‘You Only Have ONE Job’: ‘9-1-1’ Season 8 Is Full of Drama, But Fans Only Think About One Thing
9-1-1 season 8 opened with a bang (or screech). What would you call Athena Grant (Angela Bassett) if she almost crashed her plane into a groundhog, causing all sorts of chaos? For viewers, though, all the killer bees in the world couldn’t have been more attention-grabbing than two beloved characters finally getting the final culmination of their season-long storyline.
9-1-1 fans are, were, and probably always will be rooting for Buck (Oliver Stark) and Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman), who have been best friends for seasons and whose heartwarming friendship makes everyone wish they could have had a great love story, too.
Or, as one X user put it, “9-1-1 season 8 you only have ONE job.” I agree!
While everyone is cheering on how great these actors look this season (Eddie is sporting a perfect new mustache), 9-1-1 viewers are dying to see Buck and Eddie become a couple once and for all because they feel like their storylines have been hinting at it for a while now. One fan pointed out that the moment they met hinted that they might one day be romantically involved. While no one minded seeing Eddie shirtless, it’s hard to deny that Buck was staring at Eddie in the locker room. No wonder fans want them together! They even call them “Buddies,” which makes sense since, you know, they’re best friends. It’s a cheesy but sweet name that fits the tone of this Ryan Murphy series when characters aren’t dying or facing a wasp.
Fans’ desire for a Buck and Eddie romance accelerated when Buck finally came out as bisexual in season 7, sharing a passionate kiss with Tommy Kinard (Lou Ferrigno Jr.), whom he’s currently dating. I loved the relationship between Buck and Tommy and thought they were great together. They showed each other the value of being open and honest about your feelings. But it’s hard to disagree with fans who think Buck and Eddie have an equal, if not stronger, connection. While people find love on dating apps (one of my best friends is the rare person who met her now-husband on Tinder), there’s something to be said about friends becoming lovers. When you know so much about the other person, it’s even easier to continue to be vulnerable, which is what a long-term relationship needs to survive.
What does 9-1-1 showrunner Tim Minear think of Buddie? When Buck appeared in season 7, Minear told TV Insider that “I couldn’t even bring myself to predict” the direction the show would take. However, Ryan Guzman and Oliver Stark have talked about it in numerous interviews. Guzman told TV Insider, “We’re just getting to the point where Buck is having his own personal growth, so it’s like baby steps toward everything and what if.” The actors are also “very aware of the fandom and what they want to see from our characters,” Guzman told Parade. Okay, so no one’s saying this will never happen… It may not be what people want to hear, but it doesn’t seem like there are any plans to do this storyline anytime soon. Or, at the very least, it may take some time to build up the authenticity needed to pull off such a stunt. That won’t stop fans from enjoying the ride, though, and with so much going on, at least the lives of the Station 118 staff are never boring. Oh, and did I mention Eddie’s adorable mustache?
