#911 analysis

[ebdaydreamer]

You know what is interesting?? Bobby may not having been looking in that moment he connected with Athena, but he was looking - both of them were, actually. Bobby had just made a dating profile and Athena ws having fun getting back out there.

Bobby had opened himself up to the idea of love again, and he was searching for something, it just wasn’t in the place he expected. It was with someone he already knew, who saw him in a vulnerable moment, a friend.

Athena had been there for years but neither of them were in that place yet: Bobby was just his grief and Athena was still married. It was only when they were both ready to find something new and different that they saw each other.

Interesting that Eddie has downloaded a dating app that he hasn’t used, just like Bobby never needed his dating profile.

Eddie is ready, he’s searching, but it’s not going to be in the place he expects.

If his love story is going to be anything like Bobby’s - which seems to be what they’re hinting at here - then it’s going to be a friend who sees him in a low moment and helps him through.

NOW I WONDER WHO THAT COULD BE?????

#bobby eddie parallels my beloved #911 #911 analysis #911 spoilers #911 on fox #911 fox #eddie diaz #bobby nash #evan buckley #athena grant #buddie #bathena #911 s6 #911 s6 speculation #911 speculation #ellie talks

[sevensoulmates]

Buddie 7x01 Meta

Okay! Finally, I was able to watch the full episode uninterrupted and have had a couple days to gather my thoughts. Quite simply this episode was fucking fantastic. My meta does sometimes include some spec, so if that's not your thing feel free to ignore those parts. Those of you who follow me know I write long ass essays, so fair warning for a long meta under the cut. ((Also idk how to make gifs, so enjoy my shitty screenshots)).

First, I love to see Buck and Eddie back at it again in their natural element being partners on a scene.

This was very obviously a call back to season 2, even down to the positioning, having Buck watch Eddie be competent in defusing a bomb. Buck has complete faith in Eddie's abilities, it's the fighter pilot whom he distrusts. In the end, they narrowly avoid getting blown up, just like they did in 2x01. This one scene re-establishes the Buck/Eddie work dynamic and shows how they inherently trust each other on and off the field.

Next, we get a scene of Buck and Eddie getting dressed in the locker room. Notably, Buck is fully dressed and Eddie is without his shirt until halfway through the scene. Buck also keeps his eyes on Eddie's naked torso pretty much through the whole shirtless section. This is another blatant callback to season 2x01 when Buck's first introduction to Eddie is when he's shirtless. This draws attention specifically to Eddie's physical attractiveness and how that affects Buck. This scene is odd to have with Eddie half-naked if we're then gonna make comments later on about "sexual tension" with friends, no?

In the same scene we are reintroduced to Buck and Eddie's separate love lives. Eddie is just now learning that Buck and Natalia broke up, and gives an odd facial expression that looks far too much like vindication. We know from the graveyard scene in 6x17 that Eddie wasn't really a fan of Buck's relationship with Natalia (I don't think there's ever been a relationship Buck's had where Eddie has legitimately been happy about it, which is weird if they're just friends, right?) so to him, this was always coming down the road. He seems proud that Buck was able to end it this easily.

Meanwhile, Eddie's going on a "not-date" with Marisol to chaperone Christopher's date with Penny. It's telling to me that Eddie doesn't classify this as a date with Marisol, but Buck does. Buck considers being at home watching Christopher as a date, and yet he seemingly doesn't classify all the times he's been over at Eddie's hanging out with just him and Chris to be a date? To me, this shows the first big disconnect in Buck/Eddie's brains that the show will likely dismantle this season: what is classified as platonic and what is classified as romantic, and which gender is allowed to be in each category. We'll come back to this when we get to the next scene.

Eddie is very supportive of Buck breaking up with Natalia. He doesn't say it directly to his face, but it's implied that Buck really lost himself when he was with Natalia, hence Eddie's "Welcome back to the land of the living". While Buck did struggle with figuring out his life purpose at the end of season 6, he falsely prescribed that purpose to Natalia. Thankfully, this was rectified here. This also shows significant growth for Buck from his last relationship with Taylor Kelly. Buck was able to identify issues in his relationship quicker and was able to cut the relationship short when he realized it was no longer healthy to maintain for him. I am extremely proud of Buck in this moment, as is Eddie, which is the first of two big moments in this episode where Buck and Eddie really showcase their pride in the other's personal growth. "You were missed" is such a simple yet perfect line for Eddie to give to Buck. To show Buck that Eddie has always seen him, and will always see him, even through personal lows, and will still remain by his side when they come out the other side. I really love this showcase of unconditional love here.

The next time we see Buck and Eddie, the chaperone date has already passed. Eddie and Marisol are seen watching Chris and Penny from behind the wall, but it's highkey awkward to watch and the focus of this scene is really not Eddie/Marisol but rather Chris and Penny and Eddie relaying this info to Buck. I first want to point out that we don't actually get to see Eddie/Marisol's first date, we don't see any subsequential dates, and the first time we DO see her, in an episode meant to be establishing couples, she's so blink-and-you'll-miss-it that I had to try 3 times to get this screenshot because it went by so fast. It's never a good sign when we don't actually get to see the beginnings of a non-established relationship.

Additionally, Eddie/Marisol's relationship is framed WITHIN Eddie recounting the night to BUCK. The important Eddie relationship we're supposed to be paying attention to in this scene is not Eddie/Marisol but Eddie and Buck's. It's not important for us to see Eddie and Marisol hanging out, but it IS important for us to see Eddie TELLING Buck about the night. That isn't insignificant. This means the show is clearly placing far more importance on Eddie/Buck than on Marisol, and for a pointed reason to be revealed hopefully later this season.

This is the only line that Marisol has in the entire episode. This being the one line she has is interesting because it's a callback to Eddie's arc last season ie. "Eddie has no game with women". Christopher makes a pointed comment about it in 6x18. And of course, it's a callback to Performance Anxiety 6x14 where Eddie was being pressured about dating women and 6x17 Love Is In The Air where he once again pressures himself into dating women until he finally settles on Marisol. It's an interesting call back to have, considering this scene could have been considered Eddie successfully dating a woman. And of course this ties into later in this episode where we get the "turning women off" comment, which I'll talk more about later.

Eddie goes on to tell Buck that he didn't really see any difference between Christopher hanging out with his male friends vs hanging out with his female friends. This is drawing attention to two things. The first is a call-back to Buck and Eddie's previous scene where we saw that Buck and Eddie have two different ideas of what constitutes "a date" when it's with a man versus a woman. Buck thinks that an at-home date with Marisol to watch Chris counts as a date, Eddie doesn't. Yet Buck doesn't consider his own at-home "hang-outs" with Eddie and Chris to be a date despite them being far more frequent and more meaningful than what we just saw with Marisol. Eddie also doesn't see it that way. This line is an indicator that both Buck and Eddie have blinders on currently when it comes to their interactions with each other, interactions which very much COULD be considered a date (including the later mentioned "underlying sexual tension") if they had done the same thing with a woman. They're just unable to recognize the truth of it at the moment, and this is clearly demonstrated when Eddie can't tell the difference between Chris having his date with his male friends vs. female. My prediction is that this will become more defined for Eddie by the end of the season or leading into next season.

But it's very interesting that this idea of not being able to recognize the possibility of romance except for the heteronormative options is coming into play now because there's really only one gay way to subvert that.

Which is then doubled down by Buck in the very next scene.

This is blatantly not a true statement. Buck is not only assuming Chris's sexuality, but he's assuming the same would be the case in general, which is not true. Buck knows many queer people, but at the same time, every queer person he knows canonically falls more into the gay-lesbian binary, and not really anywhere in the middle (ie. bi/pan people). It's an oddly heteronormative statement coming from Buck, who is known to be very open-minded and also researches a shit ton? So why are we being shown that Buck has this sort of narrow-mindedness specifically when it comes to the possibility of people being bisexual?

(Spec) Firstly, I think this is to set up for a bisexual Buck arc. It's showing that Buck actually 1.) hasn't ever been with a man before so this is not just a casual bi reveal and 2.) that he's never actually considered it a possibility to have sexual tension with a man before. This is what we in writing call "the character's fundamental misbelief" and it is brought in specifically to be challenged, and I'm near-positive it will be at some point in the season.

Secondly, On the surface, this statement is telling the audience that obviously Christopher would only have tension with his female friends, right? (sarcasm). But what's interesting is that this statement is purposefully gender-neutral. It leaves the real meaning up to the audience to decide. Why? Because this part of the conversation is not really about Christopher. On the surface, yes, but beneath that, this line and the line before it are about Eddie and Buck's relationship with each other. Buck's not out here talking about Christopher having sexual tension with people, and even Eddie recognizes that it's weird to talk about in relation to their child. He's still in the nest for christ's sake! These lines are in relation to Buck and Eddie's friendship and how both of them are blind to the fact that it very much IS possible to have sexual tension with your female AND male friends.

And this is where the gender-neutrality of that phrase gets extra interesting. Because as we've seen before, Buck and (more prominently) Eddie often lack chemistry with their female love interests. It's up for debate, but the general consensus was that most people did not feel any chemistry between Buck/Natalia, and Eddie/Ana or Eddie/Marisol. What's fascinating is that Buck has had chemistry with some of his female love interests, but Eddie hasn't had any since Shannon (and this is not an endorsement of Eddie/Shannon's romantic relationship. I'm not getting into the extreme nuances of that right now.) Some argue Eddie's had chemistry with Felisa or Vanessa, but they aren't the ones Eddie's dating right now, are they? So Eddie, unlike Buck with his female LI's, hasn't really had any sexual tension with Ana or Marisol. The only person that (most) people agree Eddie has had sexual tension with is Buck. And we had a scene with them earlier with Buck watching a half-naked Eddie change too. So in this case, the line might also be a reference to Eddie having chemistry with men, but not really with any of his female LI's. I think the purposeful vagueness here though was a very telling choice on Tim's part.

Additionally, the use of the word "underlying". Underlying implies that the sexual tension isn't overt, but rather is something that lingers unspoken. Under the surface. Subtextual, if you will. Of course, it's possible to have subtextual sexual tension between an M/F pairing. But placing it in the context of this scene, where Buck is being weirdly heteronormative, it feels contradictory. If Buck believes that he (and Chris by proxy) can only have sexual tension with a female friend, why is it something that is hidden under the surface? If anything, due to heteronormativity, the sexual tension between a boy and girl should be plain as day for anyone to see, on the surface, very much textual and with no room for interpretation (ie. "He was a boy, she was a girl, could I make it any more obvious?"). But let's flip this around. With queer pairings and couplings, there's a huge history of their sexual tension and romance only being able to live and breathe in the subtext. This line being spoken between two men that many people for years have pointed out are heavily queer-coded and have a romantically-coded "bro" relationship with each other that so far has only been able to exist in subtext? Tim, you're not sly. I see right through you.

After that, Eddie tells Buck about Christopher seeing 5 girls at the same time. Everyone's shocked and Eddie insinuates that Christopher didn't get this from him. By pointing out that Buck is a reformed playboy (I personally disagree with aspects of this statement but that's neither here nor there), Eddie is implying that Christopher may potentially be getting this trait from Buck. Which is an interesting thing to say to someone if they're not already heavily involved in the process of raising your child. Eddie claims that he's a "nester", which in my mind means someone who is very paternal/maternal, or constantly trying to build the home or the family. ((Sidebar: I googled nesting and apparently it's ALSO a term used in both polyamorous spaces and was later separately coined as a term referring to "where men treat women like they’re in a relationship, but they expect those women to know that it will never lead to real one." I don't interpret this line to mean either of those other definitions, I just think it's interesting that this is what popped up when I googled Nesting)).

Eddie then says he "married the first girl he dated" and Buck instantly volleys back with "think you mean slept with", which is EXTREMELY telling of a few things. First, I want to point out, that I don't believe this is Buck denouncing or disrespecting Shannon's important role in Eddie or Chris's life, but rather recontextualizing it.

We got clarification last season that Eddie fell into his relationship with Shannon almost in the same way that he fell into one with Ana and Marisol. It was heavily implied that Shannon was the pursuer, the one who made their relationship happen. Not Eddie. While Eddie was a little less passive with Ana and Marisol, being the one to ask both of them out, he still exhibits extreme passivity in the furthering of each of these relationships, preferring to "stick it out" rather than actually end it when it's not working. This is the exact same thing he did with Shannon. It's interesting that Buck argues that Eddie married the first girl he slept with rather than the first girl he dated.

Dating someone implies you really genuinely want to form a deep romantic relationship with someone (ie. call back to Buck's line to Maddie "at least when I date someone, I date them"), whereas sleeping with someone does not have to immediately mean wanting to be with them romantically. To me, this implies that while Eddie might've deeply loved Shannon as a friend and eventual mother of his child later and had sexual chemistry with her, the reason why he stayed with her is not because he wanted to continue dating her or being with her because he was IN LOVE with HER but rather because they slept together. And what came about from sleeping with her? A fucking traumatic teen pregnancy.

Both Buck AND Eddie recognize that in this scene (which is huge, especially for Eddie). I'm kinda blown away honestly. It's extremely important for the audience to see that while Eddie did, does and will always love Shannon, it is NOT romantic love, and may have not ever been. Which is FINE. They were literal teenagers for god's sake.

This is once again a recurring theme in Buck and Eddie's story in this episode. Defining what is considered romantic and what is considered platonic AND the possibility of redefining those distinctions years later. And it's interesting that in this case with Shannon, a woman, it's finally being acknowledged that it might not have been as romantic as Eddie may have believed for all these years.

Eddie then asks Buck to be the one to talk to Christopher about his relationship indiscretions. We see Eddie making the active choice to bring Buck deeper into the co-parenting role that's already been established in seasons 2-6. Right after Eddie talks about being a nester, a home-builder, he brings Buck deeper into his family in a parental role. To me, this scene doesn't imply that Eddie can't do it, or that it's out of his wheelhouse, but rather because he feels like Christopher might relate to Buck more about this. But even more so, it shows that Eddie inherently trusts Buck to be the one to talk to Christopher about this, because he's seen how Buck has grown over the years.

Eddie doesn't want Christopher to continue making bad choices in life and he tries to convey this to Buck, but Buck, with his own self-esteem issues, assumes that Eddie doesn't want Christopher to end up like Buck. Which is fascinating because Buck's made it a huge point throughout the series to show that he's grown past his sleeping-around phase (which was never about disrespecting or using women, it was always about Buck's own desire for love and connection that he felt he could only get through sex). And yet with this line, we see that Buck still doesn't realize how far he's come. He still feels like he isn't worth emulating or being someone to look up to. But Eddie does. Eddie sees and loves Buck to his core, and so he points it out to Buck that no, Buck actually didn't become that person, and that Buck is, in fact, worthy of being the one to parent Christopher in this situation. Once again, this is a great moment of showing how these two are able to see past their facades to the truth of each other's issues and provide strength, reassurance, and clarity to each other, as an ideal life partner would be able to do.

Then we get to see this amazing scene of Eddie talking down a panicking woman using his own unique "jello" methods. This coping mechanism tool he walks her through really does sound like something a therapist might teach their patient. Eddie not only is able to admit to having panic attacks but he's able to do it in front of strangers and his team alike with no shame (even a bit of pride at the end). This scene, which could've gotten very awkward very fast, ended up becoming a very sweet, serene moment where we also get to see that love reflected on Buck's face just how proud he is of how far Eddie has come. This episode made a point to show Buck and Eddie recognizing the other's growth and their pride in the other, as well as demonstrate how both are able to be there for the other emotionally in their times of need.

What's interesting is that this is all stuff that we've seen before. Buck and Eddie have been each other's emotional pillars for many years now. This is just a re-establishing episode. We know that this season their relationship is going to be shifting, growing, and showing a new side to it. So I'm intrigued to see how that will manifest given that we have already seen in one episode how Buck and Eddie are each other's closest person. Some might argue that this episode actually frames them to be closer and more emotionally supportive of each other than two of the other canonically romantic couples on the show.

Bathena are shown to be having marital problems in this episode, with Athena worrying she and Bobby might not actually have that much in common outside of the chaos. Madney is shown with pre-martial problems, with Chimney unnecessarily worrying he and Maddie's spark might fizzle out over the years and they might grow to resent each other. I'm not saying either of these relationship problems is really accurate, but it's just interesting to look at in comparison to how Buck and Eddie were framed in this episode, despite not being in a canonical romantic relationship at the moment.

This exchange absolutely took me the fuck out. Because this line did not need to be there. Even for the giggles. It could've even been a line of Buck being sincere and saying that he's proud of Eddie or something. Instead, we get this. "I've never seen a man turn a woman off with such skill". This line connected with the line from Marisol are both callbacks to Eddie's series-long issue with dating women. We get this in conjunction with Buck pointing out that Eddie doesn't really date these women he's in relationships with. He's just with them due to circumstances. Even if the circumstances are of his own making (which could be a symptom of compulsory heterosexuality). Eddie has never once talked about dating women like he's actually attracted to women. I'm so sorry. AND combined with the line where Buck and Eddie actually acknowledge that Eddie wasn't really with Shannon because he wanted to be with her but because of the family they accidentally created. All of this in ONE episode leading up to this line where it's heavily implied that Eddie's skill is his inability to turn women on, and to actually be able to turn them all the way off. And I'm just going to say it, but this line HEAVILY implies queerness. This is the kind of line you'd expect someone to say to a gay man or someone who doesn't actually want the sexual attention of a woman. This, again, in conjunction with Eddie not being able to tell the difference between a date with a woman vs. a man, is all too pointed.

This line alone in a vacuum could maybe not mean queerness, but alongside the whole rest of the episode where beat after beat after beat implies that Eddie has in fact NEVER been in a relationship with a woman 100% of his own active desire for her as a person and not just for what she can provide to his or his son's life?

This points to a very particular direction with Eddie that I'm expecting to see him fight against really hard this season. I would not be surprised if he ends up holding onto Marisol as the last shreds of perceived "normalcy" (ie. heterosexuality) are being threatened. Hopefully, he'll be able to reconcile the truth by the end of the season or going into season 8.

God this is so long and we haven't even gotten to the buddifer scene yet. This part will be a bit more condensed because I'm not really analyzing Chris as a character here or his relationship with Shannon. Maybe I will later.

I'm really loving seeing Christopher become his own person this season. But what really fascinates me here is Chris as a parallel to both Buck and Eddie. Christopher's abandonment trauma is starting to manifest in him through his choices with his love life. The same thing happened with Buck and with Eddie individually. Buck's trauma growing up informed his choices of sleeping around and seeking love from a myriad of individuals who didn't necessarily have his best interest at heart. Eddie's trauma manifested in him being so self-sacrificing that he can't ever choose a relationship for himself, but it always has to be in service of someone else or in pursuit of a perceived "Normal" standard.

In this case with Chris, his trauma is manifesting in a way more similar to Buck's, which is another reason why it's so perfect to see Buck being the one to discuss this with Chris, even though they don't necessarily delve too deep into it. There's no question Buck sees his own issues reflected in Chris. This has been true since 4x08 Breaking Point when Chris runs to Buck's house and confides in Buck his worries about people leaving him. Chris demonstrates a similar issue that Buck and Eddie both hold individually. That being the notion that "it doesn't matter what I do, or how good of a person I am, or how good of a partner I am, I am not worth staying for."

But the difference here is that Eddie and Buck, like the amazing co-parents they are, recognize the problem and take steps to address Christopher's trauma in a way that gives Chris autonomy and isn't condescending or out to make Christopher feel bad about making mistakes. The Buckley parents and the Diaz parents both failed Buck and Eddie in these ways because they blamed their children, never actually took the time to see the underlying issues let alone address them, and made them feel like everything was their fault, even going so far as to actively put their children down over and over and over again. Eddie and Buck get the beautiful chance to break the cycle here with Chris and get to be the parents that they never had.

It was so amazing to watch this episode with Buck and Eddie being supportive partners to each other and supportive parents to Christopher. It was an episode of growth just as much as it was an episode of reintroduction to a new audience. It was also extremely telling of what the future conflicts and themes will likely continue to be for Buck and Eddie for the rest of this season. I'm so excited to see what the rest of this season brings! And thank you from the bottom of my heart, ABC.

#911 abc #911 meta #buddie #buddie meta #buck meta #eddie meta #911 #911 spoilers #911 analysis #buddie analysis #damn this was long as fuck #thank you to anyone who actually sat here and read all this #I will likely do one for episode 2 once I get back from my trip #this episode was fucking amazing #and it's only the beginning of the season

[fangirlforlife97]

Okay so I've been showing my sister the new stills and yes even though she thinks Eddie is giving heart eyes, she thinks Eddie also looks affectionately pained!! Anyone else think he looks affectionately pained too??!! When my sister said that I'm like wow, I never thought of that but it kind of looks like it as well!?! Very subtle in a way. Affectionately pained, that's a new one. Definitely interesting. I have a huge feeling that we are getting some kind of moment though for sure.

#heart eyed eddie diaz #eddie diaz #evan buckley #buddie #911 abc #911 spoilers #911 speculation #911 analysis

[fire-frore-fiddle]

thinking about how eddie has been the only person to stop buck from hurting himself before it happens. he can be patched up, admonished, and comforted, sure. but after years of that treatment, it’s the only way he knew how to be seen. (no offense to maddie at all; she had her hands full and was doing all she could for her brother)

now imagine, you’re buck, and you’ve bounced around all over the western hemisphere trying to find yourself and your place in the world. being a man who gets SO attached, just free floating, with nothing to cling onto and watching the world pass you by. wondering why the world lets you get hurt. joining the 118 and thinking here, this is it, this is my place. but still, you realizes just how much you have to learn, just how young you are.

then buck meets eddie. immediately he thinks, “no, he’s stronger than me, how can i be the hero? how can i be the one who gets hurt now?” he thinks it’s going to be eddie getting the recognition, getting hurt. because that’s the only way you could be loved, right?

he’s right, eddie never lets him get hurt, but he finds himself being loved and cared about in a way he’s never felt before. eddie teaches buck self control, how to care about himself in addition to others. gives him a partner, family, a kid. something to think about when he’s inches from death’s door.

thinking about how eddie knows all this, subconsciously or not — and how much it must have hurt to see his partner, his buck, being hurt, and only being able to stand idly by. when he was under that firetruck, cut and bleeding after the tsunami, hanging from that ladder, dead. THOSE are the moments they realize they would do anything to protect one another, that they’ve been given something to stay alive for. and maybe eddie feels guilty for giving buck that, for changing him on such a molecular level (but deep inside there’s definitely a part of him that’s proud of himself for taming the wild horse that is evan buckley and making him into the man he is today)

buck and eddie absolutely deserve each other. but by god, did the stakes get raised when they met. saving each other means it hurts that much more when you’re past the point of saving!

#buddie #911 on abc #evan buckley #eddie diaz #911 analysis #911 on fox #gay firefighter show #i can’t do this anymore #eddie fell first he just didnt know it because he’s emotionally stunted #he really saw buck and his brain went PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT

[chaosandwolves]

Ok look

You know how we all thought that Eddie would've to go through that whole sexuality crises etc?

You know how we all feel that something has shifted?

Look at him. He's so very content, he's settled, home in himself, with a job he loves, a kid he adores and surrounded by people he calls family. For the first time he can rest and just live. He's at ease.

Now.

What does this mean? Why do I bring it up?

Because I think he sees Buck as such an integral part of his life, he loves him already with his entire heart. And this is something he will know.

And that's why it's not Eddie who will actually have a crisis. Cause Buck is already family, he already loves him.

Now Buck is ever searching rn but he also says that he doesn't want the wrong person again. And we get the Bobby speech of being at ease. When is he ever more at ease than with Eddie, with Chris?

(Eddie literally bringing Chris over cause he knows it'll make Buck feel better.)

Buck wants a partner for life, a family. Something he already has.

But Buck does not see and realize it like Eddie does. While Eddie is so sure about Buck being an inherent part of their life (see legal guardianship) Buck is always scared to be left behind.

He yet has to fully realize what Eddie has done by making him Chris' guardian. How he's thrown him an anchor.

And sure, Buck is cocky and flirty with Eddie but cause he knows he can do it with him cause there won't be negative consequences cause it's Eddie.

So what I want to say is... I think we moved past the sexuality crisis towards a... When Buck finally understands he will absolutely panic but Eddie will just be fine cause Buck is already family.

For Buck it will be a big oh moment. But not because of his sexuality (the hints about him being bi have been clearly noticed).

He will have a crisis because he'll finally see and understand what he has, that he doesn't have to run and search anymore, that he can trust this life he's built himself, that they have built together. The biggest thing will be trusting that this is it and that he doesn't have to chase for approval, doesn't have to fear to be left, doesn't have to run anywhere.

The biggest thing for Buck will be to let himself be at ease. Eddie has finally arrived there. Now it's Buck's turn.

And as soon as Buck is ready to accept that, they can be the family they're meant to be.

#Thank you for coming to my ted talk #buddie #buckley diaz family #eddie diaz #evan buckley #christopher diaz #Seriously #These boys are making me go insane #I love them with my entire soul #911 #911 on fox #Buddie rant #I love them #911 analysis #I love them so much #buddie meta #911 meta #Chaos' Buddie meta

[vessel-full-of-stories]

By now, I've specified several things regarding characters' major love languages. I know this is late but quick disclaimer: I am not an expert in this by any means. To me, some scenes fall under two or more languages depending on how you view them. But when I see a certain character favoring one language over another, I'm gonna assume they're working with what they're familiar with. Or, at least, what I perceive them as familiar with.

And, side note: Just because I don't assign a certain love language to a character, that doesn't mean they don't occasionally use it to communicate affection towards others. It just means its not one of the more common ways they do it. That they tend to favor another form of love to communicate that.

This post is going to focus on Buck and Eddie, and the love languages they use towards each other.

(This gets long so I'ma put a break in to spare the people who just want to scroll past this.)

Quick review of what I've already covered.

Buck has a complicated relationship with physicality. He tends to not touch others without their consent unless it's in life saving situations. Basically, if there's not a physical reason for him to grab them, he won't. Unless they ask.

This doesn't mean he dislikes being close to people. He loves affection. The lack of closeness he got growing up probably influenced the way he leans in to the people he loves, now, at least while talking to them. All those shoulder bumps? That's Buck leaning in when he talks to Eddie as they walk. And it's not exactly grabbing him, so this might be the fine line Buck draws on letting himself be physically close others.

Eddie, on the other hand, uses physicality freely. He initiates all three of their hugs and Buck clearly enjoys them. He gives a little tap to say 'don't be a creep,' when they catch him staring at Marjan in the Lone Star crossover.

In 4x01, Buck clearly attaches his own harness before going down. No issues. But, when the bus explodes, you can hear Eddie scream Buck's name after he doesn't respond to his initial question. Then, with no explanation, the very next episode (4x02) Eddie clips Buck's harness for him. I'm gonna assume it's because the last call with a harness scared him and he's taking comfort in physically clipping Buck in himself. And Buck lets him.

Another example of him taking comfort from Buck is in 5x01 when they're called to help a man having a heart attack. Yes, one could assume touching his shoulder is just Eddie alerting Buck to his movement so he doesn't bump into him by accident. However, I feel like the writers are so deliberate with character dialogues and choices that they wouldn't purposefully drag focus away from Eddie's inner dialogue for nothing. And he's definitely having an inner dialogue here.

There's a number of things the unconscious man could have triggered in Eddie's mind, but the point is, we know he's been triggered. And he's working through it. When he notices another man experiencing a panic attack, there's a distinct way he touches Buck, a constant contact as he moves around him. It's different from the quick taps the team sometimes give each other to say 'Ok, let's go,' 'Look,' or 'This way.' I think Eddie's hand lingers because the touch comforts him. And we also know he's not just trying to alert Buck to follow him because, if he was, Buck would have followed. He doesn't, Hen does. This touch was just for him.

So, we know Buck enjoys physical affection, and touch can be used for both affection and comfort to Eddie. But what about comforting Buck? Physical comfort doesn't really work on him. So how does Eddie comfort Buck back? He actually figures it out over time.

Let's begin at that iconic first meeting.

Analyzing their first episode through the lens of their love languages, it truly makes sense where things went wrong with their first impressions and how they eventually steered it right.

Buck finds purpose and joy in being a firefighter. He's able to serve both the people of his community and the 118 - his family - through it. He spent most of season 1 securing his space and working with his beloved team, so it's a surprise when Bobby suddenly adds an additional member to their unit.

Right off the back, Buck isn't just listening to his team compare their physical appearances (due to the firefighter calendar competition), but Bobby goes on to talk about Eddie's qualifications and how he fought for him to join the 118. A right Buck almost lost permanently in the pilot of the show because of his own immaturity. To Buck, his entire team is gravitating towards Eddie because he's not like him. He's better. Considering Buck's abandonment issues and lack of therapy at this point, it's obvious why he gets mad. Just look at how straight he's sitting in his seat. He's pressing himself as far away from Eddie as he can.

What doesn't help is that this idea is actually enforced (in Buck's mind) throughout their shift. Buck moves in to save a patient, following Bobby's orders and the protocol he was taught, but Eddie cuts in with his own field experience, telling them there's a more effective way to do it. Bobby agrees and lets Eddie take over, Buck having to literally, physically hand his job over to him.

And it's not just his job being taken, but the love of his family. Buck had to build his relationship with the team over time. He was the naive punk who they warmed up to slowly. But Eddie? He charms them almost immediately. Not only does Eddie correct Buck on proper lighting to get a good photo (one-upping Buck in his love of fact giving), but Chimney seeks Eddie's skills to get a photo shoot done for himself. Right in front of him. Now, Buck's been stewing in his anger all day so of course he says something rude. Not that Chim doesn't forgive him, but Buck is definitely falling into a pit of self sabotage here.

Eddie, on the other hand, is doing everything he can to just fit into the 118. To prove his capability and be a part of a team again. Something he hasn't had since he was in the army, especially after Shannon left and he was more isolated than ever. He doesn't get angry and attack Buck for constantly making things difficult. He's friendly and patient. But he's also petty *affectionate*. So, after his reassurance that he's not a threat, that he and Buck are on the same side, doing the same job, he does throw in that comment of "I've just done it with people shooting at me is all." (I love him.)

And it's completely valid because, to Eddie, Buck seems to be all ego. That Buck is trying to place himself above Eddie because he thinks he's better, not because he's afraid of losing the life he's built. Unsurprisingly, it was more of the same after that. So much so that on the next call, Eddie drops the niceties and asks "What are we measuring here, Buck?" Because he doesn't get it. He doesn't know Buck. And Buck doesn't know Eddie.

Everything changes once Eddie realizes the grenade in the man's leg isn't a practice round, it's live.

Eddie starts to understand Buck's ego isn't what he thought it was by the way he responds to the news. Unlike that first call where they argued over methods of approach, Buck knows he's not the expert here. He has no idea what he's dealing with and listens to everything Eddie says, even asking questions for clarification.

Buck realizes Eddie isn't what he thought he was when he offers to remove the grenade himself, regardless of the risk. Because there is absolutely a risk. This wasn't a job for firefighters or even the bomb squad. They couldn't defuse a grenade. They would have to wait for the military to show up which would take longer than that man had to live. So, Eddie volunteers to do it.

And Buck, who is committed to acts of service, relates to this. He sees that, oh, we are here to do the same thing. Help people. There's not an ounce of malice in the way he says, "I'm in." He's 100% dedicated to helping the man. By the time they're ready to start, they're finally seeing each other for who the other is.

Buck can marvel at Eddie's capabilities and when Buck fumbles with the grenade for a moment, Eddie can recognize his bashfulness at his mistake. They're so impressed with each other, and Eddie is the first to admit it.

And that's where Eddie's other love language, words of affirmation, actually comes into play.

From my understanding, words of affirmation are showing affection or comfort to others by saying personal things that they know will have impact. Verbalizing specific details known about them and communicating in a way that shows they're actively listening.

And, because eye contact is absolutely a form a non-verbal communication, I'm going to include it in this category.

Honestly, the whole show does a great job of pushing meaningful communication and therapy. Every single main character has had their moments to give and receive words of wisdom, comfort, love, frustration, and everything in between. It's embedded into the foundation of the story itself.

So, if everyone uses words to impact others on multiple occasions throughout the seasons, how do I know it's one of their specific love languages? Well, I'd have to sit down and analyze every character in order to know for sure. (Even then, I am a novice.)

In my analysis, words of affirmation are not only a key component for Buck to understand someone's love, but (coincidentally) another major love language for Eddie. And, like physical affection, Eddie truly got to utilize it after getting away from his shitty parents.

I could get into specifics but I'm gonna keep this brief because there's so much else to say. When rehashing many of Eddie's failed acts of service for his family when he was young, he goes on to point out how Ramon verbally tore into him after every incident. When he receives his purple heart, it's not just Eddie's trauma that hollows Ramon's praise. And don't get me started on his f***ing mother. The way she uses the word "hero" against him and tries breaking down any shred of self confidence he has just to keep his child? I can't. Ramon isn't the only one Eddie needed to tell off at the retirement party. Still, I'm grateful for what we got because Eddie got to tell Ramon to his face, "I spent my whole life trying not to be like you." And he wasn't just talking about not looking weak.

Eddie is constantly, verbally telling Chris how much he loves him and he does it while holding him (physical affection) or facing him head on. It's an added emphasis to make sure his love is being conveyed, no matter how he is saying it. And he says it a million different ways.

He assures Chris he's always just a phone call away, that he's safe, that they still have each other. That he misses him and will be home soon. He validates his feelings in tough situations. He tells him how handsome he is when he isn't feeling confident in a suit. He calls him nicknames like kid, buddy, little man, my little Superman, and even Gordon Ramsey when he's making a salad. He doesn't like it when he talks down on himself and corrects him when he wrongly takes blame, like when he heard Eddie and his parents yelling. And he especially struggles when it comes to communicating Chris' limitations with CP. But he finds a way, because, again, he knows first-hand how powerful words can be.

So, Eddie's blend of physicality and words can be shown easily through Christopher. Now, let's look at Buck.

Obviously, there's no examples of Eddie holding Buck as he tells him something important. (Yet. Please?) The closest thing we get are their hugs and those are fairly brief.

He does test physical comfort in the beginning with a simple pat on the back, no words and no eye contact. It could have been Buck's immediate quote of "That's love," that gave Eddie the hint touch doesn't work, words do. Because he doesn't really attempt physical comfort after that.

Not that words always work, of course. Because Buck needs a special kind of assurance to calm him down. He needs words based in facts, or at least strong ideas that can compete with the ones dominating his mind.

The difference between that first confrontation in the gym and their talk after the grenade incident? Eddie's words. His first attempt generalizes everything as 'I am not a threat. We are on the same team.' But Buck absolutely sees him as a threat because he's a potential replacement for him on that team. He tries bringing up Abby to explain off some of his tension, which, yeah, wrong move. Then his jab about being under gunfire only sticks with him as he immediately goes into comparing war zones the second they're alone.

After they save the day, Eddie looks him dead in the eye and compliments his ability to stay calm under pressure. Something personal, a fact just witnessed in the ambulance. He goes on to request his service on future calls, saying "You can have my back any day." Which. Double love language right there. Even the eye contact is different and you could tell how genuine he was being with his words. So, teasing Eddie with, "Or you can have mine," and actually making him laugh? It's no wonder they work in perfect sync by the next call. It's like their feud never happened.

Later, Maddie's been kidnapped and Eddie tries comforting him after he's been chewed out by Athena. He assures him he understands his actions because he has sisters, too. That Doug would have found her regardless if Buck had convinced her to stay in LA or not. Excellent points, but the fact that Maddie is still with Doug at that moment eclipses all of that. No comfort.

After his embolism, nothing Eddie says matters because Buck still lost his purpose. There's little eye contact with Buck hiding under the blankets, distancing himself away from Eddie and his words, and just avoiding them completely when Eddie hits him with, "[Chris] never feels sorry for himself." But at least that last comment get's him thinking.

After the tsunami, Buck is convinced his failure overshadows everything. And I love the way Eddie focuses Buck's gaze to him or Christopher, the boy he saved. As if to say, 'Look, we're both still here.' When Buck turns away, he moves to catch his eyes as soon as they turn back. Because he wants Buck to see how much he means what he's going to say. Instead of telling Buck he didn't fail (which he never would have believed) Eddie admits to his own failures and pushes two major truths onto him. One, that Buck loves Chris enough to never stop trying. And two, (He grabs his shoulder to really keep his attention here.) "There's nobody in this world I trust with my son more than you." Oh, and before he goes, "Thank you for not giving up." Drawing value and appreciation to even his unsuccessful acts. And, wow, that works.

Eddie implements direct eye contact into moments of comfort after this, but he still goes on a bit of a losing streak starting with Red.

Buck is scared his team will drift apart like Red's did. While everyone else keeps repeating that there isn't anything to worry about, Eddie tries bringing up some evidence to prove it. Which backfires when Hen and Chim reveal they don't actually keep in contact with their old teammates. Eddie's left to simply say, "That won't happen to us." Which brings Buck little comfort.

There was the Abby incident where he was at such a loss for words he almost resorted back to physical comfort, ending on a simple "You ok?" Because, seriously, there's so much baggage there and they have more jobs to do. What else was he supposed to say?

The Buckley parents arrive and dropkick Buck into emotional hell. As much as Eddie tries to convince him he has every right to be mad, to have said what he said, that him being unable to save Daniel with his "defective parts" wasn't on him, Buck doesn't believe it because his parents' wouldn't. Then, Eddie finally shifts away from his parents and focuses solely on Buck. In one beautiful moment of "I had to do it."/"I know you did," he's finally back with a win. And he keeps winning.

The emotional agony he knows Buck endured saving his life and waiting for him to wake up? Assure him he's ok with a casual greeting. Just look at that smile. Buck thinks he's expendable and can easily be removed from their lives? Sike. He's been in his will for over a year. And just to prove how much he loves knows him, he knew Buck would never turn it down. For an added touch, he calls him by his first name to emphasize his value goes beyond the Buck they got to know, but the Evan that felt worthless before him.

My god, does Eddie love him. Understand him like no other character on the show. He's able to pinpoint exactly what Buck needs to hear and says it without hesitation.

Buck is the guy who likes to fix things. He's not allowed to just walk away from their family, he's stuck with them. Someone's invalidating his feelings again? He's gonna defend him, but also say it in the form of a joke to make him smile. He's twisting his previous comment into something self-depreciating? Absolutely not. Because being the guy who likes to fix everything comes in handy when he needs help fixing his wall. Thank you for your service.

Of course, Buck loves Eddie just as much. He just shows it differently.

His major love language, acts of service, is found in abundance throughout the show, so let's focus on what he's done for Eddie.

After assuring Eddie multiple times that Christopher is safe after the earthquake and alerting him the second phone services are back, he drives Eddie straight to him so they can be reunited.

For whatever reason, Buck continues this trend and goes with Eddie when his abuela broke her hip. Considering he drove him to Chris' school, drove them around in the episode "Treasure Hunt", and drove him while Eddie stayed on the phone with Charlie in "Suspicion," I'm going to assume Buck is just the one who drives. Plain and simple.

When Eddie has nowhere else to take Chris, Buck gives Bobby a heads up to the situation so that it's all cleared by the time he joins them in the loft. After discussing Eddie's situation with Pepa and Maddie, he introduces Eddie to Carla who helps guide him through the system to get Christopher what he needs.

A small moment I personally appreciate happens on the call where Shannon is struck by a car. Buck and Eddie are so focused on helping the driver, they don't even consider any pedestrians until the driver brings up the woman she hit. And Buck sees her before Eddie does. The shock and pain on his face is because he knows how much this will blindside Eddie. And they can read each other like a book, so Eddie catches on immediately. By then, it's too late. He sees her. Buck doesn't grab him, but he does try to stop him. He gets in front of him and asks him to wait, to take a second to process. But Eddie can't wait, so Buck lets him go.

There's the Christmas party he plans with Athena so Chris and Eddie could be together. (Everyone else, too, but the Diaz boys' sad eyes were definitely key motivators.) They build a skateboard together after he comforts Eddie by not only appealing to his love of baseball but the success of a baseball player with a disability. And, of course, there's the night he's more than ready to dig Eddie out of 30ft of wet earth by hand.

Buck's willing to split a massive fortune with him because he was a little sad they couldn't team up. The entire sniper arc, he's dedicated to helping Eddie, Chris, and his team at any cost, especially at his own life.

He's shown to be willing to physically defend Eddie, to care for Chris while Eddie takes care of himself mentally, to help put the broken pieces of the his life and his wall back together.

And Buck does comfort Eddie verbally, too. I actually pointed out a few above.

Buck comforts himself, his family, and strangers on calls using facts. It's not as prominent or effective as his acts of service. Even his direct eye contact is more used to gauge whether the act is effective or not. Instead, his words are more often a foreshadow or accompaniment to the act itself. But it's still a notable feature of his.

One example got a lot of people confused when it aired. In 5x08, Eddie is distressed at the thought that a little boy and his baby sister were lost to a hospital fire. He asks, "What are we supposed to do with that?" to which Buck say, "We put it away and we save the next one." Some people found this insensitive, harsh, or even uncharacteristic. But, truthfully, it's not. Because what facts are there to comfort him in this case? That they've saved plenty of other lives today? That a fire this big was statistically bound to have casualties? That it's somehow ok that this happened and he shouldn't be sad? There is nothing based in fact that can make this situation better, so Buck steers his mind towards the next one. That is all he can do at this point.

When he truly doesn't have the right words to say, he actually stays silent. This is alluded to in Eddie's confession after his breakdown and his admission that he's unsure if anything they do is even worth it. Both scenes cut before Buck responds, because whatever comes next doesn't progress the story. He hasn't found the right fact yet. And if he doesn't have one, he finds one. He finds Charlie and shows Eddie exactly how much can be done with a second chance.

Another cute example of Buck comforting Eddie is when Eddie's packing for Texas. The domesticity of Buck playing with a dinosaur as they chat. Ugh. Anyways, Eddie's stressing about time and Buck tries to comfort him with, "Your parents will understand." They both realize the error in that statement and he corrects with a, "They should understand." And when Eddie tries to argue his family isn't screwed up? Buck's smile, omfg. It speaks for itself. He also makes sure to brace Eddie for when his dad inevitably get's under his skin, and Eddie tells him he already has a hotel in mind for them to stay if it really comes to that.

Like I said, Buck's words and actions are linked. No other moments demonstrate this quite like when Buck is being ignored. Because how can he gather information to help someone if they won't tell him what's wrong?

The bruises, the tiredness, the anger. The cardiologist, the deflecting, the panic. Asking for honesty and being told to move on. Buck knows when something is wrong. He knows Eddie. And it's not until his breakdown that he gives Buck exactly what he's been asking for.

I actually kinda love the unfiltered honesty we get from Eddie after this. He tells Buck his worst fears, how crappy he feels, how he's worried it might not get better. How he doesn't know whether to believe in their work anymore.

It's an honesty he mainly shares with Buck, considering how he bit his tongue for most of his father's retirement party and then couldn't admit to FOMO with May. He's completely vulnerable for vulnerabilities sake. He's not asking for Buck's help, Buck just does that anyways.

To end on a happy note, I want to bring up the funnest part of their dynamic. Where the two of them meet on equal ground within words of affirmation: teasing.

I explained that words of affirmation includes picking out personal details to sort of showcase how well they know each other. And Eddie and Buck do it flawlessly all while teasing each other, others, and themselves to no end.

It could be pointing out that Buck doesn't know math, that Eddie can't (couldn't) cook, that they were both going through a phase, or just making faces as the other one's ridiculousness. That Eddie loves telenovelas, that it's actually an exoskeleton, Buck, or their dating life is full of weak excuses and invisible girlfriends.

What really pushes that this is Eddie's love language is the way he finds a way to tease Buck as he's comforting him. Especially when he finds the situation absurd.

The whole lawsuit arc? Fake glares him down with a pointed finger and says "Just don't do it again." (Humor that actually switches the hug from comforting to affectionate.)

Maddie's worried about him after a disastrous dinner with his parents? "Can't imagine why," as he proceeds to walk away from Buck nearly kicking over a punching bag.

That near-fatal rescue in Buck Begins? "Showoff."

Chim might never forgive him? Not a chance. "I'm kidding!... Maybe."

Buck removing himself from the team after he finds Ravi is ready to replace him. "Who replaces me?"

And, yes, he knows how to call himself out, too. Especially because Buck is probably the only one who would get the joke. Bobby calling Buck out on his rocky relationship and not knowing what to do when things go wrong? "Yeah, who does that?" (That little look they share after he says it? I love them.)

He incorporates humor into these stressful situations and majority of the time, it does make Buck smile. The fact that his smile is such a goal for Eddie in these moments says so much.

They love each other effortlessly yet purposefully and teasing is such a joyous highlight to show it. I can't wait to see how their relationship evolves from here.

#911 fox #911fox #911 on fox #buddie #911 buddie #evan buck buckley #eddie diaz #christopher diaz #buddie edit #911 meta #911 analysis #911 FOX #911 ON FOX #love languages #physical affection #words of affirmation #acts of service #when I tell you I had to throw hands with my brain to stop trying to add more #I'ma need a break after this one. maybe come back with a few micro posts. but definitely nothing this extensive again for awhile hahaha #also I know a few of the panels within my collages are out of chronological order but I deleted my screenshots before I could fix them #not that they're all in chronological order #more like thought process and clumps #i hope you like it #sorry if there's typos im just tired hahah #i had to repost this and put everything back together. i hope everything is still in order. #hopefully nothing got deleted

[biaoba]

why is the dog the one that is trouble?

why, thank you for being forced to ask asking, anon! (you and @blutterlie, of course, if you're not the same person *squints*)

See, the thing about Buck and Eddie's canon dynamic, is that one of the main themes between them is distance. For the past 2 seasons, there's been palpable tension. The lack of something is also it's presence, after all, and as season 5 progressed, you could see more and more eyebrows being raised at the large nothing left behind by the lack of Buddie scenes.

Picture this. Eddie gets shot. We get the reveal that Buck is Chris's legal guardian. And... then... nothing? They get held at gunpoint together, and nothing. Eddie breaks down, Buck is there for him sure, but they still don't talk about it.

So, we get season 6. Starting off strong. They're both single, no potential love interests, and they share a conversation about couches that's just dripping in metaphor and meaningful looks.

We start thinking, okay, this is it. Then, episode 4, 'Animal Instincts' rolls around.

Buck gets asked to be a sperm donor. You're thinking, okay, what the fuck. Eddie starts having trouble with Chris. You're thinking, okay, understandable, but he should really be talking to, oh I don't know, Chris's literal legal guardian about this?

And then... they... just... don't.

Then motherfucking Hoover the dog shows up and they start passing him around like a hot potato. We see Bobby bringing him to Hen. We see Karen giving him to Eddie. We see Eddie trying Chimney's door.

And... then... the dog is with Buck?

Yeah just one question.

WHAT???? WHEREEE IS THE BUDDIE SCENE? WHYYY couldn't they have shown us them interacting right then? Hm? Can the writers handle that question? Why couldn't Buck and Eddie, at this point in their stories, when everything is SCREAMING that they should talk to each other, have a one-on-one scene together? Why couldn't Buck come over to help Eddie and Chris clean up the mess? Why couldn't they have come to him, convincing him to take the dog in? Was it because the audience couldn't be reminded of their importance in each other's lives? Was it because, if left to spend any time alone together, these two best friends would obviously start talking about the things that have been bothering them?

It's a gaping hole. It's so OBVIOUS, yet the average audience member won't think twice about it. They're both at such precarious points in their lives, AND THEY'RE LITERALLY NOT ALLOWED TO BE ALONE IN A ROOM TOGETHER BECAUSE THE WRITERS KNOW. THEY FUCKING KNOW THEIR DUMBASS PLOTS WOULD FALL APART LIKE A HOUSE OF CARDS UNDER ANY TYPE OF SCRUTINY. The buddie exists outside the narrative, yet everything they don't do together haunts the story so bad, and it's fucking infuriating!!! HOOVER THE DOG YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS I PROMISE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

tl;dr if you're writing a season 6 fix-it fic, do yourself a favor and start at the missing 'handing over the dog' scene

#buddie #911 fox #911 abc #911 on abc #911 #911 analysis #evan buckley #eddie diaz #damn i slayed (im saying nothing. the audience goes home i left a lot of crumbs. i should stop spitting)

[they-reap-what-we-sow]

Okay I'm gonna be honest, I was kind of underwhelmed by the mid-season finale...

Now, I'm not gonna say I didn't like it, or that it was a bad episode- because I did enjoy it and it was a pretty well done episode, but it felt like it didn't give us the feeling of a mid-season finale.

The emergencies all felt scattered, with no clear theme over arching them. I've felt the theme better in random episodes throughout the rest of the seasons, especially 5b. The big emergency, the one fire (the first one all season!) should have been a much bigger part of the episode, especially with how impactful it was to Bobby, and what I assume is a plot line that will follow into 6b. I know 9-1-1 tries to stay away from fire emergencies because they don't want to be a basic firefighter show but like,,,, y'all they can fight fires we won't get bored promise 🤞

Another thing was just that the vibes didn't feel like mid-season finale. We've had a really light season, with nothing big in the realm of trauma/drama excepting the Hen/Karen/Henren stuff, but for the most part, this has been one of the lightest seasons we've had throughout the show. For that matter, I thought they were building us up to crash down hard in the finale, but no, it felt just as light and almost, like, nonessential. The Josh prank plotline specifically??? Like it felt so out of place in a finale that me and @fanfictiongreenirises almost thought he was gonna have a heart attack or something to spice things up, but alas.

Maybe it's just because we'd been building up to this ep for two weeks, and we had time to spiral into theories, especially with the Buck Coma Theory (which I fully believe in as a 6b arc, but more on that later) but I think we just over hyped the episode to ourselves, and personally I was left wanting more.

Ah well, I'm off to the archive to make this better for myself!

#krowabbey #911 on fox #911 show #911 6x09 #911 spoilers #911 s6 #buddie #eddie diaz #evan buckley #bobby nash #henrietta wilson #chimney han #911 analysis

[katyobsesses]

Buddie Meta

i'm rewatching 6x02 and i've realized a lot of somethings, but the one I'm focusing on right now is the Buddie of it all.

there's been a lot of complaints in parts of the fandom about the lack of Buddie so far this season (before the midseason finale), and there is, yes, but there is a reason for it and there is a moment when it started - after the Happiness Convention and Lev.

in 6x01 we get them together in Buck's loft - this ridiculously domestic scene for a couple of platonic besties, reminiscent of all the buddie scenes we were graced with in 5b. This shows us that in the time between the end of 5b and 6x01 this was very likely common place for Buddie and Christopher, this was their normal, Buck cooking for Eddie and Chris, the longing lingering looks and smiles from Eddie, Chris's teasing. it's all shown in the first episode of this season as easy and natural for the three of them. this is their status quo. this is where they are at the start of their arcs for this season - a 'platonic' family unit - and it is where their arcs will return to, just changed slightly (because that is what story arcs do) and we already see Buck changing slightly, with him moving his armchair to where his couch was... instead of looking for another couch (or realizing there is a couch waiting for him at the Diazes')

and then it's 6x02 and everything crashes down around Buck, specifically - because Buck is the one that pulls away from this family unit, Eddie never does (in fact in subsequent episodes he tries to draw Buck back in, but doesn't push. he is waiting, patiently, for Buck to figure out his shit).

At the beginning of this episode Buddie are their usual selves, we see them together like normal, like has been established in the first episode of this season, like the new normal they'd created for themselves in 5b. they lean next to each other commenting on Hen being asleep in the engine, they throw popcorn on Hen with Chim - maybe some other stuff i can't remember or more in the background - and then there's the Happiness Convention and Lev.

They're split up on this call, noticeably so. Eddie and Julie go help Lev's two friends, while Chim and Buck help Lev. If Bobby had been there Eddie with Buck, and Chim would have been with Hen. (It's interesting that Hen decided to split Buddie up. this feels relevant to her arc in some way? something something Hen being too overworked and stressed and pulled in two directions to make the right choices??) They're distanced in this rescue, and this rescue is the catalyst to the distance that starts to form between them after this episode.

And I am certain that it's Lev's words to Buck that make him pull away from the family unit he has created with Eddie and Chris:

"You live your whole life doing everything you're supposed to. Marriage, kids, big house, nice car."

"Hey, that doesn't sound too bad, right?"

"It wasn't. It's just this 40 year blur. Work and Family. Never enough time, until one day work stops, and everything finally comes into focus. you're not sure what you're looking at. What was the point of... any of it."

Okay, so, obviously hearing that from a dying man would make anyone have an existential crisis (and this is Buck who collects words from old dying men like baseball cards) but it's the work and family that stood out to me. specifically a blur of work and family.

because that's what Buck is doing, he's blurring work and family together is every single aspect.

his sister is married to his co-worker, his captain is like a father figure, his partner is his best friend and they're basically raising a kid together - family and work is blurred. and I think in this moment Buck is hit with the fact that he doesn't have anything outside of the 118. No friends, no family. the 118 is all he has.

and that's why he spirals. Because if work stops? so does family.

They get Lev's friends out, they get Frankie out, but they don't get Lev out. He dies, but not before saying he "got what he came here for" - Happiness. "I get it now"

The next time we see Buddie they're physically separated by Chim and this is where Buck begins to create some space between Eddie and himself by turning down breakfast. He's unblurring the lines between before and after work by turning down spending time with his coworkers - notably the two coworkers most intertwined with family.

This is the catalyst, the beginning, to the Lack Of Buddie this season - it's Buck suddenly feeling terrified at the comfort he's created with his Platonic Family Unit, because what if, when work stops, this family unit stops too? So he's distancing himself from it now, even if it's mostly subconscious, and he's even making a new family unit with the who Sperm Donation arc. (Oh and he's also internalizing the whole happiness is sacrificing oneself for someone else thing with the recklessness this season that will likely come to a head soon, but that's a non-buddie something)

Buck's arc this season, I theorize, is going to end where it started - with Eddie and Christopher. But he'll be changed, and i truly believe it will be a happier Buck that we end up with, everything will finally come into focus for him, and he'll finally get it, he'll be sure of what he's looking at and finally understand what the point of everything was - a family he's made for himself, with Eddie and Chris, and the knowledge that he and everyone at the 118 are linked to each other forever, even if, in the future, they might drift somewhat. It's the culmination of all of the old men he's bonded with that died on him. It's Thomas, and Red, and now Lev. Love, friendship, and happiness.

#9-1-1 meta #911 meta #buddie #buddie meta #evan buck buckley #evan buckley meta #evan buckley #911 #9-1-1 #911 season 6 #9-1-1 season 6 #apparently i needed to write a literal essay #1012 words... yeah this is an essay #i miss my media studies degree apparently #katy analyses #media analysis #911 analysis #katy metas #i hope this makes sense? i believe i'm picking up what the writers are putting down #but also i know i can wear buddie tinted glasses on occasion #i don't think this is one such occasion though... #the data doesn't lie #buddie endgame? more likely than you think #long post #sorry not sorry for that #katy writes

[thegirlwithataser]

i have a lot of feelings about the choice to use carry you again. It’s only been used twice:

once, when eddie thought he was going to die and we saw the montage of his life with christopher.

and now, when eddie finally feels alive. He’s back with the team and he’s doing ok, not perfect but no one ever is but he’s ok, he’s finally where he is supposed to be.

We heard carry you as eddie diaz was dying and we heard it again as he was coming back to life.

#eddie diaz #911 fox #911 analysis #i just really love him ok #911 season 5

[littlerosetrove]

911 is all about trauma and how one deals with it and possibly heals from it, right? Well…

So we got Taylor Kelly’s backstory in 5A, which told us she has big time childhood trauma from her dad murdering her mother, and denying it to the present time. 5B has (finally) shown us that this backstory/info was for a reason.

Here’s the thing: how Taylor chooses to “handle” her trauma is by exploiting other people's trauma. She was hurt as a kid, and so as an adult she time and again chooses to hurt others because she also chooses to not deal with her trauma in a healthy way. And the messed up part is I don’t think Taylor sees it that way, that she’s (willfully) hurting others. After all, she “hates to tell her story” so she tells other people's stories.

Another layer to all this that’s been pointed out by some brilliant minds in the fandom, is that Taylor is - as clearly indicated in 5x16 - angry/jealous that Buck has a family that is coming back together and healing, including Bobby, a father figure to Buck. Buck has a family that Taylor knows she’ll never truly be a part of. Because besides Buck, Taylor doesn’t have anyone. To be clear, this is by choice and by design on Taylors part. It’s her own choices that Taylor doesn’t have anyone, and she is growing angry and resentful that Buck has people and family in his life. Taylor thought she and Buck could live together in their “shared loneliness and pain.”

So what does Taylor do with this resentment, jealousy, and anger? Well she goes after Buck's family, and Buck himself, in whatever way she can to hurt them.

How someone chooses to deal with and handle trauma says a lot. Every single member of the 118 has some kind of trauma; Bobby, Hen, Chimney, Eddie, and Buck. The core five have only ever shown to be kind people, wanting to help others.

But Taylor? Taylor from the start has been someone that displays, “I’ve been hurt, so I’m going to hurt others.” But she doesn’t see it that way, and even if she does, she doesn’t care.

#911 spoilers #9-1-1 #anti Taylor Kelly #congrats to the 911 writers for making TK #one of my most hated characters of all time #jesus it does break my heart that Buck tried to see the good in her #it's TIME for the Wicked Witch to be GONE #911 analysis #sort of????

[faithiegirl01]

And

Ok… so I know this would be a very long stretch… but for some reason I can totally see Robin Buckley from stranger things being related to Evan and Maddie Buckley from 911… and yes I purely started this idea on the fact that they have the exact same last name… it’s even spelled the same… like come on! But the more the idea ruminated in my head the more I started to actually think of how it could be.

I don’t really have much evidence, but wouldn’t that be the craziest crossover ever? Like could you just imagine an old Robin telling stories that passed down though the family of how she and her friends fought inter-dimensional demons?

Cause I can totally see her being their grandma telling them all the stories about it and them just never believing her.

I mean think of it. It could work…

Robin is supposed to be 18 in season 4 which takes place in 1987 and Buck and Maddie are supposed to be mid 20-30s in 2022. Robin would roughly be 53 years old in 2022.

So it could work that she’s a cool grandmother or an awesome aunt to Buck and Maddie. I just think this idea is so cool to think about.

Then think about how they’d know the rest of the ST family.

Like they’d know Steve who would roughly be 54 because by my math he’s supposed to only be a year old then Rob so they’d probably know him as uncle Steve, Aunt Robin’s best friend who’s always around with their 6 cousins…

I’m just saying the parallel could work in so many ways. Like maybe their mom is Robin’s little sister that she doesn’t talk much about then years later after all the crap in Hawkins she decides that she needs to make amends with her sister because you never know what’ll happen.

So then that’s how she’s around as the cool aunt Robin with all her friends that are like family.

I don’t know 🤷🏼‍♀️ I just thought the idea was super cool and interesting.

Like maybe if someone wanted to make this into a Fic y’all could make the reader like be maybe Steve’s kid or possibly someone else’s from the show and both her, Maddie and Buck learn the family history that their family’s fought in a inter-dimensional war growing up.

Idk, but it’d be a cool concept in my opinion is all.

#911 thoughts #911 crossover #911 crossover idea #911 show #911 series #911 fox #911 imagine #stranger things fandom #stranger things thoughts #stranger things crossover #stranger things crossover idea #stranger things steve #stranger things robin #stranger things theory #911 theory #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things analysis #911 analysis #stranger things #911 #evan buckly #evan buck buckley #maddie buckly #robin buckley #stranger things imagine #stranger things imagines #stranger things x reader #evan buckley imagines #evan buckley x reader #evan buck buckely

[aunmenosheteroenespanol]

2.12 Chimney Begins - 2.09 Hen Begins - 2.16 Bobby Begins Again - 7.04 Buck, Bothered and Bewildered

Tommy's family arc

#911 #911edit #911 abc #911 show #911 spoilers #911 season 7 #tommy kinard #evan buckley #evan 'buck' buckley #kinley #bucktommy #kinkley #tevan #pick a ship name you guys and thanks for picking tevan the most correct name #anyway analysis time! #looking back with Modern Knowledge tm about why tommy acts the way he does in the past... babygirl you were so closeted I'm so proud #babygirl was back there getting into narnia #he was so resistant to letting go of the pseudo-family he'd found at the 118 in chimney begins #even tho it was a good old boys club that he knew he really didn't fit into he was making himself fit because at least it was something #but then he let chimney in and then hen came around and he saw a very queer person being openly queer and not giving a fuck what they think #and I think his behavior in that episode was trying to support hen as much as he could without outing himself #because like. how do you give up years of relative safety with people who do care about you they just won't like you anymore if you're *you #then he meets buck in s7 which is like 10-20 years later timeline is fake and he's like oh. this is what unconditional family is #and he's like oh. maybe I can come back. maybe I can be part of this again somehow. maybe we've both grown enough #or at the very least he'll be close to something he never believed would really happen for him #rant over tevan my beloved tim minear pillow cold both sides god bless #my edits

[boybuddie]

Went back and rewatched That Scene and analyzed it now that I was up close

Its been approx. 37 hours, still not over it.

Dinner date

Cafe

#i really really like them #i want them to be a thing for the rest of the season #also i have a crush on tommy lmao #911 #911 spoilers #911 abc #911 fox #9 1 1 #tommy kinard #buck buckley #evan buckley #kinley #kinkley #bucknard #what the fuck are we calling this #analysis

[bisexual-buck]

"But Buck was trying to get Eddie's attention."

Well I have some thoughts on that! I think Buck does like Tommy, and there's no confusion for him about that. His feelings for both people can coexist!

My interpretation of last night's events for our chaotic bisexual kind of played out as him trying to get both Tommy's and Eddie's attention at different times. And not really knowing why. I think he was having feelings he couldn't really process because he didn't have the right context for those feelings and hasn't really felt them before.

So call me a clown but my thoughts are that he was definitely feeling jealous of both of them. With Eddie, he's primarily been close with only women outside of the 118, not other guys. Buck's subconscious feelings (not known to him at the time or even fully now) may have been along the lines of "Eddie likes women, I have no competition" and then in swoops Tommy (someone Buck already thinks is really cool and wanted to get to know even if he didn't quite know why yet) and his brain goes "I have competition" about both Eddie taking his new interest's attention and Tommy taking his long time interest's attention.

But then Tommy comes back into focus and clearly shows interest in Buck, so it clicks! This was that feeling! Part of the puzzle has been solved— it's just the rest that isn't as obvious to him yet.

Because without understanding his sexuality, Buck has likely only ever viewed Eddie as a friend even if along the way he has felt things that friends don't typically feel. So what we have right now is an opportunity for Buck to explore his bisexuality as a completely separate thing from Eddie, and then come to understand what he has also been feeling for Eddie without realizing before.

Or I'm completely wrong but only time will tell.

#911 spoilers #911 abc #911 on abc #911abc #evan buckley #sunsays.txt #character analysis #kinda? #tommy kinard #eddie diaz #buddie #911 speculation

[vessel-full-of-stories]

So, since my previous analysis of Buck and physical affection excluded canon romantic relationships, I decided to make one focusing on Abby.

As discussed here and here, Buck isn't someone who typically initiates physical affection with those around him. He waits for permission and doesn't ask for physical comfort, only accepting what others offer him instead.

Considering he and Abby were in a romantic relationship, there might be some shift in his approach to physical affection, right? Not really.

Abby was a key turning point for Buck. He didn't want to be "Buck 1.0" and immediately jump into bed with her. He established boundaries - limiting contact to phone calls - and their relationship developed at a distance, where he could trust himself.

That all changed in 1x05 when Abby's mom goes missing and they have their first face-to-face.

Nothing happens. They're both too caught in the moment to do anything before they focus back on finding her mother. Their first actual point of contact comes after they intercept a call about a downed power pole with possible injuries on sight.

After working together to save a child, Buck offers the dispatcher a high five. Once she accepts, he takes her hand, holds it close to examine it, and laughs when she questions what he's doing. Later, he would explain that he was checking to see if her hands were shaking like his did on his first calls as a firefighter.

It's a simple gesture but he doesn't go beyond that, letting her go after she questions him and sticking his hands back in his pockets.

That doesn't stop him from letting their shoulders bump together as they walk.

They're still in this pre-relationship territory that Buck established. Her mother is home, safe, and they're happy, but he still keeps his distance. Abby is the one to close the space and initiate the hug, not that Buck minded. He likes her. He admitted that when he set the boundary. It's why he set the boundary.

Once their hands break away, he shoves them back in his pockets and says goodbye with a quick wave. The boundary is still there, but it is diminished slightly.

On par with building this relationship before it gets too physical, Buck invites Abby to Chim's Welcome Back party to meet the team and ask her on a date.

Aside from the initial hug she initiates, there's no physical contact, even after she says yes. (Granted, they were running out to answer a call.)

When Buck nearly unalives himself after choking on bread, Abby saves him and offers him a hand for comfort, which he takes.

And my interpretation could be wrong but with all of the contact Abby initiates, it seems to only be after Buck does something big for her. Which might actually reflect how surface level their relationship was in her mind. Yes, he is important because he was with her throughout these major moments in her life, but she doesn't actually like him like him. And I say this because she offered her hand to comfort him in the moment, but she doesn't hold it while he's in the hospital bed.

She is shown to be the one consistently initiating contact, but she didn't once the danger had passed. She just sat by him. Again, she cares for him, but at a surface level. She doesn't love him.

This is different for Buck because he really does like her. He wants to be in her space. He let's himself take that next step forward with her permission. He is so smitten with her and she is enjoying every bit of the affection, even if she doesn't entirely return it.

(This is turning into a character analysis post more than focusing on the physical affection. As you can see below, Abby initiates the hug. Buck holds out his arm, allowing Abby to decide whether to take it. Abby kisses him goodbye. Their conversation at the table shows Buck with his arm stretched out over the table, making it available for her to grab at any point through the serious discussion. She eventually puts both hands out to touch him before leaning in for a kiss. Basically, again, no direct initiative from Buck. Just opportunity.)

This doesn't make her heartless. She does show genuine remorse when she has to cancel their hot air balloon ride to help her mother. There are a lot of conflicting things in her life demanding her attention, and she can't sacrifice them just for Buck. Even if she thinks he's sweet, kind, and fun.

With some advice from Bobby, he tells her he's all in with this grandiose, heartfelt speech. And she appreciates that, expressing it with a kiss, but again, it feels surface level. Like he's more invested in making them work than her.

This moment could be seen as him giving comfort without permission but I consider it a rollover from her asking for comfort at the funeral. There, she had walked over and reached out, asking for the hug, and he gave it to her. She is very much still in the mindset she was at the funeral as she finishes moving her mother's things out of her dining room. It is very much a second funeral, and Buck takes her breakdown as permission to continue the comfort she asked for before.

Finally, she decides to leave.

(Disclaimer: I know this was a post about physical affection but now I'm just gonna rant about Abby and her treatment of Buck. Fair warning.)

In this scene, Abby says, "I must be crazy to be leaving you behind." Because she knows how much Buck loves her and cherishes their relationship. How devoted he is to her.

She is not obligated to love Buck back in any way. Relationships working isn't a guarantee when you first start out, and they are a fairly new relationship. The reason she is a terrible person from this scene on, is because Buck says, "I'm gonna be right here when you come back, ok?"

And she says nothing. She lets him carry on, tells him to take care of himself, and kisses him goodbye.

She does not end things. She does not ask for a break. She knows he is going to wait for her, even when her feelings don't run as deep, and just lets him suffer.

She strings him along for months. Buck talks about their dwindling phone calls. How detached he feels from her, but how he's enduring it all to support her while she tries to find herself.

She saw Buck as a safety net. Something to fall back on if everything else didn't work out. Which, clearly, it did as she returned at the end of season 3 (roughly two years later) with a fiance. Never telling him they were done personally, just assuming he moved on. How inconsiderate and evil for someone to do that when she knew exactly how loyal of a man Buck was.

Buck is the one who had to break and give up, rather than her just letting him go. That selfish entitlement is exactly why I raged at her lack of shame when talking to Buck on that bench.

She apologized for him "finding out like that", that she wanted to tell him about Sam and "everything" while she was in town.

He called her out for leaving him at the airport while she had no intention of coming back. Well, "I thought I would." But does that include all the other places he mentioned her visiting before that? She never said when she knew. Just that it didn't start that way.

Then she went into her own issues with her work, her mother, her sense of self. Completely bypassing what she put Buck through like Buck wasn't right there with her. Like he didn't know all of that. Like that wasn't specifically what they talked about at the airport.

And he called her out for that, too! She said being away helped her remember who she used to be. And he says "But you still didn't come home." LIKE SHE IMPLIED SHE WOULD.

To paraphrase, her excuse is "I was afraid that being here, being with you in this city, I would lose myself again" and that is completely understandable. BUT THAT ISN'T THE POINT.

That is a completely justifiable cause for her to never come back to LA. That is in no way, shape, or form a reason to lead Buck on. To drag his hopes through the mud for MONTHS with increasingly decreasing contact. To never say directly to him "I think we should end things."

No, she missed the entire fucking point because, again, she never really loved him. Her reasoning centers around her, how she missed him and wanted to see him, and his feelings don't even f***ing register in her brain. God dammit. She makes me so mad.

This is why I had to dedicate a whole post to her.

TLDR : While Buck loved Abby, his basis for physical affection didn't waver. (Possibly because Abby didn't love him back and never recognized the permission he needed to establish that kind of relationship.) I can examine his later relationships (Ali, Veronica, and Taylor) if you want but I thought Abby was the most prominent and definitely the most scarring. So.

I think I'm gonna do one for Shannon and Eddie, too. Maybe. Definitely thinking about one just between Buck and Eddie. It helps if I know people are actually reading these, so, do with that info what you will hahaha.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

#911 fox #911 on fox #evan buck buckley #911fox #abby clark #anti buckabby #physical affection #the ongoing saga #911 analysis #i don't even know if anyone's going to read this thing #here i go regardless #scream with me as you notice the parallels between BuckAbby and Buddie. I will be making a post about it