#they were husbands by the third episode Eddie was in

[november-rising]

But for real - Eddie had a family issue during a call. Buck overhears, we zoom into Buck’s reaction, and these fools are at the hospital together? The damn hell?! Eddie introduces Buck like he’s no big deal because he’s family already!!! ❤️

Gotta love Tia Peppa - I thought you just dressed alike! Stop it 🤣

[johanna-swann]

I actually have sooo many issues with 911 lately that haven't even got much to do with any ships.

Like. They wrote out almost all of the side characters. Chris is gone, Linda and Sue are gone, Athena's kids are gone (even though Harry just moved in with her and Bobby again? Seriously, where is Harry?), Ravi is gone, Carla is gone. I know the GA maybe don't care that much, casual viewers might not even have noticed that this many characters have just vanished from the show, but in my opinion this is one of the things that give a show running as long as 911 life. Having a big cast is a good thing. Otherwise things are going to get very monotonous very soon.

Actually, that's my second point. They keep repeating storylines! Every season Hen and Karen have to fight a custody battle over one of their kids.

Every season Eddie ends up realising he has a lot of repressed trauma and issues which keep him from leading a healthy happy and free life.

Every season Bathena realise that they have communication issues and they fight about it, but then something traumatic happens and they forgive each other without ever really talking things out.

Every season we are reminded that Maddie's most prominent character trait is "traumatised", the writers just alternatingly bring up Doug again and sometimes the ppd arc.

Every season we see Buck being somewhat restless, looking and searching for something that will bring him true happiness and cycling through love interests that never stick around and each time when you think "oh, there it is, he's getting somewhere now" the writers go "BEEEP! WRONG!" and we start all over again. [This is not just about recent events aka Tommy, the break-up and Buck potentially going back to his 1.0 ways, this also happened in season 6 when he had his "it doesn't matter what other people see in me, I'm enough" revelation only to suddenly be like "omg, Natalia just sees me".]

And Chimney- he had his moment last season with the wedding episode, Kenneth Choi really ate that episode up, but his most prominent character trait is "Maddie's supportive husband". There's really not that much going on with him otherwise.

Another point I briefly touched upon above is consistency. Like Harry moving back in with Athena and Bobby and then just vanishing. Or Gerrard being more like a slightly unfriendly grandpa than an actual antagonist in season 8 when he was still spouting slurs in season 7.

And the timeline! We talked about this before ("last March", Mara's fostering to adoption timeline, Tommy tranferring to harbour "5 years ago"), but the newest "Tommy was actually Abby's Tommy" twist just adds to that. Tommy was with Abby for over 2 years. They were engaged. This was at a time when he was still at the 118. Tommy dated Abby presumably because he was in denial or maybe because he was hiding. In either case, wouldn't his team at least have heard about his fiancée, Abby the dispatcher? Wouldn't that have rung a bell when Buck eventually brought her around only a year or two later? Tommy did talk about his private life at least a little at work, even under Gerrard. It just doesn't make sense. (Not to mention this seems wildly out of character for Tommy who around the same time also said about himself "being single is easier".)

Then there's the pacing. This was a huge issue in season 7. They jumped from one personal soap opera drama to the next without taking any breathers, had almost no procedural in their drama the whole season, still somehow decided to spend one third of the entire season just on the opening disaster and also squeezed in a "Bobby begins for the third time now" episode. But okay, it was a shortened season, there were strikes, they switched networks, they were under a lot of pressure - I'll cut them some slack. At least they set up a bunch of interesting stuff for the following season.

But we're in season 8 now. The renewal was announced very early, they had a lot of time to plan this time. Also they have almost double the episodes they had last season, there's really no need to rush any of the major plots. I am done cutting them slack.

They wanna do a 3 part opening disaster again? Okay fine, you have the time now. I feel like they could've easily done it in 2 episodes (especially 8x02 felt a little "eh"), but okay. Better than the breakneck speed you were going at befo- Oh, what's that? 8x04 flying in with a steel chair. You resolved 70% percent of the plots you set up last season in one single episode with no build up, no emotional pay off and no lasting consequences? And you also squeezed in multiple unrelated calls at the same time? Damn, okay then. Good-bye potentially interesting storylines. Fuck me for being invested I guess. I thought there would at least maybe be some follow up in 8x05, but no.

Now that Halloween episode wasn't bad, it was actually the best episode of this season imo, but instead of following up on previously established conflicts and developments they just hit us with new Wilson family trauma and conflict that was also immediately fixed again. And now 8x06 has speedrun and dumped another storyline that had potential to go to deeper and interesting places. Not gonna talk too much about that though because this post is about the show as a whole, not ships.

And I am not yet convinced that there will be much more to come on the only thing that's left from last season: Eddie's deep dive into his trauma and repression. It's totally possible at this point that being told "you deserve nice things" by a random stranger actually solved all of his problems, it would be very in tone with 911's new style.

What are they even gonna do with the rest of this season? Revisiting the Hotshots set sounds fun, but ultimately inconsequential. You know what's great about a regular old procedural drama with ~20 episodes per season that comes on weekly? You have time. You can let the viewers sit with their emotions and thoughts for a week and keep them engaged by stretching things out a little.

But why should I bother getting emotionally invested in problems the characters are gonna solve within the same episode anyway? Or rather, even if I wanted to, how am I supposed to care if you don't give me the time to develop any feelings about anything that's happening? "Henren lost in court and are now completely forbidden from seeing Mara at all!" Damn, that must be so har- "JUST KIDDING! Ortiz is exposed and everything is perfect again now." Oh. Okay then, I guess.

Bottom line: The characters are all stuck in their own hamster wheels, they keep cutting side characters that could bring a breeze of fresh air (I'm honestly surprised they even kept Josh until now), they rush through all the storylines a such a ridiculous speed that I don't even have time to feel any sort of way about it, they don't even try to keep a consistency or sensible timeline going and they seem to strongly prioritise random funny bits that'll entertain the very casual viewers right now in this moment (tiger call, Billy Boils, Bee-nado, the 'Stache tm, "wait, it's the same Abby?", Gerrard being a fangirl at heart) instead of playing the long game and catering to people who actually pay a little attention to the show.

[On that last remark: I'm not talking about hardcore fans who analyse every single frame here, I mean casual fans who've watched the show on and off again for a while and who may not be involved in fandom but genuinely care about the show.]

I mean. What am I even still doing here? The show is treading water and I end up disappointed more often than not. I'm still holding out a little hope that they actually will do something interesting with Eddie and his sea-monkeys, but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't.

[livinginsunnyhell]

Hey friend! We tend to ship the same ships, so tell me about Buddie.

Omg! I am thrilled to get this question! First hey friend! We do like the same ships and I am a fan of your work, so it’s lovely to hear from you. So not to over do this but I have broken my answer (essay) up into three parts. The first is things to know before entering the buddie fandom, the second is who they are, and the third is why I like them. I tried to be as succinct as possible but I do suffer from too much love for them so bear with me. Also this is spoiler free.

What to know about buddie

Okay so the very first thing to know about buddie is that they are not canon. Yet. (A deal with the devil is scheduled for Wednesday night before the next episode airs on Thursday which is speculated to be THE episode. Jkjk) This is important to note because when I entered the fandom I had absolutely no clue. I thought they were a gay firefighting couple who were raising a special needs child together. I thought it was cute. I was confused and disappointed when I found out they were not in fact together. The second thing to know is buddie is unhinged about each other. Like watching this show I feel gaslit especially in the earlier seasons. Something would happen between them and I’d be wondering like is this normal behavior? I probably didn’t start shipping them until season 3 but did notice some crush type behavior early on. I also went into the show expecting to like them so. The third thing to know is there’s a shit ton of amazing fanfic and it’s constantly growing. Like I think when I started reading buddie fanfic again last March it was 8k lower than it is now. It’s insane how fast it’s growing. And lastly, shipping them is like entering a land of delusion because they’ve been a will they go canon since like season 4 and we’re on season 8. I initially got into them right before season 5 and I was so sure they’d go canon in season 5 and then they didn’t. So like there’s just a lot of delusion about whether or not it’s happening, which is fine but it’s good to know going in. That being said you don’t have to worry about a Veronica mars situation with them.

Who is buddie?

Okay so buddie or Evan “Buck” Buckley and Eddie Diaz are two firefighters on a show called 911 which also stars Angela Bassett, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Peter Krause. All major reasons I came for the show. Buck is in the show from episode 1 and Eddie comes in season 2. The show is all about first responders and while it can be a tearjerker there’s also some really strange plot points and funny ones. Buck is basically introduced as a fuck boy a la Logan Echolls but without the rich and famous parents. Buck’s story can be summed up as a someone who is desperate to be loved. His parents, while not as bad as Logan’s, were not great parents and Buck has a lot of self esteem issues. In my opinion, Buck has been on a journey since season 1 to figure out how to love himself and be in a loving relationship where he’s not being used (mostly for sex.). And then there’s Eddie Diaz who comes in as a work partner for Buck thanks to their fire captain Bobby (Peter Krause). Eddie is an army medic with a son who is adorable and has cerebral palsy. He got married super young because he got his girlfriend pregnant. Now, his wife is estranged and not in the picture so Eddie is learning what it is to be a single parent. His son, Chris is the most important person in Eddie’s life and later on becomes the most important in Buck’s. Eddie’s journey can really be summed up as he’s always taking care of other people and his identity is tied up in his titles such as father, husband, soldier, firefighter without taking the time to actually know who he is. He’s always pushing his own needs aside and then they generally manifest in anger or mental health issues. He’s spent a lot of time addressing these issues and growing to better understand balancing his needs and accepting that it’s okay to be open. Eddie and Buck lean on each other constantly and the audience watches as their friendship grows and they become a family.

Why I like Buddie

So the top reason I like buddie is because I love how soft they are with each other. Both Buck and Eddie are pretty traditionally masculine men which is why it’s so refreshing to see them so open with each other. First and foremost they are best friends and they show up for each other again and again. There are so many scenes in which you can see the love they have for each other. And they are evenly matched too. Like they are partners in every sense of the word. And they have their own storylines outside of each other so the character isn’t a plot device to drive the other’s story. It’s a really refreshing take to see men have meaningful conversations and be vulnerable with each other without sacrificing who they are as characters or being labeled a certain way. I love Buck because he is so emotional and isn’t afraid to be that way while Eddie has been told for most of his life to suck it up and push it down. By watching Buck be so open, he’s able to feel like he has a safe place to be vulnerable. So I guess my favorite part of them is watching them be safe with each other.

I also love found family stories and this is like peak found family. They trust and rely on each other and again it’s amazing to see. I mean overall I’d say they don’t have any toxic traits in their relationship except probably codependency and Buck can be unhinged when he’s jealous, but unlike other ships I’ve enjoyed, they’re extremely healthy for one another. They bring out their best qualities. I also like that they are best friends and work partners. They do so many things together which the audience sees again and again. They match each others freak and it’s just really beautiful. And lastly, it’s a slow burn. Like incredibly slow like caramelizing onions slow so while you get a bunch of content you also have to wait it out.

I think I covered all of it. Highly recommend. The first season does feel like a completely different show but it’s all fun to watch. I’m not a procedural person but I enjoy 9-1-1. The writing isn’t like mind blowing but it’s definitely enjoyable. I tend to watch while crafting.

lol my essay is complete. Let me know if I didn’t cover anything or anyone else please add to this incredibly over the top answer to a simple question.

[mischiefbuckley]

I want to see Eddie’s sisters on the show. I need to see this man who we have seen time and time again be an adoring and loving father to his son show us how protective and caring he is towards his sisters and especially with the dynamic of how they grew up with the parents they had as well like it would be very interesting to see say if there was an Eddie Begins Again/Eddie centric episode in season 8 to see how that plays into Eddie’s childhood and again the whole Mexican Catholic religious background he had growing up and how that’s affected his life time and time again from feeling forced into a marriage because he found out his girlfriend is pregnant and that was the right thing to do, but later signing up for the military because again he is the man of the house and is suppose to provide for his family, so he’s mirroring what he has seen growing up with his father never being present and always working.

When he does come back after the end of his first tour he’s met with medical debt in the form of his son Christopher being diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, so again what does he do he signs up for another tour, so he is able to take care of the bills and make sure Shannon stays at home and takes care of Christopher because that’s the role his mom had when he was growing up, again mirroring his childhood experiences being that both him and Shannon were young parents and Eddie didn’t know any better. When he does come back after he’s awarded the silver star, he has trouble assimilating back to what his life is suppose to be. He’s suppose to be the supporting husband to his wife and kid and on top of still having his parents never thinking he is doing enough as the man of his own family now. When Shannon leaves him to go take care of her mom, his family immediately blames her for everything and tries to take advantage of the situation of Eddie being busy and trying to provide for his son by working 3 different jobs while also keep in mind already thinking of the future and he had been looking at other cities to move to because again he didn’t want his son being raised in the type of environment he was raised in. He got offers from Chicago and LA, but ultimately he ended up choosing LA and started his probationary year at the LAFD at station 118. And throughout his journey on the show we have seen him time and time again not only adjust to his new life now that’s he’s living in Los Angeles, but he has a positive support system around him including a new best friend who he can rely on and they have each others backs no matter what.

And when we get to season 5 where he’s going to therapy and talking about his past trauma and ptsd from being in the military and we see him be vulnerable and we see him as he has his mental breakdown after he finds out that the people he saved back in Afghanistan have all died, he’s at a lost for words and doesn’t know how to handle that pain so he completely loses it and the one person that comes to his rescue and supports him through everything is Buck. So it will be very interesting to see now with how season 8 pans out how they will tackle the whole catholic storyline if Eddie is going back to church now that he’s all alone and can’t really rely on his primary role of being a father because he’s son is away and for the first time in his life he is completely alone with all his emotions. It will again be very interesting to see what different storylines they have planned out for him, but even with the interview today that was released where Tim mentions that he’s even isolated in a sense from Buck with him being in a relationship and his time outside of work being limited on when they can hangout and it sounded like Eddie would be third wheeling so it will be something to watch with everything else he has going on if they are going down with the catholic guilt storyline with him coming to terms with his sexuality

[altsunthinkable]

Catching up on 9-1-1 after falling behind a few weeks due to Life™.

Okay, I truly do deeply love my silly little weewoo show for exactly what it is. But the third part of the season 8 premiere arc with the plane was just... you know, a little loss or a little part where they don't save absolutely everyone makes the sensational, unbelievable stuff just go down a tad bit easier. Some salt to go with all the sticky sweetness. They could have had Hen & Chim tell Athena that the co-pilot would be brain dead at that point (seriously! no one was giving him rescue breaths!), so please come with them to safety. Or had Athena remember smoke inhalation literally just have her husband a heart attack. Agree to keep that oxygen mask on for another 30 seconds? Have Eddie ask Buck wtf he was thinking going on that plane without turnouts when literally two dozen units were there with fully equipped and capable firefighters. Have Bobby go "Oh shit!" and jump out of the way when it wasn't clear if the plane would stop before hitting the movie prop engine? Any tiny nod to reality, a wink of acknowledgement that this is all ridiculous. About the time Jenkins jumped in front of the bullet (and survived) I was rolling my eyes a bit at how perfectly heroic the entire episode was. Which bummed me out a little because I would have liked that moment of Athena letting go of her anger towards Emmett's killer, it would have landed truer if every other aspect of the episode wasn't just too over-the-top perfect.

Just my thoughts. (Kiss ass Eddie making life as easy for himself as possible with Gerard gives me joy. Good for him - there are no bonus points for suffering.)

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

Hi! I’ve been following you for a while and so have seen a lot of your 911 content and it’s made me pretty interested in watching the show. (I thought Buck/Eddie was canon for the longest time because of your blog and was genuinely disappointed when i realised they weren’t😭)

I’m very aware though that it may be another queerbaiting situation and I don’t know if I have the energy to invest in that D: Do you think there’s any hope for Buck/Eddie? Should I watch the show despite that?

I'm going to be very firm in my answer here: it is not queerbaiting.

Regardless of whether or not the show goes canon, it is not queerbaiting.

When the Rizzoli & Isles marketing team from day one (literally before the pilot even aired) were putting out billboards and advertisements in magazines going "ooh are they just friends or are they partners in more ways than one?" - that was queerbaiting. They did this throughout the entire run of the show.

When the Teen Wolf team had the actors for the popular ship Sterek cuddling on a boat making shipping jokes and telling us to tune in to the new season of Teen Wolf and winking at us - that was queerbaiting.

When the BBC Sherlock writers threw in line after line of third parties stating that John was married to Sherlock, that Sherlock was John's boyfriend, that John was clearly in love with Sherlock, only for them to turn around and literally make fun of viewers for thinking that they were being serious - that was queerbaiting.

When the Supernatural writers made wink wink references to Dean Winchester knowing about/visiting popular gay bars in Miami and suggesting he and Cas run away to the one state that had gay marriage legalized at the time - that was queerbaiting.

The 911 writers haven't done one of those wink wink references since season two. They have not used the Buddie ship in marketing tools and advertisements. They have not had third parties joke that Buck and Eddie are gay for each other.

The fact that the writers are crafting a story where we, the viewers, see the only logical conclusion to the character arcs being Buck and Eddie falling for each other and dating is not queerbaiting. Queerbaiting is a tactic to lure in a queer audience without any intention of following through.

This 'queerbaiting' accusation is especially heinous in regards to 911 because 911 is a show that has five significant queer characters: Hen Wilson and her wife Karen, Athena's ex-husband Michael, Michael's fiancé David, and Maddie's coworker Josh. Michael and David are currently not on the show due to Michael's actor refusing to follow vaccination guidelines, but Hen and Karen just got a huge damn backstory episode showing how they fell in love.

911 loves and respects its queer characters and storylines, so to have the fandom constantly accusing them of queerbaiting because the ship they want to happen hasn't happened (yet), is insulting and disrespectful, in my very, very, very tired opinion.

So, to wit: whether or not they go canon, Buck and Eddie are not queerbaiting. 911 is not queerbaiting us. Full stop.

Now, we do not know for certain that they will be going canon. The show writers are not going to confirm that ahead of time, just like they wouldn't for a het ship like Bones/Booth, Castle/Beckett, or most recently Chenford over on The Rookie. That would be spoiling a big plot moment if that's where they're headed. So asking for confirmation from them is rather unfair. As I've said before and will say again: no, het ships do not get a guarantee and a pre-canon confirmation. If you think they do, then I would've loved to see where you were in the late 90s/early 00s when I was in the trenches.

However, with het ships, writers will play with the audience and tease them a bit more. Because with het ships, if they do that, they won't be queerbaiting if it doesn't happen. Therefore, the 911 writers are going to stay mum. We won't know from the writers if Buddie is going canon until it's shown on screen through a third party love confession or other means.

Although we do not have a confirmation that they're going canon, I have faith that they are. The writing points to it. I don't have time to list all the reasons. If you go into my blog and search '911 spec' or 'meta' you should get some good results. Otherwise if you go to @extasiswings blog and do some searching you'll see a lot of great meta from herself and others. @yramesoruniverse also has great meta. There are others but I'm fried and rushing out the door so can't think of anything specific at the moment.

My point is, people in this fandom have outlined how the writing in this show, to them, points to Buddie going canon, and I agree. Do some light digging and you'll see.

Finally, a ship going canon or not is not why you should ship something. Ship something because you love the dynamic. Geraskier is never going canon but I'm still having a rip-roaring good time with them. But at the end of the day, nonny, it's up to you.

If you want to wait and watch from the sidelines to see if Buddie goes canon before investing, that's totally valid and your choice. I can't decide that for you. I know what it's like to ship something and hope it goes canon only to have it not come to fruition (RIP Garcy, among others), and it sucks, so I get it if you don't want to do that. But it's your choice and yours alone.

I will say that 911 is a fantastic show even without Buddie going canon, and that I adore every single one of the characters, and I don't even like medical dramas. So I think it's a worthwhile show to get into, Buddie or no Buddie.

To summarize: We don't know if they're going canon yet but it's not queerbaiting, the show is good either way and worth a shot, only you can decide if you want to invest in a ship that may or may not go canon.

I hope you have a good day and take care of yourself. Stay safe.

[thegoldheartlocketandkey-blog]

911 Spoilers Season 2: You’ve been warned. 😅

Episode 8-10

Episode 8

• Buck talks down woman who is upset with her husband, Norman, who isn’t giving her enough attention, after she points a gun at him.

• Eddie is watching this interaction right below him. He’s also overhearing their conversation that includes Buck accepting that Abby is never coming back and having to get over her.

Buck and Eddie continue to have this life/ death experiences, while also navigating their love life’s. I really felt bad for Buck during this scene because it was obviously that he only recently started to process that Abby is gone. This rescue is also the origin of Buck wanting to be seen.

• Buck talks to Bobby by the engine about the rescue. Makes it clear that he finally accepts that Abby is gone and that he’ll be okay.

• Buck goes out as a single man with Chim. Buck discusses wanting to upgrade to Buck 2.0. A better version of Buck that’s moved on from Abby. 

• Buck reminiscences about his old single days.

• Chim invited Maddie with out telling Buck. Buck becomes third wheel. While left alone, Taylor makes an appearance and buys him a drink.

• Buck and Taylor hook up in the bar bathroom after having a conversation about restraint. This happens all while Chim and Maddie are singing karaoke.

This scene in general really show cases how lonely Buck is and how he feels he’s lost his identity. He wants to improve, but easily falls back into old habits.

• Buck tells Bobby about his hook up. He’s dissecting the situation and explains that he feels bad/weird about the it.

This really small interaction between Bobby and Buck is one of my favorite Father and Son bonding scenes. Buck is being vulnerable and Bobby is setting him straight, while making a quick joke. I also need to give the director or the person who edited the scene a big hug, because as Buck is talking about his mess of a love life the camera cuts to Eddie not once but twice. It’s subtle and I may be delusional, but it’s there.

• Buck asks Taylor out on a “real” date. She denies it but they hook up in news van (or at least they start too)

•Rescue with newlyweds. No particular Buddie moment, but Buck and Eddie are the primary firefighters trying to pull them out of the vehicle.

• Buck hangs out with Chim and Maddie again. They address his sex life and lack of love life. Chim tells him that by going after Taylor he is basically dating Buck 1.0. Buck points out that Chim and Maddie are actually dating, but are in denial. Buck receives suspicious call asking him out to coffee. In that moment I believed it was Taylor, but we later find out it was actually Ally.

• The emergency with the old gay couple that were celebrating their anniversary and had a scrap book of their lives together, breaks my heart every time. It also likely foreshadows Buck and Eddie growing old together.

• Buck gets the love advice of "You don't find it. You make it"

• Buck calling for Eddie first when the old man was found unresponsive. After CPR fails, Buck notices the couple holding hands. Buck states, “That is love.”

I whole heartedly believe that this emergency has helped shape what Buck is looking for when it comes to love. He’s found true love. Still he’s not fully understanding that you don’t search for it. Jumping a head to Season 6, this mirrors Eddie’s search for love. I’ll probably go into more details when I get to that episode/season.

• Montage of all posside romances. Buck reaches out to Ally. They go out for a coffee date. Ally mentioning Eddie in the first few moments of their date. Ally stating, “Maybe I should have called Eddie instead.”

I like to pretend this is the writers very subtle way of stating Buck should have called Eddie. 😏

Episode 9

Hen Begins ❤️ An amazing episode, but no Buddie content.

Episode 10

• Buck annoys the hell out of Chimney as his roomate, moves in with Maddie.

• Eddie and Shannon hookup, and apparently have been hooking up for a while. Chris is brought home early and unknowingly has the possibility of seeing his mother for the first time in forever. Eddie decides that this is not the time for a reunion and has Shannon hide. Making Shannon out as a shameful secret.

I will say Shannon and Eddie’s dynamic and situation is really weird, given the fact that they are still technically married. That was practically a shitty situation to be in, but I also understand it not being the best time to reintroduce her to Chris.

• Eddie is afraid of Santa.

• Shannon makes a dramatic entrance and announces that they are sleeping together, in front of Chimney and Buck. Both Chimney and Buck pretend not to have heard the statement and uncomfortably look away.

• Eddie establishes that he can’t trust his wife and that being the reason why she can’t see Chris yet.

Eddie at this point has made it really clear that he loves Chris and will do anything to protect him. We see this more as the seasons continue, but him not trusting the woman that created and cared for Chris in the beginning when he was gone, is a little wild. I think Eddie is justified in his feelings, but he is being a little harsh. I think this moment in specific is very important to capture and break down because we can use Eddie’s relationship with Shannon as a foil to Eddie’s relationship with Buck, specifically pertaining to their involvement with Christopher.

• Buck becomes overly concerned and seemingly obsessed with Eddie's circumstances and is eagerly trying to discuss what just happened with Chimney.

• Buck and Eddie take Christopher to go see Santa. Eddie is as far away from Santa as he could possibly be, by sitting with Buck at the water fountain.

• Buck admires Christopher and vocalizes this to Eddie. Eddie suspects that Buck really wants to say something the whole Shannon situation.

• Eddie feels like he needs to justify sleeping with his wife to Buck. Buck seems to easily understand Eddie’s thought process and doesn’t judge him for it. Eddie becoming extremely vulnerable and revealing how he’s failed Chris, similarly to the way Shannon has failed Chris. Eddie admits to being confused about his relationship status with his wife.

The conversation Buck and Eddie have at this water fountain is very intense and vulnerable. I honestly believe that the conversation they are having should have been the conversation Eddie has with Shannon directly. This scene show cases a level of trust Buck and Eddie have developed since first meeting.

• Elf walks up to Buck and assumes Buck and Eddie are together as a gay couple with a child. She saw those two men and thought “gay”! 😂 That elf is the embodiment of all Buddie Shippers.

• The Bus emergency with the Marine. After rescuing those involved the 118 takes the Marine to his daughter’s school for her performance. There is a mutual understanding between Eddie and this Marine. Buck and Eddie cry at the marines reunion with his daughter.

• Eddie finally allows Shannon and Christopher to reunite. Very cute and heartwarming moment.

Now that Season 7 is quickly approaching, I’m going to challenge myself to transcribe all my notes and upload them on Mondays-Thursdays before the Season 7 premiere. I finished my rewatch, just have to go through my notes and transcribe them all. No promises that I’ll actually get this done in time, but I will actually try.

All my notes from Season 2 should be posted by this Wednesday.

[eternaltides]

A Terrible Depth

Prologue, Episode 1

Transcript below the cut

Arriving at the venue, before the wedding

GAI. [standing outside] Glad you’re all here. One of you needs to talk to Maew–she’s freaking out. She won’t hear a word from me. 

GWANG. I won’t be much help either–last time I tried to reason with her didn’t go so well.

VAN. Oh my gosh, these flowers are all wrong. We specifically requested ivory, not white. I need to take care of this. Jip, honey, be a dear and talk to her? She’s always listened to you. 

JIP. [soft smile] Sure, I’ll talk to her.

In the bridal suite

JIP. [opening door] Maew? Are you okay?

MAEW. I don’t think I can do this. I can’t be a wife or a mother. I’m fucking batshit, everyone knows it.

JIP. You’re bipolar, not batshit. 

MAEW. You sound just like my lovely husband-to-be. Fuck what that shrink said, he didn’t know me. I’m not bipolar, it’s just who I am. They just want me to take all this medication that turns me into a fucking zombie, suppresses who I really am. They don’t want to deal with me.

JIP. Maew, it’s been six years. You can be an amazing wife and mother, but you have to be stable. If you won’t do that for yourself, do it for your baby.

MAEW. No one, not a single one of you, will accept me for who I am. Not even Fon, and apparently he’s supposed to blindly support me for the rest of our lives. 

JIP. Marriage isn’t blindly supporting your partner, you have to hold each other accountable too. Especially as parents. Once you have this baby, everything else comes second. Everything.

MAEW. This baby will be better off without me–clearly everyone else is.

JIP. No one is better off without you, especially not the baby. You are surrounded by people who love you, who will help you be a good wife and a good mother if you let us.

MAEW. You and Gwang make it look so easy. How were you not scared out of your mind?

JIP. [laughing] We were. We still are. Actually…I want to tell you something. I wasn’t going to tell anyone so early; no one knows this yet, not even Gwang. I just found out this morning–I’m pregnant, too. 

MAEW. So soon?

JIP. I know. Eddie’s only three months old. Maew, I’m terrified, and this is our third. It never stops being scary, but you do it because of how much you love them.

MAEW. I really do love this baby. I don’t even know him yet. I love him so much. Okay, I think I can do this. Thank you so much for talking to me, Jip.

JIP. Of course. I’m going to go take my seat, I’ll catch you at the reception. You look beautiful, by the way.

[wackybuddiemewbs]

OK, watched 6.02 at long last. A lot of interesting things to see, most of which has already been analyzed in much greater detail and depth than I would even aspire to.

That being said, some random observations:

Someone's already pointed out the magic of three and the prevalence of twos in that episode. And yeah, it's been really very much at the front imo (“you learned two things today”, Hen being in her second year with the intention to move on to the third, only to be told she might have to repeat the second year, two major calls, two victims needing the hydraulic device, three dorks with three popcorn bowls, three retired friends caught up in the accident at the happiness convention - out of which only two come out alive, love triangle, etc.). Not entirely sure what that may signify. First episode also had a lot of ones and twos (particularly striking and relevant to the plot was Buck's single armchair for a single person, etc.). If we get fours next episode, I'd laugh very hard. Either way. SOMETHING is up with that.

The colors of red and blue were yet again very prevalent (aside from the obvious ones with the stuff you see at the fire department etc.): red bubble level, literal red flags, the cheating wife in a purple pajama opposed to her husband in a lightly blue shirt (also notice the power of three: that guy's blue shirt, Lev's blue shirt, and Buck's blue shirt), the blue AA book Buck is reading stands in stark contrast to Hen's red laptop cover (while both are sitting on opposite sides, red scissors stuck in a guy, Hen's hoodie when she comes crashing down and Karen in her red dress). Like, obviously, it's great visually to work out contrasts and is very pleasing on the eye. But they really struck me in that episode in particular.

It felt like a callback that Hen's notes repeatedly showed an anatomic heart illustration as well as one of the brain (as she was taking the neurology exam and sadly failed it). Because it instantly got me thinking about Buck misunderstanding the assignment and drawing his lil smiley heart (and Eddie holding both his and Christopher's heart). Hen also repeatedly “misunderstood” the assignment in that she no longer had the focus and couldn't prioritize. So that paralleling might be further extended if we do indeed see Buck crashing down.

On that same note, there might be something to this brain vs. heart theme. Hen's confronted with the brain vs. heart choice right now (which will she choose, being a paramedic or becoming a doctor as she can't be both). If they continue paralleling her and Buck on that, this may also factor in for him in that he is due a decision of the heart vs. one of the head, whichever it may be.

I found it interesting to hear Buck ask Hen about being at ease. And how all fears leave you if you are. Because the implication is that he fears something (many things at once), and he seems more conscious of that now. Which may make things worse for him, even. Because if he can't find answers, he is “alone” with his fears and can't be at ease/happy. Or so it would seem.

Buck questioning what the point was of Lev dying at the happiness convention was an interesting callback to Eddie and him talking about what the sense of their job is, of what the point was for Eddie to have saved his comrades in combat, only for them to die.

“Don't worry, be happy” is indeed a wonderful music choice here, considering that this is exactly what Buck's struggling with as he seems to worry more about the fact that he won't truly achieve happiness and may miss his shot at it.

The fact that they lost Lev to a “design flaw”. Someone else pointed out that it felt like a deliberate callback to Buck's “defective parts” line. And I find myself in agreement, something's up with that.

Hen pointing out that it was about to come crashing down may indeed be foreshadowing not just to her own crash after getting home, but also Buck's later on.

Visually, I found it interesting that the calls were so similar in terms of set-up. Both times things came crushing down and people were buried underneath. Both times it involved flaws in the design. Both times it primarily focused on three people who were involved in the call (husband-wife-lover, Lev and his friends).

Frankie getting hurt after moving chairs. Maybe Buck about to get hurt after moving his armchair... yeah, I know, stretchy stretch.

Where does that leave us regarding Buck in particular?

I will out myself as a Buck breakdown truther right off the bat. Especially this episode struck me in all sorts of ways. And that has me all the more sold that a breakdown is imminent, and that yes, Eddie might be the one person to get him out of it. Or rather, Buck's realization may very well be that this is indeed his happiness right there and that the "blur" Lev talked about was actually not having seen that until that moment. Or something to that effect.

But yeah, breakdown. Let's talk more breakdown.

Buck is searching for answers. By default, he turns to his friends and mentor figures (Bobby, Hen). And while they offer advice, none of the answers leave him much wiser, I think. Like, Buck wants to be content with his lil armchair, but in the next episode, his quest for happiness continues (and will continue to, as far as the plot summaries go that we got to see by now).

Buck finds himself confronted with having to find his own answers. That, in itself, is a good thing. In that he takes a good look at what he wants out of his life and what truly constitutes his happiness. Much of Buck's journey was coming into his own and becoming his own person. One big arc was having his “sense-making” ripped away by the ladder truck bombing and the subsequent loss of his profession. Buck couldn't cope with that because he considered that his purpose.

Things shifted a lot since, even more so since he invested himself more in the Diaz household (read future couch hold). Buck's purpose is also about being there for Eddie and for Christopher (including the will). We have confirmation that he spends a greater deal of time with them (cooks with them, has dinner with them, goes to the zoo with Christopher, etc.).

So we might see some interesting shifts there, considering that Christopher is aiming towards more independence, which will heavily affect Eddie - but may also come to affect Buck, who has focused much of his sense-making on being part of that unit.

So Buck has a lot to negotiate. I have my conclusion for him (which, yes, involves realizing his feelings for his husband at work), but it'll be interesting what will really bring Buck there. Will it really be another close encounter with death? Will it be him retreating to old coping mechanisms as a way of sense-making? Might we see some kind of hero's death idealization, in the hope to “see” what Lev saw before he died, to find the answer? All possible.

What remains for me is that I think Hen's been right with how it was about to come crashing down with regard to Buck as well. Because he will likely keep failing to find happiness because he is looking in the wrong places (misunderstanding the assignment much). Which may prompt him to do things to break out of that cycle, even with great force if he has to.

He told Maddie after she found out he was seeing a therapist what's come back to the forefront now: He doesn't just want to be OK or good, he wants to be better, he wants to be happier. He wants more. Now he finds himself confronted with the question of what constitutes that more. If it isn't firefighting, and it isn't stepping up his game as someone who is there for Christopher and Eddie as a support system (coming to the rescue, stepping in when needed, the will, but nothing beyond that, as far as he can realize)... what is it?

What stood out for me also was that Buck looking at himself and trying to figure out what he wants out of life comes with him turning in on himself. We don't have him (yet) separating himself from the others (he goofs around with Eddie and Chim alright), but it may be a sign that he's heading back there. That he goes back into his own head. And that normally means something bad is about to go down for our Buckaroo.

I just felt very reminded in his last scene with Hen of how he looked at Eddie during that kitchen scene in 5B, when Eddie pretended to be fine with not working as a firefighter right now. That Buck should move on. Like, the facial expression was very similar to me, when he asked Hen what she thought it was, and her not giving an answer and having to take the call and moving on also.

So yeah, I still have a feeling shit's about to go down for our Buckaroo. EDDIE TO THE RESCUE!

... Okay, that was enough rambling for now. There will probably be more. But for now... I'm rambled out.

Thanks for sticking around!

Cheers!

[whateverthedragonswant]

Hey! Loved your meta on “Jinx” and was wondering if you have any thoughts on Eddie’s line “don’t worry, he’s next.” He says this on the call with the cat in the tree, and he’s referring to the woman’s husband who is also stuck, but the line always makes me raise my eyebrows bc they cut to Buck climbing up the tree right after Eddie says this, and yeah it’s a funny line, but how necessary was it to include? And he says it in the same ep where he begins dating someone? I find it odd and am curious what you think of it!

Thank you so much @ktinaj!!! =D Oooo, yes I do, my friend. Thank you for this ask, I am in total agreement with you, that line, that whole scene is odd!

I think that this was definitely intentional. I think it played to the theme of "stuck", and I think it was very intentional that we get the shot of Buck climbing up to help the husband who is still stuck with the wife and Eddie turning to look up at them. Then the line "Don't worry, he's next." They absolutely did not need to include that shot or Eddie saying this line. There was nothing "wrong" or "jinx" about it except the husband getting stuck maybe but even then it doesn't seem to carry that type of vibe. Only the "stuck" part.

I think they threw it in there to keep with the theme but also to keep in line with what comes into play later on near the end of the episode and also 4x06's ripple effect in 4x08, 4x12, 4x13, and 4x14. Buck is absolutely related to Eddie needing to move on. Even though it's Bobby who has the talk with Eddie, Buck is very much at the forefront of this episode as well:

it's Buck who mentions Ana in front of the 118 where Eddie gets uncomfortable because Chim, Hen, and Bobby are pushing which prompts Bobby to talk to him later

Buck who is the one who says the line "It's like the universe is screaming at you and you refuse to listen"

Buck who asks Eddie to admit that there is something controlling the things he can't control

Buck who is reading the love languages book

Buck who is on the gurney

Buck who was the one that set off the last jinx unintentionally (since this episode was all about Eddie, even though he didn't set off this jinx, it's interesting that they're making that connection)

Buck who is late to the table for the mac and cheese

Buck who asked Ravi how his first shift went which prompted the Q word and the jinx

Buck who is chasing after the fake firefighter (aka the stand-in for Eddie) stealing the fire engine

Buck who is the one to hesitate before agreeing to breakfast plans with Bobby, Hen, and Chim

Buck who has "upgraded" and ready to look to the future despite Eddie telling him he has the right to take some time to process everything that occurred with his parents

All of it is connected to Buck.

And this scene:

I have to admit, upon first watch, I didn't think anything of this scene. Upon second watch, I kept thinking to myself "holy crap, this scene is so bad, why is Ryan looking everywhere as he does this monologue? It's so bad." Which, I don't think Ryan is a bad actor at all, which is why this surprised me. There was no need for him to keep looking to each member of the 118 as he tries to talk Brian down and into returning the truck. But then when I went back for a third watch, I finally saw why this scene was performed this way, why these shots were kept in.

Not only is this where Eddie makes the decision to move on like Bobby is telling him he needs to, he's letting go of Buck in a way. And it's confirmed by what starts at 1:02 and Buck's reaction afterwards. I don't think Buck knows this is to him or that Eddie's even thinking about him. But the show does choose to keep in the shot of Oliver's reaction after these lines. And the lines themselves absolutely make sense to their story and how Buck has been there since Shannon died (outside of the lawsuit arc): "I just wanted to say thank you for helping us out at the garage fire. I needed your help. We needed your help. You were there." I needed your help -> Eddie needed Buck which was confirmed by Buck realizing this and saying this in 3x09. We needed your help -> Both Eddie and Christopher needed him, which he confirms in that same line from 3x09. You were there -> Buck has been there and continues to be.

"Key the radio so I know you're listening."

So then I understood why Eddie was looking everywhere. Chim and Bobby were the most consistent ones he kept looking to (while Hen was shown once or twice) because:

He's moving on based not only on Bobby's talk with him or what happens with Brian but also because of the scene above. A scene where they don't show Buck's expression again after he gives Eddie his 'sorry, I guess?' look.

And then to further confirm that this was all about Eddie needing to move on from Buck and the role he is fulfilling in his life, they had this scene in the beginning of the episode:

Where we see Eddie probably a little bit annoyed when he looks to Hen and Chim with his little eyeroll, but he entertains Buck and seems just the tiniest bit amused himself. I know a lot of people think Hen is looking to Eddie when Buck says "I'm ready to start thinking about the future" because it's a subtle hint to Buddie and they could be right, but I also think it's because this episode will be about Eddie needing to do the same as Buck, to move on. Eddie literally moved on because Buck was. The minute he moved to 3.0, the pressure was on for Eddie to do the same, to move forward.

Which is why when we go back to the book club scene we have that line from Eddie: "I was wondering why Buck has a book in his hands but now it all makes sense." (typical teasing and bantering that has been the norm for them for the past two seasons) And then Buck follows up with "Eddie, what would you say Ana's love language is?" And of course "Traitor." And also why Eddie is the only one trying to sleep while everyone else is reading learning materials for their futures: "medical, babies, women." And then of course Bobby asking Eddie if he can't sleep due to the jinx and Eddie saying "Or maybe I couldn't sleep because I couldn't sleep." All of it is absolutely connected.

So to answer your question about the cat scene (sorry we took the long way to get here, I tend to do that a lot lol), I think yes that scene is meant to communicate something to the audience. Not only is there a link there that Buck is the only other firefighter we've seen saving a cat from a situation (3x16) but Buck's upgrade is indirectly the catalyst for getting Eddie unstuck. So the fact that Buck is the one climbing the ladder to get the husband, that he's the one who climbs the ladder to get the DJ, that he's the one the girl throws up on when she's free, that he's trying to free the guy in the movie theater. He is who Eddie needs to move on from (the familiar), and he's the one who is pushing for Eddie to move forward (indirectly).

I also don't think it was coincidental that they threw in the octopus or laundromat scenes into this episode. Not only does it connect to the theme of "stuck" but it also shows Eddie from 3x06. Normally, anyone would look at that and think "continuity error" or "they just used the footage they didn't get to last season" but based on the undercurrents of this episode, I don't think it's just that. You can clearly see Eddie's bruise on his arm that Buck asked him about in 3x06. You also see Bobby help the woman out with the octopus "If you relax, it'll let go." Bobby who pushes Eddie later in the episode to move on. And then Bobby and Eddie together free the kid from the washer. All intentional in my personal opinion.

And I also think that while Eddie was reluctant to move on before Buck was, Eddie had more of the means to move on faster than Buck did. Buck was ready but didn't have the means (he hadn't met someone yet, he was working through his issues with his parents). Eddie wasn't ready but the means/an opportunity presented itself (Ana, someone Christopher loves having around) and with a little pushing, he moved on. So I think the whole "Don't worry, he's next" applies to not only Eddie but also Buck himself. I also think it definitely parallels to 4x08 with the gunman on the roof scene (who is clearly a stand-in for Buck) who doesn't want to get down, who cornered himself, who missed the signs. And then it absolutely parallels with Chim and Buck in 4x12 and their convo. When Bobby chooses for Chim to go in the helicopter with Eddie, he says "Cheer up, you can go next time." And then when Buck was rescuing Keisha from the septic tank: "I did say you could go next time." "Not the same, man." So I think it's all very intentional and it absolutely has to do with both of them but also comes into play for Buck himself specifically.

I hope that answers your question @ktinaj. Thank you so much for the ask! I LOVE talking about these episodes because I feel like it's leading us somewhere incredible for these two in the future!!! ;-) <3

[hmslusitania]

I see we're going ape over buddie and Choices tonight so

Yknow in 2.07, when Shannon comes back and her and Eddie have their first scene together? The argument at the end, after Eddie says it wouldn't be a good idea for her to see Christopher bc she left them, she says she needed him, she needed a husband and a co-parent - and "I needed someone to have my back!"

To which EDDIE says, "I always had your back"

*insert Incredibles "coincidence? I think NOT" gif here*

(Also side note, I do like that the show doesn't try to sugarcoat what Shannon did being messed up, and that Eddie's own actions weren't really the right thing either[thinking about his conversation with Buck where he says he got to pretend he left for a noble cause even tho he was running], and that it was just a sticky situation that neither of them were equipped to handle in any way, and snowballed. I do kind of wish we could've gotten post-divorce Shannon and Eddie and Christopher interactions, figuring out how they fit together, if at all, bc I like those intricate and messy situations but I could see how that might get too close to retreading old ground re: Michael and Athena's divorce. But I do hate how ive seen the fandom like. Seem to oversimplify things with Shannon sometimes? And make her the ultimate villain, and Eddie Did Nothing Wrong, Ever)

Hi Anon!

The decision to have Buck and Eddie's first bonding moment end with "You can have my back any day" and "or, y'know, you could have mine" only to then six episodes later find out that at least a contributing factor to Eddie's marriage dissolving was that he "didn't have her back" is like. Such a galaxy brain chaos move for them to take, honestly. Like?? They could've had the phrasing be literally anything in 2x07 but instead they had it directly echo Buck and Eddie in 2x01. What was the reason? Why did they do this?

As for the rest of your ask:

(gosh this got long and, uh, opinionated. It is Not Pretty below the cut)

One of the things I really liked about Eddie Begins is that we did get to see him at the beginning of his journey in being Chris's dad because it gives us an opportunity to appreciate how amazingly he's grown as a father. Like, he didn't start out as a perfect dad and he was definitely kind of lost in the woods at the beginning there when it came to the whole "how do I parent" thing. And before Eddie Begins, we'd only ever seen the end result of the growth he's gone through, where he really is a fantastic dad whose son is basically his entire reason for being. Before Eddie Begins, we get to hear him say things like "I left first" and "I've failed that kid more times than I can count but I love him enough to never stop trying" but we kinda have to take that on faith? Because we hadn't actually seen him be anything besides a good dad until we saw his Begins episode. (And even then in his begins it's like "area man in his early 20s unsure how to care for small child while also coping with PTSD and a toxic support system" which like. yeah. no shit. there's one hell of a learning curve there)

The thing about Eddie and Shannon as a couple and as parents that always gets to me is that they were so fucking young. We don't know exactly how old Eddie is in the show, but we can guesstimate pretty safely that he's around the same age as Ryan which would make him between 23 and 24 when Chris was born, and it seems reasonable to believe Shannon was around the same age. It's also a pretty common reading in the fandom -- although I'm not sure how much canon support there is for it because we really, really don't know anything about their relationship pre-Christopher unless I'm forgetting something -- that they got married because Shannon got pregnant and that was the Done Thing. And when you're 23-24, baby on the way, freshly married, that is just like. So much. It sure as hell ruined my parents' relationship when they did that exact thing, and then they disliked each other until they were 27 and then they got divorced, and no one was happier than me about it, I have to tell you.

Back to the show, I can only give you my impressions, obviously, but the impression I have always gotten from the whole "I left too" conversation and the context that goes into it and the different behaviours we see exhibited by the characters is that Eddie "left" first and it comes across to me that he was basically an early twenty-something kid running scared from the abstract concept of being a father in general, and then when he was forced home by an honourable discharge, and was confronted with the reality of Christopher, he managed to step the fuck up and become Christopher's dad. It's there in 2x02, right? "Oh, you've got a kid? I love kids!" "I love this one." Eddie doesn't strike me as a Swiss Army Knife all-purpose Dad(tm) the way Bobby is. Eddie is Christopher's dad. (and like, of course, he's obviously moved by kids when he's on a call, we've seen that enough times to know that if there's a child who can even glancingly remind him of Christopher, Eddie's sense of self-preservation goes out the window, and I love that about him as heart-stopping as it can be in practice)

Shannon, on the other hand, didn't run from the idea of being a mother -- at first. When she left, it wasn't from the abstract. She left Chris (and "gave up" on Eddie, thanks Helena). She was not running from a concept, she was running from a reality. I think Shannon is a fascinating character to include in a television show as a side character, because she really isn't a one note character. Like, she was unarguably a bad mother, and from what we saw, she was a questionable romantic partner to have (but as you said, anon, Eddie was also not 100% the best romantic partner when he was with Shannon either; their entire relationship so far as I can tell was built on sexual chemistry which, uh, super does not sustain a relationship), but she also seems to have been a devoted daughter? I mean, yeah, it's entirely possible that her mom being sick was a convenient excuse to bail -- and obviously she didn't come back after her mom died, and didn't, y'know, contact her son or husband in the interim, so yes, I can see that being a valid way to read the situation. I don't think she's the Ultimate Evil, because she strikes me as a very human character in all the ways that people are more often than not really fucking flawed.

But then we get back to the actual break-up scene. The first time I watched it (and second, and third; then the fourth time the person I was watching with was like "I mean, sure, but it could also be read in this light") her "I'm just learning how to be someone's mother" speech really bothered me? Partly because it was the abstraction of it, right? Eddie doesn't like kids, he likes Christopher, and Shannon sort of had the inverse journey there, I guess, where it went from she didn't know how to be Christopher's mother, to she didn't know how to be a mother. And that speech bothered me because it always sounded to me like she was bailing again. She begged Eddie to let her back into Christopher's life (guilt? I guess?) and like, straight up bribed him with sex which was sure a choice, and then decides -- for a second time -- that she's out. It sounded, to me, she was handing Eddie papers and maybe, in a few years, possibly, once she'd had "time" to "figure out how to be someone's mother" she would try again. Just like she had in the interim between leaving when Christopher was little and the time of season 2.

And like, that could totally be a misunderstanding of the scene and what she was saying. It's what I took away from it, but that could very well be influenced by the fact I was raised by divorced parents and my dad had custody and if you count up all the time I spent with either parent when I was a minor, I was predominantly raised by my father and have had an especially tempestuous relationship with my mother that is mostly (sometimes) repaired now that I'm in my late twenties and have not lived with her since I was sixteen.

Back to the show, and to your comment that the fandom tends to treat Shannon like the Ultimate Evil and act like Eddie Did Nothing Wrong, I mean. Yeah. Fandom as a rule tends to shirk nuance. We're all fools here on the internet sitting in our blue industrial waste container crying about a wee woo show. I personally believe a more nuanced take on that might be that Eddie has shown a great capacity to learn from his mistakes (sometimes to make fun, shiny, new ones, but for the most part, just like ends up doing better the next time) and Shannon did not show that capacity in the time we knew her.

I think, depending on what they did with it, there was potential for an interesting storyline if they'd played through the divorce. I don't think it would've been rehashing ground covered by Michael and Athena's divorce because I can't see Eddie and Shannon having reached a point of amicability and friendship. The only thing we know they had in common was Christopher, and frankly, when you boil it down, the ways they engaged with Christopher as a person were so disparate that -- to me -- it really didn't seem like they had Christopher in common when you get right down to it. But I wouldn't have wanted to see Christopher and Eddie dragged through an ugly divorce process. They deserve better than that.

There's also a conversation to be had about Shannon's blatant ableism towards her own son, but that is extremely not my lane since I am not disabled myself. But even from an outside perspective, basically their entire parking lot conversation in Haunted, uh, haunts me with it's repugnance and the fact that instead of calling her on any of it, Eddie "Chronically touch starved" Diaz's response was to kiss her? Gosh golly do I wish that was one of the mistakes he learned from properly instead of finding a new, shiny version.

ANYWAY this got long, tl;dr (although if you clicked on the read more, you probably read it) version is No, Shannon is not the Ultimate Evil, she's a shitty mom not a demon in a skin suit and a pretty yellow sundress; and No, Eddie is not a flawless human who's never done wrong in his life but holy fuck is he trying and he'd be the first person to tell you he's made mistakes (and often has been); and no, sorry, I don't want to see the divorce storyline play out because we probably would've had to see either Eddie Bashing, Shannon Redemption, or Shannon turning up again like a cardboard cut out of a cartoon villain the way Eva did and I want to be witness to exactly zero of those things.

[merlin-wolfgang-trades-hale]

Eddie going back home and standing up for himself...I am so proud of him, but seeing it play out I felt this kinship exhaustion, and I just wanted to hug him more. 

I am the first generation American-Mexican eldest child, third parent, of a father who had to travel anywhere in this country but home, and...I kind of am Eddie. 

Standing up to your elders is never easy. Even when you have others who know what happened and agree that your feelings are valid. Exposing those ‘problems’ to the patriarch and matriarch? Of the one who made the money and the one who “raised” you? 

When Eddie told his dad about his panic attack and his dad asked him why he didn’t say. His dad assumed it was because Eddie thought they’d think of him as weak. And yes, that may be part of it...but a bigger part, I can assure you, is that Eddie didn’t expect them to be sympathetic. If he’d had told them, all they would do is be dismissive of any mental health issues. Therapy, when Eddie was a kid was either physical therapy or for “locos!” and you’d be damned and the topic of gossip and a huge no-no! 

Eddie speaking out for himself, of sharing his version of things instead of keeping quiet took balls...and I felt stuff of when they were trying to calm him down or get him to stop... 

Defending yourself against your family, especially your family elders is so hard. Even though he’s a full ass adult, to them, he’s just a kid who doesn’t know what he’s talking about, yet they have always expected him to be an adult. 

It’s....it’s maddening. 

Eddie’s dad is exhausted and I feel bad for Eddie because he can’t properly take out the anger he had simmering inside of him all of these years out. It’s no longer matched and it’ll feel unfair. With the mentality of being the 3rd parent and oldest sibling, his needs are deemed second, with him only feeling slightly vindicated that his dad only has the label of dad as a title rather than action, and his son(Chris) loves him(Eddie) without question because he himself made it a point to put Chris first above all else. 

I’m more concerned about his mom’s anger being unleashed. Eddie putting her parenting on blast opens speculation to her being a mother and ruler of the house while her husband is gone, and because her husband was gone so long, being a mother and home curater were HUGE for her...and also, the level of control she had of the kitchen despite HIRING people?  In her eyes, the fact that Eddie standing up for himself caused her husband to have a reaction that could have ruined the party, HER work in probably organizing because that’s something that probably fell onto her, a reaction to a medical thing she DIDN’T know about...

like...idk how much more the show will want to give Eddie’s family some light, but there’s a potential set up for her to be mad at Eddie. To feel her roles are criticized(even if it’s just the threat of what people might say) will echo back to how she failed to keep Eddie around rather than go into the military, or failed to keep Christopher, or fail to keep her son in Texas. 

There’s a lot of potential explosive stuff in there that’ll make ANY episode of La Rosa de Guadalupe the main topic, ya know?  

[newtonsheffield]

hello!! thank you for all your work and I really hope your next week it better than the last!! excited for next weeks update already!! i was wondering... whether we could maybe potentially see the episode on the edwina and goose show where they get engaged?? I never expected to love them so much, or care so much, but here I am!!

TBH I also hope this coming week is better than the last. It wouldn’t wanna be much worse that’s for sure. But you know what, it’s totally fine I’m gonna get a new tattoo in a few weeks and it’s gonna be FINE! (🌷🌷)

Can we see the Episode of the Eddie and Goose show where they get engaged? Are you sure you wanna? It’s preeetty cute? Honestly, I just love them, your honour.

Play the theme song: 🎶Eddie and Goose. Eddie and Goose! Two little sunshine kiiiiids🎶

Matthew Bagwell was nervous and reasonably, why should he not be? This was, arguably going to be the most important day of his life, so far if this went well, he told himself. He had been planning it for weeks now, hiding the box from Edwina had proved a little more difficult than he’d anticipated. She’d looked a little affronted when he’d said, rather panickedly Honey what are you doing?! You shouldn’t be doing my laundry!  When she’d gone to put his neatly folded socks away, her eyes wide But I always do your socks. He’d gotten her mother’s blessing, gotten her sister’s blessing, even squared up to her terrifying brother in law Anthony who had eyed him irritatedly and said IF she says yes, you can marry her. But she might not. This had, of course, earned him a swift slap to the back of the head from Kate. And Matthew was sure that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Edwina, She was smart, and strong, and the kindest person he knew and every time she smiled at him his heart threatened to pound out of his chest, and even though they’d only been together seven months he was sure. He was ready for this, and all he had to do was forget his lunch. 

“Matt, Babe, Don’t forget your lunch!” Edwina had called out for the third time as he’d tried to sneak out, leaving a kiss on his cheek, pushing his hair back from his eyes, the ring box burning hot against his leg, sweat beading on his forehead. “You look so handsome today.” She said lightly as she walked back towards the bathroom. And Matthew thought his heart was going to beat out of his chest, and he couldn’t help himself.  “Edwina!” He said catching her attention, she turned back to him her eyebrows raised, still in her pyjamas, “I love you!” And her smile was so beautiful when she said  “I love you too, Babe. Now get to work!”And she’d continued on her path, leaving him smiling after her ridiculousy.

“Matt, I reminded you three times! How did you forget your lunch?” Edwina’s voice laughed through the phone. And Matthew forced himself to stay calm, as though his plan wasn’t working perfectly. “Ugh, sorry babe, guess I’m a little hopeless.” He said lightly, his heart pounding, waiting for her next comment. “You, are very lucky I love you, I’m bringing it over, we can eat together.” Edwina said, clicking her tongue and Matthew could see her so clearly in his mind’s eye, smiling happily he eyes shining as she got into her car.  “I am pretty lucky to have you, Yeah.” Matt said softly and Edwina laughed, the noise sending his heartbeat thundering again.  “You really are trying to butter me up today aren’t you? It’s working beautifully by the way, if you play your cards right you’re in for a very lucky night. I’ll be there in about 30. I love you!” 

And of course, Matthew had sprinted downstairs, getting himself in position, pacing a little to keep himself calm. Dawn at the front desk giving him a little thumbs up every now and then. It’s going to be fine. Matthew told himself You’re just going to ask her a question. You love her, She loves you. She does, She tells you all the time and she wears the sweaters your Mum makes and she paints mugs with you and she smiles like the sun. You’re just going to ask her a question What’s the worst that could happen?! Ignoring the voice in his head as he jumped out from around the corner startling the wrong woman She could break your heart.  

And then, he could hear a familiar voice humming tunelessly, hear familiar footsteps around the corner and he sunk down on one knee. Waiting. He saw her walk round the corner, light from the windows streaming in, reflecting off her beautiful face as she tapped away on her phone, the Indiana Jones tin lunchbox she’d bought him in her hand. And she didn’t notice him, jostling right into him. His lunchbox hitting him square in the face. Edwina startled her eyes wide. “Oh my god, I’m so- Matt?” She said bemusedly, her eyes wide. “Babe, what are you doing on the floor?” She took a step back and her eyes widened even further as she took in his posture, on one knee, holding tightly to a ring box that might as well be his heart outstretched towards her. “Oh my god.” She gasped, her hands covering her mouth her eyes shining, shock written all over her face.

And Matthew felt himself panic, this wasn’t exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for. Had he misread everything? Oh god, had her sighing happily at Gregory Bridgerton’s Wedding last week not been a sign that she wanted to get married? Should he stand up? What a disaster! People were watching them now, including several of his coworkers! Jesus Christ What-

“Matt, Babe, are you...? Do you... maybe have something you want to ask me?” Edwina said gently and his eyes snapped to hers, there were tears shining there now, her bottom lip caught between her teeth, her eyebrows raised in a gently Go on  expression and God he’d never wanted anything more in his life than to be this woman’s husband. 

He forced himself to take a deep breath, opening the ring box finally, the Sapphire glinting in the bright light, and he heard Edwina gasp slightly. “Edwina, Seven months ago today, I was having the worst day and then I walked around this corner right here and there you were and I couldn’t breathe. Because you were so beautiful, and funny and smart, and by the end of the day I was pretty sure you were just... taking pity on a nerdy guy who couldn’t stop staring at you.” Edwina let out a watery chuckle, her fingers raking through his hair. And Matthew had to clear his throat so dislodge the lump there  “But you stood just outside a week later and yelled at me for not calling you and I’m pretty sure that’s the moment I fell in love with you. And I know we haven’t been together very long but Eddie, I promise if you say yes I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me every day. So, Edwina Sarah Sheffield, Will you marry me?” The question hung between them in the air, Edwina tears rolling down her cheeks, and Matthew could feel something rolling down his own face as well. 

“Matthew, I would be so proud to call myself your wife.” Matthew could feel his heart beating out of his chest, and he barely had time to blink before his fiancée had grabbed him by the sweater tugging him firmly up until their lips met. And it tasted like forever.

This was a really long episode and I’m sorry!  

[papermoonloveslucy]

EVE ARDEN

April 30, 1908

Eunice Mary Quedens (aka Eve Arden) was born in Mill Valley, California, near San Francisco. She was interested in show business from an early age. At 16, she made her stage debut after quitting school to joined a stock company.

She made her screen debut (using her given name) in Columbia’s Song of Love in 1929. 

In 1938 she appeared with Lucille Ball in Stage Door along with Ginger Rogers. It was this film that earned Ball and Arden the nickname “the drop gag girls” for their skill at bringing comedy into a scene with just a short appearance. 

Eve, Lucy and Ginger also appeared together in Having Wonderful Time (1938).

In 1946, she earned a supporting actress Oscar nomination for her appearance in Mildred Pierce starring Joan Crawford. 

In 1948, she landed the role that would make her famous - Connie Brooks in “Our Miss Brooks” - first on radio, then on television. Arden was actually  third choice for the role. CBS’s Harry Ackerman wanted Shirley Booth for the part. Lucille Ball was believed to have been the next choice, but she was committed to “My Favorite Husband” and did not audition. Brooks’ co-stars included Gale Gordon, Mary Jane Croft, and Richard Crenna, all of who also teamed with Lucille Ball on radio and television. When the show moved to television in 1952, most of the original radio cast went along with Brooks.  It started a years after “I Love Lucy” and ended the same year, 1956. It was also filmed at Desilu Studios, making it convenient to share cast and crew members  including, for one episode in 1955, Desi Arnaz as himself. In 1956 there was also a screen version of Our Miss Brooks starring Arden and Gale Gordon, released by Warner Brothers. 

In November 1952, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden, and the casts of both their shows (as well as many other CBS programs) all appeared on “Stars in the Eye” to celebrate the opening of CBS Television City in Hollywood.  

When Lucy Ricardo arrived in Hollywood in “Hollywood at Last!” aka  “L.A. at Last!” (ILL S4;E16), Eve Arden became the very first celebrity to make a cameo - speaking just a few words - the epitome of her ‘drop gag girl’ reputation.  

The appearance was filmed December 2, 1954 and aired on February 7, 1955.

In March 1962, Arden played Marissa Montaine on an episode of “My Three Sons”, filmed at Desilu Studios. The episode also featured Wiliam Frawley, Reta Shaw, and a dog named Tramp! 

Those unfamiliar with Miss Brooks, may also remember Arden as Eve Hubbard on the Desi Arnaz sitcom “The Mothers-in-Law” alongside Kaye Ballard. The series lasted two seasons, and included appearances by its producer, Desi Arnaz. 

As CBS icons, both Ball and Arden were included in “CBS On The Air" on Sunday March 26, 1978. 

That same year she made another memorable appearance, as the Principal of the High School in the film version of Grease. 

Her final screen appearance was on a November 1987 episode of “Falcon Crest” (above left with Jane Wyman and Eddie Albert). 

She died on November 12, 1990 at age 82. She was married twice and had three children. 

[sickofthistoxicshit]

4x14 review - don’t read if you haven’t watched

I’ve been trying to write the review on and off the entire day, but the truth is that there are too many details and I sure as hell can’t go over all of it in one post so here’s my initial one and the rest will come in bursts later.

First off I want to start by saying that I’m glad that Maddie told Chimney, she looked so miserable, and she loves Jee-Yun so  much, she was so happy to have her and the fact that PPD can creep up on a new mother and mess with her head like this is so horrible. 😭😭

I truly hope that she and Chimney will be able to overcome it and enjoy (read exhaustingly but happily) raising Jee-Yun. I have to complement both JLH and Kenneth both did their parts so well. I absolutely love them together! ❤❤

Second (and I know it’s at the end but I’m too excited) I was so happy to see Nia!! 😍😍😍 I had the stupidest smile on face that wouldn’t go away, and now that they met by chance Hen and Karen can be part of Nia’s life too, make a new friend and Nia will be able to see her Denny regularly. It was a perfect scene! 👏💕

Third, I’m glad Athena and Bobby managed to finally sit down and talk about the attack from 3x17. It starts with both apologizing which is good, I’m curious to see how it would have played out if Eddie hadn’t been shot. 🤔

But that was such a sweet and heartfelt long overdue conversation, I absolutely adore bathena and I would have been a wreck if they broke them up! 

Bobby telling Athena: ”There’s this thing people say, ‘I don’t know what I’d do without you.’ Because losing someone you love is such an alien concept you don’t want to imagine what it’s like. I was sitting in that engine thinking I was listening to you dying and I didn’t need to imagine anything, I knew what my life feel like without you in it, and it scared me.” - It was something that held true in this episode for both bathena and buddie, and it was completely heartbreaking. 🥺🥺

Bobby finally coming to terms with what happened and Athena going back to work, once she explained why she kept it from him. And both say the name of the episode as is apparently now tradition lol “Survivors” - and they really are.

I love how Athena talks Buck into helping her get into the building, even though it was a ‘help me save your dad’ moment for a lot of people, in my eyes she is appealing to the Buck who just nearly lost Eddie, begging him to help her not to lose her husband. 

Buck is reluctant at first because he knows how much Bobby loves Athena and wouldn’t want her to risk her life like this, but Buck has been on Athena’s side very recently and understands Athena’s pressing urge to go in for her husband.

Buck wanting to go in with her was expected, Athena’s insistence that she will not be able to protect him in there was expected too, she is going to save her husband but she wants her chaos child to be safe outside. I loved the Buck and Athena’s interaction here. 🤗🤗

“I got you.” Was said by two people in this episode, and in both cases it was to the most important person in their lives. 😭❤ (I meant adult partners, don’t give me the ‘but they have kids’ - kids always come first, it’s different.)

“I didn’t imagine that part right? you actually walked through fire.” Bobby was so cute asking that, it sounded half teasing - something similar to “You like me”. 😉

But Athena’s answer was serious, “Well, you were inside, I wasn’t going a little fire to stop me, I needed my partner back.” 🥺❤

We got a call back to 4x02 - only the roles were reversed now:

Bobby telling Athena, “Thank you for coming to get me.”

And she promises, “Always.” It was sweet, and moving. 

Have I mentioned how much I love them???

A little side-note - Athena telling Bobby that she wasn’t going to let a fire stop her from getting her partner back - is paralleled here, in my opinion to Buck actually going through gunfire to get to Eddie - to get his partner back.

Athena never walked through actual fire, the firefighters deal with, before.

This was Buck’s first time operating under sniper’s fire - something Eddie has experience with. (”At least no one is shooting at us.”)

They both committed this extraordinary acts to get their PARTNERS back!! 

Fourth and last for this post, Congratulations firefighter Albert Han - tell the truth, we all saw this coming from day one, when Albert was fangirling over his brother the life-saver and Chimney was trying to be rid of him lol.

I’m happy for him - I really like John too, I’m happy he’s sticking around.

Now, I know you’re missing my buddie part of the review - but it is so long - it’s getting it’s own post this time. 🙃

Overall it was a good episode, we got a mostly good story told here, I do however take issue with the time-jump. 🤦‍♀️

I mean what is that? Sorry too much actual, emotional, vital stories can be written here, but you know us male writers, we’re not good at this so we’ll just time-jump to where we can screw with you in other ways and leave you wondering about what actually went down in the time elapsed.

I will say this, however, this isn’t a monster of the week kind of show, emotional baggage and trauma doesn’t just disappear. And though I am concerned that we will not see the emotional fallout of Buck and Eddie’s shared trauma and the fact that they heal together this time, I’m talking about Maddie - showing her like this and then just give us an ‘oh, it was fixed when you looked away and she’s good now’ excuse, that will not be tolerated! - this storyline deserve a proper process and resolution.

Hope you enjoyed this post, buddie post will come up soon. 👀💜