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#there have been several scenes where Eddie's use of 'woman' in referring to ana was...pointed
matan4il · 1 year
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One of the reasons I'm still very confident is they never addressed Eddie's reasons for panic with Anna. Like that's not a normal response when you just aren't that into someone. I think in the midst of the PTSD stuff the origin panic attacks got lost.
Plus they also presented themselves differently. Eddie's reaction to Anna was an attack. Eddie's PTSD was rage filled destruction.
Obviously none of us know the story but if I had to put my money on anything it's that side of Eddie's therapy coming out in however they deal with "Eddie dating" in the back half.
Curious your take, but if I had to out money on it I say the 2s storyline runs opposite till it convergences (a bit like last season). Then only a soft hint as the cliffhanger for S6. The network will know its coming and it will guarantee renewal IMHO and will set up at least half a seasons worth of goodness for 7. Because I am greedy and want it all! Awkwardness and fumbling and huge crushing.
Plus all I really need this season is to one of them identifies as not straight to know it's happening. I'm that easy!!
Hi, lovely Nonnie! Thank you for the ask.
I think it’s not the ‘not being into Ana’ bit that was responsible for Eddie’s panic attacks, more the commitment aspect of it. When she’s mistaken for his wife, when his colleagues want to be introduced to her, etc. But even so, it is def an EXTREME reaction to the fear of commitment, especially when Ana herself isn’t the one trying to push for it or lock him down. When the salesman refers to her as Eddie’s wife, she’s the first one to interject. As 503 indicated and 501 implied, ‘coz on some level she felt his reservations with her, so she must have been scared of his reaction to the salesman’s mistake. Yet, she doesn’t connect it to him collapsing, because as we just said, it IS way extreme, even for someone who’s experiencing commitment issues.
I very much agree with you that his reaction to the commitment fear and to the PTSD were different, and that to a great degree, the latter obscured the parts Eddie hadn’t dealt with yet when it comes to why the thought of committing to Ana was THAT horrifying to him. And I’m also with you that Eddie trying to date again in 6b should logically give us the opportunity to see Eddie more fully confronting why he was with the “perfect woman” and it caused him to go into several panic attacks to the point where he ended up in the hospital.
Yes, I was kinda thinking that in a sense, their storylines are separate in 6a and might be for a bit in 6b as well, but if Buck deals with his take on parenthood through the sperm donor storyline, while Eddie tries to handle dating, that means they’ll both be dealing with the question of what do they want for themselves out of life, what are they looking for and how do they see their future? And that’s the perfect set up for the resolution to be brought about at least in part jointly, just like last season, in 518 we had the scene of Buck helping Eddie fix his walls, while Eddie helped Buck figure out he needed to confront (and break up with) Taylor. I very much hope the two of us are right here, Nonnie! And the way you describe it is exactly how I see the beginning of Buddie going canon. IDK if it’s happen this season, I suspect they’ll save it for when renewal is maybe less guaranteed (and my impression is pretty much still that s7 is a sure thing), but it’s exactly how I think it’ll play out, it’s the perfect opening for a slow burn to finally turn canon. Plus, just like you, I’m greedy and I want it all, in all of its gradual unveiling glory! ;D
Hope you have a great day, hon! As always, here’s my ask tag. xoxox
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ktinastrikesback · 3 years
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Alright, here it is: The meta post about Eddie Diaz and mother figures and how it all leads to Buddie (I think). Thanks to @yramesoruniverse for your help with this, and @kitkatpancakestack and @evanbucklies for inspiring it! I really have been thinking about this nonstop and had to get it all down. This got quite long, so I'll include a cut in order to spare everyone who doesn't want to continue reading!
We first get an idea of Eddie's complicated thoughts surrounding mother figures throughout his whole storyline with Shannon in season 2 when he romantically reconnects with her for Christopher's benefit. I do want to keep the focus here trained on Eddie in season 4, but I want to point out a season 2 line that is pretty fitting. As much as I don't want to use a Shannon quote as a starting point for a meta, I think this one is actually pretty useful: "...Eddie always knows what's best for everyone...God forbid you stop for a second and actually ask them what they need." While it's harsh and spoken out of spite, Shannon does make a point here which becomes relevant at the end of season 4.
We don't know a whole lot about season 4 Eddie (thanks writers) aside from the fact that he's working on being a single father (he tells Marjan in the crossover that he's "doing the whole single dad thing") and being a support system for Buck and the rest of the 118. Eddie's "arc" this season is moving on from Shannon and beginning to date again (a very small and limited arc, which hopefully season 5 will remedy). Of course, because it's Eddie, the core of this arc is him wanting what is best for Christopher. And it seems pretty clear that what Eddie thinks Chris needs is a complete family with a mother figure (note how he asks Bobby if he's "happy now, with Athena and the kids" and just assumes that Bobby is talking about Ana Flores), but the universe pushes against this idea throughout the whole season. There are a lot of examples in season 4 of unreliable mother figures (for example, the alcoholic mother who causes the wreck in Blindsided), but in order to save some space here, I'll list and discuss those in another post. The main thing I want to point out is that we've seen that mother figures aren't always perfect, and they aren't the end all be all that Eddie thinks. And canonically, the show suggests several times throughout the season that the partner that Eddie needs/wants and who is best for Chris is actually Buck.
In Breaking Point, while Eddie is on his date, it's Buck who is at home taking care of Christopher and getting him through his nighttime routine (which establishes that he knows the routine and has gotten Chris ready for bed before, hence the reference to his "cautionary tale"). On the date, when Ana says that no one has been in his life since Shannon passed away, Eddie noticeably looks uncomfortable (the will reveal makes this scene and that particular comment and Eddie's subsequent reaction so rich. Eddie knows that what Ana is saying is completely untrue, because the person he trusts most with his son is with him at that exact moment). Later, when Eddie tells Christopher about his new 'friend', he says "it's a woman." And...to be honest, what the hell was that? He could have said, "I'm dating someone" or "I have a girlfriend." But he says it like this? And it's weird...right? Christopher is the one who has to say "girlfriend." Also his tone of voice when he says it...it's suspicious to me. Anyways...Eddie talks with Ana about Christopher's reaction and her first instinct is to take a break and wait for Christopher to warm up to the idea so as to not cause him more pain. Meanwhile, Chris is out the door, in an Uber, and on his way to Buck, the person who actually gets Chris to talk about his feelings and who fixes the whole mess. So while Eddie is talking with Ana, Buck is playing a parental role AND promising Chris he isn't going anywhere, completely juxtaposing everything Ana has said and done in this episode (throwback to Fools, anyone?). Just like we see in 4x14, the perfect partner that Eddie is looking for is already putting in the work, no questions asked (and this is all before Buck knows about the will!). Yet Eddie is still trying to force it with Ana.
We see this again very briefly in Parenthood. Eddie and Buck are seen agreeing on parenting ideals on a call, similar to how we saw them work together in Future Tense to talk Chris out of playing video games. At the end of the episode however, when Chris asks to join the movie, Ana just jumps ahead and lets him in, not consulting with Eddie. Of course, this isn't a serious issue and Eddie is happy to have Chris join them, but it still carries on with juxtaposing Ana with Buck. It's also a bit interesting that Chris sits between them, parallel to the video game scene from season 3. But again, it's a very brief scene, so I don't know how much value it has overall.
We see all of this come to a head in 4x13 when Eddie becomes invested in the single mother and her son from the balcony call. Interestingly, this call happens after Eddie's conversation with Carla ("make sure you're following your heart"). On the call, Eddie flirts with the mom. This is interesting because we've seen many times in the past that Eddie...doesn't like flirting, especially on the job. Eddie openly flirting with the mom here may be his way of fighting against what his instincts are telling him Carla's comment was about (him liking Buck/a man). Eddie quickly becomes invested in Charlie (the son) and takes a liking to his mother because he relates to her. You can kind of see the gears working in Eddie's head when he's at their apartment...he's admiring her and perhaps maybe fantasizing about having a partner who gets it. And he sees a mother taking care of her son...reinforcing his love for the mother figure. But of course, we all learn by the end of the episode that this mother figure is extremely warped and not at all what her child needs.
The best part about this plot is the way it plays into the shooting scene at the end of the episode. Just before he gets shot, we see Eddie in an interesting framing choice (I am genuinely serious when I say that I want to sit down with Brenna Malloy and ask her about her directing choices for this whole scene):
The mother and son are placed into separate ambulances, and Eddie stands between the two vehicles. Visually, Eddie is literally placed between the mother figure and the son, and Buck is standing in front of him (at a slight distance). As (thank you to @kitkatpancakestack for pointing this out!) the ambulance with the mother drives away, Eddie says "shoulda gotten here sooner" to Buck (who replies, "That kid is just lucky he met you." He knows how to reassure Eddie and recognizes what is good for the child). Then of course, Eddie gets shot. But let's focus instead on why this framing before the shooting is important: the universe does scream, and it sure as hell was screaming at Eddie this whole episode. Carla calls him out for not following his heart, he idolizes this mother only for her to end up being horrid, then he gets shot with his partner standing right in front of him (you know, the same person who takes care of his son for the entirety of the next episode).
This can be read so plainly: Eddie has been fighting hard for what he thinks is best for his son, and he's stuck in this relationship with Ana because he thinks she is what will make Christopher happy. Meanwhile, Buck is in front of him and has been there the entire time putting in the work with Chris and making him feel heard, loved, and important. This ties right back to that Shannon line: if Eddie had simply asked Christopher what he needs/wants, it's very possible that his answer would be "Buck." Eddie doesn't need to be stuck in the middle of this relationship he doesn't care about because Chris' happiness is not dependent on having a mother figure.
Of course, we didn't see very much of Eddie in 4x14 so we don't really know what is going through his head regarding the shooting or Carla's comment just yet, but I'm hoping we see a lot of him working through all of the events that took place in 4x13/14 throughout next season. Because of the way the mother/son storyline ended up and the way they framed Eddie in the shooting scene, I'm willing to bet that he's going to be reevaluating just what Christopher needs and what he already has (with his Buck).
(Also side note--the welcome home party scene...when Buck is watching Eddie greet Christopher, notice the framing there too. The photo of Chris and Shannon is on the right side of the frame, Eddie and Chris in the middle, and Buck to the left. You already know what I'm going to say, so I'll leave it at that...)
Anyways. Edmundo Diaz is confused about what he and Christopher need, and it's actually a brilliant way to dive into a storyline about his sexuality and his feelings for Buck. Remember that post-finale interview with Tim where he said Eddie is always concerned with what's best for Christopher? That there will be a lot to explore with Eddie? I take everything Tim says with a grain of salt, but looking at all of this, there's quite a bit here pointing in the direction of pining Eddie. It's not wishful thinking, it's in the text.
I'm literally just applying basic film analysis to these scenes...and everything is adding up to a larger picture. I'm really excited to see what Eddie's arc in season 5 will be because there's so much set in place for it to be really great.
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outrunningthedark · 3 years
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After 5x01 how sure are we that we are getting EddieAna break up no later than 5x03? I was wondering your thoughts. I feel like its definitely the only direction now going forward.
I have to say I'm feeling pretty good about our prediction! During the hiatus, we were “jokingly” predicting that Ana would stick around no more than three weeks simply because the third episode of the past two seasons has given us Buckley-Diaz content, right? Eddie breaking up with his girlfriend would be a perfect segue into following his heart back to Christopher and Buck. And then...the premiere arrived. Eddie has been with his girlfriend for several months, not several weeks, and he has yet to meet any of her family? IMO, asking Eddie to attend the christening is a test on Ana's part. If he agrees to go - and bring his son along! - that gives Ana hope that Eddie just needs more time. We can tell from her behavior with Eddie in the suit store (convincing him to buy a new suit when they were only supposed to be there for Christopher, suggesting he should use a tie to complete the look) that she has visions in her head of what she wants their future to look like - two polished, successful adults raising a boy that is impossible not to love. She, much like Eddie, seems to be trying to create her idea of the "perfect family", one her own would approve of. So, Eddie tells Ana that he and Christopher would be happy to attend (Eddie, my guy, I think if you actually asked your son how he felt you might be surprised by his answer...), but he never considered the fallout, how it would look from an outside POV. Being your gf's plus-one to a family gathering is ALWAYS going to raise eyebrows, especially if Eddie is the first one she's brought around in quite some time.  Eddie started dating Ana because he felt it was time to heal from the emotional scars Shannon left behind. After awhile, he convinced himself it was the right decision because their dynamic is much easier to deal with compared to how incompatible Eddie and his wife were on every level except physically. More importantly, Christopher appears to get along great with her, and we all know Eddie prioritizes what he thinks Christopher needs over what either of them want.  Eddie doesn’t want a future with Ana. Even if he was contemplating it before the season four finale, we know by the premiere that the shooting didn’t bring them any closer together. Four months removed from nearly losing his life and he becomes confused and slightly agitated when his coworkers question how serious things are getting with the woman who sat at his bedside in the hospital and would have (most likely) been part of the recovery process? What? Oh, but it’s not just Eddie second-guessing himself. Ana doesn’t know where she fits, if she fits. Logically speaking, there was no real reason for her to specify that she’s just a friend when the male employee mistakenly referred to her as Christopher’s mom (and therefore Eddie’s wife). But if you look at the situation from her perspective, whatever’s happened between them since the shooting has made her feel like she doesn’t have the right to claim a permanent place in Eddie and Christopher’s lives. Ana still doesn’t feel like she belongs with them. The post-panic attack scene, for me, was the biggest indicator that things are coming to a head very soon. It’s one thing for Eddie to pretend like there’s no stress in his life and everything’s just peachy, but Ana offered up no words of support.  “It’s been great, right?” *camera cuts to Ana*  *silence* Ana doesn’t want to answer that because if she says yes she knows she’s lying to herself, and if she suggests otherwise she can no longer hide from the truth.  Going back to my original point about the christening being a test of Eddie’s commitment, remember that we’ve gone back a week in the timeline, and Eddie specifically says it’s happening “next Sunday”. This is purely a guess, but I think whatever Eddie goes through during the helicopter rescue and blackout is going to drive a bigger wedge between them (I’m trying to figure out what she could be doing in next week’s episode and all I’ve come up with is attempting to have a conversation, but it’s not a good time) and then as the christening gets closer they realize it’s best not to give her family the wrong impression. Now, where it could get REALLY interesting (and tbh, I want this on my screen!), is if the breakup is mutual, rather than Eddie letting Ana down gently. I still want Eddie following his heart, admitting out loud that their relationship was never built to last, but...   IMAGINE Ana telling Eddie she figured that out a long time ago. IMAGINE Ana saying she hoped things would have worked out between them, but it’s obvious she isn’t what he’s looking for.  IMAGINE Eddie being surprised that she called him out, but also realizing he can’t play pretend for much longer.  We just saw that the directors actually do know how to use her as more than a prop when it benefits the plot. She didn’t need to say much to make us feel her hesitance and discomfort. If Ana’s gonna bow out on a good note (and lbr, that’s the only way this was ever gonna go given her personality), end it in a way that closes one door and opens another.  (okay, bye! i’m done)
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I mean, I want buddie to happen but I don’t think “the writers have never written a good female love interest” is fair because most fans don’t even give those love interests a chance. it’s actually kind of vile to see that some people actively hope that Chris’ teacher was dropped because of the fandom reaction when we didn’t even get to know her yet and see her relationship with Eddie develop before judging
(I'm answering this on my phone so I apologize for the shitty formatting)
That was why I clarified that this had nothing to do with Buddie. I absolutely agree that disregarding a female love interest simply because she gets in the way of your potential gay pairing is super shitty behavior and I refuse to condone it.
My comment about being disappointed in the idea of a new love interest for Buck is based on my experience with their past characters and not with the fan reactions (since episodes are filmed well in advance and Tim has shown himself to not be a pushover for stans).
The characters that immediately come to mind are Abby, Taylor, Ali, Shannon, Bosko, and Ana.
Briefly:
Abby has a ton of red flags that would not have been okay if she were a middle aged man getting a firefighter's number off an official report and constantly disregarding their partner's growth in the relationship (calling their S/O a "boy toy"). Her ghosting Buck was incredibly out of character and could have been avoided by rewording the airport scene a little - which was possible since they knew Connie was leaving at the end of the season.
I have a problem with some fan fics that portray Taylor Kelley as a negative character (abusive, manipulative, overly-sexual, etc) because I do enjoy seeing an ambitious woman with distinct goals. However, referring to her as a "Buck 1.0" - which has been shown to be a negative descriptor - is sus and not a single one of the characters is shown to like or respect her (except for Hen but that's because Hen actually understands). For me, Taylor's character is a tool for Buck's journey realizing that he is no longer interested in casual sex, and less of an actual personality - in fact, all of her scenes are there to serve a man's storyline.
Ali was introduced as an independent woman with a sparkling personality under stress, and then left for so long that I genuinely forgot who she was when she was reintroduced. They might as well have brought in an entirely new character. She was then only referred to in passing once or twice before her return in Buck's apartment. For a man who was so interested in and excited to start a new relationship, he certainly didn't like to mention his second long-term girlfriend ever. We learn nothing about her goals, her personality, her character. Nothing. And then to have her break up with him off screen (over something with a lot of emotional weight) seems like they were trying to sweep her under the rug so they didn't need to put any work into her.
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I am well aware that this is an ensemble show with a lot of characters to get through every episode, on top of the actual crisis being dealt with. I know that not every minor character can have a fully formed backstory and arc. This is me clarifying why I'm skeptical of introducing a new female love interest.
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I cannot get into why Shannon sucks. And to be honest, it's actually kind of tricky because I can't read if Shannon's shittiness was intentional, or if they were trying to paint her as an empathetic character and failed miserably. Regardless, the woman also goes through the most random arc, where she plays the victim, gaslights her way into rejoining her family, gets scared, backs out of that family, and then dies.
Bosko was never introduced as a potential love interest (in fact, I see her as a temporary replacement for Buck in Eddie's life) but she was in several episodes and did have a bit of an arc. KIND OF. Watching Bosko in 3a feels a little like meeting a new character every single episode, which again, indicates to me that the writers didn't put a lot of work into her personality.
Ana is, again, a tool used for the male story arc (Eddie realizing he might be ready to start dating again). Her reaction to Eddie after Christopher's accident and into "Eddie Begins" tells me she longer sees him as a potential love interest and we will likely see little of her in the coming season. But she was thrown away so quickly, I wouldn't entirely be surprised if she showed up half way through the next season with a new hair colour and started dating Eddie. Or maybe they'll meet a bar and almost have sex in her classroom.
I might have been projecting a bit of bitterness at the end, there.
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My point is: my lack of enthusiasm isn't about wanting Buck and Eddie as a romantic couple, it's an apprehension at seeing another female character introduced to give her male counterpart something to do and little agency herself.
I hope this clarifies things.
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