Angela Bassett‘s 9-1-1 character is currently grieving onscreen husband Peter Krause‘s death — but she could see sparks flying between Athena and Joshua Jackson‘s Doctor Odyssey character eventually.
“I went over to do a crossover episode [on Doctor Odyssey]. And they had that moment where I will make a little comment and look at him with a little quizzical look. So I wondered, ‘Could it be?’” Bassett, 67, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her partnership with GSK for their Sideline RSV campaign.
Bassett “was wondering” what they “were going to do” between Athena and Jackson’s Dr. Max. “What they still could do, I guess,” she added.
The actress’ only request was for it not to be too quick.
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“Not too soon,” Bassett said. “We have to give her this grieving process [first], please.”
Some of Us started to connect the dots about a potential romance between Athena and Max when 9-1-1 and Doctor Odyssey first crossed over. In the March episode, Athena ended up solving a case and having a good time with Max by her side during the show’s Casino Week.
“It was an opportunity for me to get dressed up and flirt with Angela Bassett,” Jackson joked during an interview with TVLine before referencing the actress’ husband. “Apologies, Mr. [Courtney B.] Vance. It was respectful but shameless.”
While Athena and Max formed an interesting connection, she was still married to Bobby (Krause) at the time. One month later, 9-1-1 fans were in for a startling surprise when Krause’s fan-favorite character was killed off.
Season 9 of 9-1-1, which returns in October, will follow Bobby’s widow through her lengthy mourning period. While Doctor Odyssey wasn’t renewed, some fans haven’t given up hope of seeing Athena move on with Max in the future.
“I don’t think it’s going to be, you know, that real sad, sad grieving process that we’re used to seeing,” Bassett teased to Us about what is to come. “[She’ll be] throwing herself back into work. You can’t catch her. She won’t land somewhere. She keeps moving. Keeps distracting herself.”
Bassett noted that even when people try to “hold her still,” Athena will break free. “It’s like, ‘Put me out there, [Captain]. Put me on the field,’” she shared.
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In addition to sharing her hot takes on 9-1-1, Bassett teamed up with GSK on their Sideline RSV campaign. The campaign is aimed at helping older adults educate themselves on the risks associated with RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), which is a common, contagious virus that can become life-threatening for people with underlying conditions.
“Older adults are a vulnerable population, just like our young babies and our infants,” Bassett told Us. “And once I heard the numbers that 177,000 [people] 65 years and older were hospitalized because of severe RSV, and 14,000 estimated resulted in death, [I] was like, ‘Oh, this is very important.’”
Bassett urged others to speak with their healthcare providers.
“My loved ones, my late mother, had these underlying health issues that made their health journey that much more complex and complicated,” Bassett said, noting, “There’s power in prevention.”
For more information on GSK’s Sideline RSV campaign, check out their official website.
Season 9 of 9-1-1 premieres on ABC Thursday, October 9, at 8 p.m. ET.
