Big news has hit the 9-1-1 world. Corrine Massiah and Elijiah M. Cooper have been promoted to series regulars ahead of the ninth season.
Massiah and Cooper play May Grant and Harry Grant, respectively, the only children of Athena Nash-Grant.
Both characters have been around since the series’ inception, cementing their roles as part of the Grant family and the greater 9-1-1 universe through various storylines over the years.
Massiah returns to the series after stepping away following 9-1-1 Season 5 to pursue her studies, though she did make sporadic appearances over the last few seasons.
Cooper joined the series during 9-1-1 Season 7 in a recurring role, taking over the role from Marcanthonee Jon Reis, who also departed the series after 9-1-1 Season 5.
The last time we saw the siblings was during the emotionally charged 9-1-1 Season 8 finale, as the two banded around their mother in the wake of an unexplainable loss.
As we all know, the series took a big swing last season in killing off the beloved Bobby Nash in a twist that many fans still can’t wrap their heads around and don’t necessarily want to.
As the heart of the soul of the series, it still feels surreal to imagine the show returning and Bobby not sitting in the captain’s chair or sharing a hello kiss with his wife after a hard day’s work.
I’m all about holding onto hope the series will throw us for a loop and truly shock us in the best of ways, but as things stand right now, we’re living in a post-Bobby Nash world. And in that world, it makes sense that Athena would be leaning on her children during this time.
In the wake of Bobby’s death, I’d expect the series to rely heavily on the various family dynamics that embody so much of the show, as characters help one another process and grieve.
Athena’s family life has always been such a cornerstone of the show, and bringing May and Harry back into the fold would only be beneficial for Athena.
Athena has always had a close bond with both May and Harry. And while they’ve had the normal parent-child disagreements at times, both children love their mother and are protective of her.
Coming into 9-1-1 Season 9, we don’t know much of anything right now, but what we can assume is that everyone will be adjusting to the reality of life without Bobby.
And none more so than Athena.
We saw at the tail end of 9-1-1 Season 8 that Athena was struggling, as she was icing Chimney out and figuring out what to do with the dream home she hoped to share with Bobby.
But in the end, a large-scale emergency put a lot of things into perspective for her, and choosing to sell the house was an incredibly heartfelt moment for her, as she had to think ahead to a new version of her life she never dreamed she’d have to live.
It makes sense that in the aftermath of all these changes, May and Harry would have more prominent roles on the series, especially as it relates to their mother.
While Athena does have ancillary relationships with other characters, namely Hen and Maddie, Bobby was the one with whom she shared the most personal storylines.
Without Bobby, her children returning home to live with Athena or even just sticking around closer to Los Angeles more permanently would make sense at this juncture of the story.
There are a lot of storylines to explore within this dynamic, especially now that the kids are older and looking to establish themselves as adults, while still being Athena’s babies.
Will May return to dispatch? That’s a road they could travel down again, and it would incorporate her back into the larger narrative and potentially open up different things for mother and daughter to team up on.
And I won’t lie, I’m not sure how old Harry is supposed to be currently, but would it be ridiculous to think he may have his designs on becoming a firefighter to follow in his stepdad’s footsteps?
There hasn’t been anything to suggest that’s a possibility, but like May returning to her old job, bringing Harry on as a probie would bridge all the worlds, and it would allow for a fascinating potential storyline for him and Athena.
Would Athena be supportive of Harry becoming a firefighter? I would think so, but considering recent events, I could also see there being a bit of hesitation on her part.
Harry becoming a firefighter in the name of Bobby or by his own calling would be a very compelling arc, though even if the show doesn’t go that route, there are still a lot of different directions to take Harry.
Again, with the kids being older, you can open up the playbook and find the best ways to incorporate them into the series as it’s currently constructed.
The three of them living together could open up some heartfelt and humorous moments as the adults figure out their new normal.
It’s a very different show than when they were previously around full-time.
This is exciting and good news for the series anyway you slice it. Both Massiah and Cooper are great actors, and May and Harry are well-established and stimulating characters in their own right.
9-1-1 has always been rather adverse to bringing on new series regulars in recent years, so this news was surprising, though it feels more like getting the family back together than injecting the series with new blood.
It’s all bittersweet, though, as we prepare ourselves to deal with the new realities of our favorite little firefighter show as it prepares to open a brand new chapter.
How are you guys feeling about the news?
Are you excited to see May and Harry returning?
What storylines would you like to see them tackle?
Please leave all your comments below so we can discuss!
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You can watch 9-1-1 when it returns on October 9th at 8/7c on ABC.
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