Peter Krause Compares Shooting '9-1-1' Cruise Arc to Making a Movie
Angela Bassett and Peter Krause as Athena and Bobby in '9-1-1.'
9-1-1 Season 7 opens with Athena (Angela Bassett) unpacking the nervousness she feels about her upcoming couple's cruise with Bobby (Peter Krause). While she references a childhood fear related to a certain 1972 motion picture starring Gene Hackman, it's clear that her real trepidation lies elsewhere.
Krause, who sat down with Parade for a breakdown of the show's premiere, said the idea of the honeymoon cruise originated with showrunner and co-creator Tim Minear.
"[When] our chief story architect told me that he was gonna do an homage to The Poseidon Adventure, I figured we'd be spending some time in the ocean, doing stunts, getting wet," he explained. "Wet days, a lot of action days."
Related: '9-1-1': Peter Krause Teases 'Honeymoon from Hell' in Season 7 Premiere
In the premiere's initial scenes, Athena conjures up a nightmarish scenario in which the cruise has capsized and she and Bobby are trapped in their room with the water level threatening to overtake them.
"It was the first extended storyline that Bobby and Athena have had together, and so it was really fun," Krause said. "It was like making a movie ... Angela and I had an absolute blast working with each other, whether it was being stuck in the Build Room with the water rising or getting to play a rather comic scene."
As the episode unfolds, it becomes clear that Athena is actually more concerned with what the lack of a pressing crisis means for her relationship with Bobby: She wonders if they will have anything to talk about other than emergency situations.
Related: '9-1-1' Moves to ABC for Season 7: Everything To Know About the Show
"I think Athena didn't want to hurt his feelings, so she keeps it to herself and then he's left to wonder, and so this is a communication thing," Krause explained.
As a result, Athena seeks a barrier with the likes of guest characters Norman and Lola, a couple that annoys her (and who we've met before in the show's early seasons).
"We had a fantastic guest cast in these episodes," Krause said. "There's a little bit of like a Preston Sturges sort of world for Athena and Bobby in some of these scenes."
Indeed, the show heavily leans on its comedic chops this episode, as Athena slips and slides out of Bobby's confused and interrogating grasp. However, what Bobby initially thinks is a diversion tactic turns out to be the beginnings of a hostage crisis: After a false start where the two believed Norman had killed his wife, it's revealed that Lola has been kidnapped by a pirate group who ends up overtaking the ship.
In the weeks ahead, Krause teased daring stunts as the show closes out a three-episode cruise arc.
After that? Back to the chaos of the 118. "After this honeymoon from hell, this bastard cruise, Bobby and Athena are closer than ever," Krause said. "And in typical 9-1-1 style, they have to jump back into the next emergency."
