#plot device tommy

[mid-knight-black]

Just gonna point out that Tommy was a closeted gay man for years who almost married a woman and came out late in life…and having him of all the characters be the one to scoff at the thought of Eddie being straight (while actively discussing about Buck being in love with Eddie) was definitely interesting…🤭🤭🤭

[warpedpuppeteer]

It's interesting how Buck's love interests are all written in a way that ends because of the reason they meet/happen in the first place and then of course, we have Eddie.

Abby, who changes Buck's view of a healthy relationship but then turns around and ghosts him, making him wait for months on end and letting him realize she's not coming back on his own.

Ali, who meets Buck during a dangerous situation in his line of work and then leaves him for how dangerous his work is.

Taylor, who lashes out at Buck for using her as a fake date and saying she thought she could trust Buck to be a friend who then ends up using him for her career and chose to put his friends in danger.

Natalia, who's there to help him embrace and deal with his temporary death but it leads to their break up because of the constant talk surrounding death when Buck's not comfortable with it.

We can't confirm for Tommy till it ends but it's important to note how he offers to get Buck into his interests like flying and muay thai yet doesn't show effort with Buck's interests like dressing up according to the bachelor party theme despite Buck being stressed about it. And we also have the fact that the entire reason they got together was due to Buck's jealousy for Eddie which he then claims to be was for Tommy. Makes me think they are either going to end because of differing interests OR because of the jealousy issue popping up again.

Funnily enough, every scene above has an Eddie parallel:

Eddie co-parents with Buck and not only does this not stop after a dangerous event but Eddie also has Buck down as a legal guardian (healthy relationship - Abby).

Eddie is in the same dangerous line of work and they have each other's backs. This happens right off the bat too.(dangerous job - Ali).

The Lawsuit era and The Dispatch era - both where they "betray" each other but manage to work through it (betrayal/lie - Taylor).

Eddie doesn't pressure Buck to talk about his temporary death until Buck's ready and is more focused about him living than in his death (death doula - Natalia).

Eddie who has different interests than Buck (poker, basketball and UFC/MMA) but also manages to show interest and actively takes part in whatever Buck comes up with; he suggests their outfit for the themed party AND ends up staying there for Buck even when others leave (different hobbies & showing interest/taking part - Tommy).

Absolutely fascinating when you start noticing that Buck's relationships keep failing for one reason or another and then we have him and Eddie who face the same sort of situations but they still come out of it stronger together.

It's clear that there's a reason Buck is able to overcome anything when it comes to Eddie (that conversation with Maddie about being there for each other even at their worst 👀) and we've already established that everything Eddie looks for in a partner is already something he has found in Buck. So really, all that's left is for them to realize that hey, the one I'm looking for is right in front of me! 🤷🏽

And yes, it's been said to death (hah) but you don't find it son you make it. And Buck and Eddie have already made it.

[nqueso-lies]

https://x.com/idkmxgxn/status/1895329931061846259?s=46

Bucktommy endgame confirmed i think 🤔

Oh, anon... you have no idea how much I needed this! 🤣🤣🤭😌 the comments are great. I suggest reading them.

Here's the poster:

Alexa, play 'isn't she lovely' by Stevie Wonder 🤭

(This is on the serializd app)

[bisexualbellamyblake]

I understand him feeling threatened by what me and Eddie have.

[thehotpilot]

every day i wake up and i am so thankful 911 let bucktommy develop after the failed first date…like it wasn’t just a plot device for bucks bi awakening but also a lesson in how real adults communicate and treat each other in relationships and it’s not just about buck it’s about tommy too!! like that date was about him and his right to be treated with respect as much as it was about a first for buck!! and we know tommy can be dead pan and kind of a bitch (so affectionately) but he is also so very kind in the way he lets buck down. and abc could have just left it there but instead they brought him back!! and i think just as much as the bi awakening the lesson buck learns this season (or gets to exercise at least) is that even as an adult you will inevitably behave and treat people in ways that you are decidedly not proud of (i am also looking at you basketball!buck) and you have so much power to let the communication and discussion that follows strengthen your relationship with that person but you have to work for it. and sometimes you will be treated poorly and you have to remain kind in the face of that and all of it also takes so much work but the work MEANS so much.

but yeah tldr i’m so glad 911 brought tommy back for that follow up coffee date bc it was such a good example of how real life communication and apology works and can lead to something more even (especially) if you’re feeling embarrassed and vulnerable!!

[atomicrebelfire]

❌ What Should Not Happen Between Buck and Tommy in Season 9

(And why it’s harmful if it does)

⚠️ Disclaimer:

This isn’t about policing queer identity. People explore. People learn. People fall in love late. That’s all valid. But this is about how media frames queerness — and how 9-1-1 risks reinforcing damaging tropes that queer audiences are exhausted by. When straight love stories are treated as stable and romantic, but queer ones are messy, painful, or never quite “enough,” it stops being representation and starts being a pattern. Especially in 9-1-1, where Buck and Tommy had a chance at something emotionally grounded and real — and the show chose to throw it away. What happens next matters. Not trying to overstep— — just putting into words what I don’t want to see happen.

TL;DR: Stop treating queerness like a detour. Buck doesn’t need to date around to realize he loved Tommy. Tommy isn’t a placeholder. And if Buck won’t talk to him now, don’t pretend he’ll magically be ready for someone else. Growth means honesty. Not avoidance.

🚫 What Should NOT Happen:

1. Buck “explores” queerness by dating multiple men or women before realizing Tommy was “the one” → Bisexuality doesn’t need to be proven through hookups. Tommy is not a test run.

2. Tommy stays emotionally stuck, waiting for Buck to figure himself out → That’s not love. That’s sidelining. Tommy deserves a story that isn’t on pause.

3. Buck returns with no growth, just longing → Love isn’t a Band-Aid for what you refused to confront. Do the work or stay away.

4. Tommy is framed as Buck’s “first but not true” queer love → This is the starter-boyfriend trope. It’s outdated, demeaning, and Tommy deserves better.

5. Tommy starts dating someone else, but they’re just filler before Buck returns → New relationships aren’t fake just because they’re not with the protagonist.

6. Tommy is punished by the narrative for moving on → Moving on is not betrayal. Stop treating emotional survival like a character flaw.

7. Buck’s queerness is only shown through hookups or heartbreak → Being queer doesn’t mean suffering has to be your default love language.

8. Tommy’s new partner is written as toxic just to make Buck look good → That’s not drama. That’s manipulation dressed as plot. Let Tommy choose well.

9. Buck dates someone awful just to realize Tommy was “the good one” → Let Buck grow — not get traumatized into appreciation. Regret isn’t a love story.

10. Buck avoids accountability, hoping time will “solve” things instead of talking to Tommy → You don’t magically become ready in the next relationship if you never faced the last one. Passivity is not a personality. It's avoidance.

If Buck truly loves Tommy — he should talk to him. Be direct. Be honest. If he doesn’t love him — then he should stay away.

✨ Bonus Tropes to Watch Out For in Season 9:

(Because Sometimes Writers Can’t Help Themselves)

11. “Now that he’s queer, Buck must suffer more than anyone else” → Buck has already carried a mountain of emotional pain. Queerness shouldn’t mean more punishment.

12. “Tommy should forgive anything, because Buck’s figuring it out” → This is the same trap Hen/Karen fell into. Hen cheated, Karen had to be “understanding.” Emotional labor ≠ love.

13. “Now that Buck is bi, he becomes hypersexual or ‘confused’ by everyone” → Being bi doesn’t mean you lose your emotional depth or loyalty.

14. “Queer love is always tragic; straight love is stable” → Hen/Karen? Nearly broken up. Buck/Tommy? Already broken.

15. “One queer character is deep, the other becomes a plot device” → Tommy should not become “the guy Buck almost texts.” He deserves his own arc, not ghost-status.

16. Buck’s queerness is “proven,” then erased by pairing him with a woman → Bisexuality isn’t a checkbox or a detour. If Buck dates a woman just to “balance” the narrative, that’s not representation — that’s quiet erasure.

🛑 For contrast: Lone Star handled queerness with more care. (not perfect or that they didn't frustrate with lazy writing)

TK and Carlos already knew they were gay — and their story began with clarity, not confusion. Buck’s journey is different. That’s valid.

But Lone Star gave its queer characters stability, love, and respect, even while showing their flaws.

Carlos’s past marriage to a woman was treated with emotional honesty — not used to erase his queerness.

Neither of them needed to “sleep around” to prove their identity or seriousness about each other.

And their pain (drug abuse, deaths, etc ) didn’t define their queerness — their commitment did.

Mainline 9-1-1 could — and should — learn from that.

💬 Before You Write the Next Chapter:

Buck doesn’t need to date more men or women to figure out if he loves Tommy. Either he does, or he doesn’t. What he doesn’t get to do is use other people as stepping stones to decide. Queerness isn’t a test you pass by hurting people. And love isn’t something you discover by leaving a trail of emotional casualties. If Buck loves Tommy — let him show up. If he doesn’t — let him leave him alone. But don’t make someone else suffer just so he can answer a question he’s too scared to ask.

💬 Final Thought:

If Buck and Tommy reunite, let it be because they choose each other again — from a place of growth, honesty, and mutual readiness. Not because everyone else failed. Not because one waited while the other wandered. And not because the show needed one more tortured queer arc.

If they don’t reunite — then let that be a choice that respects them both. No more tropes. No more lessons. No more ghosts. Just grown-ups. Talking. Feeling. Choosing.

Let’s just walk away from using tired tropes to avoid doing the emotional work — in writing and in love. and using stereotypes to compensate for a lack of storytelling courage. Show some heart in the stories.

[waningscorpio]

every big emotional plot point with Buck for the last 2 seasons have almost always been centered around Tommy huh.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

The way this still is giving me S1 Devon on the rollercoaster vibes - and if that is what we are getting then I am very intrigued and excited - because Buck struggled to deal with that loss - his first on the job - which parallels a bit with losing Eddie now and Buck struggling with that. But what I’m most excited by about if this is a parallel to that - is that Buck went to therapy - and ended up having sex with her (she took advantage of him but that’s not the thing here) - ill advised sex - sex that did not actually help him at all in dealing with his feelings.

But you know what did - talking to Abby on the phone - and you know who he can only talk to by phone (or video call) right now?!!

[writing-is-hard-af]

I'm actually quite mad they showed us everyone finding out except for Eddie. Like. Please, Bobby is just as important to him as the rest of them. Bobby has been there for him and understood him in things that nobody else has. He was there with Shannon. He was there throughout season 5. He was there with the Chris in Texas stuff. Bobby is just as important to Eddie as any of them, maybe even more than some of them. And we didn't even get a glimpse of him finding out.

[h50europe]

...not JUST Buck's bed buddy, has a function, skills that other characters don't have translates into MORE THAN A PLOT DEVICE, sorry guys 💅🖕🥱

[mid-knight-black]

When you have to be at your competition’s son’s facetime birthday party and you see your boyfriend play house with said competition…😖😖😖

[bucksdaffy]

oh, how i LOVE that tim decided to include tommy in the last two episodes, even though they are not really buck-focused. if this doesn't prove to you how serious he actually is about tommy being a long-term LI for buck, i don't know what will.

[apartmentsmoke]

the number of people who saw Tommy was surprised about Buck wanting his attention and THEN go on to say "oh it's because he thought Buck wanted Eddie's attention AND he knows Buck/Eddie have romantic feelings for each other and THAT'S why he was surprised AND Buck was just confused on his feelings and he really wants Eddie" - they are really watching with buddie goggles on. they came to one correct conclusion and then go off the rails

yes, Tommy did think Buck wanted Eddie's attention - because Eddie told him as much! Tommy goes to Buck's place immediately after he helps Eddie with his ankle, so he would have heard Eddie's take on it - that Eddie thinks Buck is jealous because Eddie and Tommy are spending so much time together. That's why Tommy starts talking about he doesn't want to interfere in their friendship; he doesn't know that Buck wanted his attention until Buck says it.

As for Tommy thinking Buck and Eddie have romantic feelings for each other... There is just straight up no evidence for that in the show lol. You want to write fic based on that assumption? Hell yeah. But thinking that's what's happening in canon is simply wrong based on what's on screen

And the third one - oh, Buck is just confused - is insulting to the story that's being told. Buck is into Tommy. Even if the relationship ends, he will always have been into Tommy. He told Tommy himself, he told Maddie, he told Eddie - he acted like someone with an enormous crush because he has an enormous crush! And trying to erase that because it doesn't work with your view for your ship is

That's also why all the speculation that Tommy is going to step aside because of how close Buck and Eddie are is ridiculous - he already knows how close they are, and he doesn't seem to care.

[evankinardscoffee]

feeling the need to bring this back:

Lou and Oliver interview with access hollywood

[aceofheartsstuff]

If you think about it, Tommy saying that Eddie was the competition doesn't imply that Tommy knows Buck's in love with Eddie, it implied that Tommy knows Eddie's in love with Buck

And the "He hasn't spoken to me since we broke up" and "okay?" Yeah, he knows.

[lemotmo]

This is an interesting question. Would you be okay with Tommy pointing it out to Eddie?

Q. So I can't shake the feeling that Tommy was kept around because yes he was supposed to plant the seed in the general audience's mind about Eddie's sexuality, but also so he could be the one to actually say something to Eddie.

A. Say something to Eddie about what though? Say something to him about his sexuality? Or say something to him about Buck's feelings for him? Because either option makes him an even shittier person than he already is, honestly. But I do see a scenario in which they would have him be the one to say something to Eddie because it's already been established that he doesn't really care how either one of them feels. He already tried to out Buck in front of Eddie and now he's tried to out Eddie in front of Buck. He doesn't care about either of them. I need certain people to come to terms with what episode 11 spelled out very clearly with regards to Tommy. He knows. He has known from the beginning. I've said that repeatedly. Many others have said it repeatedly and because the show has now basically confirmed that, it makes his entire history with Eddie and Buck super gross. I still believe Eddie was who was actually interested in. He put way more effort into the early stages of their friendship than he ever did with Buck. Hello even his anniversary gift to Buck was an Eddie interest not a Buck interest. He 'settled' for Buck because Buck is hot and misplaced his Eddie feelings onto Tommy. Thanks to 8x11 we now know Tommy KNEW that from the very beginning. Worse yet he stayed friends with Eddie either because he was still hoping to have a shot at him at some point or to keep him and Buck apart. Either option is disgusting and reeks of desperation. I don't know that the show wants to give him the power of making Eddie aware. That's a lot to give a nothing character. And I would loathe Tommy getting to be the one to tell Eddie about Buck. I do think they will give the two of them a scene together though. Tommy can make a comment because truthfully Eddie isn't that far from figuring things out, but giving Tommy the authority to state it outright doesn't fit into what Tommy basically now is as a character. He was always a plot device but they literally wrote his plot purpose into his dialogue. He's basically only there now to remind the audience of who he's not. His dialogue in 8x11 made it so that every time he shows up now the audience is going to remember that. He's a stand in for Eddie. That's all he was ever going to be. A cheap knock off until Buck was ready for the real thing. They literally made it his dialogue. It's hilarious.

Thank you Nonny. 🤗

I don't think Eddie needs Tommy to point out anything to him. I think Eddie is on the path of finding his joy and he'll find it in Buck. He doesn't need anyone to point him into the right direction, because he has been looking in the right direction for years now.

I do think Tommy might be back to finish up his plot device arc by having him talk to Buck again. He'll say something about giving it another shot or something, but by then Buck will have realised the truth of what he feels for Eddie and he'll be standoffish. And Tommy will read it in his body language. He'll know that Buck has figured it out. And I do believe that season 8 will be the last we'll ever see of him on 911.

As always, take this with a grain of salt. I can't read the future. 🤷‍♀️

I am tired of talking about Tommy though. Can we go back to Buddiemaxxing now?! 😎

IMPORTANT! Please don't repost this ask and/or a link that leads straight to my Tumblr account on Twitter or any other social media. Thank you!

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.