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9-1-1: How to watch the first responder drama in release and chronological order

How to watch the 9-1-1 franchise in release and chronological order

Guides by Joshua Lapin-Bertone, Contributing writer

Published on Fri Mar 06 2026

9-1-1 is a procedural drama that focuses on the lives of the firefighters and police officers who serve Los Angeles. The series, which premiered in 2018, has grown so popular that it’s become a full-blown franchise, thanks to spinoffs like 9-1-1: Lone Star and 9-1-1: Nashville. If you’re looking to get better acquainted with the lives and loves of first responders but aren’t sure where to start, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about watching 9-1-1, its spinoffs, the crossovers, and all of your other burning questions.

How to watch 9-1-1 in release order

The 9-1-1 franchise consists of three shows. The original series, titled 9-1-1, premiered in 2018 and is still running. A spinoff titled 9-1-1: Lone Star premiered in 2020 and ran for five seasons before ending in 2025. The latest series, 9-1-1: Nashville, is currently in the middle of its first season. It’s just three shows, so it’s pretty simple to follow. If you want to watch each of them in release order, simply follow this list.

How to watch 9-1-1 in chronological order

9-1-1 season one (2018)
9-1-1 season two (2018-2019)
9-1-1 season three (2019-2020)
9-1-1: Lone Star season one (2020)
9-1-1 season four (2021)
9-1-1: Lone Star season two (2021)
9-1-1 season five (2021-2022)
9-1-1: Lone Star season three (2022)
9-1-1 season six (2022-2023)
9-1-1: Lone Star season four (2023)
9-1-1 season seven (2024)
9-1-1: Lone Star season five (2024-2025)
9-1-1 season eight (2024-2025)
9-1-1 season nine (2025-2026)
9-1-1: Nashville season one (2025-2026)

Watching the 9-1-1 franchise in chronological order is the same as watching it in release. While there are some flashbacks here and there, all the shows are set in the present day. Both 9-1-1 season nine and 9-1-1: Nashville season one are airing concurrently, and it’s safe to assume they are set at the same time. In short, if your goal is to watch 9-1-1 in chronological order, use our release order list and have a blast.

What are all the 9-1-1 crossovers?

The 9-1-1 shows are all set in the same continuity, which means there are occasional crossovers. Sometimes there are small references or Easter eggs to remind us that we’re in a shared universe, other times we get full blown crossover episodes. The 9-1-1: Lone Star episode ‘Hold the Line’ features Hen, Eddie, and Buck traveling to Texas to help fight a wildfire. The 9-1-1: Lone Star episode ‘Prince Albert in a Can’ features a short appearance from 9-1-1’s Athena Grant. The 9-1-1 episode ‘The Sky is Falling’ features Cammie Raleigh from 9-1-1: Nashville.

And then there’s Doctor Odyssey….

What’s the connection between 9-1-1 and Doctor Odyssey?

Doctor Odyssey is a medical drama that is set in the same shared universe as the 9-1-1 franchise. The series focuses on Max Bankman, an on-call doctor for a luxury cruise ship called the Odyssey. Doctor Odyssey and 9-1-1 were both created by Ryan Murphy, and both shows air on ABC. Athena Grant from 9-1-1 appeared on the Doctor Odyssey episode ‘Casino Week,’ where she helped Dr. Bankman solve a crisis involving jewel thieves. The 9-1-1 episode ‘Holy Mother of God’ sets up Athena’s trip to the Odyssey.

So far, that’s the only crossover, but with the same showrunner and the same network, it isn’t farfetched to think we might see more 9-1-1 alumni board the Odyssey.

Why was Captain Bobby Nash killed off on 9-1-1?

Captain Bobby Nash was killed off to give the show more stakes and remind viewers that life as a first responder is dangerous. According to 9-1-1 showrunner Tim Minear, it was a story driven decision. “I have all these perilous situations that I put the characters into, and I think maybe the writers but also the audience starts to get a little complacent because it’s like, well, we all know it’s going to all work out fine in the end,” Minear tells Deadline.

“I had been toying with the idea for a couple of seasons actually, maybe even longer, feeling like at some point I’m going to have to do this. And then once I came up with this idea for the lab leak episode, that’s when it solidified for me that it was time to do it, it felt like a real opportunity to give somebody an epic Wrath of Khan-like death. When it came down to deciding who should that be, I wanted it to be a character that affected all the characters’ stories in a very specific and yet different ways. There was only one man for the job, and it was Bobby.”

What is the saddest episode of 9-1-1?

This is a tough question, because 9-1-1 has its fair share of tearjerking episodes. However, the season eight episode ‘Lab Rats’ is often regarded as the saddest episode of 9-1-1 due to the death of Captain Bobby Nash. During a call to a lab explosion, Bobby contracts a deadly virus, and gives the only remaining antidote to his teammate Chimney. Bobby says goodbye to his wife Athena and his crew before dying from the virus. The death of Captain Nash is considered the saddest moment in the series, particularly the goodbye scene.

Is Buck in love with Eddie on 9-1-1?

No, Buck isn’t in love with Eddie. According to the actors and showrunners, Evan Buckley and Eddie Diaz are just good friends. However, numerous viewers have noted the chemistry between them, making the coupling a popular fan pairing. Oliver Stark and Ryan Guzman, who play Buck and Eddie, say they’re open to the idea of their characters getting together, but only if it’s organic. “I hope, if it goes there, it’s done because that’s the right story to tell and that’s the right progression for the characters,” Stark tells Deadline.

For now it seems Buck and Eddie are just good friends, but there’s no telling what the future holds.

Why did Eddie leave 9-1-1?

Eddie Diaz left the 118 firehouse in 9-1-1 season eight to move to Texas and be closer to his son Christopher. Eddie’s actor Ryan Guzman told media outlets that this was part of a planned storyline, and there were no plans for Eddie to permanently leave the show. After patching things up with his son, Eddie returns to Los Angeles in 9-1-1 season nine.

Where can I watch 9-1-1?

Now that you know how to watch 9-1-1, let’s go over where you can watch it. The entire 9-1-1 franchise can be streamed on Hulu. This includes 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Nashville, and 9-1-1: Lone Star. If you have a Hulu subscription, then you have access to all of the episodes. If you have the Disney+ and Hulu bundle, then you can watch 9-1-1 on Disney+. However, this doesn’t work with a standalone Disney+ subscription, you need to have the Hulu bundle. Keep in mind, the availability for the 9-1-1 franchise could change as streaming licenses expire and new deals are made.

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Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.