#madney and buddie parallels

[stickdoodlefriend]

If the show had kept Chim's rebar scar then Maddie would have married someone with a live-fast-die-young attitude, a mark on his head, a brother he never knew about from a parent who never loved him always looking to find a family and settles down after he finds one with his partner and kid. Coincidentally, he also loves Halloween and believes in curses.

And obviously Chimney married a former medical professional now first responder parent who is still healing from their first relationship and how it ended in death. Nevermind the fact that the traumatized, brown haired, brown eyed eldest sibling was parentified at a young age due to neglect.

Like wouldn't it be so silly that the Buckley siblings finally found someone else to fight the world with in people like the each other?

[air--so--sweet]

Okay so I will always enjoy Ryan Guzman with facial hair, it's a shame he plays a firefighter and so has to shave honestly, but that's not the point of this post.

That beard was hella intentional. Because in a TV show where you shoot out of order facial hair has to be kept consistent to prevent continuity errors. I was going to include an example of just how wrong this can go from episode 3x06 of Criminal Minds when David Rossi shaves and then in the very next shot he strokes his magically regrown beard. However, hilariously, when I went to screen record this, the version streaming on Disney had the shaving scene removed! (His beard still disappears and reappears throughout the entire episode though). My point still stands - for Eddie to have facial hair for that scene is very intentional.

It made me think back to his conversation with Father Brian in 8x06, specifically 'You want to know why I grew this? Because LAFD doesn't allow beards, too flammable.' Which, it's true, firefighters aren't allowed beards, but there's also the doble entendre of a beard referring to a fake partner used by a closeted queer person to further hide their sexuality. Eddie also tells the priest he grew facial hair as a disguise, so he doesn't have to see himself in the mirror, because he would see a failure, who doesn't deserve forgiveness or joy.

Eddie is feeling guilty over not being there at the lab with his team and with Bobby, he believes he failed them. He believes he's undeserving of joy once again. The scene with the priest also had Eddie choosing water over juice as part of his self inflicted punishment, with juice signifying joy and water the deprivation of joy (sidenote: Anyone else notice that juice was front and centre twice this episode? First in the scene between Buck and Maddie and secondly when Athena and the kids had breakfast together).

And then next week we have an episode called Don't Drink the Water and a promo with the line 'flaming water in their closets'. flaming water in their closets. FLAMING water in their CLOSETS.

He might not he back with the 118 yet but you cannot convince me we're not getting gay Eddie very very soon.

Especially as we've been told we'll see Maddie giving birth this season and in the same episode as Eddie's discussion with the priest Maddie tells Chim she's pregnant and says to him 'Give this a chance be what it is - joy.' I think either next week or in the finale (probably the finale) seeing the Han's welcome their joy into the world Eddie's going to decide to embrace his in the form of admitting his love for Buck (manifesting him grabbing Buck by the arm in the hospital, dragging him round a corner and kissing him senseless...would also mirror Buck accidentally coming out at the Madney wedding by kissing Tommy and getting soot on his face and this show loves parallels).

There's also an earthquake in there so maybe Buck tells him he loves him in a moment of peril, Eddie (gay) panics and doesn't say it back or he does but Buck thinks it was only because of the danger and Eddie doesn't really feel that way, (because he's a renter straight), but after seeing Madney's joy Eddie decides to make his feelings clear to Buck.

Also, while I'm here might as well throw in another theory, similar to Jee Yun having a name that means good luck which is related to the themes of the episode she was born in, baby boy Han will have a name that means joy. I am calling it now.

[bilosan]

madney // buddie + parallels (part four) 💌

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

#Which one is now married again?

[911onao3]

That's crazy. We're... Friends who hang out. It wouldn't be so crazy.

[stevenrogered]

Maddie trying to convince Buck she doesn't have feelings for Chimney / Buck trying to convince Maddie he doesn't have feelings for Eddie

[redwhitebuddie]

this parallel im sobbing :,)

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Obsessed with the storytelling we got in that episode - the contrast between the version of Eddie Texas sees v the version of Eddie Buck sees - the way Buck embraces the entirety of Eddie no questions asked - that he loves him so much that he sees every aspect of Eddie as a good quality and is fully prepared to remind him that they are good qualities. While Eddies parents see something very different - they still see him as a failure. The show made it perfectly clear where Eddies need to ‘lie’ to his own son came from and why it persists. The way they offered not a single helping hand to Eddie unless it was wrapped in barbed wire.

The way that Buck is very loudly shown as a co parent in those video calls as well as a partner to Eddie - and that’s what is key about those scenes - what makes them incredibly important to the narrative for Eddie - Buck is stepping up and stepping in - but he is not just being there for Eddie - he is there for Chris too - from a distance and through Eddie - he is supportive to Eddie, but he is also not just giving platitudes and appeasements to make Eddie feel better - his advice is practical and parental and honest and places Chris at the centre and helps Eddie regain perspective whilst offering Christopher’s perspective as well. It’s the 800 miles away version of the Eddie asking Buck to step in and talk to Chris scenes we saw in season 7.

And the really key part of this is how much it is a contrast to very similar scenes we got in Eddie begins between Eddie and Shannon - when they were separated and forced to communicate via video chat - how Shannon was combattative and centred on her needs and lacking empathy etc. While Buck was focused on being empathetic to Eddie but not pandering or false in it (like his parents) he is at work and busy making lunch or dinner for the firehouse, but he still takes Eddies call - only ending it becasue hate bell rings making time to hear Eddies problems and woes and genuinely being interested in then and in the how to solve them.

It’s Shannons assertions that she needs a partner not a provider - someone to have her back because she doesn’t feel like she is getting those things from Eddie - when Eddie isn’t getting those things fro her either. But Buck and Eddie are the opposite - they have each others back and they are each others partners - they even provide for each other (Buck providing a means for Eddie to get back to his son and Eddie providing Buck affirmation!) the show cannot be much louder about how married they are behaving and in what direction things are going for them.

[srue-on-fire]

8x12 summary:

Maddie dealing with one of her worst nightmares. Chim being super supportive of her, helping her heal, telling things Maddie needs to hear, encouraging her to try therapy again, grounding her. Maddie getting a step closer to being herself again.

Eddie dealing with his worst nightmare. Buck being super supportive of Eddie, being his sounding board, telling things Eddie needs to hear, encouraging him to keep fighting, grounding him. Eddie getting a step closer to being the dad he wants to be again.

Hmm.

[castlebyersthoughts]

I can't get over this. The fact that there is a truck behind them in both instances, symbolizing the thing that's getting between them (a medical/life threatening emergency vs a move).

Welcome back, shooting! Saying goodbye to Buck hurts Eddie just as much as getting shot did, if you even care!

[stickdoodlefriend]

Hear me out. When Maddie was dealing with PPD, she didn't trust her mental health enough to be around Jee-Yun and fled to Boston (a whole different state) until she worked on herself to become better (find joy) and with the help of her partner (Chimney) reunited. When everybody told Chimney to trust Maddie to deal with it by herself, Chimney disagreed and had her back.

We left off with Eddie not trusting his mental health enough that he let Chris flee to El Paso (because that is what Chris is doing, running away and not dealing with it) and during 8a, he worked on becoming better (finding joy) for himself and his son (even if he treats as selfishness). So, my prediction is we get a call back from 7x10, Eddie vs Diaz parents and they hear a knock on the door. It's Buck, because when everyone tells him to trust Eddie to deal with it by himself, Buck has Eddie's back.

[bucksouldress]

choose ur fighter

maddie attacking amber the minute she mentioned chimney

OR

buck attacking tommy the minute he mentioned eddie

[bilosan]

madney // buddie + parallels (part three) 💖

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

#Crashing On The Couch As A Love Language

[jackwhiteprophetic]

I love the madney and buddie parallels, ESPECIALLY when Buck and Eddie talk about Maddie leaving in S5 and Eddie tells Buck that Chim knows Maddie in a different way to him, and might have different ideas of what she needs, and then in S6 after the lightning, when Buck is overwhelmed by Maddie's help, he runs to Eddie, who knows what Buck needs in that situation.

Maddie and Buck had a traumatic childhood and both revert back to their old perceptions of each other when they're stressed, which is why Buck accepted Maddie leaving and why Maddie felt so desperate to protect and care for Buck after the lightning.

And both Chimney and Eddie are presented as contrasts to this, people who have a complex understanding of the people that Eddie and Buck have grown into. They both represent safety and growth for the Buckley siblings.

[mid-knight-black]

I’m not saying this means anything but…

…this doesn’t seem very innocently coincidental 🫣

[or maybe i’m just overthinking things (but what if i’m not?)]