9-1-1 season 8. Eddie's living life on his own, while Buck comes out as bisexual and begins a relationship with Tommy Kinard, who is played by Lou Ferrigno Jr. Both of those stories will have an impact when the ABC drama returns in a few weeks.

Ahead of the premiere of 9-1-1 season 8 on Thursday, September 26 at 8 PM EST on ABC, Minear spoke with Entertainment Weekly about what to expect from the episodes. When it came to the duo played by Stark and Guzman, the co-creator and showrunner mentions that Buck and Tommy are still together, but Eddie might feel a little left out. Minear, who created the show with Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, teases that Buck won't have as much free time. Read the full quote below:

But we see that they're [Buck & Tommy] more comfortable together. We'd definitely call them a couple. Obviously they're comfortable hanging out with Eddie, but when you couple with somebody, it takes up some of your time, so that also leaves Eddie a little bit out in the cold. Well, not out in the cold, but Buck doesn't have as much free time as he did before, let's put it that way.

What Could 9-1-1 Season 8's Change Mean For Eddie & Buck?

They've Traded Places

Even though Minear doesn't go into detail about exactly what the episodes mean for Eddie Diaz, it does seem to be a reversal of fortune based on the ending of 9-1-1 season 7. Eddie's son Christopher (Gavin McHugh) has gone to live with his grandparents, partly because he's upset at Eddie for lying to him about a woman who looks almost exactly like Christopher's dead mother. Eddie is on his own, a bachelor for the first time in a long time, and he might not be handling it too well.

The popular pairing of Eddie and Buck has been advocated for by many in the 9-1-1 viewership ever since Eddie's introduction in season 2.

Of course, in the early episodes of 9-1-1 season 7, Buck wasn't too happy about Eddie becoming fast friends with Tommy and was outwardly jealous. Tommy and Buck's sister Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) both assumed that Buck was jealous because he had unresolved feelings for Eddie, but this thread has not been revisited since.

The popular pairing of Eddie and Buck has been advocated for by many in the 9-1-1 viewership ever since Eddie's introduction in season 2, only intensifying as the two friends grew closer in subsequent seasons and Buck became something of a second father to Chris. There's a chance to revisit that possibility, with Eddie feeling neglected and isolated. But if the hit drama is finally going to start to address a frequent audience request, it likely won't spoil the surprise ahead of time.

What Else To Know About 9-1-1 Season 8

There's A Bee Disaster Coming Up

The rest of the 118 have a busy slate. Bobby (Peter Krause), after being forced to go through with his retirement, takes a job working as a technical advisor on an action drama television series called Hotshots. But away from the playful and potentially meta quality of Bobby's storyline, Athena (Angela Bassett) will also have to deal with looking for a new house after losing her previous home to a fire in the 9-1-1 season 7 finale. As the couple deals with these changes, Athena will also come across a familiar face from her past.

Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Karen (Traci Thoms) are still reeling from the disruption done to their family, as councilwoman Olivia Ortiz (Verónica Falcón) has made Hen her enemy after losing her son during an emergency that Hen was present for. She blames Hen for what happened, even though Ortiz's son refused Hen's assistance. In any case, Ortiz is running for mayor and things will get more complicated.

Chimney (Choi) and Maddie, newlyweds, will help Hen and Karen with their family situation. But there's trouble over at the station for Hen and Chimney, with Captain Gerrard (Brian Thompson) taking over after Bobby's retirement. Hen and Chimney both know how to deal with Gerrard, as they've dealt with his racism and sexism in flashbacks, but it's more of an adjustment for Buck. He's only ever worked under Captain Nash and the change proves difficult to handle.

9-11 will open with a bee-related disaster as they swarm all over Los Angeles. And, like several previous seasons, audiences are wondering whether a member of the 118 might be put in a life-threatening situation. The teaser trailer points to danger, sharing information about rare cases in which getting stung by a bee turns lethal. While none of the main cast is likely to perish, there will be fun drama ahead.

Key Background

• After two episodes aired, Fox renewed 9-1-1 (2018) for a second season, announced on January 16, 2018.
• In May 2023, the series was canceled by Fox and was renewed for a seventh season at ABC.
• In every episode, the series exposes daily situations (funny, absurd, or harmless) and how they can easily turn into a mortal danger for a person.

Source: EW