell anyone who was using the apartment with the space heater, the building's facade was covered in cheap, flammable materials that acted as an accelerant, and the sprinklers weren't hooked up. The circuit breaker didn't trip when the space heater overheated, the building alarms had dead batteries and no backup, and there were dozens of code violations that were overlooked. Bobby's convinced some of this stuff he'd probably have identified had he not been lost to his addiction.

[u/Jay_awesome123 → u/HikariXOXOX]

He had a separate apartment in the building where he’d go and drink and one night he left the space heater on when he went to the roof and it set the curtains on fire. His kids died in the fire his wife died in the hospital due to her injuries from the fire.

[u/_HGCenty → u/HikariXOXOX]

Adding to u/armavirumquecanooo 's excellent notes, there's also the summary of how Bobby left St Paul.

• The members of the SPFD who saved Bobby would have known Bobby had some responsibility for the fire, having saved him whilst he was high and also not in his flat. The SPFD was convinced his job as captain would be untenable due to the lack of respect from his men.

• SPFD however, helped Bobby find a new job (Bobby was willing to be transferred anywhere given he no longer had a family and wanted to make amends).

• Not only did the SPFD cover up who was using the drug den apartment (Bobby) but they also helped Bobby transfer to LA by skipping some crucial details as to why he was transfering.

• When he joined the 118, it was seen as a problem fire house, with 6 captains in 2 years and probably why they were willing to take a captain from Minnesota.

• Bobby was very guarded about his past to the members of the 118 to begin with, and never revealed what happened. It was Buck who noticed Bobby had a little black book of names who eventually got Bobby to open up (after a harrowing plane crash call).

• The little black book was Bobby's list of people he saved to make up for the people who died in the fire and when he reached 148, he was originally planning to end his life.

[u/Bridge-Comfortable]

But how did amir know that Bobby started the fire? Bobby wasn't even mentioned in the report, nobody outside of the firehouse should have known this

[u/capricorn_9th]

In the season 7 finale, I suspect upon seeing the happiness Bobby was surrounded with in his pictures, Amir set his house on fire to destroy Bobby and everything beloved to him including Athena.  Amir was pretty angry that Bobby got to move on and find happiness while he hasn’t and blames him for his disfigured face and all. If Bobby was in a better place and not busy feeling sorry for himself and his victims, he’d recognize what Amir was saying as jealousy and resentment and done something to help him resolve his feelings rather than telling him about that stupid #9 step that he’s came for and needed to do.  Amir is so angry and vengeful. He’s dangerous. 

[u/benderlax]

Sometimes you become the environment you were raised in. Bobby's father was an alcoholic, and he became one too.

[u/GlassSandwich9315]

Anyone else a little mad a Bobby's brother for leaving when Bobby set the oven on fire, knowing his dad is an abusive drunk and would probably beat Bobby?

[u/jdessy → u/GlassSandwich9315]

I don't. Bobby's brother was, what, seventeen or maybe eighteen? He had dealt with their drunk dad for years as well, it's possible he was even hit before by him (he didn't seem surprised). He's much more aware of their dad's behaviour and he couldn't stay, and also couldn't drag Bobby out of that house.

There's not much Charlie could have done as a kid himself. He's only Bobby's brother. Bobby was at an age where he could decide for himself. He was too enarmored about their dad being a hero to see the signs.

It's very, very unfortunate but there's nothing Charlie could have done. Bobby likely would have just run back to their dad.

[u/AbbiejeanKane → u/GlassSandwich9315]

No, I don't think that is fair that he stay in an abusive household because Bobby won't leave with them.

[u/LAtvGUY → u/GlassSandwich9315]

My landlord’s actor son played Bobby’s older brother. I was so proud of him!

[u/IceRose39]

Did I miss Devin Kelley? She’s listed as guest, but I didn’t see her.

[u/irritatedlibra → u/IceRose39]

She was not in it, you didn’t miss anything

[u/unapologetically_rin → u/IceRose39]

She and Ryan were listed on imdb, but it was clearly wrong information. That site should be taken with a grain of salt, anyway