While my heart will forever yearn for an alternate reality where Bobby Nash is alive and well, my head knows that Peter Krause‘s beloved 9-1-1 character is indeed six feet under. And with at least one more season left in the ABC procedural’s future, an important decision needs to be made: Who will become the next captain of the 118?

Hen feels like the most logical choice (as if anything about this storyline were logical), considering she has already served as interim captain on multiple occasions. Whether she’d accept the promotion, however, is another matter entirely.

“The best thing for the 118 would be you as captain,” Athena tells Hen in the promo for Thursday’s episode (8/7c). You’d think that a ringing endorsement from Bobby’s widow would seal the deal, but Hen needs some convincing, asking her, “What if I don’t want it?”

Assuming Hen declines the gig, the next logical choice I can get behind would be Chimney, who also spent time as interim captain. And I wouldn’t be entirely surprised to see Buck express some interest in stepping up. He may have been passed over for the position a few seasons ago, but our bisexual king has enjoyed quite a bit of growth since then. As for Eddie, I’m sure he’ll be happy enough just to return to the 118 in his old position.

Outside of any current 118 members, and assuming we aren’t cruelly subjected to more of that racist clown Gerrard, the station’s next captain remains anybody’s guess. I could see 9-1-1 introducing a totally new character to fill the position, though casting such a role would be no easy task, as they’d need to find an actor beloved enough to retain at least some of the viewers threatening to abandon the show in its post-Krause era. (Perhaps 9-1-1 can pry Scott Foley away from Will Trent for a bit?)

9-1-1: Nashville — Everything We Know So Far
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I’m also a fan of big, crazy swings, so there’s a tiny part of me that would love to see someone from 9-1-1: Lone Star show up unexpectedly to help repair the broken firehouse. That said, I’m struggling to imagine a storyline in which that could ever happen. If you’re feeling creative, please pitch me in the comment section. Together, we can make this fever dream a reality.