Ryan Phillippe says the serial killer terrorizing 9-1-1: Nashville could turn on the people trying to stop the attacks, putting the show’s first responders in danger.
The 52-year-old actor joined the ABC drama as Rogue Kelly, a homicide detective who has relocated from New York. His arrival brings a continuing criminal investigation into the series’ mix of emergency rescues and family conflicts.
He works alongside Chris O’Donnell’s Captain Don Hart and the firefighters of Station 113. Kimberly Williams-Paisley plays Cammie Raleigh, whose job at the emergency call center brings her into the investigation.
In an October 22 interview with Us Weekly, Phillippe said new scripts have sparked excited reactions among the cast and crew as they discover the next emergencies and unexpected developments.
A Threatening Call Draws Cammie Into the Case
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The October 22 episode, “Boys and Boils,” brought the danger directly to Cammie through a phone call from the person orchestrating the city’s emergencies.
“The serial killer makes direct threats to anyone who tries to stop him from carrying out what he’s intended to do,” Phillippe told Us Weekly.
As TV Insider detailed in its episode coverage and interview with the actor, the caller identifies themselves as the Pharaoh and uses a voice changer. Cammie is ordered to keep first responders from interfering, but refuses to stop sending help where it is needed.
Rogue’s Hunt Connects Disasters Inspired by Biblical Plagues
The preseason previews introduced murder hornets, a basement filling with blood and victims covered in boils. In the longer trailer published by TheWrap on October 1, Don’s son Ryan, played by Michael Provost, recognizes a connection to the biblical plagues.
Showrunner Rashad Raisani supplied a motive in a September interview with TVLine: the criminal believes Nashville deserves punishment for the way it has changed over the past 15 years. The responders initially mistake the incidents for disasters rather than deliberate acts.
Phillippe told TV Insider that the culprit puts a personal interpretation on each plague, making the attacks difficult to anticipate. For Rogue, solving the case becomes an obsession that follows him beyond his working hours and into his dreams.
The detective’s confidence does not mean he has nothing to lose. Phillippe pointed to Rogue’s sons and the people he is getting to know in Nashville as reasons he cares about the danger around him. Romance, the actor said, would have to wait while the investigation consumed his attention.
Phillippe Would Welcome a Jennifer Love Hewitt Reunion
Asked about crossing over to the original 9-1-1, Phillippe told Us Weekly he could imagine Rogue becoming involved with its Los Angeles characters.
He singled out Jennifer Love Hewitt, his costar in I Know What You Did Last Summer, as someone he would enjoy sharing scenes with again. He also expressed interest in working opposite Angela Bassett.
Those comments describe possibilities he would welcome, not an announced crossover featuring his character.
The Next Episode Takes the Investigation Into the Air
Season 2 began October 15 with “Going Rogue,” followed by “Boys and Boils” and the October 29 episode, “Let There Be Darkness.” The third installment involved a blinding agent spreading during a pollen storm, leaving Blythe Hart and other residents critically ill.
ABC lists “In Cold Blood” for November 5 at 9 p.m. ET, with streaming the next day on Hulu. Its synopsis says the Pharaoh targets Dixie’s flight, while Rogue shares details of his tragic past with Don and Ryan.