Warning: SPOILERS for 9-1-1 season 8, episode 18.9-1-1 has had gruesome injuries, Bobby marks the first death of a main character.
In the subsequent episodes, ’s found family has been on the brink of collapse. Eddie wasn’t even in LA at the time of Bobby’s death, while Buck was the last member of the 118 to see their captain alive. Both firefighters had complex grief but failed to properly face it, leading to an explosive fight between Buck and Eddie in “Don’t Drink the Water” (9-1-1 season 8, episode 17). Though the pair end the penultimate episode on a hopeful note, the 9-1-1 season 8 finale takes Buck and Eddie’s storyline into a drastic new direction.
Both Buck & Eddie Almost Left The 118 (But They Decided To Stay)
A Last-Second Speech Brings The Team Back Together
9-1-1 season 8, episode 17 revealed that Eddie had been offered a job in El Paso, but his conversation with Hen indicated that the decision would be complicated. Instead of focusing on that dilemma’s conflict, however, Eddie simply decides to go back to Texas in the time between “Don’t Drink the Water” and “Seismic Shifts.” Similarly, Buck announces at Eddie’s goodbye party that he’s requested a transfer. With Bobby dead, the 118 is allegedly “just a number” to Buck. Buck and Eddie were headed in two different directions in 9-1-1 season 8’s finale, but outside intervention saves the day.
Bobby's Devastating Death In 9-1-1 Season 8 Has 1 Silver Lining
The tragic ing of Bobby Nash marks a turning point for 9-1-1, but the fire captain's death could at least bring one familiar face back to LA.
Chimney steps up at the last moment to rally the 118 and remind them of everything Bobby did to protect their family. Buck and Eddie’s plans specifically come under fire, and Chimney flat-out says it would be disrespectful to Bobby for them to leave. Chimney proves the ensemble can grieve Bobby’s death and still grow in 9-1-1, focusing on the future while preserving the captain’s legacy. The rousing speech works, as Buck stays with the 118 and Eddie moves back to LA with Christopher (Gavin McHugh).
The Status Of Buck & Eddie's Relationship After The 9-1-1 Season 8 Finale Explained
After A Season's Worth Of Build-Up, Buddie Remains Just Buddies
The issue with Buck and Eddie’s storylines in 9-1-1 season 8, episode 18 is that they were completely independent of each other, despite the two characters being thematically inseparable all season. 9-1-1 proved Buck and Eddie are perfect for each other with every scene they shared— especially their fights (and inevitable reconciliations). 9-1-1 season 8 overtly leaned into Buck and Eddie’s chemistry, to the point where it seemed entirely possible that one would confess having romantic feelings in the season finale. “Seismic Shifts” is a harsh departure, with Buck and Eddie barely interacting or even speaking to each other.
All episodes of 9-1-1 are now streaming on Hulu.
Aside from how problematic it was to lead the audience on with its “Buddie” baiting, it makes no sense for Buck and Eddie to be so disconnected in the 9-1-1 season 8 finale. Buck and Eddie are meant to be best friends— yet, one was about to fly across the country, the other was about to desert his closest friends, and they didn’t so much as have a one-on-one conversation in 9-1-1 season 8, episode 18. The pair don’t even have a moment in the final wrap-up, but it’s implied that Buck and Eddie’s platonic friendship is back to normal.
What To Expect From Buck & Eddie's Dynamic In 9-1-1 Season 9
The 118's Next Captain Could Cause A Domino Effect
Of course, not all hope is lost. As is usual for the pair, Buck’s gaze noticeably lingered on Eddie throughout the 9-1-1 season 8, episode 18. When the finale's closing montage reveals Buck is looking for a new place, he tells his real estate agent that he liked the “character” of his last place, aka Eddie’s house. It’s not impossible that this will echo Buck’s couch trend in 9-1-1, which was one of the earliest narrative arguments for Buck and Eddie’s romantic potential. Unfortunately, it could just as easily be a meaningless line that 9-1-1 never revisits.
While Hen and Chimney have been the 118's two paramedics since 9-1-1 season 1, Eddie was previously an army medic.
Even if Buck and Eddie’s close friendship is recentered in 9-1-1 season 9, there may be another obstacle in their way at work. Nobody wants to be Bobby’s replacement in 9-1-1, but the 118 needs a new captain— and Chimney proved his merit with that scene-stealing monologue. If Chimney becomes fire captain, Eddie will likely return to the 118 as a paramedic rather than a regular firefighter, meaning he would be Hen’s partner instead of Buck’s. If the drama abandons Buck and Eddie’s prospective romance and further separates them at work, however, 9-1-1 risks ruining one of its best duos.
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- Directors
- Bradley Buecker, David Grossman, Brenna Malloy, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Jann Turner, Jennifer Lynch, Marita Grabiak, Sarah Boyd, John J. Gray, Barbara Brown, Robert M. Williams Jr., Kristen Reidel, Marcus Stokes, Tasha Smith, Millicent Shelton, Juan Carlos Coto, John Gray, Greg Sirota, Alonso Alvarez, James Wong, Kevin Hooks, Varda Bar-Kar, Shauna Duggins, Sharat Raju
- Writers
- Tim Minear, Andrew Meyers, Brad Falchuk, David Fury, Ryan Murphy, Christopher Monfette, Nadia Abass-Madden, Nicole Barraza Keim, Erica L. Anderson, Matthew Hodgson, Stacey R. Rose, Taylor Wong, Tonya Kong, Adam Penn
- Creator(s)
- Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Tim Minear
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