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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the 9-1-1 Season 9 premiere “Eat the Rich.”]
9-1-1 kicks off its ninth season with an episode that features a billionaire being swallowed by a whale — then rescued by the 118, of course — and sends two of its own to space. Yes, Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Athena (Angela Bassett) are leaving Earth. “It’s very on brand for 9-1-1,” Oliver Stark says.
But he does agree it’s not like there’s much the 118 can do about the trouble coming for Hen and Athena, whose trip to space comes after the paramedic helps save the billionaire (Mark Consuelos). “It’s not really within the 118’s abilities to help them in space, but there are other people down on earth and characters within the show that can offer a little bit more to try and help that situation,” Stark says as part of TV Insider’s 9-1-1 aftershow, First Response. “There are plenty of people down on the ground that are going to end up needing help and in kind of classic 9-1-1 style, the most bizarre ways you could possibly imagine.”
The 118 this year is moving on without Bobby, and the firehouse is dedicated in his memory. It is now the Robert Nash Memorial Station. Filming that dedication was “emotional,” admits Stark. “It was a real moment of clarity in the sense that this is the show now. It is different here, but it was also kind of beautiful, and it was honoring, obviously, Bobby Nash on the show. But I think anytime we have a huge scene like that with all the characters and a scene of that nature, we were honoring Pete as well and what he meant to us. And so yeah, it was a mixture of emotions — it was sad, but it was also a celebration of him and I really hope that it comes across like that and that we are paying tribute to everything that they both were to the show.”
As for how Buck’s doing without Bobby this season, “it comes and goes,” the star shares. “I don’t think you see it having too much of a negative effect in the first few episodes, but then there is an episode later on in the season where you do start to see Buck get really in his head about it again.”
Elsewhere in the episode, with Chimney (Kenneth Choi) now interim captain, Eddie (Ryan Guzman) and Hen are working together, while Buck’s partnered up with Ravi (Anirudh Pisharody). And, to no one’s surprise, given how Buck has acted in the past when Eddie grows close to someone else, he’s not exactly happy with the “dream team” his best friend is part of with someone else.
“I think it’s just that he wants things to be normal. We’re talking about him adjusting to Bobby or the loss of Bobby. So, now it’s just that something else is different, something else has changed, and I just think he wants to cling onto everything that he knows and kind of keep that as close to his chest as he can, and this is just another thing that he has to adjust to,” explains Stark.
Watch the full video aftershow with Oliver Stark about the premiere, the space emergency, Buck’s jealousy of Eddie and Hen’s friendship, what’s coming up in Buck’s love life, how he feels about a new captain, and much more.
9-1-1, Thursdays, 8/7c, ABC
The West Point Association of Graduates has canceled a ceremony that was set to honor Tom Hanks with the Sylvanus Thayer Award, which recognizes an “outstanding citizen” whose career exemplifies the U.S Military Academy’s ideals of “Duty, Honor, Country,” according to The Washington Post.
In an email to faculty, Retired Army Col. Mark Bieger, president and chief executive officer of the Association, explained the decision as a desire to “focus on [the Academy’s] core mission of preparing cadets to lead, fight, and win as officers in the world’s most lethal force.”
Hanks was announced as the 2025 recipient of the award in June. At the time, the Association highlighted the actor’s numerous portrayals of military figures in films such as Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump, and Greyhound; his work as a producer on acclaimed series like Band of Brothers and The Pacific; and his long-standing advocacy for veterans, including leading a fundraising campaign for the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.
Related Video
“Tom Hanks has done more for the positive portrayal of the American service member, more for the care of the American veteran, their caregivers and their families, and more for the American space program and all branches of government than many other Americans,” Robert McDonald, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Association’s board chairman, said when Hanks was first announced as the honoree.
The West Point Association of Graduates’ cancelation of the award comes amid a wave of controversial changes the Trump Administration has made to the US military. Since returning to office, Donald Trump has fired numerous top leaders, ordered reviews of the curriculums at academies like West Point, and just this week, he renamed the Department of Defense as the Department of War.
His son, Donald Trump Jr., celebrated the decision to strip Hanks of the award, writing on X: “Great to see [Secretary of War Pete Hegseth] holding the line for @realdonaldtrump to make the military strong again. West Point should be focused on training the next generation of war fighters, not celebrating woke leftwing celebrities with awards!!!”
The West Point Association of Graduates has canceled a ceremony that was set to honor Tom Hanks with the Sylvanus Thayer Award, which recognizes an “outstanding citizen” whose career exemplifies the U.S Military Academy’s ideals of “Duty, Honor, Country,” according to The Washington Post.
In an email to faculty, Retired Army Col. Mark Bieger, president and chief executive officer of the Association, explained the decision as a desire to “focus on [the Academy’s] core mission of preparing cadets to lead, fight, and win as officers in the world’s most lethal force.”
Hanks was announced as the 2025 recipient of the award in June. At the time, the Association highlighted the actor’s numerous portrayals of military figures in films such as Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump, and Greyhound; his work as a producer on acclaimed series like Band of Brothers and The Pacific; and his long-standing advocacy for veterans, including leading a fundraising campaign for the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.
Related Video
“Tom Hanks has done more for the positive portrayal of the American service member, more for the care of the American veteran, their caregivers and their families, and more for the American space program and all branches of government than many other Americans,” Robert McDonald, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Association’s board chairman, said when Hanks was first announced as the honoree.
The West Point Association of Graduates’ cancelation of the award comes amid a wave of controversial changes the Trump Administration has made to the US military. Since returning to office, Donald Trump has fired numerous top leaders, ordered reviews of the curriculums at academies like West Point, and just this week, he renamed the Department of Defense as the Department of War.
His son, Donald Trump Jr., celebrated the decision to strip Hanks of the award, writing on X: “Great to see [Secretary of War Pete Hegseth] holding the line for @realdonaldtrump to make the military strong again. West Point should be focused on training the next generation of war fighters, not celebrating woke leftwing celebrities with awards!!!”
The trailer of Songs of Paradise, featuring Saba Azad and Soni Razdan, is out, giving a poignant look into the life and legacy of Padma Shri awardee Raj Begum, the first female playback singer of Kashmir. Directed by renowned filmmaker Danish Renzu and co-authored with Niranjan Iyengar and Sunayana Kachroo, the film is a tribute to the legendary voice which transcended barriers and inspired generations of valley artists.
A Song of Brave Hearts and Melody
The narrative follows Noor Begum, essayed by Saba Azad and Soni Razdan in two different time frames, from a budding young singer to a tenacious cultural icon. Against the canvas of Kashmir, Noor’s life is about challenging social limitations, following dreams, and the redemptive forces of music. Her narrative is enriched by soulful songs by Abhay Sopori and Masrat Un Nissa’s haunting voice, bringing Kashmir’s rich musical heritage to life.
Saba Azad, who plays the younger Noor, described the role as a revelation. “As a singer, I was unaware of the phenomenon that is Raj Begum. This movie opened my eyes to her journey and her contribution. Songs of Paradise is not only a music story but also a tale of female strength and independence,” she said.
Honoring a Legacy
Veteran actress Soni Razdan, who plays the mature Noor Begum, called the experience deep. “The script touched me immediately. Playing Noor was all about harnessing the decades-long strength and cultural pride. This film is a strong reminder of Kashmir’s musical past,” she said.
Cast and Direction
Directed by Nicandra Alkemade for Excel Entertainment, Songs of Paradise is produced by Apple Tree Pictures Production and Renzu Films Production. The cast, which includes Zain Khan Durrani, Sheeba Chaddha, Taaruk Raina, Shishir Sharma, and Lillete Dubey, joins Azad and Razdan in a real star-studded cast.
As we discussed earlier, the usual suspects are absolutely furious that Prince Harry arranged to have a letter and a wreath laid at the Burma Star Memorial on VJ Day. I noted in my earlier coverage that the Windsors’ treatment of Harry specifically on military/veteran issues and war commemorations comes across as audaciously cruel and short-sighted, not to mention completely unhinged. The left-behinds proudly state that THEY are the only ones who can recognize military service because they are “working royals.” They don’t see why Prince Harry can’t understand that he is simply not allowed to recognize the sacrifices of servicemen because he moved to California!! The fact that Harry did more than Prince William – who commemorated VJ Day with a tweet from his vacation home in Norfolk – isn’t sitting well with any of these deranged individuals. Speaking of, Richard Eden’s new Mail column is about all of this, and about how much Prince Philip hated Harry! Ah, of course.
Harry’s public tribute to his grandfather has, I can reveal, provoked a sceptical reaction from those who knew the late duke.
‘What hypocrisy,’ one friend of the Royal Family told me. ‘Harry hurt his grandfather deeply during the final year of his life.’
Harry’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, for example – in which he and his wife, Meghan, attacked the royals in the most personal way, even accusing an unnamed senior member of his family of racism – was broadcast when Philip was in hospital with what turned out to be his final illness. The duke’s hospital stay had been no surprise as he was then aged 99 and had been in increasingly poor health. Prince Philip died four weeks after the Oprah interview was broadcast.
Harry’s decision to have a wreath and long letter placed at the Burma Star Memorial is striking. Working members of the Royal Family, such as Harry’s brother and sister-in-law, the Prince and Princess of Wales, did not leave wreaths. Not because they don’t care but because they purposely allowed the commemorations to be led by the King and Queen.
The fact that Harry was able to ‘hijack’ the national service of remembrance, as a royal source put it to me, has caused unease at the palace.
When he tried to do something similar in 2021, Queen Elizabeth personally intervened to stop him. Harry, who stepped down as a front-line royal the previous year, had wanted to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in London on Remembrance Sunday alongside those of other members of his family. But, as my colleague Rebecca English revealed at the time, the Queen took ‘all of two seconds’ to make up her mind and refuse permission.
‘Remembrance Sunday is sacrosanct when it comes to Her Majesty’s diary,’ a source explained at the time. ‘It’s one of the most important dates in her calendar and nothing is done without her knowledge. People were suggesting the Palace’s reaction to what Harry asked was petty. But it was the Queen’s decision. And what’s more, she actually had very strong views on the subject.’
Another source said: ‘While she has enormous admiration for Harry’s achievements both in and out of the military, this was seen as an example of his lack of understanding at what it means for him to be a non-working royal. The Queen is very firmly of the opinion that you can’t pick and choose what you do when it comes to the institution. Either you are in – or you are out.’
What’s clear to me is that the King needs to take a leaf out of his mother’s book and take a firmer line with his younger son. Harry, by apparently trying to upstage his older brother, the heir to the throne, is undermining him. Just as the late Queen stopped Harry having a wreath laid for him at the Cenotaph, the King should have prevented this latest attempt by the Duke of Sussex to take advantage of his military connections. When it comes to publicity-seeking Harry and Meghan, the King, as Head of the Armed Forces, should remain on guard.
Eden is literally arguing that Harry, a veteran who served two tours in an active war zone, should not be ALLOWED to place a wreath in commemoration of a war. That Buckingham Palace needs to “prevent” a veteran’s commemoration because it “undermines” the heir’s tweet. “The Prince and Princess of Wales…did not leave wreaths. Not because they don’t care but because they purposely allowed the commemorations to be led by the King and Queen….” O RLY? Such self-sacrifice from William and Kate to NOT show up, to NOT leave a wreath, to NOT commemorate the sacrifices within the Pacific theatre of World War II. All because Charles and Camilla were already there! *furious foot stomping*
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, screengrabs courtesy of GB News.
Pictured: Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex – Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
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