#jack answers mail

[buckttommy]

I have an idea for a full-season Eddie arc that I want to put into the universe. tim, feel free to plagiarize me yet again (but this time. i want a dm. i know you're around here somewhere come say hi). So. Anyways. Season 8

8x1: Eddie has broken up with Marisol. By the time this episode rolls around, they've already been broken up for a couple weeks/months. As mentioned in 7x5, he's struggling with the idea of Catholic guilt, struggling with the idea of faith in general. He mentions, in casual conversation, to Buck, Chim or Tommy (who is still with Buck on screen *coughs loudly*) that he's thinking about going down to Texas for a while. His grandmother is the most religious person he knows and he's always found comfort being in her space and soaking in her presence, so he wants to talk to her about his feelings. Whoever he's talking to agrees that's a good idea.

8x2 - 8x7: A couple episodes pass with the idea of Eddie taking some time off in the background of the audience's mind. Nothing major, just little throw away lines about getting the truck tuned up before he makes a big road trip, paying bills before he leaves, things like that.

8x8: The 118 responds to a call of a fire in a church. Two people are getting married and their families are in attendance. Eddie doesn't go inside the church but he fights the fire from outside and helps treat the injured. Almost everyone is pulled out safely but the mother of the bride. Her daughter is crying because she and her mother aren't on good terms and she doesn't want it to be too late for them to patch things up. Eddie and the bride get to talking, and the bride mentions she always felt like she wasn't enough for mom, that she found it impossible to live up to her standards. They had an argument before the fire broke out because the bride realized, on-screen, that she didn't actually want to marry the man she was going to marry because she was in love with someone else (that's what started the fire, her making that announcement caused someone to pass out, and blah blah blah). But she was only marrying this man because her mom thought he would be good for her, and the brides makes a comment about always feeling like she was living her life for someone else, in service of a standard she could never reach. Eddie, of course, can relate. The bride's mother passes away and, it's a tragedy and is treated as such, but at the end of the episode during the voiceover (*coughs louder*), we see the bride reuniting with the person she's actually in love with because her mother's death means she's free from having to try to, like, be perfect.

8x10: Eddie's been getting a call from his dad all throughout the episode but he's been ignoring it because [shenanigans]. This is a light-hearted episode and the tone will be important because when he finally answers the phone during the last five minutes of the episode, he's like "Dad, come on, jesus, what is it" and his dad tells him that his grandmother has passed away.

8x11: Midseason premiere, the episode begins with Isabel's funeral, mainly because I want to see Eddie/Ryan in a nice tailored black suit (timothy, i'm sure you can relate). Anyway, the funeral is outside because it's important Eddie doesn't go inside a church yet. When it's finished, he goes back to the reception at Isabel's house. His sisters are there, everyone is there. He offers to help his mother in the kitchen and she tries to make conversation, but Helena Diaz has never actually learned how to relate to her son, so she says the wrong thing. It doesn't go well (but that's something to be circled back to in another season). Eddie looks at the pictures on his grandma's wall / mantle / whatever and sees himself and his sisters and his cousins when they were kids, smiling big at church christenings or whatever, and he's like... "I don't recognize this kid who was so happy to be inside of religion. I didn't know who I was then, and I definitely don't know who I am now because of it". He doesn't say it, but that's the vibe ofc, and Ryan's face is expressive enough that he can pull that off.

8x12: He's back in LA. Everyone is treating him with the utmost care because they are good people and they love him, and one evening, Eddie gets a visitor. He opens the door and it's his sister. (one of them lives in LA, remember?). In my head, that's always been Sophia, so he asks what she's doing here, and she holds up a bottle of wine. They sit on the sofa, they talk and reminisce about their grandmother, make apologies for the fact that they haven't been around for each other much despite living in the same city (but this isn't Eddie's family issues storyline, this is the Catholic guilt storyline. We will circle back to this in S9). So Eddie pitches the idea of faith to her, and asks what it means to her. It's the same question he wanted to ask his grandmother. Sophia says she has faith in the universe, faith that things always happen the way they're meant to, and it's a good answer but it doesn't speak to the core of Eddie's problem, which is that he always feels beholden to something he can't name/place.

8x14: Eddie continues to ask the people around him (Buck, Athena, Tommy, Chim) about faith and what it means to them. They all give him different answers. Athena has faith in purpose. Chim has faith in his family. Buck has faith in the inherent good of humanity. Tommy has faith in himself. It's not very helpful in the sense that no one gives him his answer, but it does reveal to him that faith can, does, and should exist absent of guilt, that maybe he's been doing it (or was taught) all wrong.

8x15: Insert an embarrassingly on the nose call about a kind, nerdy, reserved man who's lived by an unspoken rulebook all his life. He came out to Los Angeles on a whim and suffers from a hiking mishap where he's physically blinded by [something] and subsequently needs to trust that the 118, these people he literally cannot see, will save him. When they pull him to safety, he berates himself for even coming out to Los Angeles in the first place because he's not the kind of guy who does this, he just wanted to do something for him and now he feels stupid. And Eddie (because of course it's Eddie) is just like "no, you didn't do anything wrong. Look, you took a leap of faith (episode title btw). That's more than what most people can say. Maybe it didn't work out in this instance, but who knows how it'll work out tomorrow, or the next day. You don't know the future. None of us do, so maybe stop trying to live according to some giant colossal plan and just... live, and try your best. Isn't that all we can do?" And he watches the guy get airlifted away (thanks Tommy! *coughs even louder*) and it's like his lightbulb moment, like, oh. Yeah. He finally gets it.

8x16: Eddie walks into a church for the first time in years, and for the first time all season. It looks exactly how he remembers; wooden pews, high ceilings, the works. He takes a seat on one of the benches and prays / talks aloud to God and is just like, "I don't really know who you are and I don't know how to be what you want me to be. All my life I've been trying to be what everyone wants me to be to the point where I just don't even know who I am anymore, if I ever knew. So I don't know who you are, but I know I am who you made me to be, and I don't know who that is, but I know that person is enough for me right now. And maybe I'll figure you out along the way, maybe I won't. But, right now, what I know is that i can't be your perfect son because I can't be perfect at all, and I need to let go of the idea that I can and start living my life for me." So he walks out of the church and not much changes, but everything changes. You know?

And, like, obviously the story would need to be flushed out a little more. Obviously, this story centers more of the idea of faith than the idea of explicit guilt, but they're one in the same anyway because you can't have guilt without failed/presumably "failed" expectations. In this case, religious or spiritual expectation. So. I don't know. But there's just something so sexy about the idea of Eddie systematically and intentionally dismantling and releasing himself from all the things that have kept him from growing over the years. Starting with his survivors guilt in S5 and working his way through Catholic guilt in S8, I just love the idea of Eddie being purposeful in his own healing, especially in this post-breakdown era. Plus it'll give him a chance to have a storyline that's not romance-focused cos we've been leaning a bit too heavily into those. 🙃 But anyways. (Next up is his issues with Helena. btw. because we have yet to circle back to his family issues in canon but we certainly need to).

#Sorry Isabel you were the sacrificial lamb #I wrote this instead of working ermmmm okay back to the grind as they say #jack.txt #tv: 911 #jack answers mail #8a speculation #8b speculation #ish #no read more sorry. i talk a lot and you should all be used to it. #tim minear #ok no for real i got work to do lmfaoooo bye #EVERYONE MANIFEST IT WITH ME GIRLS

[buckttommy]

Some people seem to be taking Oliver's "the what now contwnt" comment on the tevan post as his doesn't like the ship/has spoken and not just oliver being a little shit about the ship name itself like this is oliver we're talking about

Umm. Yeah, I know he's in chaos mode right now, but he is 100% not shitting on the ship when he's literally been gushing about this arc for three weeks now. I need this fandom to be so fucking for real.

#jack answers mail

[buckttommy]

what if buck dips tommy while they're dancing and tommy loses his mind

PLEASE HE'S GONNA BE SO FLUSHED AND SHOCKED AND EMBARRASSED HE'S NOT EVEN GONNA KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH HIMSELF. LIKE GOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! when is the last time tommy has been properly wooed oh my god like yeah buck is like a baby duck the first couple weeks obviously but we've SEEN boyfriend buck in action with abby and tommy isn't going to know what HIT HIM. because he resigned himself (not in a bad way) to being the one to kind of like take the lead on everything and he's fine with that because he really, really likes buck. WAY more than he expected to. and he's cute and charming and fucking adorable so whatever. but when buck gets his sea legs under him and starts wooing tommy back??? and they're dancing together at the wedding and he's being so so attentive and affectionate and flirty because his boyfriend was just a big damn hero and saved the whole thing and holy hell if he's not into that. when he kisses tommy and dips him and tommy just stares up at him with his cheeks all red because holy shit he knew evan was cute but right now he's like. he's hot and in command of his body and the situation and tommy kind of wants to eat him a little bit because now he's the one who feeling all giggly and shy and stupid and just aaaaahhhh !!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#bucktommy #tv: 911 #jack answers mail

[buckttommy]

Do you think Tommy knows a second language? I always headcannoned that Buck picked up Spanish in Peru (I waffle constantly between him telling Eddie or him just finding out on a scene) but would Tommy know French or Italian or something? And how much would Buck love it? Would Buck get him to teach him?

i have this headcanon that tommy knows a lot of french because, when he was in the army, one of his friends taught him in between training and shit. and he's not proficient in it by a long shot, and most of what he knows how to say is absolutely filthy because, well, come on, he was an early twenties punk in the army, he wasn't learning how to read fucking shakespeare. but it comes in handy when he's making out with buck on the sofa one day and he says something so raunchy and painfully hot in his ear with his voice pitched low cause he's so turned on and buck rears back and is like "ok............ what the fuck......." and tommy gives him this fake innocent grin and is like "too much?" because he's a little shit at heart, and buck is like "no no not enough actually. i have no idea what you just said but i need your tongue in my mouth right now" because his man could be speaking pig latin and he would still find it so fucking hot. so. yeah

#bucktommy #tv: 911 #jack answers mail #tommy kinard

[buckttommy]

I just want Buck to "Forehose" his way through all of West Hollywood for a few episodes. Is that so hard of an ask??

Now, see. I'm conflicted because on the one hand, I'm like "Buck slut era," but on the other hand, I'm like "let's steer as far away from bisexual stereotypes as possible," but on the other other hand, I'm like "this man just learned the wonders of Queer sex, which means he's going to be so hungry for a man's touch, a man's body, anal sex and blowjobs that it'll be like he's going through puberty again," but on the other other other hand, I'm like "Tommy needs to spend a solid week in bed fucking this man absolutely senseless like Buck is an omega that just went off suppressants and his scent just triggered Tommy's rut."

So. You see. Conflicted.

#jack answers mail #tv: 911

[buckttommy]

I know bucktommy are not quite boyfriends yet but I can't help but be a bit bitter and annoyed that the guys behind the wikia refuse to list Tommy as Buck's boyfriend but Natalia is listed as an ex-girlfriend despite having gone on the same amount of dates and bucktommy have had more interactions. Watch them list him as an ex-fling or date when they'll break up. It's so annoying.

Maybe it's just me, but I think if you're inviting someone you've kissed and gone on a date with to a wedding (unless you explicitly state that you're going as friends), you're probably dating that person. like. I was going to answer this with a joke, or something lighthearted or whatever, but it's actually really annoying, like. When has someone ever had the "do you wanna be girlfriend and boyfriend?" conversation on 9-1-1? literally when? Buck and Taylor kissed at the end of Season 4. By Season 5, they were in bed together. Eddie asks Ana on a date? Next thing we know, it's just assumed and implied that they're together.

We have, quite literally, never seen any of them have a proper "do you want to be in a relationship?" conversation, so why is it that, now that Buck is courting a man, everything needs to be explicitly and textually stated when implication has worked just fine for about, oh, I don't know, the entire show?

Anyways. It's biphobia, babes! What who said that.

#Some of y'all are just here because you think the idea of Buck/Eddie fucking is hot #so when Buck is with another man your ugly fucking queerphobia rears its head #but we won't get into that #tv: 911 #jack answers mail

[buckttommy]

psst…he has a cleft 🤫

now see, we moved on too quickly from this as a society because this ONE THING puts into perspective and makes me wonder what the hell he saw in his other partners to make him physically attracted to them. like. yeah, they were cute but they didn't have cleft chins so was he like.... taken in by a pretty smile? was he ensorcelled by taylor's big ass lemur eyes? like what was it

#jack answers mail

[buckttommy]

Curious on your thoughts of the Buck cheating storyline in s5..... personally I was not a fan but wondering what you thought of it?

I didn't mind it and, that's the thing, I don't mind a cheating storyline so long as it's done well and serves a purpose. Buck wasn't in a great place in 5x11. Chimney was gone. Maddie was gone. He and Chimney parted on bad terms. Eddie was struggling enormously, but he was also gone. Taylor was... there... and that was a problem in itself, so Buck did what Buck did best: he acted recklessly and harmed himself (and Taylor in the process). I know some people disagree with that reading, and that's okay, but that's just always how I interpreted that event. Buck isn't a cheater by nature—he is, and always has been, desperate for a family and a love of us his own—but what he is is a chronic self-harmer. He regretted the kiss immediately, and then proceeded to stew in guilt for however long it took him to tell Taylor (I don't remember off the top of my head). Him cheating was a classic Buck move.

And, I know you didn't ask, but I always find it easier to just dump all my related thoughts into one post and move on, so I'm going to address the speculation / theory that Buck/Eddie are going to cheat on Tommy/Marisol at the wedding and just get it over with, because I've, quite literally, never hated a theory more and that's saying a lot.

If Buck cheated on Tommy now, there would be no rhyme or reason for it. By all accounts, Buck is in a good place. The whole world just got blown wide open to him. He's at peace, finally, now that last piece of the puzzle has clicked into place. So a cheating storyline now would make absolutely no sense. Not from a story perspective, and certainly not from a character growth/development perspective. Buck cheating would be completely insulting to not just himself, not just Tommy, not just Eddie, not just Buck and Tommy's relationship, but to Buck and Eddie as well. These characters, these writers, and these actors have fought so long and so hard for a love story, a genuine love story that is worthy of some of the most iconic straight couples on TV - a love story that is devoid of queer stereotypes and queer problems.

So, the idea that anyone could want them to say "fuck that!" and wreck these characters' growth and development is—well, it goes back to the idea that this fandom is/appears to be genuinely incapable of demanding the same high-caliber stories our cishet counterparts receive. But it's also just so completely frustrating. I'm sure we all want Buck and Eddie to get together, probably now more than ever. Oliver's interviews over the past few days have been illuminating, infuriating, and a bunch of other adjectives. So I know we (not just us, but everyone involved) want to see this love come to fruition sooner rather than later. But doing it in the laziest, cheapest, most insulting way possible would be genuinely upsetting and would devalue these characters so egregiously.

So. Yeah. That's all I have to say on the topic of cheating re: Buck, Eddie, and all the rest of them. Lol.

#jack answers mail #tv: 911 #one and done

[buckttommy]

You say "break up" as if they are in a relationship, you get that they aren't in a relationship on the show right? At least not yet? A failed date and coffee does not a relationship make. I get that you have married them off to each other in your mind but that's not what has actually happened. I feel like you are just setting yourself up to be extremely disappointed for no reason when they aren't the ones actually getting married at the end of the episode at this point.

You guys are soooo scared of BuckTommy lasting more than five seconds it's actually kind of funny lol. Thanks. I needed that laugh ☺️

#Oh well. Back to work! #jack answers mail #tv: 911

[buckttommy]

Don't mind me just trying to see something.....mr stark is that you?

#ummmm #come back with a lawyer #tv: 911 #jack answers mail

[buckttommy]

When it turns out all Oliver’s recent interviews have just been Ryan off to the side with a white board writing down the answers for Oliver to recite

Ha. Oliver doesn't need cue cards. This man has been sitting in silence for six years. He has a LOT to say. If anything, Ryan is sitting off camera like YEAH, FUCKING DRAG THEM.

#jack answers mail #tv: 911

[buckttommy]

I’m only saying it in your inbox because I think if I say it, it won’t happen but… personally the character I’m the most worried for is Bobby

it's not a season of 911 if we're not worried about bobby's life at least once

#jack answers mail

[buckttommy]

Maybe Tommy is getting a promotion and Buck goes with him? Buck invited him to Madney wedding and Tommy inviting Buck to his promotion ceremony?

PLEASE THIS WOULD BE SO CUTE

#jack answers mail

[buckttommy]

every season we worry about bobby and it turns out hes fine

No literally. Season 4, we were worried he would get shot (that was the second most popular theory next to Eddie getting shot!). He did. He was fine. Season 5, May Day. Building came down on him. He's fine. Season 6 bridge collapse BTS no Peter in sight? Guess what. Bobby was fine. Bobby Nash is an unkillable cockroach and I know one day he won't be, but today is (probably) not that day.

#jack answers mail

[buckttommy]

I need buck to be in danger and tommy running into the danger to get buck out safely. I need tommy to hold bucks face in his hands and tell him that he needs to look at him and tell him what hurts. I need tommy to be a worried boyfriend

whoops

"I'm okay."

Evan doesn't actually know if he's okay. His head throbs, for one, his vision blurring around the edges. He's not entirely convinced he doesn't have a concussion, and his ribs spit fire whenever he so much as tries to inhale. His arm—the one that's not currently attached to the hand that's gripping Tommy's wrist like he's scared he'll float away—is broken, or at least he thinks it is, and he's got a bunch of other scrapes and bruises that'll give him hell in the morning.

So maybe he's not okay (and judging by the way that Hen glares at him in his peripheral vision, maybe is starting to look like definitely), but he's not dying.

That's all that matters.

Tommy swallows tightly. His right hand clenches and unclenches at his side like he's trying to keep himself from reaching out to touch, and it seems like he's losing the battle. Evan appreciates the respect, appreciates the acknowledgement that he's not out even in a situation as dire and terrifying as this one, but it's a particular sort of agony to watch Tommy fight his instinct. Evan just doesn't know which one of them it's hurting more.

Tommy clears his throat. "When Chimney called and said that—that you were hurt..."

"I know." Evan has been on the receiving end of a call like that more than once. The corner of his mouth lifts into a small, fragile smile that sends more blood spilling down his face. "I'm sorry I freaked you out. I didn't mean to do that to you."

He doesn't mention that he, too, was also freaked out. Not because he thinks Tommy can't take it or doesn't want to hear it, but because he doesn't know how to say it without having the whole situation feel abruptly, horrifyingly real.

When the building came down, all he saw was rebar and ash and cement, and if he's honest, he's still not sure how he made it out of there. Still not sure whether it was pure survival instinct that had him clawing out of that air pocket or whether some benevolent god reached down and gave him a helping hand. Either way, he's not complaining. He knows what it's like to be the one waiting for information, to think you're about to live the worst day of your life.

He's glad he didn't do that to Tommy.

This time.

Tommy's eyes rove over his face, his body, like he's trying to catalogue for himself all the places in which Evan is broken. He loses the fight against his hand and gently grabs Evan's jaw, tilting his face toward the flashing lights of the ambulance. He clucks his tongue and drags his thumb along the edge of a gash scored across his cheekbone.

"You're going to need stitches on that."

"I know, I know. Just—" Evan sways on his feet. He's tired, suddenly, the adrenaline passing and fear taking roots in it's place. "I thought I was going to die today."

Tommy makes a wounded noise in the back of his throat. "Evan."

"No. I know. It's just that—if I hadn't somehow ended up in that little pocket of space, I-I would have been dead. And I know that's the job. You know? It's—it's what we both signed up for." He rocks forward on his feet, partially fueled by fatigue, partially fueled by this desperate fucking need to be back in the comfort of his boyfriend's orbit. "But I'm just really—I'm really glad I get to come home to you again."

Tommy's face softens. "Oh, sweetheart."

Evan's boyfriend is massive. It's one of the things he loves most about him. Tommy can (and has) manhandled him with ease countless times before. But the way he touches him now, careful of all his broken parts, is so gentle that Evan almost feels like crying. He melts into the warmth of his embrace as he feels Tommy's nose press into the soft hairs at his temple, followed by a quick brush of his lips.

"I'm glad you get to come home at all. I—god. You have no idea, Evan. You just don't know." He huffs a laugh that's not really a laugh at all and holds him slightly tighter. "I know it's the job, like you said, and I never really minded when it was me running into burning buildings. But now it's you, and—" he pauses. Swallows. "Well. It's not really as fun from this side of things."

"Says the guy who flies helicopters into hurricanes for a living."

Tommy's laugh is actually more of a laugh that time. Something eases in Evan's chest. He tips his chin to look at him.

They're standing far too closely, far too intimately to be considered casual. He's not out to anyone at the station except his family, and he can feel curious eyes roving over them every now and again.

But Tommy is shaking.

It's a small tremble wracking his body, clearly suppressed (or at least trying to be), but it's there and it's breaking Evan's heart to pieces.

Maybe it's that that gives him the courage. Or maybe it's the fact that he almost died. Or maybe it's the fact that Tommy smells like his laundry detergent and, this close Evan can see the edge of the hickey he left beneath his collarbone, or maybe (most likely) it's all of those things. But before he can think about it, before he can stop himself, Evan is murmuring,

"Can I kiss you?"

Tommy's eyebrows raise to his hairline. His gaze darts around, but they're tucked away from the largest portion of the crowd of first responders that arrived at the structure fire. The only person that's even sort of nearby is Hen, and she's so obviously giving them privacy that Evan wants to hug her a little bit.

Later.

Right now, he just wants to kiss.

Tommy frowns. "Are you sure? I mean. Yes. You can. I always want to kiss you but you're not out."

This is true. Evan considers this for a moment and decides that, right now, he doesn't care. Everyone he cares about already knows he's bisexual and they love him regardless, have loved him all this time.

He doesn't give a shit about anyone else.

"We don't have to," he says after a moment. "But I'm tired. And everything hurts. And when I was under there, all I could think about was—was you and getting back to you and kissing you, and so I—"

He's cut off by the feel of Tommy's mouth on his, tension gliding from his shoulders as their lips slot together.

Finally.

This is what he's been needing ever since he emerged from the rubble. Ever since Hen dragged him to the ambulance and sat him down to tend to his wounds. Ever since Chimney told him he called Tommy to let him know what happened.

This is what he's been missing.

Tommy's heartbeat jackrabbits against his chest.

It's an odd thing to be able to feel someone's heartbeat, to be pressed so close together that you can literally feel the thing that's keeping them alive. Evan has never felt anything more sacred, he thinks, and the fact that this heart—this beautiful fucking heart—beats a litany of fear for him through Tommy's veins is overwhelming.

Humbling.

He adores this man.

He lets go of Tommy's wrist and slides his hand up until it rests over Tommy's heart, and then he waits and waits and waits until the beat starts to slow down. Until Tommy exhales a sigh against the side of his face.

There it is, that's what he was waiting for.

Tommy pulls back first, far enough to press their foreheads together.

"You need to go to a hospital," he murmurs.

"Later."

"No, now." His laughter is soft. "Hen is glaring daggers at me. I can't be sure, but I'm fairly certain she's about to pry you out of my arms and strap you to the gurney herself."

Evan snorts. Yeah, that sounds like Hen.

He takes a step back out of the warm circle of Tommy's arms. A bout of vertigo nearly knocks him off his feet, but then Tommy is there once again, holding him up.

Evan's own heart beats just a little bit faster.

Together, they walk over to the back of the ambulance, Tommy helping him get settled on the gurney once they get there.

Evan meets his eyes. "Come visit me in the hospital?"

"Visit you? I'll be right behind."

Tommy presses a kiss to the back of his hand, and this time when the vertigo hits again, he's not entirely sure it's just because of his injuries.

He's never felt so adored, so treasured before. It's intoxicating.

Tommy looks over his shoulder, his face earnest. "I know I don't have to ask, but please take care of him."

Hen's voice is immensely fond. "Relax, Kinard. He's in good hands."

Tommy nods. He meets his gaze again and then holds it until the ambulance doors close. It's only when Evan leans back that he remembers, oh, right. Everything does kind of hurt after all.

Definitely not okay, then.

"Ow."

"Yeah, I know." Hen's voice is still soft. She fusses about the back of the ambulance, plying him with bandages and medicine and whatever the hell else she's doing. He's not entirely sure. Reality is starting to slip away. Her face appears in his field of vision. "We'll be at the hospital soon. Close your eyes."

"Tommy?"

"Buck, I'm pretty sure not even a natural disaster could keep that man from being at your side." Her tone is teasing, but she's sincere. Something warm settles in his chest even as his eyelids drift closed. "Rest. The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner you can see him."

Evan's not sure about that logic but he's too weary to question it. He closes his eyes anyway, lets the rock of the ambulance lull him into a relative sense of peace, and he falls asleep imagining the warmth of Tommy's body beside him.

#ngl I giggled to myself SO MANY TIMES WHILE WRITING THIS OH MY GOD #*screams and kicks my feet* #anyways #bucktommy #jack answers mail #tv: 911

[buckttommy]

Imho henren just doesn’t spark for me. They just kinda bore me and it’s okay to admit you don’t like every queer ship a show gives you.

You're right, it is 100% okay to not like every queer ship you are given. This is actually something I'm really passionate about, because it's deeply similar to the idea of recommending a piece of media based on the fact that it has queer rep and not based on what other value the media has. Both accepting a ship because it's queer and recommending a piece of media based on its queer components come with an inherent, Capitalistic demand to disregard quality in favor of quantity (i.e. "Yeah, that book is mostly porn, but at least it's got gay men in it!" or "That show is trash, but at least the queer couple is kind of cute.") So to that end I say, you are absolutely right. If Henren doesn't spark for you, it doesn't spark. There's nothing wrong with that.

The problem arises when people erase the fact that complex, meticulously crafted, realistic, healthy, and beautiful queer characters have existed on this show from the very beginning. Michael's storyline alone — a gay man who stepped into his identity later in life, despite already being married with children — was so deeply moving and impactful on its own, as was watching him develop a genuine relationship with Bobby, his ex-wife's husband. We never get stories like that on television. Someone is always left out. Someone is always hurt. Queerness is always seen as a permanent betrayal where no one gets to move on from that pain. But 9-1-1 gave us a story where these people became a unique and cohesive family, and that matters.

Henren doesn't spark for you, but the weight and significance of their existence is undeniable. For one, neither of these women are stereotyped and sexualized. Karen is the "femme" in the relationship but she's never put into clothes or situations designed to appeal to the male gaze. She is a mother, she is a wife, and she acts like one. For another, Queerness is not the sole focus of their arcs and is considered just a part of their lives like anything else. They have careers, they have a family, and yes, the cheating storyline in Season 1 reeks heavily of Ryan Murphy's homophobic ideology, but the way they chose to grow past it cannot be overstated. Stories where we get to not just live, or not just love, or not just be messy, but where we can do and be all three cannot be overstated.

So, yes, I get upset when people ignore the existence of these characters and these stories for the sake of Buck. I love Buck so deeply and, as a bisexual person who knows what it is like to realize, step into, and subsequently settle into that identity, I'm excited to see where his story takes him. But he's not the only queer character on the show, nor has he ever been, and whether you yourself are queer or not, I think we can all agree why speaking out against that particular false narrative is so important.

#jack answers mail #tv: 911