#buddie thoughts and speculation

[lemotmo]

Ooof that finale was…..not it. Like my first issue was they for some reason let Kristen write it. I honestly thought we were free of her with the move to abc but alas apparently not. And she very much made her presence known with how off the finale felt in terms of pacing and just how ooc some of them felt at times. Not to mention the continuing saga of her former reign in making Buck an over sexualized character by turning his dad trauma into a way for Tommy to make jr into a daddy kink joke which was just…. No thanks. Otherwise it just was such a….lackluster finale? And I found myself bored at moments.

And then the season over all I’m left wondering what was the point of half of it ? Like Bathena didn’t get to enjoy their honeymoon. They have no house now. The Amir plot which while I loved the character, ultimately led to nothing? The cartel storyline didn’t need to happen and bringing them back was boring. Bobby being dead for 14 minutes and coming into the station at the end perfectly fine was such a wtf moment even for tv standards.

Henren didn’t get to adopt their baby. They got a foster daughter instead only to then….lose her ? And have her be given to Madney instead for them to visit like truly this was just drama for drama sake and ultimately pointless pain for them.

Madneys wedding got rushed and ultimately turned into a 2 minute hospital room scene. We didn’t even get to see ant build up to the wedding.

Buck: He came out as bi which yesssss 🎉🎉🎉 only to then immediately be forced back into his hamster wheel, stuck in yet another relationship with someone who doesn’t seem to even like him, and is rude to him. And then turned into essentially a background character the rest of the season. I truly feel bad for Oliver because he was so so so excited for bi buck, and so happy and hopeful they would do it right and with respect and not over sexualize it and this is what he gets. A boring rude generic LI making daddy kink jokes and no real development into this part of himself. It’s truly no surprise he did nothing to promote that relationship or this finale.

Eddie and Chris. We hardly saw Chris. And then the way they rushed him leaving at the very end was so… not it. Not to mention so out of sorts for him? Like we have seen when he’s mad at Eddie he always goes to Buck. But this time he calls his grandparents at 2 am and asks them to come rake him to Texas indefinitely? Then the Buck Chris talk. I love their scenes together but even it felt off? And then they systematically undid any progress with Eddie’s parents with Helena often coming off filled with glee over it, and Ramon taking his own guilt in Eddie to make him accept it. Then we have Eddie himself. What was the point of Marisol? There doesn’t seem to be one. And why we had to suffer Edy all season remains a mystery since Tim said she came back because he didn’t want two off screen breakups. Only to then do two off screen breakups. What was the point of Kim? I had hopes they would actually use her to move Eddie along and then they just…didn’t? Even Ryan said he thinks all she did was make it worse.

I will give the show credit because they did stick to the try for buddie scene in every episode. And they had some good scenes. Ryan and Oliver knocked their scenes out in the finale especially but once again we are at the finale and it’s left in a…. Now what ? No real movement forward. Once again all of us going oh next season for sure! And no real clear path toward it. and based on Ryan’s interviews tonight, where it once again sounds like they have no idea what to do with Eddie next season due to the vast amount of directions they seem to want to take him, including apparently Ryan saying in one of them that Tim seems to want to lean more into the Bobby Eddie similarities next season and have Eddie focus a lot more on religion, but Ryan does say he doesn’t think Eddie will become a priest. But still it’s just like… what are we doing. It’s given more we don’t wanna say yes to Buddie and follow the clear narrative direction butttttttt we want the views sooooo let’s make it open ended enough to draw them in. Again.

They said at the start they were going to give, or try to give the fans what they wanted this season and truly, I’m utterly baffled how anyone thought any of this is what we wanted. Like we wanted Henren to get their baby. Madney to have the best wedding. Bathena to thrive and get their honeymoon and have some adventures. Buddie to become buddie and enjoy the Buckley Diaz family in an official capacity. And instead we got circles upon circles with lazy choices taken where they could and next to no real character growth or movement. I’m so sorry for how long this got 😅😅😅

Oh Nonny, how I agree with everything you said here. You get me.

I just posted my episode review and most of the things I talked about are the same things you highlighted.

It was written by Kristen? Ah, that explains a lot actually.

I didn't mind the Diaz parents though. I really do think they were trying to help out in their own way. But all the rest of this post? YEEEES!!!!

I can still see the Buddie of it. I'm still hanging in there. There were too many strange choices made in season 7 to make me believe that Buddie isn't going to happen in season 8. Not to mention the amazing chemistry between Buddie compared to whatever it is they are trying to show us with BT. However, they are on thin ice here. I agree. Things need to start moving along. If not... after season 8 I will retreat to my little nook of Tumblr living off good Buddie fan fiction.

I didn't read any of the Ryan interviews yet. Him leaning into religion and the parallel with Bobby I did see coming. The prayer book was too obvious. I wonder why they had 6 interviews lined up with Ryan over this episode? I get that his storyline is important, but it doesn't warrant 6 interviews, not even the religious aspect of it. I'm going to read some of them today to try and get a clearer image.

I just feel like all of my beloved 911 characters don't have any clear direction at this point. I was surely hoping for some more insight, but all we got was superficial storytelling and no real breakthroughs for anyone.

I don't understand what all those journalists that screened this episode were talking about when they said they saw clear directions for season 8. For me it is the opposite at this point. Where are they taking all of this???

[lover-of-mine]

Just a thought.

[hisbucky]

Buck: When did you know? Maddie: I know a lot of things, Evan. Buck: Why didn't you tell me I was in love with Eddie?! All this time I could’ve just - Maddie: I told you from the start. I spelled out that boy crush to you, to your face, and I don't want to tell you I told you so — Buck, groans: Then don't. Maddie: But I told you so.

[makorragal-312]

I can see it now...

Now that Chris is gone and his relationships with Marisol and Kim are over, Eddie is struggling to keep himself together and decides to stop dating while also trying to figure himself out after everything that happened.

All the while, Buck constantly checks in on him to make sure he's alright and even goes as far as to stay over at his place so that he doesn't wake up by himself. And now that Gerrard is captain and is making their shifts miserable, that becomes a common occurrence. And around the same time, Buck and Tommy are going through a rough patch because of him cancelling plans to check on Eddie and how Tommy wants Buck to act around Gerrard, which ultimately leads to them breaking up.

Then down the line, Eddie and Buck start to become closer than ever and Eddie comes to the conclusion that his relationships never worked out because he was trying to make a family with the wrong person when the whole time, he already had a family with the right person, which was Buck. At the same time, Buck starts to catch feelings for Eddie but is afraid to act on them partly out of fear and mainly because he doesn't want to take advantage of him when he's still missing Chris.

But eventually, Eddie just goes "fuck it" and finally kisses Buck, who has no qualms about kissing him back...

...and then, Chris walks through the door.

[bidisasterevankinard]

I really think Buck talks about tsunami with Chris here(as Eddie said it was 3years in 6x7 it can be 4 years anniversary and they need to make smt and Chris decides to use real hero from tsunami because kid might see tsunami differently from Buck cause he was small and he was protected enough. Chris might not understand how awful it was. I mean he's only 13)

it goes good with water related emergency where Bobby in danger. Which I hope lead to Buck's breakdown

And it then goes good with parallel where Eddie again puts his hand on Buck's shoulder as call back to 3x3 to make him remember that Eddie said that day

So Buck feels bad(start of his breakdown era I hope) after the talk with Chris before they are called to cruise emergency and Eddie talks with him again, but it doesn't make Buck feel at ease and then they are working on cruise call and maybe Buck need to safe Eddie and the kid who looks like Chris(maybe both), or maybe even Bobby, and his already bad headspace snaps and he breaks

And it's Eddie's turn to be here with him. To "sit" with Buck in his worst

[groupielove21]

“It was originally, possibly going to be with Eddie and Tommy, but that fell through.”

I really feel like we didn't have this because Ryan refused, and I completely agree!

Ryan really understands Eddie like no one else.

How would Eddie go out in less than two weeks with a man he just met?

Eddie Díaz, who grew up in Texas, in a complete Latin Catholic family.

Eddie Díaz, whom he told from a young age how he had to be a "real man/family father."

Eddie Díaz, who was only in a relationship with three women in his life and only loved one of them in a relationship that he tried to escape from and only held on to because he truly loved Shannon and the idea of ​​a family for his son.

Eddie Díaz who preferred to go to the army before facing his feelings.

Eddie Díaz, who is capable of destroying his room, losing sleep, having panic attacks, changing jobs leaving behind one of the things that makes him feel alive as long as the people he loves are happy and don't worry about him.

That Eddie Díaz needs much more than a pretty man with a helicopter to realize that that feeling of pretending, of never fitting in, of always following his instincts but never what his heart wants, are actually all the things that happen to him because he doesn't want to see that he loves other men the way he was told all his life to love women.

That Eddie Díaz, who just needs to look inside himself for a while longer, make more progress than he already does, and realize that he already loves another man and has a perfect life waiting for him if he's willing to take it.

[mischiefbuckley]

okay but Eddie in a suit truly hits differently I don’t know what context would provoke him to wear a suit in season 8 but I need it to happen so DESPERATELY

[meep-meep-richie]

I need a scene were Eddie is staring at Buck and Tommy dancing at Madneys wedding with a jealous face; cause he wants to dance with Buck like that.

[becausebuckley]

actually i know we’ve talked about the season 8 opening disaster mirroring the tsunami, but with eddie instead of buck, and i’d like to add that i need the ending song montage to do that too. i need it to be photograph again, and interspersed with shots of disaster aftermath, i need to see gerrard leaving the 118 (hen and chim and ravi watching in satisfaction), i need to see bobby and athena and the kids unpacking boxes in their new house, i need to see chim and hen going to the madney house together to have dinner with their wives and the kids. and i need it to end with eddie standing in front of his bathroom mirror, shaving/brushing his hair/washing his face, and i need him to glance at his phone, open to his text chain to christopher (showing us that they’re talking and working on rebuilding things), and i need ed sheeran to sing “wait for me to come home” before the song fades out. and i need buck to enter the diaz house and yell “eddie, i’m home”. and i need eddie to look at himself in the mirror. and i need him to smile.

[sunflowerdigs]

What if it's not Tommy's Baggage?

So i've seen a lot of speculation that the baggage that will get between Buck and Tommy is going to be Tommy's baggage with Gerrard. But think that may be a misdirection - I think it may be Buck's mustachioed baggage that intrudes into their relationship instead.

If the show wanted to make Tommy's hazing of Hen and Chim the central issue, it would have spent 8x01 reminding the audience of just how brutal Gerrard was back then in order to drive home why Tommy siding with him then isn't something Buck can overlook. Gerrard's racism and misogyny would be on more overt display and Tommy would likely be more wishy-washy about him. Instead, the show has emphasized Gerrard's authoritarianism (and diminished his actual bite as a villain) in order to set him up as a better enemy for Buck (and yes, we should talk about whether that's a good move or if it diminishes what Hen and Chim went through - just not in this meta). The point of Tommy is Buck's growth and Buck breaking up with someone who betrayed his friends is very similar to what happened with Taylor. The show may think of it as retreading old ground.

So, maybe instead we're about to dig into what happened in 7x04 and who Buck was really jealous of. The first few moments of the birthday scene tonight were a misdirection - the viewer was meant to think that Buck and Tommy were doing something together, only for Eddie to literally come to sit between them because the entire scene was actually all about him (and Buck and Christopher). And that's kind of the story of Buck and Tommy's elationship (it's almost a direct parallel to the first Buck and Tommy scene in 7x04 - Buck and Tommy were getting along after the tour and then, boom, in came Eddie).

The show may frame the baggage more around Buck's fear of abandonment and fear that he doesn't deserve the love he wants. Coming on the heels of his attacking Gerrard because he denigrated him verbally, that would make sense. But ever since 7x04, those issues have been tied to Eddie - they're why Buck couldn't face up to his feelings about him. So, I suspect Eddie will come into their fight somehow (I think that's also why, in the US Weekly interview, Oliver didn't mention Eddie as someone he would be leaning on during the dispute with Tommy. Heck, I think that's why Oliver talked about Buck leaning on other people rather than how he and Tommy specifically might work out a disagreement - because this disagreement isn't one that can be worked out. If Tommy isn't it, he isn't it (neat parallel to Eddie and Ana's relationship there)).

[lover-of-mine]

Remember how I made the big framing in buddie conversations meta and then another one when the gym stills came out that comes down to how conversations about Buck, Buck is sitting down.

About Eddie, both of them are sitting down.

About Chris, they are sitting on the same surface

But when they are on the same level and standing up, the conversation tends to be about their relationship with each other.

I know it looks pretty obvious that this is them talking about their relationship, but following patterns on the show, this is them talking about their relationship.

And I'm also interested in what camera angles we are going to get on this scene, because the tsunami for instance they are facing each other but they make a point that for parts of the scene we can see both of their faces, not just them speaking and reacting to each other like in the grocery store for example. I am so curious.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

So I don’t think Gerrard knows about BT - we’ve only been shown him acknowledging (in a derogatory way) that Tommy is gay. But while buck was in the scene, so too was Chim and nothing was indicated about Bucks sexuality - so I don’t think Gerrard knows he’s bi.

So what if we get Buck and Eddie being all flirty work husbands and Gerrard sees them behaving as they always have and he tries to call Eddie out for being inappropriate and gay in the firehouse. Eddie just takes it but Buck isn’t having any of it (slashing his neck at Buck to cut it out and let it drop) and tries to defend Eddie. Gerrard gets mad at the insubordination and calls a line up - where he proceeds to go for Eddie with the wild orange packet. - calling him both racist and homophobic slurs (in a way that’s not quite over the line enough to get himself fired because he might be hideous but he’s not stupid) hence Bucks clenched fists as he can’t say or do anything.

[fiona-fififi]

If it's true that Tommy’s actually a guest at this bachelor party, and Buck STILL coordinated outfits with EDDIE??

Well, I just think that would be very funny.

[bidisasterevankinard]

can 911 not hurt Eddie, but like, make Buck see his watch or smt like that in water and start to think he is in danger (call back to Buck seeing Chris' glasses after they lost each other in tsunami) and then he sees that Eddie is ok but damage already made and Buck has a panic attack in Eddie's hands and it starts Buck's breakdown era????? PLEASEEEEEE

[aida-sparks]

Eddie liked Buck from the start, but where are we now?

I've convinced myself that Eddie liked Buck from the very beginning - but only subconsciously. I mean, look at how he's watching Buck in 2x01, even as Buck is being bratty as they work out.

Even though Buck has been anything but kind to him up to this point, Eddie's more miffed than angered by it. Maybe a little disappointed too.

We all know by the end of 2x01, Eddie wins Buck over, and they both quasi promise to have each other's back. And then the rest of their story so far has many important and telling moments, but what if we fast forward to season 6 episode 15 and that loaded graveyard scene? Is this scene the moment where Eddie Diaz finally *consciously* realizes that his feelings for Buck are not only platonic? It was such a layered scene. Of course, there is Eddie's shellshocked reaction to Buck's proclamation that Natalia, the death doula who he just met, really sees him (bites lip in agitation), but beyond that...

It's clear that Eddie goes on to have a profound revelation after Buck says that. But what does it mean?!

He tells Buck, "You haven't been the same since it happened. But how could you be?" as he turns away and processes something internally. Perhaps something about himself as well. Eddie actually looks a little startled. A few seconds later, he reassures Buck that he doesn't have to be anyone for anybody and that experiences like this change them. He goes on to ask Buck what changed in him. I think the moment Eddie admits Buck hasn't been the same, he realizes that he has changed too. Exactly how is not made clear. Even Buck's own response to Eddie's question is vague (he says he feels like he cheated death). How did Eddie change? How did Buck change? The writers don't commit Buck and Eddie's feelings clearly in dialogue, so fans are forced to speculate, and it's why the general audience members, who don't rewatch scenes and lean in hard to the characters, think us buddie shippers are clowning half the time. *deep sigh*

But being left to my own speculation, I do think Eddie's revelation here is at least partly related to Buck. He looked disappointed when he learned Buck was starting something with Natalia. He looked hurt when Buck said she "sees him" -- and maybe those reactions surprised something in Eddie. I don't think the man he was raised to be would have recognized those feelings; he wouldn't have admitted to feeling them on a conscious level. But of course, that's why "change" is a theme in this scene and Eddie has looks like he's putting 2 and 2 together. Part of me feels Eddie was in touch with his feelings for Buck well before this episode, but then I don't know how else to interpret what the graveyard scene was meant to be if not Eddie coming to terms with the fact that he may be in love with his best friend, even as said best friend proclaims he has a new love interest in the picture. This take could set up Eddie secretly pining over Buck in season 7 quite well, though. Oh, my angst-ridden heart. I'd love to read others' thoughts on this! I'm glad I joined tumblr to read all the buddie and 9-1-1 meta out there. Forgive me if it looks like I don't know what I'm doing. I don't. I'm still new around here.

[lonelychicago]

i've seen a lot of ppl talking about buck and eddie both getting knocked out during the storm and eddie wakes up relatively quickly in the hospital and the firefam's there and he sees that buck is missing and is like "oh and buck is with chris right? where is he?" and the others just look at each other not knowing how to tell him that buck's in a coma and i just—

can you just imagine tho, eddie in that hospital bed and he can't get up and even when he tries bobby and chim and hen are there to stop him and no one would tell him really what the hell happened except that buck is in a fucking coma and all they can do is wait.

and eddie just wants to see him, make sure he's alive and that he still exists bc most days buck feels like a pipe dream, something too good to be true and eddie's losing his mind.

and then—

it's late at night and his hospital room is so quiet, hen is in a chair next to his bed and she's sleeping and eddie loves her but all he can think about is that usually is another person who sits next to eddie's bed when he's hurt, another person who holds his hand and reassures him he'll take care of chris while eddie can't.

the tv is a soft, barely there background noise as it casts a dim light over the room, but when he looks up it's the news are playing back what happened earlier and he sees the moment the lightning strikes, sees the moment eddie himself almost falls... sees buck falling from the ladder truck and hitting his head against the side—

"buck" he gasps without even realizing, the name falling from his lips like a plea, like a prayer begging to be heard.

"buck." eddie chokes out as his mind replays the fall in slow motion.

eddie was supposed to have buck's back. eddie was supposed to save him.

hen wakes up and eddie quickly realizes he's hyperventilating, struggling to take a deep breath and tears are streaming down his face with no way to stop them.

he's having a panic attack. he hasn't had one of those in a long time, eddie thinks almost absentmindedly.

"eddie hey, it's okay." hen redts a hand on his shoulder and tries to calm him down but it doesn't feel right— her hand is too heavy on eddie's shoulder, and it's not the right side. It's too soft, too—

It's no buck's.

"i need to see him." he manages to blurt out the in between gasps. "hen, let me see him. please." he begs and his voice is shaky and breaking by the last word. it sounds pathetic and desperate even to his own ears but eddie can't bring himself to care at that moment.

his heart is beating too fast, unforgiving against his ribcage, his hands are trembling and eddie—

he just needs to see him.

it takes a while and the nurses are definitely not happy with himself— once again, eddie doesn't have it in him to care.

especially when he's put in a wheelchair (he doesn't need it but he's picking his battles carefully right now) and taken to see buck.

his hospital room is a lot like eddie's but maddie is sprawled on the chair next to the bef, with red puffy eyes and hair a mess.

she looks exactly like how eddie feels inside, if he's being honest, and for a moment he feels a kind of weird keenship to her.

they both would do anything for buck. they both hate to see buck hurt.

"i'll give you some time with him." she smiles tiredly and then she's living the room along with hen and the nurse who wheeled him in.

eddie swallows hard and reaches out for buck, his hand immediately resting against buck's...

buck's hand is cold to the touch, when usually it would be warm.

it's still, when usually it would be squeezing eddie's right back.

it's pale and small against the sheets and eddie feels like he might throw up.

"please wake up." he whispers, but in the quiet of the room it sounds loud and oh so desperate. "please don't leave me."

and eddie— there's so many words he needs, wants to say. so many things he needs to get out, so many things he needs buck to hear...

but for now they stay lodge inside his chest.

for now, he keeps them to himself but he hopes he'll have the chance to say them out loud someday.

he hopes buck will want to hear them.