#bucktaylor analysis

[gayofthefae]

All day, I have been thinking about arcs and what happens when they aren’t what you thought they’d be - for us or the characters - and I just made a post about that for Stranger Things here but for some weird pride reason I don’t care to unpack right now, I want you to know that I thought of this one first. Now that that’s out of the way, continuing on...

I know why Buck and Taylor said I love you. Because Buck’s arc isn’t to be loved. Because if you think deeper about it, that is a shit arc. It seems sweet, but it’s what he wants, not what he needs. He said it himself: he settled. He settled because he takes what he can get. He has been on this journey to be loved and convince someone to love him and to stay and to be willing to work at their relationship for him. And he got that. Taylor told him she loved him. She told him first. She was willing to stay, to work things out. And he left. he. left. He gave a whole speech on how real love is about staying and work and getting through the rough patches while in a rough patch and then he broke up with her. He said to himself “this isn’t that. This isn’t real love. For me.”

Buck got what he always wanted and thought he would run off into the sunset. But he didn’t. So he started to ask why and the answer came: in all the time he spent begging people to want them, he never stopped to ask himself if he wanted them. I guess he just didn’t think that far ahead. He figured it would be so hard to just be loved that there would only be one person and that would be his one true love. I love the song “Not Like The Movies” by Katy Perry for Buck for this exact reason. 

We see it when she first tells him she loves him. He makes an odd face as he says it back. Every time he says it again in third person, he stutters. He emphasized “I do love her.” As if to convince himself. As if it’s not something he thought he would ever have to consider if he didn’t expect it to be reciprocated anyways.

And he’s still chasing this functionality of relationship. He referred to his relationship with Taylor as “the most functional” he’s been in for god’s sakes. With Natalia, it’s that she sees him. Eddie does too is all I’ve been seeing on my dash. But guess what? That doesn’t even matter. There, I said it. It doesn’t. matter. Because that is a low bar for relationships. 

Everyone in his life “sees him” in some way or another or at least seeks to understand them until they do. It’s that concept of “do you love them or do you love what they can do for you? do you love them or do you love how they treat you? are they the one or is the relationship just healthy?” 

We joke about Buck kissing Lucy when Eddie left but we never talk about why Taylor wasn’t enough. It has nothing to do with Eddie at all. Because if she were enough (as a partner to him, not saying she isn’t “enough” as a person), Eddie would be out of the picture romantically. But it was because the relationship was healthy but just not compatible. People don’t always treat us right so when they do it feels like it should be the end all be all, but really it just teaches us something new to expect from people. 

We could go on and on about how Eddie sees him and supports him and works and stays but the truth is, relationships are when you make something out of what you’ve found. It’s both. Buck and Taylor worked and it wasn’t enough. Buck found Abby and it wasn’t enough. Because you need both.

Buck and Eddie are going to last because of their support and effort. But that isn’t why it’s Eddie for Buck. 

At the end of the day, it’s Eddie for Buck because Eddie loves the drama of telenovelas. It’s Eddie for Buck because Eddie is scared of Siri. It’s Eddie for Buck because Eddie plays detective on calls and eats s’mores straight out of the oven even if they burn his tongue and kisses his abuela on the cheek. It’s Eddie for Buck because he wants him. Just as much as it is because he stays.

I’ll end with this thought: It is beautiful and important to stay through hardship. But are you happy with them when there is none?

[daniclaytcn]

yeah and i think even breaking up with taylor, although it was his choice, didn't even involve that much needed self reflection because it was more about him feeling like she'd betrayed the 118. before that he was perfectly willing to still cling to her after the cheating/move in fiasco without fully examining his wants.

(and who the fuck knows about natalia that relationship might as well never have existed the way they ended it lol)

yeah, and also with taylor, i think the difference between her vs abby, ali, natalia and tommy, is that just as buck was settling; taylor was perfectly willing to settle and be settled for, too. like, buck went "let's trap ourselves in this loveless relationship" and taylor went "okay :) yay :)" every single time. one of them had to break eventually and i'm not surprised it was buck because taylor evidently had a lot more to lose—given the way she was portrayed, it's likely she didn't have anything else but her job waiting for her

[carameldrizzl3]

Second Best

Let's start off with the obvious, I think this could be either Taylor or Abby. Overall, in my opinion it’s Taylor. But for the sake of it, we’ll start with Abby.

“I'll never forget how stupid in love I felt

I'll always regret how I couldn't ever tell

That you walked a little faster, left me behind”

Well I’m no analysis person or writer but Buck literally always gave abby everything because he was obsessed with the idea of this strong independent woman, wanting him. (Also because I like to believe he loved Abby but for the sake of my memory and this stuff, I'll say he was infatuated but not in love.) Alsp pertaining to that last line, it’s not like Abby was “walking faster” but she was already so far ahead in life that it would take Buck longer to get where she’s at (literally and figuratively.) Also NOT saying it’s Abby’s fault or anything (even though i don't like her character) but their relationship was always a game of catch up in my opinion. Buck told Bobby that he didn't mind being in a committed relationship with her but he felt as though with Abby he had to grow up faster (which he was oh so willing to do for her btw.) But ofc it was worth it (sorta/partially/not rlly)

“You've given me nothing to miss

Honestly, life has been much better since

I spoke to you last

Why am I still wondering

If I stand a chance or if you'd have me back?”

Of course he missed her but after she didn't contact or come back for years, he obviously started to get over her (those months were definitely hell tho) but of course that train crash made the memories come back. Also doesn't help that she came to visit Buck and in his mind made him think that he had a chance with her again which was obviously quickly shut down by the ring on her finger. After they talked at that park/cliff area he sorta got the closure he needed and his life has been (sorta/not really) uphill since.

Now we’ll go to Taylor:

“Held me in close as you thought of your past

I love way too much

Oh, this hurts to confess”

I dunno why i added the first line but i guess i was thinking about how taylor opened up about her past to him, however it's literally not relevant. uhh..so..yeah. 

But OMFG when she was like “I kinda love you for it” and he was all like “wut” and it was like an ‘i love you’ moment, I LITERALLY DIED. I WAS KICKING MY FEET THEY WERE SO CUTE WTF. And I believe he truly did love her. YES he kissed Lucy but when she betrayed him (after he did her by cheating) and the rest of the 118, I'm sure it was hard for him to accept that this was the person he had fallen in love with. Definitely hurt on some nights.

“Everyone warned me you were a bad idea

I never listen

Maybe I will next year

When I've walked a little further into my life

Fallen in love and left you behind”

I don’t know if they ever warned Buck about her, but that relationship was definitely a bad idea. We already know that reporters and anybody that works for the government don't go well together, not based on personality but because sometimes reporters try to seek out highly secretive information from their partners. So..uh..yeah. An example of this would be the firefighter incident (I done forgot his damn name chy..) and also when bobby was under the influence (the brownie episode), and she recorded him talking about something private and personal and wanted to publish it. (obviously she was denied but her intentions were there) anyways I'm a bucktaylor lover fight me. I want what they had (minus the lies and cheating and uh.. mishaps)

[timingmatters]

i think you’re very right about all of the ways that the bucktaylor relationship was failing because of buck, but i feel like your analysis missed the key point which was that the relationship was a device used specifically to break buck out of his “clinger” role

in season five is dynamic with maddie was all about the fact that he stays too long and she runs too early, so their respective romantic arcs reflected the changes they both needed to make in order to fix those flaws in their persons

i disagree with the idea that taylor was faultless for the jonah thing but that’s just my opinion and you can have yours, however the important takeaway from that i think was that buck finally realized he needed to walk away from something, even if it was comfortable and easy. i don’t think it matters if taylor was objectively or ethically right, so much as what she did was wrong in bucks eyes and he needed that in order to finally realize he’s capable of walking away. (because both him and taylor were clingers, neither of them could step out of that toxic toxic relationship, someone had to break first)

i do think it was shitty to use the taylor kelly character in this way as nothing more than a plot device for bucks character development but on the other hand this show has given us no evidence that they’re capable of doing anything else with that man’s love interests lmao

I mean i don’t disagree lmao. I agree Taylor as well as any other girl (including lucy) that comes into contact with buck are just plot devices for his character arc. That doesn’t annoy me too much because i think you can say the same with most assemble shows?? If you aren’t a main with your own storyline, chances are you are just a character used for plot device to make the main character grow🤷🏽‍♀️ is not a rule but you surely see it in most assemble shows. Especially when its not an ongoing drama show (like idk gossip girl or money heist). 911 is a show with some season long arcs and ongoing storylines, but overall is a kinda ep by ep has different storylines. Is not one main story like idk stranger things. (Does that make sense??). So them using characters as plot devices isn’t surprising at all?? I just think they could then have made taylor be actually morally wrong??? Or selfish??? I dont even think they were in a toxic relationship lmao. Is as simple as he liked her and she loved him. And he wasn’t willing to put in the work in the relationship the way she was. All their fights were because of him, the moment she pissed HIM off he called it off. Idk if i would call that growing even if he accepted walking away for once.

And like as a buddie shipper i do gotta say, all buck’s growth comes from his interactions with eddie and chris lmao. With taylor he was just an ass.

But beyond all that, me defendinf taylor doesn’t come from me shitting the writers. I think the way she was portrayed as bad and buck as rightful at the end was shitty, but what pisses me off is people’s reaction lol. The way that Taylor’s character is called egotistical by some fans when like arguably she put aside too much of her pride to console buck’s ego. I said it with another anon but is not even the cheating. Buck admitting he asked her to move in because he feared being alone and not out of love was enough for me if i had been taylor to drop glitter in all his shit, key his car, and leave lmao. Which is ooc for taylor because she was such an independent character. What do you mean she didn’t leave???? Or even the fight at the end would have been better if after he said something had to change they would have broken up because taylor could have refused to want change and then buck walks away. But not even??? Taylor had said “fine lets change it” and then buck walked away regardless.

Its the ending for them that made me mad bc even if it needed to happen, it was just bad how they did it. And i didnt even like them together like shdjdjdjd its just the audacity of men like i WANTED to side with buck but I couldn’t bc i know damn well if taylor were my friend in real life i would have keyd buck’s car lol

The relationship wasn’t toxic it just wasn’t right. The same amount of effort wasn’t there by both parties. He fucks up and she forgives him, she fucked up (in his eyes) once and then he immediately dropped her. He said they go in circles with their first fight but???? They had that fight before they were ever in a relationship??? And then he agreed he knew what he was getting into but thought what??? He could change her???? Again it wasn’t toxic. The relationship did not hurt buck like lets be real. It just fucked up taylor. Girl got cheated on, lied to, manipulated into leaving her apt (they talked about selling or giving away things they had doubles of, which means she prob lost some things too), and then broken up the first time she made him mad like lmao. I still wouldn’t say it wasn’t toxic because is not like they were becoming other people or doing worse with each other. The relationship simply wasn’t right. And i wanted them to break up. Just wish taylor had at least call him out or stood her ground at the end, not immediately fold just for her to be dropped either ways.

(But i love what you said about his storyline mirroring maddie’s!!!)

[ktinastrikesback]

Hi, Tina! You have a film studies background, if I remember correctly? So what do you make of 509 compared to 309, considering they have the same director? I find the way they've shot Buck's apartment this season makes it look so cold and empty, and it's such a contrast to our kitchen and couch scenes in season 3, which have such an intimate/warm feel to them.

Hey there! Thanks for this ask, I do have a film studies background and definitely have a lot to say about these scenes compared to one another!

Like you pointed out, it’s very interesting that it’s the same director (Marcus Stokes) for both of these scenes. What’s sticking out to me the most is difference in marking between the two.

In the Buck and Eddie kitchen scene, they face each other throughout the conversation, and the director has Buck move two times, both towards Eddie. He first turns his body away from the island in order to squarely face Eddie/the camera when he wants to emphasize his regret about not being there for him and Chris. This is open body language and shows that he not only wants Eddie (and us) to see how sorry he is but that he also isn’t afraid of being vulnerable around Eddie (who also is squarely facing Buck throughout the entire conversation).

The second time he moves is in this moment:

They’re talking about playing a video game (with their son), so it would have been understandable if the director had instructed Oliver to simply stay put and deliver his line from where he was already standing. The decision to have Buck move closer to Eddie as he delivers the line makes it flirty and charged. To have Oliver perform the line this way is already an interesting choice, but it becomes even more interesting when we look at how this same director marked a (concretely) romantically coded scene.

Unlike what we see with Buck and Eddie, the 5x09 scene already starts out a bit odd. Whereas Buck and Eddie entered the kitchen together and remained facing one another, here Buck and Taylor are already in the kitchen and both have their backs facing one another—Buck does approach Taylor to put down a bowl, but he very quickly takes his place facing the kitchen cabinets.

(Side note: it’s interesting also that Taylor faces the camera/us while Buck is completely turned away. We learned more about Taylor in this episode and [theoretically] understand what’s going on in her head now, so she’s open to us. Buck, on the other hand, is still a mystery. We still don’t concretely know where he’s at in this relationship, even after everything that happens in this episode. So? He’s facing away from Taylor and from us, closed off.)

When the declaration of love happens, Buck turns slightly towards Taylor and returns the sentiment (still never facing her or us face on).

So, they tell each other “I love you”/“Love you too.” What happens next? The director has the editors immediately cut to the next moment in the montage. We do see Buck and Taylor kissing a few moments later, but we don’t actually see Buck move from his spot at the counter to join Taylor and embrace her—we are thrown right into the middle of their kiss.

If these scenes had been directed by two different directors, maybe I would look at the Buck and Taylor scene with a less critical lens and say “well I guess that director just doesn’t care too much about showing the movement between characters who are emotionally tied.” Except….he lingered in the kitchen throughout the Buck and Eddie scene and, as I pointed out, had Buck move not once but twice in Eddie’s direction. And—look at how he lets us see Toni and Clive’s movement towards each other when they reunite, or how all of Bobby and Athena’s scenes together in this episode had an emphasis on movement (especially in the casino and when they’re watching the VHS tapes). Even the times when Buck or Taylor do move in this episode (Taylor to leave, Buck to Oklahoma, Taylor first up the stairs and then Buck behind), their movement is disjointed, which completely contrasts the two other couples we see (and contrasts Buck and Eddie’s simultaneous movement around the kitchen in 3x09).

Making that Buck and Eddie moment in the kitchen feel so charged was a choice, and the decision to have Buck never fully face Taylor (or the camera) square on during their declaration of love and to not show them move towards each other for their kiss is just as significant.

Could I be overanalyzing? Of course. But, as I said, the fact that these scenes are from the same director? Too much of a coincidence in my humble opinion 🤷🏻‍♀️😅

[dorkydiaz]

I have been seeing a lot of stuff about the buck and taylor break up happening in 5x10, but Reminder that it took 3 episodes for Eddie to follow the arc of

5x01- event that confirms doubt -> Panic attack

5x02- event that makes things glaringly obvious -> chris and ana's visit to the station and buck and eddies talk

5x03- resolution -> the break up happens

So if Buck is paralleling him at all in this it'll probably be

5x09- event that confirms doubt -> "buck fears his relationship is ending"

5x10- event that makes things glaringly obvious -> chris emotionally distressed (possibly in relation to buck), possibility that buck chooses chris and eddie over taylor to spend christmas with.

5x11- resolution -> actual break-up either seen or confirmed

the difference is with buck and taylor we have seen the lead up to the event that confirms doubt, with eddie and ana we saw blatant ignoring of some of those red flags at the beginning but never the true lead up to the actual doubt like we have been seeing with buck.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

This episode was so Tay Kay heavy it’s almost impossible to talk about much else - something I didn’t want to be the case because I’m tired of talking about her so much! I’ve not put many gifs in because it’s been a nightmare to find many from this episode and honestly - I have better things to do than trawl through millions of images of her so I have screenshoted instead🤣

Also this post got really really long so I had to split it in two - the second part will be up once I’ve finished editing it!

The costume team is definitely having fun with her clothing choices though because there are so many little clues - which I am loving!

So to get her out of the way first - my theory about patterns is holding up (I’m going to do a whole post on it at some point because it holds for every character, right from season 1!) - Tay Kay is in a plaid coat while she’s on reporting the shot and buried story - she’s left confused and floundering somewhat when they bring the man through, she recovers, but you can still see the confusion on her face!

The choice of putting her in white a couple of times this episode is an interesting one - you would usually associate white with innocence, purity and goodness, but it can also be ghostly (think ghostly white or. you look like you’ve seen a ghost when someone goes pale!) and cold. Both versions are probably valid here, I mean the episode title is ghost stories and we seem to be getting the beginnings of a Tay Kay back story that is haunting her. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The fact that we finally see her dressed comfortably for bed (rather than in her sexy lingerie look) shows that she’s more comfortable in this version of herself - the one that’s looking for the truth at all costs - than the girlfriend version we’ve seen up to now but a coldness is clearly developing between her an buck.

The white she’s wearing at the hospital is the other side of the coin - for starters is spotted (so her intentions are not pure) and paired with a white and blue jacket which reads shades of white rather than blue in some lights. she’s playing up the butter wouldn’t melt, innocence side of things to try and get information - also useful to note that Ransone is wearing a very dark blue, almost back shirt in this scene - they are in opposition to each other, but also ultimately after the same thing. White is also supposedly a colour of insight (and this works in both scenarios where she is wearing white - we get more of an insight into her) and she does reach a different conclusion to the police about who the perpetrator is in the case (and both are some what correct), so her insight does have some validity!

I’m jumping around a bit here, but Buck in blue for the bedroom scene amused me - it’s the same shade as his fire fighting uniform (his armour) and he talks about his job and putting himself in danger whilst doing it in this scene so a subtle reference is a nod to the job being an important part of who he is, it also reflects the hospital scene with Tay Kay and Ransone, (although Tay Kay doesn’t have any blue on her here, so there is no suggestion they’re going to end up at the same point!) dark blues are also associated with doubts and emotional distance (lol) and this is exactly what is happening in this scene - Taylor is comfortable with herself, her job and where that is leading her, but the emotional distance is growing (or becoming more obvious) between them, what they want, and what they need and I find that super interesting!

Back to Tay Kay - the green we see her in this episode is always a darker green it’s not bright cheerful jewel toned greens which means we should always look to the darker green associations around corruption (which comes from American money being green to prevent counterfeiting - a corrupt activity!) and immaturity (which comes from the concept of being jealous or green with envy!) - a good journalist would’ve called the police first before going to the motel (not that I think anyone would be interested in this as newsworthy irl - the story is literally a 2 paragraph piece in the bottom corner of a town newspaper - if that!)

Tay Kay in orange with her orange hair - orange in designer speak is usually meant to reference danger and an abundance of it is considered exhausting (because it is a strong colour and so overstimulates the mind!) because it is overpowering, it’s also a polarising colour. That they’ve chosen a shade that matches her hair suggests they’re trying to emphasise this so that there is even more orange than just a shirt could provide. The belt she’s wearing whilst sticking post it’s all over Bucks windows (the ocd cleaner in me was getting mad!!)- it’s designed (gold and textured) and positioned to look like a police badge! A fun little nod to the fact that Ransone is wearing his badge in the corresponding scenes ( on the same side) and that she is playing detective!

Orange is also considered an active colour, so seeing it on Tay Kay isn’t surprising in this context.

Buck wearing almost the same burnt orange colour as wife from story is an interesting choice in a scene where Tay Kay is also in orange (a different shade both in terms of colour and tone!) particularly when you consider the conversation is around a failing marriage - all of what I said about Taylor in orange applies here - buck looks exhausted and wary - we’ve seen him investigating stuff before with Taylor and getting really into it (hyperfixation anyone!) so we know that he loves to solve problems (I mean he does it as part of his job and Eddie has outright said ‘you’re the guy who likes to fix things’) so that fact that he’s not into this is telling. The idea of the colour being polarising as also an interesting one in this context - up to this point we’ve seen Buck, outwardly, into this relationship (internally is a different story even if he’s not yet acknowledging it!) he’s been the one initiating the relationshipy things - physical intimacy, sharing problems etc (and I’m not saying Tay Kay hasn’t done any of these things as well but they’ve deliberately not shown us much of her doing this and when we have it’s been awkward and not comfortable - breakfast anyone!) so it feels like we’re supposed to read that they’re at different places in this relationship.

I also love that they used it on May this ep as well - she was very active in getting her family to begin healing together - possibly why it was used as a trouser colour for her and not a top colour. I have a theory that this show is using colour (I only mean when they’re wearing coloured trousers, not jeans or black slacks etc) on characters lower halves to suggest that it’s not about them, but about the environment/ people around them - especially as the character in question is wearing black on top - we’ve seen it with Athena, Eddie, and now May and Hen. This theory holds up when you consider Hen wearing red trousers when she and Karen reconnect and reaffirm their love - red is the colour of love, passion (it’s also a colour of confidence) and sex!

That’s it for part one - You can find part two here

[littlerosetrove]

Whoa. Okay without getting too into the details, we’ve got in season one Chimney was in a sham of a relationship with Tatiana because it was built on lies. Then comes Maddie. Yes Chimney and Maddie are going through a rough patch, but these two know that they can be themselves with each other.

Eddie and Ana were a sham of a relationship. Eddie never felt like he could be himself, nor ever felt comfortable with Ana to open up (plus these two were not right for each other). Ana was willfully living the farce for a long time because a relationship is a two way street.

Buck and Taylor are living a sham of a relationship. Buck certainly has never felt like he could be himself, nor trust Taylor (for good reason) to open up to her.

Mmmmm I can’t wait for when Buck and Eddie finally get together because of the many positives, a core aspect is that they can 100% be themselves with each other.

[babyboy-buck]

taylor vs. the firefam: understanding and comforting buck

i think it's interesting that taylor's first reaction to buck opening up about his guilt and sense of loss after his sister, his friend/coworker/brother, and his niece all up and leave with pretty much zero contact after is to tell him that he is probably making the situation about himself.

i mean this in the most objective way, but this is a rattling situation. on the personal front, he has seemingly lost (though temporarily) his family by blood that he is close with. on the work front, the structure and foundation of the team/firehouse have shifted substantially. buck's rejection-sensitive dysphoria (shoutout to my fellow ADHD! Buck believers) is rearing its ugly head full force. even without our love and attachment towards buck, this is clearly a painful and stressful situation to be in. you don't hear the details of this story and think, "hmm sounds a bit self-centered to me".

contrast the reaction of taylor (buck's literal girlfriend who at least has keys to his place in order to have the open access to his apartment like we've seen) to the reaction of the 118.

he tells them how he is feeling. he feels like chim left because of him. he feels like he's lost not only his blood family, but is losing his 118 family because he is "at fault". he tells them he is leaving their family in order to protect them because he assumes it's what they want/need.

their reaction is very telling. they take his concerns and feelings seriously. they don't tell him he's being dramatic or ridiculous or self-centered. they take the time to listen to him, process what he is saying and how to respond, and understand what he needs to hear in return. they help him to understand how he has catastrophized the situation and helped him to get perspective. they reassured him that his place is by his family's side and that what is going on with chimney and maddie is their own problem. their family may be going through tough times but it will not break them. it's a reassurance and a promise.

the two reactions are so completely different despite both trying to seem more light-hearted for hurt/comfort scenes. the tone of both scenes may read as similar at first glance, but they are fundamentally different. taylor is ultimately dismissing buck's feelings and (inadvertently) using his insecurities/trauma against him. the 118 are acknowledging buck's feelings, being honest about their own feelings, and reassuring him of his place within their family.

the writers of this show aren't stupid or unaware. they don't make these choices and distinctions on accident. they made the conscious choice to have these scenes and character dynamics so different and that's something to pay attention to.

(and yes, of course, the 118 would have a more clear understanding of buck and his wants/needs than taylor does partially due to knowing him intimately longer. however, we have seen more than once that taylor and buck have conflicting wants and needs. this will at least be a major hurdle for their relationship, at most it'll be the thing that ends it.)

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here bestie and YES!!!! My faith is somewhat restored that they will pull off a satisfying bt breakup tomorrow, so get that champagne ready!!! I'm feeling really good about what's coming tomorrow, Buckley siblings reunited, the breakup we're gonna celebrate like New Year's Eve, and Eddie's breakdown with Buck in the room (also the quick tone reversal on L is also making me smile). The next day is going to be soooo long after seeing that clip, and if they give us anything tomorrow TBC

that even hints at what triggers Eddie's meltdown I'm going to need smelling salts. Between all this and the fact that, as I understand LS is supposed to be emotionally heavy too, I'll be picking up confetti and Kleenex on the way home. Oh, and glad you mentioned our 1 year anniversary is soon, either on the 25th, the first song we did (Anger), or the 30th, when I got an official title! Either way, maybe we should take advantage of the 29th, when the new Atlas 3 song comes out!

Bestie and I back to vibrating with excitement!! I have SOOOO missed the Buck and Maddie dynamic! And Buck admitting that he knows why he's been holding on to this relationship that's making him miserable?! (I mean, now there was definitely no need for L, and the tone reversal is cracking me up too!!) We been knew, but now he's admitting it?! Out loud?! Not hiding his true feelings from others?! A few people have mentioned that the eddieana breakup was pushed back to the end of 5x03 when they split 5x02 into two episodes so it was likely written by the 5x02 writers, one of which I *believe* wrote 5x13? So potentially the same writers for the breakups?! I am dyyyyyying for it to be messy. And the potential parallel of Eddie's kitchen being a mess and Buck's typically sterile apartment being cluttered full of boxes?! And if Buck stands up for himself and they have an argument and he leaves because Eddie calls?! Or he goes to see Eddie after?! *incoherent screaming* IDK how I'm supposed to get any work done tomorrow OR Tuesday at least and that's just with 911! I haven't been keeping up on the speculation for LS because I'm happy just watching that show unfold however it does, but I know it's going to be a big one too!

As far as songs go, it's too bad Fear is instrumental song because it would be the perfect one to talk about after this episode, but you always manage to come up with the perfect one anyways! And I knew our anniversary was coming up! I think the 29th and a new Atlas song is a great way to celebrate, plus it will give us a few days to recover from whatever the episode throws at us on the 25th 🤣

Let's get that champagne on ice my friend! BT bones is coming and watching Buck be lifeless with her, and then doing everything for Eddie and being exactly what Eddie needs is going to heal something in all of us!

[gayofthefae]

Still can’t believe how much of Buck and Taylor’s buildup they tied to Eddie like

They had the whole double date fiasco to themselves but even thought was immediately followed by Christopher being there.

They did have the investigating about Sue to themselves a bit. So that’s one.

But then arguably the biggest, longest episode for buildup was when they were paired together for the Treasure Hunt and in that, even when they were interacting one on one, Eddie was there being petty and jealous in the background and they made sure to include that as interruption for the audience, almost to remind you “this isn’t your ship” lol. And then she wasn’t even there for the big reveal - it was still Buck and Eddie.

Then she kissed him while Eddie was in the hospital, which was again, immediately followed by a call for him to come to Eddie at the hospital, which prevented him from chasing after her.

When he tells her he cheated on her, that is a BIG moment, it should be the culmination of the episode for his character and that should be the big thing...right? But no, they continue and end his plot that episode on being there for Eddie.

He brings Taylor to dinner with Eddie (right before he cheats on her...Pavlov?), he vents to Eddie about her right before breaking up.

They’ve had some moments to themselves, yes. But almost every significant one - except the “I love you” - was centric to or cause by or bookended or distracted by Eddie.

[daniclaytcn]

Wow just voted in your 4x13 poll and its kinda crazy to me that “yes” is loosing? The fandom just felt so big in that moment I’m surprised how many people didn’t experience it live (although its always possible people who were here for the shooting have stopped watching the show). Like to me it was the same feeling as post 6x12, to a certain extent like obviously “eddie dying??” vs “buddie canon??” Are 2 different things but the general vibe was similar (romance coding in both cases helped probably) so for the fandom to be like 50% new/different/post 4x13 is so interesting to me. Like wdym you didnt live through a week of camera angle/shot analysis and did they actually write ryan off spec and bucktaylor is definitely not happening delusions?? (No judgement of course!!)

asjdkd it was definitely a surprise to me too, but to be fair, the fandom was a lot smaller back then. not small, by any means, but smaller than it is now. i still remember when i first opened the buddie tag on ao3 in jan 2021, there were about 6k fics, and now it's at 20k+ xD. i can't imagine the chaos that would unfold if something like 4x13's cliffhanger happened again.

[zozobear08]

Okay I mentioned this in the tags of another post that I reblogged but! After the first Buck and Taylor kiss we see Buck literally run to Eddie after he learns that Eddie woke up, then when Taylor shows back up at Buck’s door she says you didn’t run after me,,, like I could be reading into it too much but,,, like I feel like I am allowed to make some reaches here.

[athenagrantnash]

okay no hate. GENUINELY no hate.

But like- (I’m just clearing the air. I’m not even that invested in the fandom. I’m not a buddie shipper. I don’t force things or look for things that aren’t there.) what do people find in BT?

Now I’ve not gone in depth into analysis or anything. This is just an objective outside view. I don’t…. Like their relationship? Maybe it’s just a dislike for Taylor in general.

Remember this is just the most casual approach I’m taking. But after Dosed, I just- i couldn’t ever trust, forgive or like her.

And though we never got to see that much of them, I genuinely like both Abby and Ali.

Abby and Buck helped each other through a lot, and needed each other for some time, and even though Buck clearly wasn’t ready just yet, I still do respect Abby’s decision to find herself. -though I do genuinely wish she was a bit more upfront with him. I wish she’d have told him from the beginning that it was more than likely over-.

And I really did genuinely LIKE Ali. Despite how little we saw of her. She seemed sweet. She had some sarcasm in her and she was witty and I don’t know- I JUST REALLY LIKED HER.😂

But I just- don’t get what people see in BT?

Abby brought something to the relationship and helped Buck grow; helped him mature.

His relationship with Ali showed that maturity. Showed that growth in his choice to be responsible. Sure, she was quite absent on screen, but she was there when he was getting his apartment -a big step for Buck- and their breakup was clean and founded on comfortable needs. I get that.

I respect her decision to break up. That fear of your loved one not coming home in one piece- OR NOT AT ALL FOR THAT MATTER.

And again, this could just be my genuine, outward, blatant dislike for Taylor. But I don’t see anything in the BT relationship and wonder why people like it so much.

Sorry if this came across as rude. I truly am.

I’m just curious. And you seem knowledgeable on the topic. So… help?

Thanking you in advance and I hope you’ve been having an awesome day or night!

💖💖💖.

So first off don't worry, you definitely aren't coming across as rude at all! And I really appreciate your ask ❤️❤️

Okay so I'm sure I don't speak for all BuckTaylor shippers, but I can at least offer my perspective on all this.

First off, if you actually go back through all... *checks* Um... almost 11k posts on my blog, you'll find that I actually hated Taylor at first too. I loved her as a character and thought she was absolutely fantastic and was very happy whenever she was on my screen, but I fucking hated her. And it was 100% because of what she did to Bobby in Dosed.

However, that is part of why I love her so much NOW! Because if she hadn't had that starting point, her growth wouldn't have been as beautiful or as heartfelt. If you have nowhere to grow from, growth doesn't mean as much.

And the fact of the matter is, the entire world suffered a trauma. And Taylor was there in the thick of it - every single day, keeping track of the dead and the dying, talking with people who have suffered unimaginable losses, talking with people who lost their homes, their livelihoods, their loved ones. And a lot of people wouldn't have been able to keep at it, but not Taylor. A lot of people broke under the strain of all of that, but not Taylor. COVID didn't break her, it made her kind.

She stopped seeing people's stories as being something that she can exploit for her own purposes, and started seeing them people behind the story. She started really understanding what Buck said about Bobby: "To him we're not the story. We're just here to make sure no story ends before it should."

(side note: the fact that arguably the BIGGEST Bobby stan in the fandom [me] has forgiven her for what she did to him in Dosed should probably say a lot)

And then as to her relationship with Buck - again I can't speak for everybody, but I can speak for myself.

And the fact of the matter is, Taylor is exactly the kind of person Buck needs in his life.

I actually really loved Ali and would have liked to see more of her, but I do have to disagree with you about their relationship. That maturity that you're talking about - him finally getting his own place, etc. - was not because of Ali. That was because of Abby. Just because Ali was there when it happened doesn't necessarily mean that she was the source of that.

And the fact of the matter is, Buck doesn't need another mother/big sister. He doesn't need somebody else who will take care of him. What he needs is somebody who will challenge him, because the boy is CONSTANTLY getting stuck into his own head, and it's not helpful to him or anybody else when everybody around him coddles him.

Even Buck's behavior towards Ravi, which was pretty inexcusable, was deemed fine/acceptable by the 118 because they understand what he's going through. And while that was genuinely sweet, it wasn't helpful for Buck. Meanwhile Taylor actually challenges him to think outside of his own perspective, all while genuinely supporting him in the ways he needs to be supported.

And the fact of the matter is, Buck NEEDS somebody who will help him grow, because he has grown stagnant. He keeps talking about Buck's 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0, but he's so focused on THAT that he doesn't even realize... there's hardly any difference. He's so completely up in his own head that he's no longer self-aware of his flaws, or of his lack of growth. His relationship with Abby was fantastic because she helped him move on from many of the issues he was having. He knew he had no respect for himself, and not enough respect for the women he was constantly sleeping with. But he was so desperate for that "fix" that he didn't have the willpower to really do anything about it. Abby helped him realize that a relationship can be fulfilling even outside of the sexual pleasures. She helped him find enough self-worth that he didn't need the constant gratification of sex. And she helped him become much less self-obsessed by offering him something else important to focus on - not just his own wants or needs or desires. (also my focus is on BuckTaylor so I'm not gonna go into what she got out of the relationship because it's irrelevant here).

And then she left, and while he didn't regress into his "sex addict" ways, he did regress to that mentality again. He regressed into somebody who needs constant affirmation because he doesn't have enough self-worth without it. He regressed into somebody who is too self-obsessed to see past his own viewpoint. And that's not Abby's fault (nor is it Ali's fault). It's just what happened.

And unfortunately, while Ali was sweet and witty and wonderful, their relationship was too much about her taking care of him. She didn't challenge him to get out of that mindset or to grow - like he had to do to be worthy of Abby. And that's where the stagnation really started.

And with Taylor? Yes, obviously there's a fantastic sexual element to their relationship, but that's only a part of what's going on. She's the best of all the worlds. She challenges him to grow the way that Abby did, helps get him out of his head so that he's not so self-obsessed, and encourages his sense of self-worth all while supporting the fact that sometimes... it's okay that nothing is going right and you need to be self-focused.

[blakegallo]

why r u such a big taylor kelly kiss ass ??? u do know shes a fictional character Right ??? like its a bit Much atp you feel ?

i don't think i'm more invested in taylor kelly than anyone else in the 911 fandom is invested in the characters that they like. i'm also not sure how serious this message was supposed to be, but i had a lot to say.

as for why tonight and last week and the week before that when i see the fandom collectively shitting on taylor kelly with takes that require a person to pull a muscle to form, it's because i simply do not see what they are seeing. i am trying to utilize the logic i see in tha takes they form in the paragraphs of analysis and theories that come across my dash and can never seem to come to the same conclusion.

as for why i like taylor? i have thing for bitchy gingers. you write me a bitchy ginger and you are going to have to pry them from my cold dead hands. lydia martin? that was my girl. ian gallagher? i love him. clarissa fairchild? the best mc in the shadowhunter world. the universe knew i was going to love me some taylor kelly from the minute her helicopter went down. it was fate. it was not something i could avoid.

i think she brings a fun energy to the show and i enjoy when the writers use her being on the news to convey plot points. whether that's in treasure hunt, the throwaway conclusion to the blackout arc, or here with the murder for hire.

i'd also just be less annoyed if people were upfront about not liking her because they view her as being in the way of buddie happening. and if i were a writer on the show i don't know if i would have brought ana in or taylor back as a love interest. people want to say that the writers want to take their time telling an epic queer love story. and maybe they do. i'm not in those meetings. for me i think ti would have been epic enough to see eddie be in a space where he was ready to move on romantically and find that with buck and not ana who he randomly ran into one day on the street and then ignored the fact his son wasn't really ready for that and instead did something with buck.

but i'm not a writer. i just watch, and while the show did nothing with ana they are trying to do things with taylor. things that are actually good, but literally no one cares bc they want a different ship and so i have to suffer every week as they try in roundabout ways that require you to cut a scene short or view out of context in order to make a point. and maybe one day taylor will be gone. if you're on tumblr you'd believe that day will be next monday at 8est. and maybe if there ever is a bucktaylor breakup i'll get to log onto tumblr after an episode and find peace even if i'll forever be sad that a great character isn't around anymore or as often.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

I’m just scrolling through. So I don’t know if you’ve gotten it yet.

But Eds and her being in nearly the same shade of green with the words:

Maybe you should go home

Vs

I should get home

The implications of that?

Hey Nonnie

I haven’t actually had time to do a costume meta for 5x09, I’ve had a bit of a mad week installing Christmas at the place I work, which has taken up much of my time and brain power. As a result, I’ve just been putting out some random thoughts and things I’ve spotted, as well as answering a couple of asks about the costumes from the episode, of which yours is now one 😎

It is incredibly interesting that they’ve chosen to put them in the same colours as Eddie and Ana, but with the reverse colour-way and the implications of ‘home’ is definitely one of the reasons why the colours have been reversed - playing into the idea that Buck thinks he’s the one who is about to be dumped again. 

The use of brighter versions of the same colours will be deliberate as well. To me it is done to suggest that there is still some life in the relationship - Both Eddie and Ana were in pastel, washed out shades of blue and green - their relationship was wrung out and over - where as Tay and Buck, (especially) are in brighter shades - there is still a bit of life left in the relationship - Buck is going to keep fighting, even if it seems (at this point) that she’s less invested and halfway out the door.

The whole mise en scene of that scene is so reminiscent of the break up scene in truth - it is full of similarities and contrasts, which directly reflect the relationships taking place in them. 

Both take place in kitchens, with blue and green colour-ways for the actors (standing on the same sides - green on the left, blue on the right), the sink features prominently in both scenes (Ana starts to fill it and the dishwasher), as does the fact that the conversations are largely one sided - the person in blue being more verbose - while the person in green is the one suggesting going home.

Where things become opposite very much revolves around the mess - Ana created a huge mess in Eddies Kitchen (whilst he was absent), whereas Bucks kitchen is immaculate, to the point of coldness - and the flowery gloves Buck is wearing are just so out of place that they become something we focus on - and they just serve to further highlight the fact that the kitchen is clinical. there is also the light to consider - Eddie and Ana are in a bright white lit kitchen - a metaphorical light at the end of the tunnel for Eddie, while Buck and Taylor are in a dark kitchen with low light levels - they are literally in the dark about their relationship and eventual destination (I should add that Buck is closer to the source of the brightest light in this scene so hopefully he’s closest to realising its not healthy and breaking things off!!)! 

This got a bit of track, but it all serves to parallel the Eddie Ana break up scene - things are not right in the relationship, just for different reasons, and paralleling at with a break up scene at this point right down to the costumes, one re-enforces the idea that they are not an endgame couple, particularly when paired with the later ily scene - there is some mess in the kitchen at this point (and Tay Kay creates mess by throwing a string bean - interesting that its a string bean if you ask me - because this relationship is being strung out!!!) and now Tay is the one seemingly more invested in the relationship, whereas Buck seems to be beginning to understand that his needs are not really being met.

Thank you so much for your ask and I hope this helps to answer it!