9-1-1 season 8 is continuing to deliver strong ratings for ABC, with the premiere reaching more than 12 million viewers within its first 35 days. Although a renewal is not yet confirmed, the police procedural shows no signs of slowing down. Its most recent installment, "Hotshots", focused on Anthena Grant (Angela Bassett) and Bobby Nash (Peter Krause).

In an interview with TVLine, Minear previews 9-1-1's fall finale. It will air next Thursday at 8 PM ET on ABC, streaming the following day on Hulu. Minear, who co-created the action drama with Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, promises there won't be any major cliffhangers: “You can rest assured this time that I’m not going out on a giant cliffhanger.” However, the showrunner does confirm that there's one storyline that will be launched with a bit of dialogue that will catch viewers by surprise:

There’s a thing embedded in episode 8 that’s going to make the fans go, ‘Wait, what now? What did you say?’

What Minear's Comments Mean For 9-1-1 Season 8

No Cliffhangers Is A Good Thing

After next week's episode, 9-1-1 season 8 is on hiatus until March 6. Given this extended break, it's a good thing that the ABC series isn't teasing any major cliffhangers. Its most recent episode, "Hotshots", sees Athena getting a young new partner and having to deal with the fact that she doesn't trust him. As for Bobby, he's back on the set of the in-universe TV drama Hotshots, and it's not going too well either. By the end of "Hotshots", Athena has warmed up to having a partner and Bobby is being shadowed by an actor.

Still, with the confirmation that Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Howard (Kenneth Choi) are having another baby, plus Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Karen (Traci Thoms) getting their family back together, it's good that the fall finale will be largely conflict-free. Especially after the significant events of 9-1-1's season 7 ending which the characters are still reeling from. But that still leaves a question mark around a fan-favorite pairing.

Our Take On The New Storyline

Seems Like It Could Be Related To Eddie & Buck

"Hotshots" also follows up on how Buck (Oliver Stark) is feeling after Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) breaks up with him. In the immediate aftermath of the breakup, Buck shows up at the door of his best friend Eddie (Ryan Guzman) and the two share a beer. Although it could be seen purely as an affirmation of their close friendship, there is something in how the scene plays out. This is without even mentioning the added context of Eddie going on a journey of self-discovery.

It is filmed like a climactic scene in a romantic comedy, with one main character turning to another for wordless comfort. Considering the long history of a shared drink being a milestone for well-known TV couples, from Scully and Mulder on The X-Files to Brennan and Booth on Bones, there's every reason to think that a revelation may finally just be around the corner for the duo known as Buddie. It'd set up a very intriguing 9-1-1 season 9, with the renewal looking likely.

Source: TVLine