#week 8a

[saras-almanac]

Gonna fuck around and write a season 8 rewrite that actually develops everything we thought they were going to focus on… cause the wasted potential is actually killing me…

[solace-seekers]

why do something logical when instead you could sit on your bed worrying about why you’re not doing the logical thing you really need to be doing right now

[kitsunabi]

I may just have a breakdown before we hit midnight woooooooo

[becausebuckley]

michelle's buddie fic recs: week 49!

oh, how time flies... i can't believe the end of the year is this close already! not a massive fan of that, not gonna lie, but i am a fan of all of these fics, so let's focus on that, shall we?

this is a mix of fics with all ratings, so some include NSFW content. please take a look at both the ratings and the fic tags before reading! some might also contain spoilers for season 8.

if you come across something you like in this list, remember to show some love to the author by leaving kudos and a comment!

built a house in the middle of your chest | LongConvolutedSimiles | 5.3k | M

Five times Buck and Eddie touch platonically plus one time they realise it's not platonic at all. i do love a good platonic-to-not-platonic-touching type fic and this hit the spot so perfectly <3

carpe diem | writingcap/@gibuckaroo | 2.6k | GA

Eddie rests his head on Buck’s shoulder and he lets himself follow. eddie's love language might be physical touch but my love language is reading about physical touch <3 so good!!

everything is fine (everything is perfect) | Kwills91/@kwills91| 4.1k | GA

Buck gets sick and Eddie takes care of him. Then Eddie bares his soul and Buck takes care of him. Because that's what they do. because that's what they do!! i love how they take care of each other here, written so perfectly <3

hen wilson's four part guide to making your stupid friends date | songbvrd/@songbvrd | 25k | M

When Buck and Eddie aren't speaking, Hen decides to take matters into her own hands. outsider pov!! hen wilson!! buddie being idiots in love!! what else could a girl (me) want (nothing) <3

i can tell just what you want (you don't want to be alone) | Talls/@tallsinspace | 12.6k | E

In which Eddie keeps secrets and Buck is incredibly normal and rational and even brave about his reaction to this. buck being so normal and rational and brave is my absolute favourite <3 love his inner dialogue here!

i don't swim and you're not in love | hattalove/@hattalove | 32.4k | T

eddie cooks, chris domesticates a slug, and buck tries to figure out why he hates his best friend's girlfriend. to everyone's immense shock and surprise, it goes badly. blanket rec for an author whose work i've really been loving this week <3 been making my way through hattalove's entire profile and having such a good time. this one in particular has such a delightful buck and such lovely buddie and all of the yearning!!

i have had enough of crime | lamardeuse/@lamardeuse | 8.1k | T

Josh's view of Eddie's journey in 8A and beyond through the gay Olympic sport of competitive brunching. this fic captures josh so so perfectly and the josh & eddie dynamic is just brilliant <3

i should be pushing daisies | 42hrb/@exhuastedpigeon | 5.5k | T

Eddie goes to Texas to fix things with Chris and Buck pines. pining buck <3 this is such a brilliant character study and i love it so very much!!

practice makes perfect | greenbergsays/@greenbergsays | 6.5k | E

When the subject of Buck 1.0 arises, Buck worries that the reminder will make Eddie rethink their relationship. Eddie reassures him. oh my this is such a perfect way of buck 1.0 coming up in buddie fics... genuinely unmatched i saw the ao3 email in my inbox and audibly gasped. so good!!

properly | EiraLloyd/@unlifeira | 3.9k | T

“’ve got it, Eds,” someone murmured close to his ear in a way that made him shiver, and oh, that was Buck’s voice. Eddie would know him anywhere. This time, his questioning noise sounded a little more like a hum. “‘ve got it,” Buck repeated, attempting to truly drive in the message. “Y’can sleep in.” this is the loveliest mutual pining/sharing a bed/misunderstandings fic ever <3 honestly everything this author writes is just incredible, i know i'm in good hands when i see her name pop up

somethings said (to turn you inside out) | taegyungie | 12.2k | E

Buck catches Eddie on Grindr and now he can't stop thinking about it. i need ALL of the buck and eddie on grindr fics honestly they always hit the spot <3 this is hot and perfect and so so good!!

the arms of the ocean | anatargmova/@anatargmova | 9.7k | T

after Christopher leaves with his grandparents, Buck notices just how much touch-starved Eddie is — and decides to fix it. listen okay we all know by now how much i love a fic about touch starvation. however what you might not know is that i especially love a fic about touch-starved eddie. and this one has exactly that, but is also buck POV, which is just incredibly well-written and so soft and lovely and feels like a hug <3

trade all my tomorrows | ipretendtobesane/@userbuddie | 74k | E

Buck’s the god of love and was cursed to never fall for anyone, Eddie’s just trying to explore his newfound queerness with someone he trusts, striking up a friends with benefits agreement is the perfect arrangement. this is hands down the most beautiful fic i've read in a long long time. it's so well-written, so fleshed-out, just so good! i'll be rereading this many many times, i just know it <3

[johanna-swann]

Am I the only one really pissed Tommy will probably not be in 8x18, not because of the ship, but because of the story line? I think the chances of Tommy being in season 9 are still fairly good, we might still get Bucktommy back, but it'll feel like too little too late for me because it just doesn't make sense.

They keep putting the Bucktommy plot on ice like time passes differently for them, like it doesn't matter that weeks or months pass between their interactions. "We can take care of that later, it won't turn bad in the freezer, right?"

First they didn't show us anything relevant about their relationship after 7x06. They flirted a little at the medal ceremony and had dinner in 7x10, that was it. They only really put him in one episode of 8a before the break-up and it was kinda cute, but again we didn't find out much about their relationship. We barely got the confirmation that they are indeed boyfriends and then the next episode the Bucktommy plot was suddenly over - or so we were lead to believe.

Even then Minear could've said something like: "This is going to continue to affect Buck and we will see this thread continue after the midseason hiatus." Instead we got: "Well, it isn't impossible that we'll see Tommy again, he is a character in that universe and a firefighter at that, so they could technically run into each other at work." The first one sounds like: "At least for Buck this story line isn't over, but that doesn't mean we'll see Tommy again soon." The second one sound a lot like: "The story line is pretty much over, we haven't really thought about it much."

Tommy does reappear though about 5-6 months later (in universe). And okay, Tommy initiated the break-up and probably thought Buck wouldn't want to hear from him after that, Buck likely assumed Tommy was sure about the break-up and reaching out wouldn't change anything. Also the show was on hiatus, so they get a pass for this one. But then we get confirmation that they still have feelings for each other and we get confirmation that Buck wants to reach out and apologise.

And then they put the Bucktommy plot on ice again for 3 episodes and (in universe) another month or longer go by and they don't even mention Tommy in the meantime. How does that make sense. Are we supposed to believe that Buck just forgot to reach out to Tommy? They even bothered to confirm in an interview that this doesn't happen off screen. Otherwise we could at least assume that Buck reached out, but Tommy didn't answer because he was still hurt or something like that.

Side note and this is something I noticed very early on in season 7: Either Tommy is in the episode or he ceases to exist. He is barely ever mentioned by anyone, even Buck. Bobby brings him up once in 7x09 and Buck says how he misses Tommy in the two episodes right after the break-up and that's it. There are ways to make characters appear more present than they are by having the other characters talk about them. They never did that with Tommy. Nobody except Bobby ever asks about their relationship or Tommy individually even though Eddie, Hen and Chimney are all friends with Tommy as well. It's strange.

Anyway, then Tommy does come back for the helicopter chase in 8x15, but this doesn't move the Bucktommy plot anywhere at all. They have that very short maybe flirty interaction in the helicopter which sort of indicates that they still have feelings for each other, but the show already told us as much in 8x11.

Since then we haven't seen Buck and Tommy interact and fair enough, we had a main character death. Maybe the romance plot doesn't take priority right now. But are you honestly telling me that Tommy once again came when Buck called, confirmed Buck still matters to him and then witnesses how Buck completely breaks down over Bobby's death and then Tommy just doesn't talk to Buck till September? Buck at some point will start to move on from Bobby's death, will think about the other things in his life and he doesn't check in with Tommy? Even though he's been meaning to talk to him and Tommy also lost Bobby?

Fuck still having a shot at Bucktommy canon (2.0), I want their story line well written. I want their time line to make sense. Them actually going canon again is very low on my list of priorities tbh.

[bunkoos-mole-enthusiast]

Weekly Jungkook Fanfic Recs

Some fine JK fics for your reading pleasure. 🔞 Please show your appreciation to all the wonderful authors:) Sleepwalking: Due to unfortunate circumstances, you ended up managing your ex-boyfriend's band. You thought you've both made peace with it, but suddenly he's very eager to prove to you that first love never dies. https://taexual.tumblr.com/post/728185560199577601/sleepwalking-1-jjk

I'd Love To Stay But That's Simply Insane: Jungkook is an uncontrollable lead vocalist of the campus band, and you're a goal-oriented top student that's known his rich and complicated family since childhood. You don't want anything to do with each other, until each other is exactly what you want to do. https://taexual.tumblr.com/post/616477412997414912/id-love-you-to-stay-but-thats-simply-insane

Pub Golf: One night. One stupidly hot man, who just keeps appearing in every pub you go to. Six friends. Nine pubs. Nine drinks. Ten million stupid rules. Let the chaos begin. https://taleasnewastime.tumblr.com/post/667208016185212928/summary-one-night-one-stupidly-hot-man-who-just

Yes Coach: You play in a local netball team and as a new season starts you have a new coach. Enter Jungkook, he may look soft, but he turns out to be a hard taskmaster, one who ruffles your feathers when he makes some changes to the team. Tensions grow between you through the weeks, until they finally reach breaking point. https://taleasnewastime.tumblr.com/post/653257951195365376/yes-coach

Tempter: 𝐓hey told tales of the twilight creature to the loveless ones that roamed the woods at the sun’s setting hour. When the orange rays crept through the living, breathing trees and painted the soil gold, made the poison ivy too beautiful and inviting to 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩. They spoke of a beauty that they could not describe, of a voice that reflected the purity of heaven alongside the burning fires of hell as he prayed upon them. https://themfchase.tumblr.com/post/615289283146842112/%F0%9D%90%93%F0%9D%90%84%F0%9D%90%8C%F0%9D%90%8F%F0%9D%90%93%F0%9D%90%84%F0%9D%90%91-%F0%9D%98%9B%F0%9D%98%A9% F0%9D%98%A6-%F0%9D%98%9B%F0%9D%98%B8%F0%9 D%98%AA%F0%9D%98%AD%F0%9D%98%AA%F0%9D%98%A8%F0%9D%98%A9%F0%9D%98%B5-%F0%9D%98%8A%F0%9D%98%B3%F0%9D %98%A6%F0%9D%98%A2%F0%9D%98%B5%F0%9D%98%B6%F0%9D%98%B3%F0%9D%98%A6-jjk

Raven Unit: With your life at risk and several people around you dead, your loyal head of security makes sure your safety is taken care of when he’s out of the picture. Three ruthless, dangerous and deadly men take on the task to protect and hide you, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok and the one in command, Jeon Jungkook.  https://themfchase.tumblr.com/post/189288109708/raven-unit-i-m-jjk

Hate Me: You really do hate Jeon Jungkook. You hate everything about him. From his strong veiny arms to his obnoxiously pretty face.   https://themfchase.tumblr.com/post/632321712395026432/hate-me-m-jjk The Art Of Wanting: You find a baby in your store and in turn, a dilf finds you. https://www.tumblr.com/venusiangguk/643372881526554624/pairing-jungkook-x-reader-dilfjk-x-grocery?source=embed

Down The Rabbit Hole: Yoongi's sister buys tickets to the Autumn ball held within the Meadows, a notorious city known for its hybrid inhabitants where she hopes to meet a certain bunny princeling. https://archiveofourown.org/works/23781145 Rabbit Season: Predator met prey like an Animal Planet rerun of lions devouring antelopes in large, unremorseful bites. He took every aspect of this game seriously. He was competitive where most might not think so in this particular arena. His behavior projected through television, even while in person, was an act, perhaps the best he’d ever performed in front of his every day audience. https://archiveofourown.org/works/23781727

[exhuastedpigeon]

I saw a post the other day about how isolated Eddie is from the other characters even before texas. They do this plot for the whole team & every main involved, where an army medic actually would make narrative sense and he's nowhere to be seen. He's the guy who talked about the family we choose ffs. He better magically show up next ep. Rant over.

For as much as I've loved season 8, and I'm on record talking about how much I love season 8 (it's my favourite season since season 5), I have been sorely disappointed with the way Eddie's story has been dragged out and how it's been handled.

And really quick – this isn't me hating on 911. I love 911. I have so much fun watching every week and yelling about it on here. It's something I look forward to and will hopefully continue to look forward to, but I've just been bummed with every week the Eddie and Chris story drags on.

Before I get into it, because I will be getting into it, I want to caveat this by saying that when I say I'm disappointed with how Eddie's story has been handled, I don't mean I want more Eddie (though I will always take that), what I want is for Eddie's story to integrate into the main cast more. Chris leaving impacted him so much but the only person he really talked to about it on screen for most of 8a was Brad.

So let's start with Brad. The Hot Shots story was fun, but it didn't need to be dragged on like it was. I know that Tim really liked Callum and loves being self referential, but the episode where Brad came to the 118 really didn't need to happen. For example, that episode could have shown up Hen and Karen adjusting to having Mara back and had that as Eddie's final push to fight for Chris.

8a had multiple mentions of Eddie's medic background, including him doing a risky procedure to save a teenager (and then going out of his way to talk some sense into the dad of that teenager). in 8x12 Buck mentioned Eddie's Silver Star. There have been reminders about Eddie's medical background and his Army service sprinkled throughout the season and, while there is obviously still time for a payoff, it feels like Tim did the thing he does where he adds in too many extra side stories and latches on to side characters that he likes, making them bigger than originally intended *cough* brad *cough*.

I'm sure the ABC schedule didn't help. If I'm remember correctly they thought 8x9 (Sob Stories) was going to be the mid-season finale. I know there are things outside of the shows control.

I've seen a few people mention that in s5 Eddie was also separated from the team and that's true, but not like this. In s5 we still had Buck and Eddie seeing each other in person, we had Eddie and Bobby's fight and Eddie's subsequent apology. We had Eddie as the first on the scene for the fire at dispatch and then he joined the 118 to save the day.

Maybe the point is Eddie's absence, but it really feels like they just don't know what to do with him while they build to whatever gets him and Chris back in LA.

Again, I'm not even asking for more Eddie stories, I'm just asking that his stories actually get resolved and that he gets to be with the team! Because you're right anon, Eddie is the guy who talked about the 118 being the family they choose. It seems like maybe the show forgot that part.

[thirdchildart]

We've got TWO super streams this coming week! Come hang in the chat while I animate, clean, and color the last few shots in this project!!

TUESDAY June 18th from 9a-9p

THURSDAY June 20th from 8a-MIDNIGHT (obv with meal breaks, don't worry about me XD)

All times listed are PST, hope you have time to come say hi!

twitch.tv/thirdchildart

[eddiegettingshot]

I think it would be okay to practice a bit of haterism if you want. if its about eddie still being in el paso when he could just. be in LA with chris by now… Im honestly just surprised this is the episode thats doing it for everyone bc it was last week for me 😭

yeah it is about eddie being in el paso when the storyline is functionally wrapped up like theres genuinely zero reason for him to be there anymore and NOBODY wants him to be there, this storyline could have been wrapped up so many episodes ago. and another piece of it is that while i would never ever ever say that they haven’t paid enough attention to eddie’s plot or whatever because that’s just categorically false i do think eddie being siloed off is accepted in a way that it literally just wouldn’t be for any other main. like it’s true that eddie got a lot of individual attention for his individual storylines but a storyline about the 118 should be about the 118, which eddie is a part of (doesn’t matter if it’s not formally). doubly so when i think we can all see where he would have fit into this storyline if he had been there. so it’s kind of a double-issue where i’m like eddie should have been there because he is literally a part of the ensemble cast and the reason he wasn’t there is stupid as fuck and could have been resolved in 8a with all the other shitass s7 plots. im not trying to yuck anyone’s yum like i said i liked some aspects of the episode ESPECIALLY kenny (although i think some of that s7-style choppiness from last-minute decisions has been evident not only here but in other parts of 8b like 8x12… yes……. the eddiesode… was one of my least favorites of the season…) but yeah my building frustration about eddie overshadows how i feel about it currently which i think is perfectly fair ����🏾‍♀️

[capseycartwright]

fuck it friday because i have finally found inspiration for my post 8a fic and im a glutton for sharing

You’re impossible, you know that?” Buck huffed. “Nice is – coffee, or getting something good for lunch, or going to the movies.”

“The kind of stuff me and you do together, then?” Eddie’s tone was soft, affectionate.

“Yeah,” Buck wasn’t going to cry in LAX – he wasn’t. “The kind of things you and I do together.”

“Well then – the promise goes both ways. You’ve got to do something nice for yourself at least once a week, and you’ve got to call me, and tell me all about it,” Eddie countered. “Deal?”

“Deal,” Buck agreed. He could do that. Structure was going to be essential, to surviving Eddie’s absence, and one nice thing a week seemed like a manageable goal. He had a whole list of cafes and restaurants and exhibitions he wanted to go to.

“I’m really going to miss you, Buck,” Eddie admitted, a few stray tears escaping from the corners of his eyes.

“I’m going to miss you too,” Buck returned, and the air between them felt heavy, with everything neither of them was saying – but it wasn’t the right moment, Buck knew it wasn’t. One day, when he told Eddie how he really felt, he’d do it on a good day, a day where the rest of their lives could begin – not a day where he was about to put Eddie on a plane to El Paso, one way ticket in hand.

“I’m coming back,” Eddie said, determined. It was the first time he’d said it out loud, since this whole sorry situation had begun. “I promise. I’m coming back to LA – to you.”

Buck was crying now, fat, embarrassing tears rolling down his cheeks. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“You better,” Eddie replied, and then he was hugging Buck, his arms thrown around Buck’s neck, grip iron tight. “I’m not going to ask you to wait for me,” he whispered, breath hot against Buck’s ear.

“I’ll wait anyway,” Buck returned, earning himself a brief kiss on the cheek from Eddie – an embrace he knew he’d feel like a brand, for hours to come.

tagging @clusterbuck @hattalove @thatbuddie @doeeyeseddie @mellaithwen @sibylsleaves @leothil @livingincolorsagain @piningbuddies if there’s anything fun u want to share this fine friday

[911bts]

Okay, I keep getting questions about airing schedule for 8a and I've talked about most of it already. So I'm gonna make this post and I'll update it if more info comes out.

8x05 is currently said to be airing on October 24.

There is no info right now if there will be an episode on Halloween, Election week or Thanksgiving. There is potential for any/all of those weeks to not have an episode. We won't know for a little while longer (there's a couple ways it could be confirmed or denied for Halloween week but idk which will happen first to give you a better timeline).

The last time Grey's landed on Halloween was 2019 and they did air an episode, but that was a few years ago, so it doesn't really determine one way or another.

[buddiebeginz]

For everyone hoping and or expecting there to be something huge in the mid season finale on Thursday and who will feel let down and upset if there's not I wanted to point out some things.

First of all Tim just came back in s7 and it was a shortened season. I know we all had issues with how that season was handled but I also think Tim had a lot to figure out for having just come back to show. He was bringing 911 to a new network had only 10 eps to tell the entire seasons stories in. It was also a rather important season considering it was where they finally had Buck come out and where the pieces were finally being put into motion for Buddie to happen eventually (like in episode 704).

But I also think a lot of stuff Tim wanted to do in s7 he didn't get to and instead carried it over to s8 where he felt he had more time. The majority of 8a was spent closing out storylines that started in s7. What people have to realize is that a lot of this likely would have been the second half of season 7 had that been a full season. Now going into 8b I expect to see more focus put on Eddie's coming out and more movement towards Buddie happening.

None of this means that the mid season finale will necessarily be a huge ep or have a nde or have Eddie come out or Buddie kiss or anything like that. This ep may be pretty similar to the one we saw last week especially because like some have pointed out Tim and the others may have been expecting 809 to be the mid season finale not 808. And besides that 911's mid season finales have rarely been these huge events. Those were usually saved for other eps.

---------------------------------

S1 -

shortened season - no mid season finale

no real NDE's although you could say the plane disaster was one for Bobby

S2 -

210 - mid season finale - It's revealed that Chim's friend is Doug

*2b*

211/212/213 - Chim begins/ Doug attacks Chim and takes Maddie

217 - Shannon dies car accident

218 - Buck NDE truck bombing

S3 -

302/303 - Buck and Chris NDE tsunami

308 - Hen NDE car accident (a few eps before mid season finale)

Bobby radiation exposure 309 (one ep before mid season finale)

310 - mid season ep - Michael cancer diagnosis

*3b*

314 - dispatch center/Maddie held hostage

315 - Eddie NDE well

317 - Athena NDE r*pist

S4 -

shortened season because of Covid no mid season finale

405 - Buck NDE fire

409 - Albert NDE car accident

413/414 - Eddie NDE shooting

S5 -

506 - Buddie kidnapping

508 - Hospital (where David worked) fire

510 - mid season ep Eddie leaves the 118

*5b*

513 - Eddie breakdown

516 - dispatch fire

517 - Hen/Chim - NDE - jonah

S6 -

Mid season ep - Bobby's sponsor dying

*6b*

610/611 - Buck NDE lightning strike

618 - 118 NDE bridge collapse

S7 -

shortened season - no mid season finale

701-703 - Bathena NDE - cruise ship disaster

708-710 Bathena NDE - Cartel/Fire

S8 -

802/803 - Athena NDE plane emergency

805 - Denny NDE

---------------------------------

Looking at the way 911 has structured it's seasons in the past it's far more likely that if we're going to get a nde for Buddie or one of them we're going to get it later in the season and not at the mid season. We could get a more surprising moment like we've seen in the past like with Eddie leaving the 118 but like I said before I think it's highly probable that 808 wasn't meant to even be the season finale so a more shocking or surprising moments might not even be until 809 when the show comes back.

I just really think we all need to take a look how the show operates and prepare ourselves so we're not too let down. Also as much as I love coming up with theories and love listening to theories everyone else comes up with I feel like it's become a habit lately in our fandom for some people to get everyone excited and expecting certain things from the show. Then when the show doesn't deliver every single episode people are left feeling angry. This isn't just the fault of the people talking about their theories it's a fandom issue in general I think. I wish our fandom would just be more realistic going into each ep and not so quick to turn on the show if expectations aren't met immediately.

I 100% believe Eddie is going to come out and Buddie is happening. I've been watching the show for years and things have never been as close to Buddie canon as they are now but that doesn't mean it will happen instantly. Everything that's being shown and said (in interviews) is telling us that the show is playing the long game. We have to be patient and wait for them to get there, which I know can be really frustrating, trust me I've been waiting for Buddie's love story to be canon for what feels like forever. I think we will see more movement in Eddie and Buddie's story this season but maybe not this episode coming.

----

I also think it's important that we show our love for the show and the people who work on it more. I feel like a lot of the stuff I see out of our fandom lately is pretty negative. I'm not saying it's not warranted or that I don't do my own share too (I was talking just the other day on twitter about my issues with Athena's storylines) but I also can't help to think of how Oliver and Ryan and the others must feel. Imagine working really hard on something and then going online to see how the audience feels about it and the predominate reaction is about how awful the episode was. I definitely believe it's possible to love 911 (and any media really) and still be critical of it at times but I also think sometimes our fandom focuses too much on what we're not getting from the show and less on what we are.

We are incredibly lucky to have two amazing actors who put such love and care into playing Buck and Eddie and who have always been supportive of our ship. We're lucky that pretty much everyone involved with 911 (minus maybe KR) seems to be supportive of Buddie happening because trust me that's not common among a lot of other non canon queer ships. We're lucky that Buck has finally come out and that all signs are pointing towards Eddie coming out too. We're lucky that the show is even still on the air because it was seriously on the brink of being canceled before abc picked it up. If it had been not only would we have no chance of Buddie but Buck would never have come out and both men would have ended their run on the show with those lackluster partners. And speaking of lackluster partners we're lucky that Tim got rid of Tommy. I know he could have done it sooner but he also could have kept him around longer. I think some of you need to realize that making Buddie a reality is still a risk for the show and for abc. Having another main come out is still risky but they seem ready to take the risk.

Sorry this post got so long. I just had a lot of thoughts with the new ep coming and seeing everyone already prepared to be upset about it. Let's just go into this ep with limited expectations and be happy we get to go into a hiatus for the first time in a while without b/t being a thing. Thanks if you taken the time to read all of this. ❤️

[starstruckbyacomet]

Abandon the Ship Show

A Thought for Bucktommy Nation

We didn't like Tevan's break up on 8x06. What did we do?

Some of us abandoned the whole episode. For them, the show ended on 8x05. They continued the journey on fandom.

Most of us acknowledged the episode. We made fix-it fics about the break up, or the events right after.

Then came episode 8x07. Buck was baking. A lot of us embraced it. We made Tevan reunited over loaves and baked Alaska.

A week later, came episode 8x08. Eddie told Buck he'd move back to Texas. Again, a lot of us embraced it. We made Tevan reunited at the airport over Eddie's leaving.

What would happen if Buck moved on with a new Love Interest in 8B? For once, we would be in Buddie shippers' shoes. Our ship would be the opposite of the canon ship.

Would we decide that the show had ended on 8x08?

Or would we acknowledge Buck's new LI, and the next LI, and the next? And how would we put them in our fics?

Would we make Buck broke up with them? Would we even kill them, to make Buck returns into Tommy's embrace once again?

Would we ruin their characters, like some of Buddie shippers have done to our beloved Tommy? I hope none of us would go that far.

How would we tag our fics with so many possibilities could be done to the new LIs?

For me, the best way to deal with them is to abandon the show entirely. My 9-1-1 had ended in 8A, before Buck's new LI made an appearance.

As a Tevan shipper, I always respect Buddie fics which didn't even acknowledge Tommy's existence, whenever I stumble upon ones. The writers didn't ruin Tommy for me, and they didn't let Tommy ruined their fandom experiences.

This might be the most respectful approach. The best way for everyone in the fandom. Because like it or not, we share the same space. And we're most likely will pass each other by in this little corner of the world.

[flammableheart]

I said after 8x16 that, at the very least, the whole thing with the closed casket and the authorities keeping Bobby's body for two weeks was a get out clause in case Tim ever changed his mind and wanted to bring Bobby back. And that's still true. Bobby's death can still be retconned at any time. But I really hoped it wouldn't be the case - I hoped that this season would end with a reveal that Bobby was alive, somewhere, somehow, because that would mean there was a plan all along. That Tim didn't just kill his main character on a whim. That he didn't totally drop the story threads set up in 8a and the first half of 8b because he got distracted.

But here we are.

That episode was objectively... fine. But after a string of episodes designed to tear the 118 apart, we needed more than one rousing speech from Chimney to bring them back together. That's not to say his speech wasn't lovely - it was, and if that was his application for the position of Captain, I'm all for it. But I wanted more character-driven moments and less of the disaster. I wanted Athena and Chimney to really talk, not to have the convenient near-death of a side character bring them back together. I wanted to delve more into Hen's decision not to take the Captain role. I wanted to see Buck crash out and actually deal with his grief. I wanted to see Maddie before she gave birth, not just being a silent figure holding a baby in a hospital bed.

And then there's the Buddie of it all.

The Buddie train was so clearly set on the tracks in 8x09 and 8x11 but it's come to a screeching halt. It hasn't been derailed and I still believe the plan is to start it up again in season 9, because really what else are they going to do with those two? Give Eddie another bland girlfriend? Introduce someone else for a love triangle? Please no. But as things stand, it is a thread that has been left dangling with no satisfying conclusion.

Tim really needs to pull his head out of his ass next season and remember what it is people actually love about this show. It's the characters and the relationships that have taken hold of our hearts. That's what keeps people coming back week after week, not the spectacle of another unlikely disaster.

[ghostlandtoo]

i see a lot of "it's been a year!" wrt the "chris is texas" storyline and yes, it has been nearly a year since we saw 7x10 on screen, it hasn't been a year in the 9-1-1 universe. while it's frustrating as viewers to sit with this storyline for a year, the in-universe timeline tells us eddie's patience with chris and reiterates his own character traits.

8x06 - maddie and chimney mention that mara lived with them for three months. the time between 7x10 and 8x04 is about 3 months then. since this is the episode with buck and tommy's 6-month anniversary, buck and tommy had been dating for 3 months before christopher left for texas.

8x08 - while talking to brad, eddie says christopher being in texas is the "hardest three months of my life."

8x09 - eddie asks for a 3-week notice rather than a 2-week notice.

8x12 - maddie and chimney say it's been 5 weeks since she was abducted (incredible recovery, there). when eddie first gets to the el paso firehouse, he mentions that he got to texas 3 weeks ago. this lines up with the notice eddie gave bobby/the lafd. (and that buck probably spent 1-2 weeks avoiding sleeping in eddie's house.)

the issue, i know, is that people take eddie's "it's been 3 months" as a retcon by the writers. and sure, it is in a way, but ultimately—it is canonical. there are 4 in-universe references to time that we can consider: halloween, buck/tommy's 6 month anniversary, madney claiming mara lived with them for 3 months, and eddie saying chris has spent 3 months in texas.

the buck/tommy anniversary is tricky, because we don't know exactly when that starts counting. by 9-1-1 logic, probably their dates in 7x05. that gives 3 months to pad out the back half of s7.

while mara is reunited with henren in 8x04, before eddie's conversation with brad in 8x08, therefore making the equivalence of 3 months a bit handwavey, there's no reason for 1 in-universe month to have passed between the episodes in the same way a month passed between the episodes airing.

i know everyone is annoyed at the fact that there isn't a holiday episode, but i think that works to this storyline's favor. yes, the timeframe between chris leaving and eddie moving to texas is still [wobbles hand], but it's at minimum three months, and probably closer to five months, which is what the show tells us. there are constraints to telling a story through television, and having a christmas episode would effect the nebulous timeline that this season is asking us to believe. and with any piece of fiction, there has to be a suspension of disbelief. we can't assume that the in-universe time is analogous to real world time when the episodes air, because what the show tells us is in direct contradiction of that idea.

(additionally, the fact that there were availability issues means—what? you guys wanted to recast chris? you thought eddie should've sent him off to boarding school? that does nothing for either character and demonstrates that some viewers don't understand that tension and conflict is what allows characters to change and grow.)

but to the point: while it's been a year for us, the viewers, since chris left for texas, that's not what the show is telling us. and it's definitely frustrating as a viewer! i have some issues with this storyline, but i also know there are 4 more episodes in this season, so i'll wait to see if any of them are addressed. the show is telling us it's been less time, which i think is important for what it says about eddie and christopher.

in 7x10, eddie says "i don't want to break down [christopher's] door, i want him to open it." through 8a, we're shown how eddie takes on a passive role in regards to this idea: he's giving christopher time and space, because he hopes that will be enough to fix it. (notably: this is also what happened when shannon left them in texas. in 2x07, eddie said "but i always thought you would come home" to shannon. this is a trend in eddie's relationships—except for where buck is concerned, because buck can only separate himself from eddie if legally mandated, and he failed at that.) and while we see some change off-screen, from christopher being frosty towards having a short conversation with eddie, that isn't enough for eddie.

this set-up mirrors how he spent the first few years of his christopher's life deployed, and he makes these comparisons himself. he doesn't want to be parenting christopher through FaceTime. and while he was a firefighter in LA, he was able to send his parents money for christopher—like how his job with the army was his way to pay for chris, too. but the difference between these two periods is that eddie ran away from being a father when christopher was born, while christopher ran away from eddie when he wants to be an active father. but rather than eddie being "forced" to return home and be a father (via GSWs and medical discharge), he makes that decision himself. he gave christopher his space, but eddie can't stand by any longer, so he moves to texas.

i'm not going to comment on the eddie-in-texas arc since it's still ongoing, but we have seen progress between eddie and chris. i don't think their relationship is totally fixed, and hopefully there will be more conversation between them (especially about shannon and/or kim), but i will be patient on that matter.

ultimately—while its frustrating for us as viewers to spend so long on a story arc, letting our real-world perception of time effect the show doesn't do it any favors. the length of this storyline is because this isn't an issue that can be quickly fixed, like forgetting a birthday or a d-list actor clamoring for screentime. and perhaps letting it take so long made it worse, but that is a character decision, so we have to ask what that says about eddie's character before we can say it's bad writing and completely write it off. this show is inconsistent, yes, but canon is what's shown to us on the screen, and so making sense of it is all we can do.

anyway. 4 more episodes!! i'm enjoying this season a great amount, and i hope that in retrospect, some character decisions will make more sense.

[tgd-sideblog]

I think I am most frustrated by what they’ve done to Chris. Yes, he is a supporting character not a main, so I never expected him to have a major arc, but there should have been something.

His pain at the climax of S7 was what caused him to call Eddie’s parents to take him away. In 8a he was repeatedly standoffish to Eddie putting up barriers to their communication and therefore convincing Eddie that nothing could be resolved without going to Texas. And he also completely ignored Buck on the one shared call we saw them on.

And in 8b we skipped right past any reaction he had to Eddie moving to Texas. When we finally saw them together he was civil to Eddie, a little distant but with none of the brush offs we’d seen him give during the 8a video calls. And when he learns about Eddie’s financial strain and uber driving, he off his own initiative goes to Eddie to reassure him of their relationship and offer to return the PS5 to help with Eddie’s financial situation. All with no explanation of why there has been such a sudden change in his attitude to Eddie. Then we have the chess plotline where we get some explanation that he dislikes chess but feels pressured to please his grandparents, but is glad to be back living with Eddie when Eddie makes that decision for him. He’s happy Eddie is his dad again, there is no exploration of the fact Chris is the one who pushed Eddie out of his life to begin with. He also has no expressed opinions of being in El Paso and at no point in any of this arc makes any reference to having left a life or friends back in LA. You could watch this arc in isolation and think the Eddie begins flashback played out different and Eddie let his parents raise Chris this whole time, because Chris makes no acknowledgment of anything outside of his immediate situation (including the events that instigated it).

Then the funeral happens and Eddie flies back without Chris (not entirely unreasonable, although they were both part of the wider 118 family Chris was not personally close to Bobby) and with no explanation of who Chris is staying with (presumably Eddie’s parents, does Chris have any opinion of being left with them a few weeks after Eddie so pointedly took him away because they were pressuring Chris to the point of making him sick? who knows). After the funeral Eddie stays in LA for an unconfirmed amount of time but at least several days, possibly more than a week, before Chris is contacted by him to come to LA to surprise Buck with a family dinner.

He seems pleased to see Buck at this point, but what has he thought about Buck the entire time he’s been away? Have they been in any contact? Did he miss him? Did he want to reach out? Who knows. He’s happy to see Buck in that moment and offer condolences for Bobby’s death, but the fact he’s had a year long absence by his own choice is unexplored.

Then they’re about to fly back to El Paso. Chris looks rather glum in the leaving party scene but does and says nothing. Then he sees the high rise collapse on TV and draws Eddie’s attention to it, but again, looks unhappy but has nothing to say about the situation and we cut away before he can react to Eddie deciding to go help. And then Eddie changed his mind at the last minute and they’re moving back into the LA house. Chris has plans with his LA friends. Did he miss them this whole time? How much has he kept in touch? How does he feel about rejoining a group that has spent a year without him. Does he have any thoughts about the decision to move, opinions on changing schools or leaving friends behind in El Paso? Who knows we're cutting to one of several dramatic Athena walking shots in this montage.

Eddie’s entire season 8 arc hinges on Christopher’s choices and emotions, and yet in the back half of the season Chris is almost entirely passive and given no agency and little emotional depth. Eddie flies him in to cheer up Buck, and it’s a sweet gesture, but Chris is supposed to be a 14 year old, he should have some input in this, not just be waiting in El Paso for Eddie to hand him over. No relationships with anyone outside of Eddie and Eddie’s parents. The only time his motives are explored is the chess subplot. We have no exploration of why he was still freezing Eddie out months after the incident or why is chill with Eddie again by the time we see Eddie settled in El Paso. Chris instigated the move to Texas, yet has no opinion on living there or in LA.

He’s only a minor character, but he’s previously been treated as a character in his own right, and in 8a his choices were a driver of the plot and Eddie’s own decisions were constrained by Christopher’s agency, but then in 8b he’s basically reduced to a plot token for Eddie to fight with his parents over and give to Buck to cheer him up while having no opinions of his own about any of the upheaval in his life.

We didn’t need to see his thoughts on everything, but after using him to instigate so much he should have also been involved in the resolution. And it frustrates me that he was written so passively, not all of the 118 kids get a lot of exploration, but we’ve seen Chris’s personality develop over the years so it’s frustrating to see him written in such an unnuanced way.