Let’s be honest — watching 9-1-1 feels like surviving a never-ending roller coaster built by disaster-loving writers. Now, imagine tossing that chaos into the deadly, unpredictable world of The Hunger Games. That’s exactly what one fan did, and the comparison? Spot on. It’s gone viral for a reason — because it captures the pure adrenaline, heartbreak, and unexpected deaths we’ve all come to weirdly love. Let’s dive into why this analogy works so well and how it’s making fans rethink their favorite show through a whole new lens.
On social media, @WORSHlPTHESUN, from X, made the comparison that Tommy’s presence was like if Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), a mentor figure to Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen, died, but didn’t have the person closest to her as a source of comfort. Similar to if Gale (Luke Hemsworth) were present, but fan-favorite Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) was nowhere to be found. Eddie isn’t Buck’s love interest like Peeta was to Katniss, at least not yet, but he is Buck’s best friend.
He absolutely should have been there instead of being a minor character like Tommy. The comparison works with other fandoms, as well. It could be like when Buffy’s mom on Buffy the Vampire Slayer brought back Scott (Fab Filippo), a minor and ultimately antagonistic love interest in season 3, rather than bringing in Angel (David Boreanaz) to comfort the titular slayer. Tommy, similarly to Gale and especially like Scott as well, wasn’t the right person for such a monumental episode for a multitude of reasons.
Tommy Has Been A Divisive 9-1-1 Character Since His Introduction. During flashbacks, before Buck and Eddie’s arrival at the 118, Tommy is shown as dismissive and unwelcoming to Howard and Henrietta (Aisha Hinds). Far from confronting Captain Vincent Gerrard (Brian Thompson) for his discriminatory treatment towards Henrietta and Howard, Tommy more or less shrugs his shoulders and dismisses his new co-workers when they attempt to reach out. Tommy does eventually warm up to Howard in particular. However, because the show never bothers to grapple with how he enabled Gerrard’s bigoted behavior, Tommy doesn’t win over any new fans.
Even without diving into the large segment of the fanbase that hopes to see Buck and Eddie together, Tommy doesn’t become important to 9-1-1 even after his reintroduction in season 7. He spends most of his time as Buck’s boyfriend off-screen, returning just long enough to abruptly end their relationship. He shows up once prior to Bobby’s death to accuse Buck of having feelings for Eddie, hinting at a potentially interesting conflict that goes nowhere. Alternately, a minor antagonist and a walking plot device, it was maddening that Tommy got so much focus during Bobby’s last episode when a mainstay like Eddie was nowhere to be seen. It speaks to the show’s tendency to redeem villains without making the effort to earn it, though Gerrard is the most glaring example of it. More broadly, it’s just a microcosm of 9-1-1’s recent baffling narrative choices.
