Caution: This post contains SPOILERS from 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 12
Buck says that he’s “fine” after everything he learned about his parents on 9-1-1, but is that really the case? Could he be holding onto the pain because of how others have treated him because of it in the past?
Is it possible that Buck just hasn’t had the time to feel everything yet? There’s sure to be a lot going on in his head?
Buck Bottles to Help Others on 9-1-1
During 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 12, Buck and Maddie learned that their parents are getting a divorce. After 49 years of marriage, they’re done. There wasn’t a huge argument. They’re just ready to move on and be apart from each other after growing apart.
It’s disappointing for Buck and Maddie, but Maddie seems to take it the hardest. Buck tells Eddie that he’s “fine” with it, but Christopher points out that divorce is always hard on the kids. He knows, as he is a child of divorce, and you could see in Eddie’s eyes that he never really considered what his divorce from Shannon did to Christopher.
Yet, Buck says that he’s fine, and he’s acting like he’s fine. It’s almost like he’s just accepted what his parents have said, unsurprised by their revelation.
The problem is that Buck bottles everything up to help others. He could end up bottling his own feelings because of his sister, making sure that she is dealing with this revelation well.
When Bobby died, Buck focused on everyone else, checking in on them being okay and grieving well. When he finally did snap, nobody checked in on him. In fact, everyone, especially Eddie, got annoyed about him needing some sort of support. It’s no wonder that Buck decides to bottle everything up.
Buck’s Arc Moved Fast Into the 9-1-1: Nashville Crossover
It’s not even like Buck had time to think about everything that had happened. He had to go straight to Nashville with Eddie, where the two took part in the Firefighter Games. That was a lot of fun, but it took away from some of the huge revelations that Buck had dealt with during the 9-1-1 episode.
It wasn’t just about the divorce. Buck’s dad told Buck that they were both in California when Bobby’s funeral took place. They selfishly chose to stay away, despite knowing what Bobby meant to Buck. Rather than getting angry, Buck just accepted it, potentially bottling up his real feelings again, because what is he meant to do with that information?
I would hope to see that all of this could have a knock-on effect on 9-1-1, but we all know the writers. They don’t commit to the storylines in the way that they should. When it came to Athena’s grief, there was a lot of focus, but then everyone else was rushed through. When it came to Hen’s illness, the lead-up to the diagnosis was long and then the recovery was completely rushed.
So, I suspect that we won’t see much with Buck’s feelings about any of the news that he got. And it doesn’t even look like there will be time, considering the 9-1-1 and Nashville crossover event will continue with 9-1-1 Season 9 Episode 13, as Buck and Eddie return home.
9-1-1 airs on Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.
