9-1-1: Nashville Makes It Harder To Accept Ryan Phillippe’s Rogue

Published Oct 24, 2026, 4:45 PM EDT Alexandria is a British-Canadian writer with a passion for network TV. She has a bachelor's degree in computer science from Aston University, Birmingham. After initially working as a software tester, she rekindled a passion for writing and has written for blogs and publications like Hidden Remote, Make a Living Writing, and The Daily Voice. She has interviewed various actors and showrunners, with her most memorably being Tony Shalhoub and Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Warning: This post contains spoilers from 9-1-1: Nashville season 2, episode 2, "Boys and Boils."9-1-1: Nashville season 2, episode 2, "Boys and Boils," delivers another traumatic, deadly plague, and Ryan Phillippe's Detective Rogue Kelly arrives at the scene yet again. Kelly has been there for every plague in the show's Se7en-inspired storyline, digging into the details and working the evidence. He wants to get to the bottom of the attack, even telling Don that the 113 could now be in danger since they helped save people from this plague. Phillippe was introduced as a homicide detective from Metro PD, and fans quickly started theorizing how he could help usher in a 9-1-1: Lone Star crossover. He's from New York, and during the 9-1-1: Nashville season 2 premiere, he revealed he has sons in LA and Austin, planting the idea of a 9-1-1 three-way crossover event. His arrival offered hope and warmth, but that could be by design to set up a more sinister twist. Just two episodes in, and it's getting harder to accept him as a detective. Rogue has few friends in the precinct — we've only really seen him interact with one other member of law enforcement — and he's shared very little about himself. All the information is from a podcast created to paint Rogue as some kind of superhero. It's possible Rogue is actually the season's villain. A twist like that could make 9-1-1: Nashville season 2 the most thrilling show on TV. Rogue Keeps Popping Up Without Being Called In With the ending of 9-1-1: Nashville season 2, episode 2, giving off serial killer vibes, it's hard not to view the plot through a slasher-movie lens. Rogue happens to appear at every crime scene without being called in. There's always an excuse, like him being in the neighborhood at the time or hearing the call over the radio, used to brush off the coincidence. Well, coincidences don't just happen, as Gibbs from NCIS likes to say. On top of that, the scene with Ryan was suspicious, too. After Rogue shared all he was allowed to about the case, Ryan asked for the information Rogue wasn't allowed to share. These two don't know each other well enough for Rogue to trust Ryan with this information, but it's clear that he is weaseling his way into the situation. Rogue wants to hear Ryan's theories. He wants to learn what others are looking at so he can change tactics. Choose the movie with the higher Rotten Tomatoes score. It's also curious that Cammie got the personal phone call. It doesn't make sense that The Pharaoh knew Cammie received the phone call, but Rogue does, because she called him in to listen to it. It wouldn't be that difficult for him to find her personal phone number afterward to call her. Let's also point out that he knew to look inside the murder hornets' nest, showing he knows a lot about unusual things. He never tells Ryan to put on gloves before touching anything at the crime scene, suggesting he doesn't mind Ryan's fingerprints getting everywhere and contaminating evidence. On top of that, he warned Don that The Pharaoh could come after the 113 because they saved a guy. Even Athena from 9-1-1 wouldn't have done half of that, suggesting that something bigger is going on with him. Why Rogue Being 9-1-1: Nashville Season 2's Villain Works Nobody wants to believe Phillippe's character is the story's villain, but it is the perfect way to deliver a deliciously evil twist. After all, Phillippe is a '90s icon with horror experience thanks to I Know What You Did Last Summer, where he played a victim. In Cruel Intentions, he initially played a manipulative bad boy; more recently, Big Sky delivered a powerfully shocking twist by killing off his character in the first episode. Many viewers have come to expect him to play a protagonist. Understandably, people want to see him save the day and become a member of the 113 family. Yet this potential plot twist would flip the script, keeping audiences second-guessing everything while giving Phillippe a chance to showcase his acting skills. Right now, there are some excellent scenes with Rogue and Ryan forming a bond. Ryan looks up to this calm, confident detective. If Rogue does turn out to be the villain, it will remind Ryan not to trust strangers so easily. After all, Ryan is taking Rogue's word and the podcast as fact. It would be better if Don had mentioned something about being wary around new people rather than acting like a jealous father, though. Phillippe has come into 9-1-1: Nashville as a series regular, which would initially make everyone want to trust him. However, The Pharaoh is smart and is willing to play the long game. Making Rogue the villain creates a full season arc, potentially with him framing someone else, getting closer to the 113, and creating much bigger problems by putting lives on the line. This would let 9-1-1: Nashville stand on its own two feet, rather than relying on crazy, wild calls, creating a more intriguing, stressful season-long arc instead of focusing on family drama. Release Date October 9, 2025 Network ABC Directors Bradley Buecker, Chad Lowe, John J. Gray, Yangzom Brauen Cast Chris O'Donnell Captain Don Sharpe Jessica Capshaw Blythe Ward Writers Jim Garvey, Tim Minear, Ryan Murphy, Rashad Raisani, Tyler Hisel, Britt Wilkinson, Marta Gene Camps, Jamie Kessler, Eli Talbert, Annie Fawke Creator(s) Ryan Murphy, Tim Minear, Rashad Raisani