9-1-1 new recruit Arielle Kebbel previews Lucy's future with the 118 (and Buck)

There are two things 9-1-1 fans can be sure of with the show's latest addition: firefighter Lucy Donato is a force to be reckoned with, and actress Arielle Kebbel loves puns.

"She's a firecracker. See what I did there? I love her," Kebbel says of her latest character, a daredevil first responder who joined the 118 at the end of Monday's episode. A replacement for Ryan Guzman's Eddie, who left his position in the Fox drama's winter finale, Lucy made her 9-1-1 debut with a high-stress highway rescue that evoked a certain Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock movie (not The Lake House) — and a kiss with Oliver Stark's Buck.

So, how will Lucy fit in at her new firehouse? How will Buck handle working alongside her after that kiss? And how has Kebbel taken to her new stunt-heavy gig? The actress and producer Kristen Reidel answer our burning questions and preview what's to come for the 118.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: We know Eddie has to go on his own journey for a bit, but walk us through the decision to bring on a new firefighter in Lucy.

KRISTEN REIDEL: It just felt like we needed somebody else at the 118 to bring back a little bit of fun that I think we were missing in the first half of the season. All of our characters are going through varying degrees of trauma, and we wanted somebody to come in without baggage, without history, and kind of inject a little bit of levity and fun and joy back into that firehouse. And we liked the idea of somebody that Buck could see as a kindred spirit — somebody who's just going to jump in there, do what needs to be done, and maybe not worry too much about following the rules...and have maybe a little bit of a spark with.

ARIELLE KEBBEL: I know people have been saying, "She's kind of the female Buck." And that's a lot of fun to play into. His character is so athletic and fun and funny. With Lucy, I enjoy playing those one-liners — finding the humor in these high-stake moments. Growing up, when I was watching action films and shows like Alias, those were always the moments that I felt closest to the character. It felt like it just brought the heart to the show or the film. And I think that this show does that really well.

Arielle, what has it been like to dive into the action sequences?

KEBBEL: Holy s--t. Listen, through the years, I've done some very athletic characters, which I've loved. I've played an assassin, I've played a cop-turned-detective. At this point, I'm very comfortable doing my own stunts. But nothing could prepare me for this. I mean, our boots, I think, weigh 8 to 10 lbs. My calves are throbbing at the end of the day, just from walking in my boots. And then, you put the actual stunts on top of all that.... Lucy is very fit. And she's a go-getter, she's a bit of an extremist. I think you'll find she likes to push boundaries. She likes to go all-in. So, bringing that to life, it's important to show those athletic moments whenever I can.

You certainly got to show that off in your first action scene.

KEBBEL: I grew up watching movies like Speed. And so, as I read the script, I was like, "Wait a minute. Is this...? Is this an homage to Speed?" I was so excited that 9-1-1 was doing this story line and that I could be a part of it. I geeked out. And I was so grateful to work with director Shauna Duggans, who was actually 9-1-1's stunt coordinator. She's a real-life badass — as is Jessie Graff, who is my stunt double. I completely nerded out the first night I met her, because she is the original female winner of American Ninja Warrior. And I thought that was so cool. And then felt a little embarrassed after, just stalking her on set.

Then after the rescue, Lucy heads to the bar with the 118. What did you think when you found out she kisses Buck?

KEBBEL: Funny fact: that scene in the bar was my first day of filming on the show. I had just flown in from New York, because we film in L.A. And I think my call time was 5 a.m. So, I was meeting everybody for the first time. We jumped into the team scene, where I was supposed to have just done this rescue with them and feel comfortable with everyone and then break off and do the scene with Buck, which ends in a kiss. So, it was a festive first day. But I used it. I just leaned into the nerves and felt like, well, that's what Lucy would do when she's just meeting these people. She'd genuinely be laughing and enjoying celebrating hanging out with 118 for the first time, but there would be layers of nerves underneath that.

What should we take away from that kiss, given that Buck is dating Taylor (Megan Taylor)?

REIDEL: I think for Lucy, it's just, "I'm at a bar, I'm high on life, I've had a couple of drinks, he's a cute guy." And it seems like she's flirting with him. He's flirting back. And so she just takes the bull by the horns, and she kisses him. And then Buck is like, "Oh God, I have a girlfriend." And Lucy's like, "Oh, sorry. Didn't know." She just backs off because for her, it was a moment. But I think, for Buck, that spark leads him to question "Am I in the right relationship with Taylor?"

KEBBEL: Buck and Taylor have some stuff to work out. But for Lucy, I think for her it's kind of like, "Yeah, that happened...." She's a cool chick, and I think she's kind of waiting to see how things play out. But at the same time, she's just loving her time with the 118. But that question between Lucy and Buck is fun to play into. Sometimes they're borderline poking at one another. Sometimes it's flirty.... But is it flirty, or is it poking? Hopefully the audience will enjoy that because as the season goes on, I think that creates the tension-building for the big finale.

REIDEL: We make a joke later in the season that Buck is a settler — that his fear of being left means that sometimes he stays in situations that other people might leave because he doesn't want to be alone. And I think we're going to kind of delve into that a little bit more with him. Does he want to be with Taylor, or does he not?

What can you tease about Lucy's future with the 118?

REIDEL: Lucy actually really likes being at the 118. It's a good crew, it's a good captain. And because Bobby [Peter Krause] has spent so many years dealing with Buck, when Lucy comes along, she's just like, "Oh, a captain that doesn't yell at me all the time? This is great." But we talk all the time about the 118 being a family, so what's it like coming into that family, with their inside jokes and everything. Lucy may be feeling like she has to prove herself to be a good team member.

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