9-1-1 Officially Breaks A Ridiculous 8-Year Streak That Lasted Way Too Long

Published Oct 13, 2026, 5:15 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. 9-1-1 season 10 is mixing things up, breaking a ridiculous streak that has lasted eight years. It's finally time to see another character climb the career ladder, something that the series has routinely held off on since its inception in 2018. As the procedural excused Bobby's (Peter Krause) death in 9-1-1 season 8 as an example of real, high-stakes danger, it's constantly undermined that with the lack of career growth for one particular character. For the longest time, Athena (Angela Bassett) has been a sergeant in the LAPD. While she's regularly been offered the opportunity for promotion, including moving to the rank of lieutenant, she's turned it down. Each time, she's made excuses for not wanting to rise through the ranks, but it doesn't make much sense if the show wants to feel realistic. As a result, Athena's career has grown stagnant on 9-1-1. Hen has had the opportunity to become a fire captain, even taking the job of acting captain before Bobby's death, and then decided she didn't like the paperwork. Chimney was initially reluctant to fill the role due to the reasoning he was being offered it, only to realize that it was the right thing to do. Those progressions were natural and grounded in storytelling, and now it's time for the same thing to happen to Athena. 9-1-1 season 10 will finally bring the change, making it much easier to explain Athena's involvement in certain situations. The new season's key art makes it clear what to expect for her new career. Athena Finally Gets Out Of Being A Uniformed Officer In 9-1-1 Season 10 For nine seasons, Athena Grant has been stuck in uniform. The only time anyone got to see her in street clothes was when she wasn't working, whether it was a day off or a trip to space, and now all that is changing. The 9-1-1 season 10 key art puts her front and center in a suit with her badge on the waistline of her pants, making it clear that she is taking charge of situations and not letting her new career hold her back from working with the 118. At the end of season 9, Athena decided that she would take the detective exam after all. Not only does this give her a new change of pace, but it also makes storylines a little more realistic and easier to develop. After all, a beat cop wouldn't usually be on a missing persons case, which she was when Maddie was taken, and 9-1-1 had to find a way to write that into the story. On top of that, her 9-1-1 season 10 storyline can focus on Athena's career growth rather than being a helicopter mom over Harry and trying to hide her grief over Bobby. Image via ABC Athena's lack of promotion has never been due to her abilities or her actions on the job. Sure, there was one moment she landed a black mark on her name, but that wouldn't stop her from climbing the career ladder. It was the character's decision, as Athena often turned down promotions, making it clear that she was happy with the job that she had. She enjoyed working in the field, feeling like she could do a lot more good for the people of Los Angeles where she was, and felt like she had more freedom. It was only after her near-death experience that Athena realized how much she had held herself back. Dealing with a corrupt cop and the coma dream that involved the start of her career and the shooting of her partner toward the end of 9-1-1 season 9, she knew that she needed something different in her life. It was time to move upward in her career, and it looks to be full steam ahead for Athena in 9-1-1 season 10. 9-1-1 Season 10 premieres on Thursday, October 15 at 8/7c on ABC. Release Date January 3, 2018 Network ABC, FOX Showrunner Tim Minear Cast Angela Bassett Athena Grant A group of first responders—including police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and dispatchers—manage emergencies while balancing out their personal lives.