9-1-1's Glaringly Missing Character Finally Returns In Season 9, Episode 8 Trailer

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A new trailer for 9-1-1 season 9, episode 8 confirms the return of a character who has mysteriously disappeared from the show. ABC's full 2025-2026 programming is finally in full swing following the delays of The Rookie and Will Trent, as well as the winter hiatus for its other peers. This means that everyone's first-responders in Los Angeles are back with new calls to respond to and even a new 118 conflict, following Hen's secret coming out.

To say that 9-1-1 is in a precarious period would be an understatement. After the death of Bobby — a decision that remains divisive, long-time fans of the show have lost some of their enthusiasm for the series. Showrunner Tim Minear and his team have been working to move the 118 forward, but, understandably, it isn't easy. Amid some of the recent tragedies in the series, however, there are small wins for 9-1-1, including an upcoming one.

9-1-1 season 9, episode 8's trailer, released by ABC (via TVPromos/YouTube) confirms that Josh is finally coming back to the show after missing a stretch of episodes. This marks his first appearance in the current year, as he reclaims his place at the call center and works in tandem with Maddie. Elsewhere, Athena confronts Chimney for firing Hen. Watch the clip below:

While not part of the main 118 team, Josh is one of the most prominent supporting characters in the show. He has been part of the show since 9-1-1 season 2, so he has been part of some of the biggest storylines in the procedural. Occasionally, he would even be at the center of some plot lines, particularly his memorable personal narrative, where he was assaulted. The case was apparently tied to a bigger criminal operation that had the whole Los Angeles Service Center held hostage.

Josh was last seen in 9-1-1 season 8 penultimate episode, "Don't Drink The Water." He has been absent in the show since then, with no clear explanation as to what happened to him. Behind-the-scenes, Josh's absence in 9-1-1 season 9 stems from scheduling conflict with Bryan Safi. The actor was working on his other personal endeavors during the filming of the first half of the cycle, specifically going on a comedy tour.

Now that Safi is back on set for 9-1-1, expect to see more of him moving forward. While it's unclear if there's any Josh-centered storyline left for the rest of the year, seeing him working with Maddie again makes that segment of the show more fleshed out. This is especially important as the outing will deal with the possibility of AI taking over some of their jobs.

9-1-1

8/10

Release Date January 3, 2018

Showrunner Tim Minear

Directors Bradley Buecker, David Grossman, Brenna Malloy, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Jann Turner, Jennifer Lynch, Marita Grabiak, Sarah Boyd, John J. Gray, Barbara Brown, Robert M. Williams Jr., Kristen Reidel, Marcus Stokes, Tasha Smith, Millicent Shelton, Juan Carlos Coto, John Gray, Greg Sirota, Alonso Alvarez, James Wong, Kevin Hooks, Varda Bar-Kar, Shauna Duggins, Sharat Raju