#tommy kinard meta

[wannabanauthor]

So we all know that LFJ plays a gay guy really well

And let me give you even more examples!

Tommy having a crush on Buck but it not being super obvious until you rewatched it with a queer lense was super important.

But once Tommy lets his feelings be known to Buck, his demeanor shifts.

He smiles openly around Buck a lot more. He lets himself look smitten and enchanted whenever it's just him and Buck or when they're around people who know about them. Examples: their first date, Chim's bachelor party and wedding

He's way more relaxed in his demeanor.

He's very upfront about his feelings for Buck to Buck. "Evan, I think you're adorable, but I don't think you're ready." "You already know that I'm interested." "God, I hope so."

Because there is a big difference in the way queer people act before and after coming out, even if it's just to your crush. You can see that in the Harbor tour scene, the basketball scene, and the loft pre-kiss scene.

Tommy was smiling a whole lot more after their first kiss, and after their hospital kiss too. I swear that smile in the hospital room screamed "I got laid in a hospital supply closet by my very eager golden retriever boyfriend who turned into the smoothest motherfucker I've ever met."

Side note: I don't see people mention Tommy's nuances in that loft scene quite as much, but you need to go rewatch Tommy's reaction after Buck says he called and asked for the tour just to get to know Tommy but then Tommy left with Eddie. Tommy laughs for a second, realizes what's going on, and the look he gives Buck afterwards like "God, I want you so much". I think he was starting to piece it together then.

Aaargh, let's not forget how happy he looked after Buck confirmed that he'd been trying to get Tommy's attention. He's just smiling at Buck like he's pregaming being kiss-drunk. The way Tommy just looks into Buck's eyes while Buck is rambling, and his smile radiating "He likes me! I'm going to kiss him about it, just need to find a good segue."

And, AND let's not forget how Tommy listens to Buck. I mean actively listens to him. He gives Buck all his attention when he's with him. Even when Buck was rambling before the kiss, Tommy was still paying enough attention to relate the kiss right back to what Buck said, meanwhile Buck was up in the clouds relearning the days of the week. And then bringing the beer back up!

Tommy, if you were a lesbian, I'd marry you in a heartbeat and have your kids, and I ain't even into marriage or parenting.

[thatmexisaurusrex]

I might have missed something, but everyone had their families at that ceremony - Buck and Chimney had Maddie there for them; Hen had Karen, Denny, and Mara; Eddie had Marisol and Christopher; Bobby had Athena there. But Tommy? He had no other people there for him. No one other than the people who were already going to be there. And I think that says something about what Tommy's life has been like since he left the 118, or what it's been like always for him. And it says a lot about how much his life is like now as well. How he is opening up to these people from his past as well as Buck and, in a way, becoming part of the 118 again. He now has a boyfriend and friends who he received metals of honor with. And there's a sadness in the emptiness of whatever plus-ones he didn't have. But you can see him finding family right there too. And there's a bittersweet beauty to that.

[kinardsevan]

also, as a coffee snob, I am a bit fascinated by Lou's idea that Tommy likes sweet coffee. Because I totally read his character as someone who would be more like me: less flavor, closer to black and plain (maybe just enough creamer for a bit of taste).

Finding out that Tommy's idea of a good cup is more comparable to what my mom drinks ("would you like some coffee with your sugar?") has me seeing him in a totally new light 😂😂😂😂

[madlori]

On Tommy Kinard

"It's not that I don't like Buck and Tommy, it's just happening so fast, he's underdeveloped!"

*clears throat*

Here is a recap of what we know about Tommy. And this is just off the top of my head, I didn't rewatch anything.

He was closeted at the 118 before and found the atmosphere repressive. He (probably) acted like a dick to fit in. When presented with the chance to make things better, he took it, and developed positive relationships with Hen, Chim and Bobby.

He was in the army and trained there as a pilot.

He knows Muay Thai and has a set up in his house.

He likes to work on cars and has a lift at his house (where TF does he live is my question - he has some nerve being agog at Buck's loft if he has a muay thai gym and a car lift)

He is down for violating departmental policy at the drop of a hat (has done so on at least two occasions) to help a friend and has no problems fucking with the fire chief.

He is a nerd. He likes pub trivia and has incorrect Star Wars opinions, and can keep up with Chim in the movie-quoting department.

His favorite movie is "Love, Actually" and he likes craft beer and monster trucks.

He came out when he transferred to Harbor and felt comfortable enough to stop lying about who he was.

He follows MMA and has friends in Vegas who like him well enough to hook him up to a frankly insane degree.

He'll risk his own life and engage in helicopter skulduggery to save people he doesn't know...I mean, apart from doing that for a living.

He'll take time out of his day to give a tour to the cute boy who called him up and offer to give that boy flying lessons (a significant time investment) which was probably maybe about more one on one time with said boy.

He yearns for the belonging and found family that the 118 became after his departure and probably befriended Eddie hoping to earn a plate at the cookout, aside from just clicking with him.

He likes Eddie and Chris a lot and they like him. Chimney also likes him.

He was attracted to Buck right away and was emotionally aware enough to pick up on Buck's jealous feelings over Eddie and his friendship, even if he was surprised that it was him Buck wanted to get to know.

He respects and values Buck and Eddie's friendship and wanted to make sure Buck knew that.

He's brave enough to shoot his shot by planting one on a dude.

He's a lil bitchy but also generous and ready to throw in with this insane guy who's inviting him to a family wedding after 0.5 dates.

He showed up to a bachelor party when he was on call because Buck asked him to, then showed up in turnouts after fighting a fire for like 12 hours yadda yadda we all know this part.

He has got it BAD for one Evan Buckley, who he only calls "Evan" which according to LFJR is a conscious decision by the writers, which fascinates me.

He was willing to take a chance with a man just discovering his sexuality BUT wasn't willing to put himself through that if the man in question wasn't ready for it. When Buck showed him that he was, he was all in.

He does NOT take his coffee like that.

Oh and

He's a beast.

This is VASTLY more information than we knew about ANY of Buck's previous girlfriends with the possible exception of Abby. Even Taylor did not get this much development over 20 episodes (things we knew about her: she was an ambitious and ethically flexible reporter, did not eat fudge, had a dad in jail, and sometimes jogged for exercise, she was capable of being nice and did love Buck, I believe). And as for it being fast? Sometimes it just be like that? A relationship doesn't have to have year(s) of buildup. Sometimes people do just meet, like each other, and start dating, in fact in the real world that's usually what happens. It's in TV Land that you have to have eighteen seasons of UST before pulling the trigger. Most of the time in reality people just vibe off each other and decide to go out and THEN they learn about each other.

And they've got a great start. You'd think they'd barely spoken by how a few naysayers are talking about it - the loft scene was like a solid five minutes of very open conversation, the Cringe Date seemed to have gone well and again, open and honest (if cringey) conversation before Cockblocker Eddie showed up, and the coffee meetup was again....open and honest conversation. They're not gonna show us long scenes of them exchanging firefighting stories and workout preferences (I mean, I'd watch that, but it's not what the show is about).

In conclusion, anyone saying he's poorly developed or the relationship is "out of nowhere" either is being willfully obtuse or has ridiculously unrealistic expectations for relationships and/or what constitutes character development.

As for whether they have chemistry, that's a matter of subjective opinion. Given that a TON of people watched that harbor tour scene (even when it was posted as a sneak peek) and started going "wait...what's going on here...are they flirting??" might be a clue. People were talking about Bi!Buck maybe happening with Tommy based solely off that clip of the harbor tour and what they were seeing between them. And imho that loft scene was crackling. But we all see things through the lenses of our biases, myself included.

Got that off my chest, whew.

[alkaysani]

also let's be serious right now okay. the choice to have tommy call buck "evan" was so inspired, because as this journey begins for him, the healing has to start from the very core. and before buck was ever buck, he was evan. evan was the core of all his insecurities and his hurt. what buck is hurting from is what evan has been hurting from this whole time

and now, he's free and he can start healing. and evan has to heal first. evan gets to learn and figure things out with tommy as his guide and that's beautiful. tommy is there to guide evan so that buck can face the world. so that buck can get what the core of what he really wants, and who he's been looking for this whole time. tommy will allow evan to be seen and heal in this new light, but we know who's been seeing buck this whole time

[danielsarmand]

the way tommy reassures buck that no one is looking at them, that nobody cares about what they're doing, but also tells him that he gets why he's tense. he doesn't invalidate his feelings while trying to soothe him. the way he gives buck the space he needs to ask questions he hasn't felt like he could ask anyone else, and answers them patiently and gracefully. the way he flirts with him and even in that, he is kind. he is gentle. he checks for reactions and respects that buck has just started his journey while he's been on his own for years. tommy i love you... i love queer solidarity

[chronicowboy]

Buck tucks them away in a corner when the mingling begins. They're stood far too close to be decent, Buck pressed up against the hard lines of his date with little care for anything besides being close, close, close. But in his defence, Tommy had taken his turnout coat off somewhere along the way which means he's stood there in a too-tight LAFD tee straining against his biceps and those suspenders Buck has always found more than a little maddening. So, really, it's only right to tuck his hands beneath one of the straps to pull Tommy even closer. And Tommy goes easily, smiling wide enough that it brightens his whole face as he presses Buck a little more firmly into the wall at his back.

"That was good. That was really good, right?" Buck breathes, his own smile making his cheeks ache.

He's horny, yeah, his boyfriend is incredibly hot. And, Jesus, the noise he'd made in the lobby—Buck can't wait to wring more of those noises from him. Mostly, Tommy just looks so stunningly happy to be there with him. So, yeah, he's a little amped up. But he's mostly just giddy. No, happy. He's just happy. Because everyone he loves knows who he is, knows who he's with. And he's just really fucking happy.

"How do you think they knew?" Buck asks then, still a little breathless just from Tommy's closeness, from the way he ducks just a little so their noses brush like they're in their own little bubble. "Like they all just seemed to know. I didn't even get to introduce you as my date." Tommy's eyes do something then, the crinkles at the corners smoothing out as they melt into something so fond Buck's stomach somersaults with it. "I mean, Hen I get. Her gaydar is killer. Like astounding. But Chimney?" Buck's eyebrows furrow, but it couldn't be called a frown for the smile still tugging at his lips. "Do you think he just saw how happy I was—"

"Evan," Tommy says softly. Buck snaps his mouth shut at the look on Tommy's face, all indulgence, downright smitten, if Buck had to take a guess it's probably the same look reflected on his own face.

Tommy reaches up to cup his face, swiping gentle, reverent thumbs over Buck's stubbled cheeks, smile twitching with bitten-back amusement. He pulls his hands away then, freshly cleaned palms coming away sooty.

"Oh," Buck murmurs, face flooding with heat. So, that's how they knew. Makes sense.

"I'm sure they saw how happy you were too." Tommy nudges their noses together again, a gentle little nuzzle that makes Buck's body fizz from head to toes, but there's something hesitant to it that has his eyes flickering back and forth between Tommy's. "You're happy, yeah?"

"Yeah." Buck nods just to feel their noses brush again. "Really, really unbelievably happy, Tommy."

And if Tommy's smile had been beautiful before, this one is radiant as the fucking sun. Buck almost wants to shield his eyes from it, except he doesn't. Not at all. He wants to map every inch of it and remember it forever.

"Good," Tommy breathes out. "Good, that's really good." One of his big hands finds Buck's hip, settles there and squeezes just tight enough to make Buck fizz again. "I'm happy too."

Oh.

Oh.

That's nice. That's really fucking nice.

They have to get out of this very crowded hallway immediately.

Buck lets his smile shift into a smirk and sways forward into Tommy's space. He doesn't look at Tommy's eyes as he does it, zeroed in on those lips that Buck could happily spend the rest of his life getting to know inside and out.

"Hm," Buck hums, pushing far enough forward that Tommy stumbles back a step. "We should probably go and get cleaned up, huh?" He extracts himself from Tommy's arms with only the slightest bit of difficulty, leaving one hand wrapped around his suspenders to drag Tommy along with a raised eyebrow.

Buck isn't entirely sure, but he think there's a little bit of pink underneath the soot on Tommy's face. It makes him even happier.

[tevanbuckley]

thinking about mr tommy ‘canonical favourite movie is love actually’ kinard stumbling ass backwards into his very own rom com because he stole government property and made fake mouth static at his boss. look at his face when buck asks him to the wedding, he cannot believe what is happening to him. That this sweet, painfully earnest, incredibly attractive man is making a grand romantic gesture all to win him back, because even if he doesn’t know exactly what he wants he knows he wants it to be with him.

You bet your ass he got himself to that wedding! tommy who lost so many years to self sabotage stubbornly pushing through the exhaustion because there is no way in hell he is letting this opportunity slip through his fingers! he will be there and he will be getting his big damn kiss thank you very much!

[mannafromtevan]

I have a solid theory about the second part of the 9-1-1 season 8 opening disaster. We already know about beenado, but Tim Minear referred to a second disaster taking up the bulk of episodes 2 & 3, and shared that it's based on another classic 1970's disaster flick.

We know Athena is doing something involving going on an airplane (transporting a prisoner though I don't know if that was confirmed). Enter the classic b movie, Airport 1975.

Now, what happens in this movie you ask? After the pilot becomes incapacitated, a woman with no flying experience (*cough* Athena *cough*) is forced to try and land it. BUT THEN.

A helicopter pilot (who happens to be the woman's boyfriend in the film) DANGLES DOWN ON A ROPE FROM A MOVING HELICOPTER AND CLIMBS IN THE SIDE OF THE PLANE TO LAND IT SAFELY.

Guys. This has to be it. Action hero Tommy swooping in to take over in the cockpit? It's so ridiculous it has to happen.

Edited to add: The bts footage posted of the fire trucks pulling out of the hangar? Looks EXACTLY like this: https://youtu.be/8HF0jvwonLo. Here's a side by side comparison.

And here's the scene of the guy swinging down from the helicopter into the plane: https://youtu.be/1jScUYyryRM

[nobigsecrets]

So when Tommy gives Buck the tour of the 217, after having laid out the basics of the station, he proceeds to ask Buck why he's actually there. Not once, but twice and he's pretty blunt about it.

Tommy: Is that why you wanted the tour? Looking for a bad ass coffee mug?

Buck: Nah, I'm happy where I am at. I guess I just wanted to see the place during the day. You know, when we weren't stealing one— [gestures toward helicopter]

Tommy: C'mon, you didn't call me just because you wanted to see the toys. You're thinking of changing things up, aren't you?

Buck: Ah, I don't know. Okay, so, aside from worrying that Cap and Athena were at the bottom of the ocean, yeah, fine, I guess that night was the most fun I had since being struck by lightning.

To me, that indicates Tommy must have been a) clearly baffled that Buck called him in the first place and b) that he can't place Buck's request for a tour at all. Is it common courtesy after their little adventure? Is it professional interest? Or is it something more personal—?

I don't think Tommy allows himself to think in a personal direction at first. He's clearly flattered that Buck called but he also seems to be very much on guard at first. He's looking for clues as to why Buck is there. So when Tommy can't figure out it out, he's gotta ask. Because Evan is kinda hot adorable interesting. Maybe he even pings Tommy's gaydar, but he can't be sure.

And Buck's answer is super vague of course. We know that he can't even place his interest in Tommy himself yet. But Tommy doesn't know that. So he asks, again. He even suggests that Buck might be there for professional reasons, aka looking to become a pilot himself. Like Tommy doesn't dare believe Buck might be there for him.

And it's only then, after Buck admits he had fun the night they stole the helicopter, that Tommy allows himself to let his guard down. It's like he needed at least a tiny hint that Buck could be interested on a more personal level. It's only then that he starts flirting. It's only then that he allows himself to check out Evan a little bit closer. And boy, does that guy flirt back—

(Not relevant to the rest of this meta, but it's also noteworthy how both of them keep their references carefully gender neutral when they're talking about dating people they met on calls.)

[wannabanauthor]

Some BuckTommy positivity after yesterday's craziness

I've mentioned in a previous post how I like that Tommy acts instead of reacts. He listens, processes, then responds. He's not really impulsive impulsive, and I love that about him because I have ADHD combined type and struggle like hell with impulse control. This plays into my point:

Tommy treats Buck like a competent adult, and I love that about him, them, and their relationship. I love the FireFam at the 118, but they treat Buck like a kid brother in a sense. The backhanded compliments from the 118 do irk me a bit, but they have seen Buck at his worse, so it's honest. Eddie acts like his bff, so he gets a slight pass.

But Tommy doesn't think of Buck in that way. After Buck maims Eddie, Chimney says that Buck "bucked that up". Tommy, however, goes to Buck's place to talk to him in person. He addresses any concerns Buck may have had while also not backing down about his friendship with Eddie.

He sets boundaries with Buck and follows through. He doesn't insult Buck when he messes up. He explains things from his perspective, gives him a correction, and/or moves on. He acts like a mature adult, and I envy that so much.

He treats Buck like an equally competent adult, and good god, is the bar that low for my OTPs T_T? Anyway, I just love how Tommy is non-reactive. It gives Buck a soft place to land when he messes up while also addressing that just because you landed somewhere softly doesn't mean it's not gonna hurt based on how high up you started.

I think Buck's "I am free" could also apply to this. He's free to be himself, something that Tommy obviously is crazy for. He's free to have human reactions with a partner who understands him and is willing to listen to him and work things out.

And I think they balance each other out well. And it's beautiful to me.

[dadbodbuck]

big feelings about tommy kinard this morning.... just. god. you are raised by the kind of man you never hope to become. a violent, bigoted, temperamental asshole who lives in your house. who will always live in your house. so you leave, and even when you're in the army, thousands of miles away from home, he's there. in your drill sergeants, in your comrades who are more excited for the violence than the service. so you leave. and you become a firefighter. and he's still there in captain vincent gerrard. and as you grow and learn about yourself, you start to think - maybe part of the reason i'm so afraid is because they're right. i do want to kiss a man. i want to hold him and fuck him and breathe in the soft tenderness of sunday morning together. and it terrifies you, because you've always known, somewhere, but you kiss a man in a weho club where you know your coworkers can't find you, and your father is there. he's not there, not really, but he will always be there, standing over your shoulder, waiting for the chance to strike. so you spend several achingly lonely years coming to terms with this; with being gay, being too old for the kind of sappy forever-love everyone else gets, with your rescue cats who remind you of yourself a little too much to dwell upon. and then you meet him. this absolutely radiant, joyful, sensitive, kind, awkward man. and you start to fall in love, and it's terrifying, but you think he might be falling too. and you realize somewhere down the line that he doesn't feel worthy of being loved, doesn't feel certain that you'll stay, and you kinda want to tear his parents apart limb from limb, but that's not what's important. what's important is evan, who cooks you dinner, who kisses you like nobody's around to see, who makes you laugh so hard wine comes out your nose. you stay, and you stay, because every time he holds you, your dad fades from the room just a little bit more.

[kinardsevan]

Thoughts on Tommy's family dynamic? Only child or does he have siblings? Think we'll see any of his family in the show?

I'm on the fence about this one, anon.

In my head, he's an only child. He has only child energy, which I can read as an only child with siblings (its a long story 😂😂😂).

I think it would be fun for him to have a sibling, but if he does, I think it's probably going to be a strained relationship. One of my biggest reasonings behind this is because of his distance towards people. I mean we know that there is some level of trauma towards his relationship with his father, but when I consider from a psychology standpoint the way he was about building bonds with people prior to season 2, that speaks to me as someone who didn't grow up with a lot of people to rely on, which says only child to me.

I would like to think that maybe we'll see his dad at some point, if for no other reason than to make a point about who he is. I feel like s8 will likely bring the Buckleys back into the fold and obviously they'll have to acknowledge their reaction to Tommy at Madney's wedding. To that end, I think if Tommy DOES have any siblings, we might see them turn up at some point because of that, especially if they want to give him a (familial) relationship to ground him. But in headcanon, I really relate to the idea that he had a grandparent who looked out for him because I'm in the camp that his mom died when he was young. Mostly because when I correlate all of the issues he's presented with as having in s2, they don't really fit for someone who grew up in a household with a lot of nurturing love. So either both of his parents suck (which God I hope not), or his mom has passed (easier for me to swallow).

Further, I honestly don't want to see a resolution between himself and his father. I get the feeling Minear & Co. will make sure the Buckleys are still supporting Evan because that narrative still needs to be driven the way it has, and I know they've made a big show about this story not being about the typical trauma tropes related to LGBTQ. But if we're dealing with a parent who has previously not accepted their child in Tommy and his dad, I want it to stay that way. Or, I'd be willing to accept a version where Tommy is like "wait, you couldn't get your shit together in the first 40 years and NOW you want to be a parent? No thanks." Almost akin to Thatcher & Meredith Grey if that makes sense. I could accept some level of understanding between the two that the past is the past, but not this version of a future where he wants to be the Buckleys 2.0.

Finally, and this just occurred to me, but would also fit well with Tommy's narrative to this point: I could see him being a product of the foster care system. Maybe after mom died, dad lost custody for a while and he bounced around the system until dad got him back, but whether due to trauma or Tommy just not being who the man thought he should be in general, the relationship festered. This would also present opportunities for him to have siblings in a unique way while also keeping people at arm's length.

[virahaus]

Another day, another time to debunk shitty takes I see online.

I've seen a multiple of people pointing out that "we don't know anything about Tommy" and how could people ship him with Buck (nevermind that the ship is canon and always will remain so) when we know so little about him?

First of all, I'd actually make a point to say that we as of now already know more about him then all the other LI that Buck or Eddie ever had in the show.

I shall make you a list, so that you may remember it more easily:

- He likes cars and he's a good mechanic (extrapolated by the fact that Eddie explicitly said that fixed/improved his engine)

- He likes playing basketball and he's also quite competitive ("we'll make short work of them" said in reference of Buck and Chim)

- He's sarcastic (the closet line)

- His favourite film is "Love, Actually"

- He loves Monster Truck and Craft Beer, and MMA

- He has a big scar on his chest and it came from a fire in a factory

- He's a very skilled pilot, able to manoeuvre in a hurrican, and doesn't waver in the face of danger

- He likes watching and practicing Muay Thai

- He was a pilot in the army

- He only came out when he started working in Harbor, but prefers not to publicise his sexuality

- He doesn't like Bella Swan (and it's implied he might like Jacob more) and he watched the Twilight movies

- He likes to drive his friends to events

- He has friends that can get him high up tickets for shows in Vegas

- He has permission to fly airplanes for personal reasons when he's not on the clock

- He likes to be helpful and he's thoughtful (driving Eddie to check out his sprain, going to Buck's to clear out the air without prompt, immediately agreeing in helping the 118 with the whole ship operation, trying to get Buck to be at ease on their date)

- He's loyal (he didn't rat the others out when the chief called on their way to Bobby)

- He's a smooth flirt

- He can do a mean mouth static (at least in his opinion)

- He pays the bill on first dates

- He is very much the definition of carpe diem (kissing buck was very much shooting his shot)

- He checks for consent

- He kept contact with Chim ever after he left the 118

- Chim called him for help in the episode Broken

- He went to the 217 and opened the spot for Buck at the 118

- He participated in the betting pool Hen made on how long Bobby would last at the 118 captain

- He apologises when he's in the wrong and is shown to be able to correct his behaviour

- He doesn't like chickens (lol)

- He likes the film fight club and can quote it

- Implies to have dated people he met on a call

See? We know quite a lot actually. So you may get off your high horse how about that.

I don't think I missed anything but do let me know.

[tawaifeddiediaz]

wait eddie finding someone with similar interests actually goes beyond buck's jealousy or anything else because he's finding someone who embraces these parts of him that that previously were framed around his trauma (or rather, he's finding someone to embrace these parts with, even if tommy isn't necessarily aware):

the army

helicopters

mma/fighting

cars

like...this isn't just him getting a new friend. it's also him embracing all these things as hobbies rather than the depths of things he struggled with. (army, being shot out of the sky, street fighting, crashing his dad's truck/buying one with illegal money, etc)

anyway im gonna go cry about him

[alkaysani]

so i love this. i love that buck's awakening is with tommy. and let me tell you why. tommy holds himself in a way that is just so sure of himself. he takes up space and he doesn't curl into himself when he does. his body language tells you he's proud. but he's also not proud to a point to not be vulnerable. admitting that there's a sense of jealousy he feels about the 118 shows what kind of character he is that has grown from whom he was when we first saw him. and this version this grown, confident version is the one that buck meets. the one that buck kisses and gets to explore this new side of his life with, and that is amazing in so many ways. give buck someone who is confident in the space the occupy in and can take his hand and say 'let's just see how this goes, yeah?'