After one of the wildest and maybe the most over-the-top storylines in 9-1-1 history, fans are dying to know what’s next for Angela Bassett’s Athena Grant.
The seasoned LAPD officer has handled it all. The audience has seen her chase cars, survive explosions, and in the recent four-episode space arc. Now that Athena and Hen (Aisha Hinds) have touched down, fans can’t help but wonder if this could be the end of Bassett’s ride on the long-running series.
Is Angela Bassett’s Athena Leaving 9-1-1 in Season 9?
Even though the space rescue storyline left everyone emotionally devastated, fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Athena Grant isn’t leaving 9-1-1 anytime soon. In a recent interview with Variety, Aisha Hinds shared that both she and Angela Bassett’s characters underwent an incredibly traumatic experience.
The 49-year-old revealed that she and Bassett had no idea how things would turn out while filming because the showrunner “slowly rolled it out.” “We didn’t know our next move until we were deep into this move.” (via Variety.)
The most nail-biting moment in the space arc came when Athena came forward to fix the ship, putting her own life on the line so Hen could make it back home to her family. It was a huge act of bravery, one deeply tied to Athena’s heartbreak over losing her husband, Bobby (Peter Krause).
“She’s doing it willingly in a way that’s feeling like she has nothing more to live for,” Hinds said. “But helping us to all realize that there is so much more to life,” she added.
So, what’s next for our favorite cop, Athena Grant? Hinds said that both Athena and Hen “may spend the rest of the season sort of grappling with those two things.” They’re dealing with two big emotions right now—first, the trauma and fear from their near-death experience in space. And the second is the deep gratitude that comes with getting a second chance at life.
So, Athena’s next chapter can be about finding her purpose again, and fans can bet that journey will be a significant part of 9-1-1’s Season 9 storyline.
If anything, this space storyline just proved how critical Athena really is for the show. She is still one of the show’s strongest anchors. So for now, fans can relax. Angela Bassett’s Athena isn’t going anywhere this season.
