Yahoo Lifestyle 9-1-1 Recap: Buck’s Coming Out Journey Inspires Eddie to Solve a Romantic Problem of His Own
Still reeling from last week’s jaw-dropping kiss between Buck and Tommy? You’re in good company! Buck followed up that momentous occasion by coming out to several key characters on Thursday’s episode of 9-1-1, and their reactions were each priceless for different reasons.
From his first official date with Tommy (spoiler alert: it did not go well!) to his emotional confession with Maddie and Eddie (another spoiler: those did go well!), it was an eventful hour for Buck, who learned things about himself he never expected to uncover.
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Buck working through his new feelings also led to an important breakthrough for Eddie, who was struggling with an unexpected roadblock in his new relationship with Marisol.
The episode also saw Hen and Karen welcome a surprising new addition to their growing family, eventually discovering a traumatic incident from the child’s past that will greatly inform how they proceed from here.
And what’s this about a Hangover-style crisis threatening to derail Maddie and Chimney’s long-awaited wedding day? Uh, yeah, we have a lot to talk about. Let’s begin:
To say that Buck and Tommy’s first date was a disaster would be an understatement. It was a train wreck from start to finish, ultimately going down in flames — and not the kind that a firefighter is used to putting out.
Tommy could sense Buck’s nerves from the jump, assuring him that no one was looking at them. “You’re a little tense, but I get it,” he said, adding that Buck might be surprised how accepting people in their line of work can be.
“This is my first date with a dude, but I’m not weirded out,” Buck insisted. “I’m an ally. Every Pride Month, I put a rainbow sticker on my Instagram.” It was a cringe statement, but Tommy chose to see the good in it, telling Buck, “I guess it’s just me that makes you nervous.”
For a minute, it seemed like the date might not be a total loss… until Eddie and Marisol walked in. Unprompted, Buck lied right to Eddie’s face, telling him that he and Tommy were “going to go find some hot chicks, because chicks love firefighters.” (At this point, we were basically crawling out of our skin with secondhand embarrassment.)
Tommy then showed his sassy side when Marisol mentioned moving her armoire over to Eddie’s place. “I guess you can never have too much closet space,” Eddie said, to which Tommy pointedly replied, “Ain’t that the truth. Right, Evan?” (Side note: Tommy being the only character who calls Buck “Evan” is actually pretty adorable.)
That’s where the night ended, unfortunately. Instead of Ubering to a movie with Buck, Tommy called his own car to head home. “Evan, I think you’re adorable,” he said. “But I don’t think you’re ready. I’ll see you around.”
Buck turned to Maddie in his post-date confusion, but without giving his sister all of the information, she was left with some pretty hysterical follow-up questions. (“Are you dating a married woman? … Is it a celebrity?!”)
It wasn’t until Buck finally referred to his date as a “he” that the wheels in Maddie’s head began to turn properly, letting out a surprised-but-supportive “Wow!” What followed was a refreshingly realistic discussion between two adult siblings, one of whom couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen this coming.
Something about Buck telling her, “Sure, I’ll check out a hot guy’s ass, but that’s normal” was so funny. Not “ha-ha” funny — we just never expected to hear Buck say something like that so casually, especially since he’s still uncomfortable discussing his sexuality.
“I don’t think you’re a fraud,” Maddie assured him. “I just think you’re not sure of your own feelings yet. And if there’s something you need to tell Eddie, you will in your own time.” Already an obvious ally, Maddie then cemented her position as sister of the year by saying, “So, tell me more about the hot pilot.”
Buck finally came clean to Eddie towards the end of the hour, and the interaction was everything we hoped it would be. (Fine, we were secretly hoping they’d just decide to become a throuple, but we’ll take what we can get.)
Eddie was initially surprised, since Tommy being gay never came up when he and Eddie were hanging out, “not that it would have mattered.” When Buck asked if Eddie was weirded out by the whole situation, he quickly replied, “Absolutely not. I like him too. I mean, not in the same way as you, evidently.”
He further assuaged Buck’s concerns by telling him, “This doesn’t change a thing between us, OK?”
It was exactly what Buck needed to hear from his best friend, who quickly revealed himself to be a total Buck/Tommy ‘shipper. “He doesn’t know you,” Eddie told Buck. “He doesn’t know you’re an idiot. Once he gets to know you and knows you’re an idiot, he’ll love you like we all do.”
When their chat concluded, Eddie started to leave, but he turned around to give his bestie a supportive hug. It was a really special moment, even if it wasn’t the “moment” that fans have wanted for the past five seasons. The last thing he said before leaving was a direct order: “Call Tommy.”
Eddie’s advice to Buck (“Don’t walk away from something before you even know what it is”) turned out to be the saving grace — pun absolutely intended — in his own relationship with Marisol.
Earlier in the episode, Eddie learned that Marisol once intended to become a nun, though she backed out before officially taking her vows. The discovery left him totally freaked out, unable to even sleep with her. Bobby, speaking on behalf of all practicing Catholics, suggested that Eddie’s trepidation had nothing to do with Marisol’s past as an almost-nun; he’s just a commitment phobe who was moving too quickly.
When Eddie and Marisol finally talked at the end of the episode, she explained that her near-nunnery has been an issue in several of her previous relationships. “Guys get freaked out, or they’re too into it,” she explained. (As ridiculous as this storyline was, let’s all be glad that Eddie found himself in the former category. Can you imagine him having to work past a nun fetish?)
Eddie and Marisol ultimately agreed to pump the brakes on moving in together, instead starting over and taking their relationship more slowly.
Of course, Buck and Eddie weren’t the only members of the 118 to find themselves on a journey this week. Hen and Karen began fostering a nine-year-old girl named Mara, and although she was slow to communicate, she seemed like she’d make a great fit in their home. She even gladly accepted one of Denny’s old teddy bears as a welcome gift.
Then… chaos! Not only was Karen shocked to discover that Mara had severed the poor bear’s head, but she and Hen later awoke to find Mara standing over their bed, screaming bloody murder when Hen attempted to reach out. And things only got worse from there; Mara hit Denny in the head with a mug, for which he needed to receive stitches.
What could have remained a shameless thriller-type storyline, however, took a surprisingly heartwarming turn as new information about Mara’s past came to light. Not only did her parents die of an opioid overdose, but Mara was the one who found them dead and called 9-1-1. After listening to the devastating call, Hen and Karen realized that Mara wasn’t simply watching them sleep — she was afraid they would die in bed, just like her parents.
Karen finally connected with Mara at the end of the hour, giving her a monitor so she could always watch her new moms sleep from the comfort of her own room. That little “night night” Mara said to Karen as she left her room? Adorable.
The episode ended with Tommy meeting Buck for an apology coffee, though Tommy insisted there was nothing for him to apologize for.
“I didn’t cut things short because you behaved badly,” Tommy said of their disastrous first date. “I didn’t want to pressure you.”
“The truth is, I don’t know what I’m ready for,” Buck replied. “But I am ready for something. And I think maybe that something could be with you.”
He then invited Tommy to be his date at Maddie and Chimney’s wedding, which feels insanely fast — but given that this is a shortened season due to the writers’ strike, we’ll allow the rush job. Besides, we can’t wait to see Buck and Tommy cut it up on that dance floor.
Speaking of Maddie and Chimney’s wedding, the final moments of Thursday’s episode jumped ahead to their big day… and it’s not looking good. Not only did Buck and Eddie show up late in dirty suits, but Chimney — you know, the groom — is nowhere to be found.
Something tells us we’ve got a Hangover situation on our hands!
OK, let’s talk about this episode: Was Buck and Tommy’s first date just as awkward as you anticipated? How much did you love Buck and Eddie’s chat? And were you worried that Hen and Karen’s new fostering situation wouldn’t have a happy ending? Drop a comment with your thoughts on the eventful hour below.
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