#because Buck has a meaningful relationship with Chris

[sail-not-drift]

One of the many things that’s bugging me about this season is that Eddie is going through his grief alone. Aside from Tommy and Buck at the birthday party and a few kind words from people like Hen and the priest, Eddie is handling Chris’s absence by himself. There’s no one dropping their kids off with him to cheer him up and fill the silence of the house, there’s no one helping him look for family therapists, there’s no one talking to Chris to give him perspective outside of the Diaz mess.

Meanwhile, Maddie and Chim are taking custody of Mara, they’re dropping Jee-Yun with Buck, they all attend the custody hearings with Hen and Karen - like everyone in the 118 has since season one, showing up for each other even when it isn’t welcome.

It rubs me the wrong way that in all the other parent/child struggles - including with Eddie and Chris in previous seasons! - there’s never the sense that it’s a journey they have to take on their own. So why does Eddie have to? Why does he need to take the nuclear option of moving to El Paso before someone will sit in it with him?

[theallyandhisbeast]

About bucktommy and 911 in general

You know, in the end, this just feels extremely cheap and cruel.

Showing bucktommy be incandescently happy in all the episodes but 8.6? Even in this ep you can feel how much they care and genuinely love each other. Audience was largely optimistic and excited about them, in a way we have never seen for other buck's LI.

Only to what? Throw it all away because you can't be bothered to write a satisfactory arc for them? Because Buck is the epitome of the guy who dates a lot but always gets broken up with? That to be able to decide if you want to be in a committed relationship if you are bi you have to explore first or else your decision is null and void?

What a way to waste potential and your characters arc.

The special thing about Tommy was that he was beloved by not only bucktommy fans, but GA, and most importantly he was a sort of representation we don't see all that much in media. People loved him because they saw themselves in him, they could connect to his journey and they were genuinely rooting for him to find love and family with Buck. To waste it all away, and to do so by basically throw at us all that we loved about them is unnecessarily cruel.

What hurts the most is that even buck and tommy themselves didn't want to break up. but instead they "must" because bowing down to harmful stereotypes about bi people who are "confused and so they must experiment before settling" is more important than telling a compelling story.

Even without bt break up, I feel like this season took a sharp dive for the worst about well thought storylines in a way that baffles him. Gerrard was reduced to a joke, as was Ortiz, both pgs that could have been used to create compelling arcs that intertwined the 118 even more but instead we got this cheap throwaway joke of a Gerrard, Ortiz was basically throw out of office in a single ep. Hotshot sl could have been fun but instead it's just.... there. And coming back too just for funsies, cause apparently that sl was more important to develop instead of a interesting queer relationship.

Athena once again doing copaganda. Bobby coming back to the 118 without any particular struggle or even guilt about dropping the bag. Things said in interviews that we expect to happen and never even made it to the screen (Eddie's loneliness? Chim and Hen having conflict over Mara? Buck feeling guilty about injuring Gerrard?).

The way Maddie cannot have any sl that is not either tied to a man or about motherhood. Madney having another surprise baby instead of them choosing on purpose to expand their family. Hen & Karen gaining trauma after trauma about their children and not having any other sl that is not tied to that. Josh just existing in the periphery and only becoming important as the "insightful token gay" but not having any type of meaningful screen time since Carson.

The other side characters like Sue, Ravi, Linda, Carla completely disappearing without anyone mentioning them. Ravi has not been given any important sl ever since he talked about having cancer and ever since reduced as a comic relief without anything to add to his character but he's a "landlord".

Chris is out of the picture for who knows how long, and is basically kept around to be traumatized over and over again. Eddie hasn't gotten any character development until first s5 and seemingly now, but i'd argue that the whole thing just felt rushed because what do you mean it takes one chat with a priest for him to do a 180° while he still isn't talking to Chris? And Eddie was the one who got the best treatment of all of them this season.

It's the way this show is slowly chipping itself away. It's the way they start a queer story line promising it would be impactful and handled with care and then half-assing it a best. It's the way the other queer characters are never explored and able to breath and revel in their queerness in the first place. Because, really, when was the last time Hen and Karen kissed on screen? When was the last time they went on a date? When was the last time their arcs were not about children or getting hurt, but just about them as individuals? And on this thread what about Maddie? Or Josh? Or Chim? Or Eddie?

Everything feels reused again and again and again without no real development than then starting the circle all over in half a season.

What a waste.

[madlori]

I think people are just nervous that now that Buck has gotten with Tommy he’s going to stop having meaningful relationships with everybody else in his life which has already kind of happened, this season buck has been reduced to being nothing more than Tommy’s boyfriend, 99.999% of conversations he’s had with other characters this season has been about Tommy and Buck stopped noticing or caring about the issues that everybody else in his life is going through because he’s to busy being happy in his own bubble

So...I disagree with this perception.

First of all, any pseudo-statistical analysis of Buck's presence in the latter half of the season is hampered by the fact that he wasn't in it much (he's not the only one). But even given that...

Buck's conversation with Bobby was about what they've meant to each other over the last 7 years, before Tommy was mentioned at all.

Buck went to Eddie's house after meeting Kim because he was concerned about this very weird occurrence. Tommy was not mentioned.

Eddie brought Chris to Buck's for his date with Kim and they had a very typical conversation. Tommy was not mentioned.

Buck spent 80% of his time in the wedding episode being concerned about Chimney and his sister and having bachelor party hijinks with Eddie, during which time Tommy was not mentioned.

Except for the infamously 55 seconds of their dinner scene, Buck's presence in 7x10 was entirely about him supporting Eddie and Chris and being concerned about Bobby. Tommy was not mentioned in any of these scenes or even referred to.

So I didn't have the perception that Buck didn't care or notice anybody else.

It's true that most of Buck's conversations and interactions in 7x04 and 7x05 involved Tommy...because those were the episodes that established the relationship.

[kinardgo]

I firmly believe that Tommy would be such a bitch about not being included in this disaster. And Buck would feel kind of bad about it, especially because he'd kinda been hoping to minimise how much stupid shit Tommy has to witness them all doing at this early point in the relationship ("Evan, have you somehow forgotten about the hurricane?") and yeah, there was no way he was going to be able to sweep this one under the rug, because, damn, that's a lot of news vans.

But after he's done with his panicking and fussing and general worried boyfriend thing, Tommy actually takes a step back, a little bit bemused. "You needed help with an aerial vehicle emergency and you didn't even ask me?"

("I didn't want to bother you!" "Oh, you'll hold up a freeway but you won't call your boyfriend while he's at work?" "Tommy-!")

(Tommy's not mad. He's not upset, he's not bothered. He has strong opinions on what maybe could have been done better but he's not about to start criticising people's hindsight, not when Athena is back safe with her family. That's the important thing.)

But it's all a bit too tempting not to wind Buck up just a little bit about it.

Buck comes home to a house that smells like burnt chilli, like someone's massacred Bobby's recipe with prejudice. "I didn't want to bother you at work with all these questions," Tommy says sweetly when Buck asks why he didn't just text him for the cooking instructions.

"It's a shame no one here knows anything about working on a ranch," he says, hovering over Chris' shoulder when he shows him an article about a place in Colorado that hosts specialist workshops for young adults with disabilities, "It would be nice if we could chat to someone who had actual life experience from somewhere like here who could offer meaningful insight into it." Buck drops his head down onto the dining table in defeat.

(Buck wanders upstairs when Tommy's in danger of over-napping and ruining his sleep schedule, only to find him splayed out on the bed, wearing nothing but sweat, eyes closed in satisfaction, evidence of exactly how satisfied he is all over his stomach. Buck damn near walks into the doorframe. "Why would you leave me downstairs when you're up here-"

"Oh, you know," Tommy says dreamily, "I thought you were busy," and he's a damn liar, Buck's been doing sweet fuck all but reorganising the fridge and scrolling on his phone for the last two hours, "so I didn't want to bother you-" He loses the rest of whatever witty remark he was about to come out with when Buck crashes into him, kissing him.

"You are," he mutters between kisses, "such," kiss, "a," kiss, "brat.")

[starstruckbyacomet]

Goodbye for Now

Almost 2 months ago I posted a list of possible hurdles that Oliver had warned us about (link):

It's possibly because of something from Tommy's past (we might get a Tommy Begins of some sort).

It possibly would happen through episodes 8x05 and 8x06.

Buck will go to Bobby, Maddie, and Eddie for support during that period.

Buck might find out about Tommy's past (being a racist and mysoginist a-hole) and couldn't accept it, or

Tommy might meet Carla. Carla might tell Buck that Tommy had lied to Abby and used her as a beard in the past. Abby was hurt badly because of it, and Buck couldn't accept it.

Buck might break up with Tommy.

Buck might try to date another man or a woman (if they want to emphasize that Buck is bisexual, not gay).

When I made the above list, I half-jokingly wrote down the worst posssibilities I could think of. The purpose of my post back then is to prepare other Tevan shippers who at the time had doubt about the relationship. I told them that grown-up relationships had all sorts of challenges, including break-ups. I also told them to watch Disney Princess movies if they couldn't handle it.

Who knew that almost 2 months later I have to swallow my own pills?

As contradictive as it sounds, I'm not happy that my predictions come true, including the possibility of Buck dating men & women again (prediction #7) which could happen based on interview with Oliver Stark (link)

Will Buck and Tommy make up?

Negative sign:

There are two interviews with Lou which I still refused to read, because the writers used to be Buddie baiters. But according to fans who have read it, the break up seems final.

Positive signs:

A)) 9-1-1 official Instagram account wouldn't follow Lou in the first place if he wouldn't stay for long term. Last time I check, 9-1-1 account still following Lou.

B)) Things that I wrote in my previous post still stand (link).

Tim and Oliver has said they wanted Buck to get out of the relationship hamster wheel and have a steady meaningful one instead.

Unlike Abby, whom they broke up with Buck because Tim had difficulties in writing her interaction with other 118 family members, Tommy has known most of the 118 family even before Buck does. There is no difficulty in making scripts where Tommy interacts with other 118 members without Buck's presence.

And the most important reason is: THE RATING IS HIGH when Tevan relationship is going strong.

My conclusion: There are 2 options:

The break-up is only temporary, to spice things up. Unfortunately, the timing is really bad because it is aired after the fuck-up US election result 🤦.

Tommy is moving to the new 9-1-1 spin-off, which probably located in Hawaii (link). If this happens, the break-up might be permanent, but it will be good for Lou's career.

What's next?

Although I think Tommy will come back in the 9-1-1 universe, I'm still upset. The 2nd term of Trump and Tevan's break-up happened within the same week! WTF??? I refuse to deal with both at the same time.

This is a list of what I will and will not do, and what I've done:

I will not harrass Tim Minear, Oliver Stark, or even the show on social media. I will not post my disappointment on unrelated social media contents. We have experienced how annoying it was when toxic Buddie fans did it. I refuse to do the same. I suggest other Tevan fans too. We are better than that.

I have unfollowed all 9-1-1 related social media accounts, both official and not. Yes, it is included 911bts and 911cast Tumblr accounts. I think this is a healthy way to voice my disappointment and to maintain my mental health.

I will stop watching the show until Tommy is (or, is officially announced to be) back on screen. The only exception will be when they show Bathena's new house for the first time, because I've been waiting to see it. Other than that, just no. Not even when Eddie reunites with Chris, if that happens before Tommy is back on screen. This step might even save me a few bucks, actually 😅.

I will stop engaging with 9-1-1 related contents on the internet. I will not read any articles about the show. I will not comment, post, reblog or do anything with contents about 9-1-1 on the internet.

I will stop reading 9-1-1 fics because I never comfortable following ships which are against canon. That's why I don't ship Buddie. And now that Tevan broke-up, I cannot engage with AUs where they are still together.

If you think Tevan will make up, why do you quit the show? Because:

I consume entertainment contents to be entertained, not to be depressed. I used to skip sad chapters on novels, and only read them when I'm ready. Buck without Tommy is a sad chapter for me, so I skip it.

This is my way to voice my disappointment in a healthy way. Things that matter the most for the show are rating/viewership and rating/viewership-related metrics. My actions may not have significant impacts to the show, but I am satisfied, nonetheless. Especially, after Oliver's comment that he has actively asked Tim Minear to 'Let Buck F–k' men and women (link). His ask is not only a regression to slutty Buck 1.0 (which we thought he has grown out of), but also strengthening the stereotype that bisexual people are easy to fuck around. A stereotype that a lot of bisexual people want to shred.

Tim Minear and Oliver Stark have the right to make the story as they see fit. This show is not customed to my preference. I'm very much aware of that. This is a "love it or leave it" product. So, I choose to leave it. For now.

To my followers: As I mentioned in my account, you can unfollow me. I use Tumblr as a scrapbook, not to gain followers. I was actually surprised and felt a bit guilty when people start following me, because I don't create arts, gifs, or fics. So, feel free to unfollow me. No hard feeling.

To other Tevan shippers: I know this is beyond disappointing, but please keep your online behavior in check. Please keep in mind that if you post your disapointment in social media, toxic Buddie shippers will eat you alive. Even if you don't, Buddie shippers will be gloating all over the internet. If you can't handle it, I suggest to forgo any interactions in 9-1-1 social media, at least temporarily.

Special thanks to my fellow Tevan fans and the lovely Buddietommy multishippers whom I've met during this journey. I hope we'll meet again. What a roller-coaster ride.

Now, back to Disney Princess movies... 😂

[wanderingwomanwondering]

704 includes several mentions of The Fight, the big unification bout in Vegas, and Muay Thai sparring. I don’t think that’s just for the dudebro vibes (tho that’s definitely a factor this season). When it comes to Eddie’s journey as presented in that epic episode, I think all the full-contact combat/sports references are doing subtextual work to narrate Eddie’s queerness and where he’s at this season.

Eddie doesn’t really consciously engage with his queerness at this point in the story but via Tommy as his mirror and all the sports references, I think it’s safe to say that Eddie is at odds with his queerness but he doesn’t fully realize that’s what it is and/or that it’s something he’s been battling on some level his whole life. A few things in the ep point in that direction:

Buck: How was the fight?

Eddie: Fight was okay. Seats were amazing. Tommy’s buddies with the promoter, so we were ringside. Felt like I was the one throwing the punches.

The sense I get is that Eddie is witnessing a fight inside himself but he’s not aware that he’s an active participant in said fight. That makes sense to me given his tremendous ability to compartmentalize and ‘be in control’. Like. The fight is happening but he has it walled off and isn’t consciously connected to it. His queerness is present and with him (aka Tommy with him at the fight + “watching half naked men pummel each other”) but he doesn’t recognize it for what it is quite yet.

A unification bout, according to Wikipedia because I know *nothing* about sports, is the bringing together of titles held by different fighters. Eddie going to the fight with Tommy seems to me like Eddie needing to discover an aspect of himself that Tommy that he has in common with him!

Then there’s all the Muay Thai references. Eddie says it’s been a long time since he met someone that can go toe to toe with him when sparring. Eddie’s fighting for his life against his queerness y’all. It’s not an actual match which is good but still I think the point stands. He’s at odds with a part of himself that’s trying to emerge victorious and express itself. But between Catholic guilt, family expectations, the hypermasculine culture of the military, and overall heteronormative comphet culture Eddie hasn’t been able to see/engage/accept his queerness.

I think this all feeds into to the scene where Buck comes out in 705 and Eddie expresses surprise about Tommy being gay but not Buck being bisexual. Buck has always worn his heart on his sleeve so it makes sense that when he figured out his bisexuality he would share that part of himself with others. Eddie is King of Repression, Reservation, and Control so it makes sense that he wouldn’t quite know HOW to do that for himself yet. Tommy’s character is a needed mirror for Eddie to see what’s possible for himself (all of himself) whereas Tommy was a needed vehicle for the actual expression of Buck’s queerness at this moment in the story. Tommy is doing so much friggin work in the narrative lol!

Lastly, I think Eddie’s own queerness is still a mystery to him and something that he’s sparring with on some level because he’s NOT allosexual! Now’s a good time for me to say loudly that I’m on Team Demisexual/Demiromantic Eddie. It fits with the data we have about his character and it’s still subject to the heteronormativity and comphet we’ve all seen affecting Eddie.

Eddie has expressed little interest in anyone of any gender who he hasn’t had a baby with, viewed as a mother-figure to Chris, or expected the universe to hand-deliver as if by magic. He has not intrinsic motivation toward sexual or romantic relationships until/unless he has a meaningful emotional connection to the person. He described himself as a nester and so far the only person we’ve actually seen him nest with in canon is Buck!!

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that season 7 has shown Buck and Eddie coparenting Chris and sharing their feelings with each other. It’s also meaningful that Eddie, Buck, and Tommy are all talking about Chris at various points and in various ways. Plus Buck thought he had to fight Tommy for Chris’ affection (and Tommy eventually tells Buck that’s not true). Chris has narratively been a metaphor for Eddie’s heart many times before. Buck is the one in the nest holding Eddie’s heart and both Buck and Eddie are gonna figure that out. They gotta or imma start throwin’ stuff!!

Anyway this meta got a little longer than I initially thought it would but I had to get this outta my head.

TLDR: Tommy’s epic mirror status for Eddie runs deep and so does his role as catalyst for both Buck and Eddie. He’s a bridge to Buddie *fingers crossed* Basically Eddie’s in the fight of his life trying to sort out his wants, needs, and identity when it comes to intimate relationships. Buck’s a little ahead of Eddie in the process but Eddie’s on his way!

(P.S. Buck is bi and I will die on the Eddie is demi hill. I’ll accept repressed gay Eddie with open arms but honestly I think demi fits what we’ve seen for Eddie way better.)

[mazzystar24]

i feel like im in the minority who don’t want eddie to have a slut era in general like… idk even without chris it feels so ooc for him to me, like i feel like he’s so far repressed at this point that if he didn’t wind up with buck he would end up just living the bachelor’s life…

and like i feel like that was the whole point of not having eddie and tommy be the couple this season was bc it wouldn’t make sense for eddie to step forward in that way unless it was buck… or at least that’s what i interpreted the initial decision to swap the storylines to be so maybe i’m wrong

i guess after six years i’m just tired of them dragging their feet and i’m sick of them giving them meaningless relationships with zero chemistry rather than just letting them be happy… and giving eddie a slut era would just feel like they’re rehashing buck 1.0 and i’m tired of them reusing plotlines they’ve already used for other characters (and even giving characters the same plotlines again)

like eddie can be gay without having a slut era and i kinda would like them to not play into the hypersexual queer stereotype since they’ve decided to do so w buck

One thing is 3am me is a gremlin and I don’t like her or her brain (that was the time I made that post) also she just likes to make fun of annoying people but so do I and I had seen TOO many posts talking about a straight slut era for Eddie so hence the chaos gremlin post

Normal me’s thoughts on this:

• the reason I don’t like slut era as gay Eddie canon for Eddie is like you said it’s a bit ooc but also imo like I feel like BECAUSE he’s so repressed it’d take a really meaningful and impactful relationship to give him the like motivation/push he needs to get him outta that closet (which was my same reasoning for why I was glad they didn’t do Eddie/tommy like they originally planned- cos buck just never realised it but Eddie like actively represses it and has much more like in depth reasons for it- like buck wasn’t so much in the closet as he just thought that was his room meanwhile Eddie is like in a super bolted chained Houdini level closet)

• I mentioned in the tags but I want to be FLABBERGASTED when buddie canon happens I want to let out an audible scream in shock and wake up my neighbours and realise it only after I get a noise complaint and if they make them both canonically queer it’d feel like a matter of time (funnily enough i said this but about making ONE of them queer when the bi buck rumours were going around and legit the next week or so we get 7x04 and I was right - true I didn’t anticipate bt fans and the fact that it doesn’t feel FULLY inevitable- but fingers crossed I am psychic again and we get gay Eddie)

• while I think the fact it’s so ooc would be interesting because like it’d show how Chris leaving is affecting him I feel like it’d also be a huge disservice to Eddie because his queer arc and experiences deserve better than like strangers and one night stands as a coping mechanism if you get me

• if I’m fully honest even if his queer arc doesn’t end up perfect I just want him to be canon like it wouldn’t be my ideal like honestly if they do a disservice to him I’d hate it but still I’d just take the win because gay Eddie deserves to be free from😔 like even with buck they kinda weren’t great with his arc but my joy at bi buck overpowers that

But yeah sick and tired buddie canon now Tim please😔💔

[canonicallyobserving911]

Buddie: Two hopes for episode 8x6

I've waited for more than 24 hours to post this because I'm still in utter disbelief after Tuesday night. Yesterday, I hoped I'd wake up from the nightmare and realize it was all a dream but it wasn't and it will continue for who knows how long. I'm trying to find silver linings in the one TV show I consistently watch, therefore I'm finally ready to share the only two hopes I have for 9-1-1's season 8 episode 6.

I won't watch live and the truth is I haven't this season because if it's full of more retcons and other nonsensical BS, I need to be able to fast forward through the scenes I don't want to see. Furthermore, my expectations for 8x6 are below the ground and honestly, after Tuesday's election here in the U.S., I have no idea how TM (showrunner) and the network will react or if they'll even try to course correct.

IYKYK there will be challenges ahead for network TV and it's the MAIN reason why Buddie should have gone CANON last season. Also, I've posted before that hiatues don't do them any favors (seasons 6 and 7 are perfect examples of this and that's why they both ended ridiculously), therefore, I'm only hoping for two things.

Buck needs to end whatever the f~ck he's doing with Tonsillitis because 8x5 clearly showed they aren't compatible. There's no need to drag it out any longer and I for one do NOT want to sit through a déjà vu moment that's reminiscent of BT 1.0 only for this BS to last until 8x18. It was exhausting in season 5 and if TM does it, then it'll be history repeating itself. We're literally 5 episodes in and I'm already tired of this season because of the lack of movement with Eddie’s storyline and all this focus on BT instead of it being focused on Buck and his individual journey. It's not ok and it's really pissing me off. Buck needs to stand up for himself and stop clinging to relationships that aren't working. He already wasn't allowed to breakup with T.K. 1.0 because he wasn’t happy, so can he please finally get off the damn hamster wheel? OS deserves better than this and TM (showrunner) should be ashamed at how poorly he's handled Buck’s arc.

Eddie hasn't had a GOOD episode that's been solely about him in YEARS! And I'm disappointed in the fact that 8x6 was supposed to be his time to shine but once again it appears his scene(s) will be relegated to the last 5 minutes of the episode the same way his PTSD arc was handled in 5x13. Therefore, I hope whatever is going to happen with him shaving his mustache will be emotional and meaningful instead of it being handled in a way that's comical like the show spent the majority of the preseason promoting it. TM already spilled the beans about it which minimized the anticipation of it when he told everyone during an interview that it was going to happen only to not speak of it again for the last few weeks. Furthermore, whatever Eddie has to say about his failed marriage to Shannon, it needs to be the last time so it can be wrapped up tonight because there are only so many times she should be mentioned because she's been dead for 6 years and it's time for her to R.I.P. Now, he SHOULD talk about her when he's ready to have an open and honest conversation with Chris like he should have been allowed to do in 7x1. Also, a mention of how Eddie’s going to fix things with Chris needs to be included too because Eddie’s a great dad and I'm sick and tired of them not letting their father and son relationship move forward. Chris has been in El Paso long enough, therefore Eddie needs to travel there to see him and so that he can read his mother the riot act. RG is a fabulous actor and he deserves better. He already had to put up with that raggedy ass "Vertigo" and doppelgänger storyline BS, so can the audience please see some progress in 8x6? The show needs to turn the page on Eddie’s failed marriage once and for all.

Here's the thing, with the Madney storyline, three emergency calls, Buck's conversations with Maddie and Josh and possibly Bobby, all the BT foolishness, Eddie shaving his mustache and Eddie’s conversation(s) with the priest, it’s unlikely there will be enough time for everything and I'd rather see the stuff that matters and that will move both Buddie's and Madney's arcs forward.

Time is of the essence and there are only two weeks left before the show goes on hiatus for who knows how long. Therefore, waiting to make Buddie CANON could backfire and it’s possible they won't get the chance if they wait until 8B.

Just saying.

I'M TIRED AND I WON'T DEAL WITH ANYONE'S BS COMMENTS ABOUT BT BREAKING UP SO, DON'T REBLOG THIS WITH AN OPPOSING OPINION. IF ANYONE DISAGREES THAT’S FINE BUT THEY SHOULDN'T ATTACH IT TO MY POST. THEY SHOULD DO IT ON THEIR OWN BLOG OR GET BLOCKED LIKE EVERY BT STAN. I'M A PROACTIVE BLOCKER AND I DO IT BASED ON FILTERED TAGS! I'VE ALREADY BLOCKED THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN ONE WILL FOLLOW ME AND I IMMEDIATELY BLOCK THEM TOO.

[extasiswings]

Also idk if it’s a timing and scheduling thing or they just didn’t have the room for it but I find it odd that Eddie has been with Marisol for how long now? And we’ve had no significant scenes with them two at all. Like Tommy showed up swept Buck off his feet and smooched his ass in like an ep or 2. But like we’ve seen crickets from Eddie and Marisol. the story has to be that they’re gonna eventually break up because truly and honestly what has there been that would even have us remotely root for them lol. And she’s definitely showing up next episode but I sincerely doubt that they’ll be able to get people on that train. Which brings me back to the point that we are not supposed to think that they last because genuinely why would they

Yeah, not to put too fine a point on it, but regardless of how compressed a timeframe they're working with, if they wanted us to care then they would be trying to make us care, and they just aren't. If her coming back in 7x05 was intended to be anything other than the beginning of the end for them (and if this was intended to actually be a relationship instead of a plot device for Eddie's development), they would have made at least a bare minimum of effort to reintroduce her and their relationship. They could have given her more than a one line drive-by appearance in 7x01, but they didn't. And that's not because they didn't have the time, no, it's just that they made a choice to dedicate a solid 1/3 of the episode instead to Buck/Eddie/Christopher and Shannon, which basically tells the audience "this woman doesn't matter, but these relationships over here, those are the ones that are important." Eddie mentions that Marisol watched Chris twice while he was out with Tommy, but similarly, Buck finds that entirely nonthreatening - Chris spending time with Tommy and thinking he's cool though? That sent Buck into a whole spiral. Also similarly, Eddie's relationship with Tommy has had more screentime and development than his relationship with Marisol. And yes, that's partly because it was key to Buck's bisexuality arc, but still - it's signaling what they care about and what the audience is supposed to care about. And right now, Eddie's new friendship with Tommy - shown through both screentime and discussions of their shared interests - is substantially more believable than his relationship with Marisol who we don't know anything about as a person let alone anything about their relationship. Which...considering the title of 7x05 is "You Don't Know Me," I have an inkling we're going to find out that Eddie knows about as much about his own girlfriend of several months as the audience does. A whole lot of nothing meaningful. And if it seems at all like Eddie's just going through the motions or has doubts? There's no coming back from that when the audience doesn't care about her in the first place. So, yeah, even if it takes a few more episodes, they're donezo.

[morganski-19]

I want to talk about Confessions, and what I think that title could mean, and what I think the storyline is going to be. Because, I don't think it means what we hope it means, and I am really praying it's not going to be a throw away title.

I don't think Confessions is going to be in reference to Eddie figuring out his sexuality. It would just be way too soon for that when there is not enough material pointing to that yet. And with how much he is repressed, I would like it to be a seasonal arc, and not just an episodal arc. It's not something that can be figured out that quickly, especially with the way it has layers over it.

This leads me to what I think episode 6 is going to be about.

We know five things about Eddie that align with this episode. He shaves his mustache, the priest from season 1 is returning so the scene Ryan filmed at the church will be in it, it has the best scene Tim's ever seen Ryan do, there is a meaningful conversation between Buck and Eddie, and the well emergency directly parallels Eddie Begins.

I'm going to start with the last point I made about the well emergency being directly parallel to Eddie Begins. A few very important things happened in Eddie Begins. One, we learn about Eddie's past, specifically about his marriage with Shannon and his relationship with his parents. Two, that Eddie will fight to come home to his son no matter what. And three, sometime after this incident, Eddie changed his will to place Buck as Christopher's guardian instead of his parents.

These things are all interwoven together. We see how Helena and Ramon want to be the ones to raise Christopher, and how they think Eddie is unfit to do so. They place themselves as a higher importance in Christopher's life than his own parents. And when Eddie almost dies, for the second time, he realizes this time Christopher wouldn't have been left with Shannon, he will be left with Helena and Ramon. As Eddie is fighting to get to Christopher, he also realizes that his biggest fear would come to fruition if he dies. This leads him to change his will, giving Buck Christopher in the event he dies.

I think that the well emergency will make him realize that entire paragraph again. That he needs to fight for his son, because his biggest fear has come true, and it goes against what he wants for Christopher.

Eddie already knows this on some level, I think. But he's letting his self-hatred and grief blind his vision, along with his want to be a better parent than Helena and Ramon were to him. He needs a shock to his system to bring himself out of this mindset, and really try to start reconciling with Chris. And also push back against his parents.

Depending on when the well emergency takes place in the episode, I think that could be a good shock to his system.

This leaves the scene Tim talked about, which could be any of the other points I mentioned above. The mustache shaving, the church, or the conversation with Buck.

The mustache shaving is the most obvious one. Eddie holds emotion in his hair. He had that buzzcut style after Shannon died, and now he has the mustache after Chris left. I think the mustache is holding in the resentment of himself, and the guilt of letting it get this far. So, by shaving that, he is shaving away that resentment and guilt, starting on his path of self-realization and reflection.

The church will play into this. Eddie has a lot of Catholic guilt, which was the reason he married Shannon, and also why he holds onto the idea of her so much. She was what the Church expected of him, and that was gone. Even since then, he's tried to find a replacement for her to relieve his guilt. Which is heavily entrapted with his parent's expectations as well. So I think the priest is going to give Eddie the stepping stone to realizing that. Which, as those layers shed, can leave him with the uncertainty that could later in the season lead to a sexuality arc.

Then there is the conversation with Buck. I think this is going to be about the will, and that will have the confession that the title implies. I think it's going to be why Eddie kept the secret of the will from Buck for a whole year. We know why he changed his will, that part is obvious, but we don't know why he kept it a secret. Eddie only told Buck because he needed to show Buck how much he meant to Eddie. How much it would have affected him if Buck was the one who got shot. If not for that, I don't think Eddie would have told Buck at all.

I think the reason why Eddie kept that a secret was because of the difficult relationship he has with his parents. Admitting the will change to Buck would force Eddie to realize that he doesn't trust his parents with his child. It would force him to deal with, at least internally, what his parents really did to him.

Eddie runs from his problems until he can't anymore. This whole situation was him running. Until this episode might force him to not run from them anymore.

To kind of bring this all back to the point I made in the beginning. Eddie's repression has many layers, all of which are built of some sort of expectation in his life. By stripping away the layers of expectation, it brings Eddie closer to the root of it all, himself. Only then will he begin to figure out himself.

[lover-of-mine]

This might sound like a mess but hopefully you can distill. All the information that makes me laugh this week is that early on I (and I know others) tried to point out Buck is bi. Tommy doesn't discount his prior relationships. The woman weren't beards. There was zero reason why I should place Tommy above Taylor in the hyarachy of Bucks relationships.

So what that deleted scene showed me is that no Tommy isn't even close to understanding Buck like Taylor did. Because even after she moved in and knew he cheated on her, she still said the basic truth to Lucy. His 911 family is the most important thing to him.

Tommy couldn't even recognize in that moment that he shouldn't be cocky with Hen and Karen. Like freaking Hen?!?!?!? Not only with how you treated her in the past but also with how much Buck loves and respects her.

It really was a bad week for them when you have me up here holding up Taylor as relationship goals until Eddie breaks his glass closet.

Honey, every time I let Taylor set a bar, I feel like I'm losing my mind, but the thing is, Taylor did know Buck. From the second she comes back into his life "your life is nothing but meaningful relationships" she always understood that the 118 is Buck's family. She had the episodes with the firefam in s4, she made an effort with Eddie and Chris. She blew it eventually because they had issues loving each other in a way that felt like love for both of them, but she understood him. Everyone who knows Buck even a little bit knows Buck loves and trusts Hen. It's Hen. That scene was the perfect opening because even Tommy himself said he was jealous of the family the 118 built. There they were, handing him an opening, all he had to do was say one genuine thing. Just one. He couldn't even do that.

It really has been a week if we're out here thinking Taylor fucking Kelly would've handled a situation better oaksasokasasasok Tk 1.0 set the bar on the ground and the guy keeps digging.

I need Eddie out already, this is sad oaksaoskasokasasas

[tenebrous-academic]

About the previous anon. I agree that we did get something but felt like we didn't get anything (?) to indicate their relationship status. I'm not wording this correctly. I mean we know they've been together for a while, *possibly* spending the night at eo's, but at the same time buck haven't talked about tommy apparently? (Idk if it's just bobby or the 118).

It feels like they're still in the testing things out/dating area and not boyfriends just yet, which is fine really.

But I'm hoping the hospital scene is gonna be a step for them getting closer, tommy being there for buck to relay on and get the support and comfort from him. It's gonna be a waste not to use this scene to advance their relationship.

I really hope next episode provides some solid information as to their canon status too! But buckle up because I’m about to overanalyze the fuck out of the scenes we did get:

Based off of this episode, I think it’s safe to say they’ve been seeing each other for at least a few months. During the award ceremony it was mentioned the cruise ship disaster happened “last March.” I didn’t see anything showing what month it current is, but based off the wording we can at least assume enough time has passed for it to be considered last year and not “this March.” That gives the relationship at least 3-5 months depending on how long it took Buck to work up to courage to call Tommy for the first tour of the harbour.

Buck and Tommy have also been together long enough for Tommy to feel comfortable enough to talk about how he was treated by Captain Gerrard and, likely, how he behaved around Chim and Hen back then. I wish we could have actually seen that, as well as the scenes between Tommy, Chim, and Hen hashing things out to make sure there’s no bad blood, but all we have are these new interactions showing all of them as friends now and the past firmly behind them.

But!!! What we did get this episode!

Buck softly signing when he sees Tommy getting his award and beaming like a proud partner.

Buck and Tommy being in sync as they walk around the station together.

Buck giving his bitchiest glare to Gerrard and putting his body between his man and that piece of filth (Chim is iconic for that new nickname).

We also get Buck shown as Tommy’s family/loved one during the ceremony. A clear pattern is established with Hen getting her medal and Karen and the kids clapping, Chimney getting his medal and Maddie clapping, and then Tommy getting his medal and the camera panning over to Buck as he breathes deeply and glows in pride for Tommy. (I also acknowledge that Eddie is shown after Buck gets his medal, but the show has established that Eddie and Chris are family to Buck so I don’t think there’s anything to shippy about it).

He hasn’t talked to Bobby about it, and we don’t know if he’s been talking to anyone else, but we do know that it’s not a secret. That hospital kiss was his announcement and maybe he’s happy with that being the extent of it. I think Buck is the kind of person to keep his happiness to his chest a little bit longer to make sure that it’s his and not everyone else’s. Which I know goes against his past relationships and how he’s always talked about them - but Tommy feels different, so the way Buck would treat their relationship would be different too. It’s something he was to protect and nurture and he doesn’t feel the need to ask his family about it because he already knows the answers.

So, yeah, definitely not as much as I would have liked, but the pieces of their relationship ship we did get were pretty indicative of something solid and meaningful being built between them. I’m crossing every finger the finale gives us more though. We’re being given scraps and I think we’re all going a little feral over the lack of anything truly substantial.

[demonmojo]

this aint gonna be coherent but there's something about this season's recurring themes of 'you can't keep trying to recreate past relationships' and 'you aren't the same person you used to be' being echoed extra loud in this episode, alongside buck and eddie's intentionally paralleled romantic attempts, that hints at some big revelation that's still to come for the both of them. in eddie and bobby's convo where bobby emphasizes that eddie can't keep looking to recreate his and shannon's relationship, i got serious comphet vibes and i feel like it could imply that eddie is looking for a het relationship because it's all he knows and what he thinks he needs to do even though it's not something that comes to him naturally. and this combined with the 'performativity' of it all and tia pepa's set-up attempts feels pointed enough that i think if eddie's gonna have some big revelation, it'll be about his sexuality. and BUCK god buck wants so badly to find someone that knows him and sees him (hmm) and doesn't run away. i get the feeling it'll get messy and maybe he'll think he has something meaningful tethering him to kameron through the shared dna of kameron's kid, but if this season's theme of fatherhood really is pointing to buck's role as chris's dad as much as i think it is, then i really believe his big revelation could be that he doesn't really share a kid with kameron and he isn't that kid's father -- but he DOES share a kid with. oh you know

[redwhitebuddie]

oh so im actually mad and im gonna talk about it because what?

1. the couch theory. it’s been two seasons now that the couch has been an important factor in bucks life and the ideals of his relationship. they have built it up and it has been one of the more interesting metaphors that they have had on this show to date. it has been an excellent choice of writing, and has gone so far in the story. and yet they are trying to finalize it with a one dimensional character and a chemistry-lacking relationship; and acting as if it’s meant to be this way. i personally cannot imagine that all of this buildup had led us here.

2. last time eddie tried to date, chris ran away from home and was extremely upset about him dating. and now, with zero indication of any moving forward, or talks with chris, and he has not only asked someone out on a date with chris’s knowledge, but chris was actively encouraging it. i wouldn’t mind but it’s the fact that they completely threw it out there and didn’t show any active change when that was a plot line for his last relationship that should be significant due to how key of a point it was in eddies dating life.

3. people are going to try and say that this is all about buddie, and its not. its just that they consistently have given buck and eddie less intricate love interests, and storylines when it comes to relationships. eddie and mariaol seem very sweet together and i think that they have potential, but 911 has given us nothing. the writers have given us nothing. they keep acting like these characters have deep meaningful relationships because they want them to, but won’t put in the work to write the message and prove it to their audience.

it’s especially frustrating when we see them do great storylines with maddie, chim, bobby, athen, and hen & karen. 

im consistently disappointed in the show runners and kristen. i really hope that this will be changed when we move to ABC and that there will be improvements that are much needed because 911 has been so good in the past, and they get so close to being great sometimes, but they really do fumble it in the important moments.





[littlerosetrove]

My initial Spoiler Thoughts (as I was watching) for 7x7

Jennifer is so good at crying, she always makes me misty eyed.

The scene with Marisol was so cringe. We know but my gosh Edy is such a bad actress.

Eddie and Marisol agreed to starting over, right? Okay, so why is Chris with them? How is including him taking things slow? Well… we know Eddie uses Chris as a buffer for things, including relationships and his own feelings. Marisol even said something about Eddie and Chris not going anywhere? Sure, but you sure as hell are at some point, and I genuinely don’t get why Marisol is still here. She was used as a catalyst for Eddie’s Catholic guilt, which was not the focus on this episode. Marisol has served her purpose, so again, why is she still here?

The focus of this episode is the fact that Eddie is spiraling and now pursuing a woman that looks like his dead wife. Marisol doesn’t fit into this at all beyond making Eddie a cheater. I would be fine with the soap opera as hell doppelgänger stuff, but cheating? No.

Mara has a brother? My gosh, more trauma for this girl. =/

Oh. I like Amir. And I saw spoilers, so I know he’s connected to Bobby’s past. Oh this is gonna get complicated and who knows what else, I can tell.

Eddie lying to Shannon’s doppelgänger, Kim, that he’s a single father and has a son. Genuinely, what the fuck Eddie. And there’s also the connection of the candle smelling like a beach? Yeah, we know. Eddie is still chasing Shannon’s ghost to the extent of doing. This.

This episode has a theme of stalkers, obviously. Catherine and her daughter being abducted by Kyle. Eddie in his own way was stalking Kim. I don’t know if I’d call Hen and Karen seeking out the parents of Mara’s brother stalking, but Karen did use the word.

Chimney asking Maddie about her past. Oh I loved that scene because have they ever really talked about Maddie’s time with Doug? Or when she was kidnapped? Chimney, so supportive, always. The man that you are!

Wow, even when having an awkward dinner with his girlfriend, Eddie is thinking about a memory (or a skewed one) of Shannon where they’re having sex and then talking about bringing her back into Chris’s life.

If we have to have Devin, Shannon’s actress back, at least she’s actually a decent actress. I’ll take the win where I’ll get them.

Buck full on tackling the shitbag like some linebacker was great.

Poor Maddie having to relive trauma, but I did like how 1) in its own way helped Maddie with her own trauma, which Chimney so lovingly asked her to share with him, and 2) I liked the inclusion of Maddie in the case with Athena. How it was all connected, I liked that. Things like this, the show is at its best when the characters get to interact and work together in a meaningful way.

Hen and Karen getting to be star parents in this episode was such a highlight. Ha, and Karen said something about how they “switch” sometimes? Yeah there’s more than one meaning to that.

Chris may be a young teen, but he still wants to hang out with and spend time with his Buck. I love that so much. And hmmm Buck was trying a new lasagne recipe? There’s something there, but I can’t put my finger on it just yet. Cause remember Buck taking three times to perfect a lasagne recipe from Bobby that he cooked for Eddie and Chris in I think 6x1? Yeah.

Buck knows Eddie’s “good cologne” scent. Yeah sure this is totally normal best friend behavior and knowledge to have. Okay!

Eddie outright lied to Buck about going on a date with Marisol. EDIT: Lied to Buck and also used him in the lie. I think that won't sit well with Buck, even if he has um experience in cheating on a girlfriend.

This mess that Eddie has created is going to blow up in his face, and sooner than he probably anticipates (though I doubt he’s thinking of any consequences right now). He’s creating a mess for himself, for Chris, Buck, and more. This is going to affect more than just him.

Ohhhh shit you could see it in Amir’s subtle acting that he very much has some Feelings about seeing Bobby. Note that all Amir got to see was a, seemingly, unburdened Bobby Nash, still being a firefighter and holding a baby. Like. I think Amir is assuming right now that all is well for and with Bobby, when WE know that to this day Bobby struggles with his survivors guilt, the guilt of the people killed, guilt of whether he deserves a second chance, all of that. And another layer to this? Bobby still feels guilt for those that were killed, but he’s never really… talked about the people who lost the people in the fire. And now he’s going to be confronted with someone that survived and is still dealing with someone’s death. Ohhhh man this story is already juicy.

How darn sweet was it that Maddie and Chimney have a little routine/method of helping Jee-Yun sleep better? What a precious detail.

Right now I’d say I liked everything in this episode except for Eddie’s cheating storyline. I have a TON more to say about that, but I’m going to make that a separate post. Thus I’ll save my venting for that post. Even so, if you’re enjoying the cheating storyline - and it’s truly okay if you are because this is fiction - please do not come to me to chat or debate about this. Do not comment about why you think it’s good or anything, please. Talk to someone who does agree with you because that’s not me.

[njwinterquartz]

When it comes to Buck and Eddie I think they’ll always love each other. Not be “in love” but “love”each other. Unless they eventually go that route, but that’s not right now.

Even if the story doesn’t go in the direction of them getting together they will always be there for each other. Buck will always be another parent to Chris, Buck Eddie and Chris will always have time during the week to spend with each other. Buck and Eddie will be inseparable.

Could I see them eventually getting together, sure it’s a possibility but not a guarantee. And if they do end up being platonic that doesn’t take away from the bond and love they have for each other. Life partners are a thing and you can have a relationship that is entirely platonic but be just as meaningful as a romantic one.

Looking at what is specifically happening in the show right now as of 7x06. I think they’ve set up Tommy to see and understand that Buck will always be there for Chris and Eddie in a way the past relationships haven’t. That even if he and Buck do end up lasting that Buck’s relationship with Eddie and Chris won’t change. And as of this moment in the show I don’t think he’d see Eddie as any form of competition for Buck’s time because he’s also friends with Eddie too. If anything I think he’s probably glad that Buck has people that will fight for him as hard as Eddie and Chris will.

Edit: I am aware that the past relationships have known about the relationship with Eddie and Chris. My point is they’ve never really been a part of it. Tommy befriended Eddie first, and interacted with Chris when Buck wasn’t there. He didn’t interact with Eddie and Chris just because of Buck like some of the past relationships did. And yes we don’t know if Tommy will stick around but it doesn’t mean we can assume that he won’t. If they really want to show Buck is off the wheel part of it is how he interacts with his relationships.