“I Was Actually Surprised”: As 9-1-1 Season 8 Teases Eddie’s Exit, Oliver Stark Says The Show Makes Buck’s Feelings “More Obvious Than… Has Ever Been Done Before”
9-1-1 star Oliver Stark previews an exploration of Buck’s feelings, as Eddie’s potential exit looms. 9-1-1 season 8 will return to ABC with new episodes on March 6. During the hiatus, Stark participated in an NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. It brings to mind a pivotal episode of the first-responder procedural, during season 7, when Buck (Stark) accidentally injured his best friend Eddie (Ryan Guzman) during what should have been a low-stakes game of basketball. At the time, Buck’s sister Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) suggested that Buck might have been jealous that Eddie made a new friend.
In an interview with TODAY, while discussing his participation in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, Stark reflects on the basketball ball scene in 9-1-1 season 7, episode 4, “Buck, Bothered and Bewildered”, which included the beginning of his relationship with Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr.). Considering that Tommy has since broken up with Buck and that Eddie is planning to leave the 118 to be closer to his son, Stark is asked whether there’s more to explore in terms of Buck’s feelings in the season 7 episode. Stark says there is, answering:
Definitely, and I think they’re going to be kind of explored and looked at in a way that is more obvious than kind of has ever been done before on the show. To an extent where I was actually surprised by the extent to which it’s going to be explored. So, yeah, no, absolutely, that is to come very soon.
From there, Stark responds to a question on whether the show’s return will specifically examine Buck’s jealousy which emerged in “Buck, Bothered, and Bewildered.” The actor answers: “Not that specifically. But just kind of an exploration of what the feelings are.” Finally, in the last question of the interview, the London native is asked to detail which feelings will be explored. He declines to answer, replying: “Yeah… I’ll say no more on that.”
What The Basketball Scene Could Mean For 9-1-1
The basketball court injury may well gain new significance, considering how 9-1-1 season 8, episode 8, “Wannabes”, left off. Buck, still struggling with his Tommy breakup, shows up at Eddie’s place. Hoping to spend time with his best friend, Buck learns that Eddie is planning to move to Texas to be closer to his son Christopher (Gavin McHugh). Buck takes the news in stride, even offering to help Eddie look for a new home. But when Eddie’s back is turned, Buck’s facade falters and it’s obvious that he’s not ready to say goodbye.
Buck going to Eddie’s place for comfort and support has been a running theme for most of 9-1-1. The coming episodes will doubtlessly explore what it means for both firefighters to be apart. The only question is whether the exploration, which Stark very carefully answers, will be romantic. The importance of the basketball scene, and the season 7 episode in question, is that it seemed to function as the launch of the long-awaited Buck/Eddie relationship. Until it didn’t, to the surprise of even Tommy himself.
Buck’s realization about Eddie may be delayed, which will get more drama out of a fan-favorite pairing. That is, of course, only one reading based on how the story has unfolded so far and other similar arcs across television. The writers and actors, as demonstrated in the interview, are reluctant to tip their hand about what Buck’s sadness over Eddie’s big movie might actually mean. But the series is poised to deliver on one aspect regardless.
Our Take On What’s Next For Buck & Eddie
Considering how well-established the pairing is, thanks to their strong bonding in the early seasons, the procedural is sometimes content to let Stark and Guzman share a few quick and lighthearted scenes in otherwise heavy episodes. Regardless of the outcome of Eddie’s possible depature, the show’s return looks like it will be focused on the Buck and Eddie bond in a way that hasn’t been seen in some time. Going into 9-1-1 season 9, with a renewal likely, the greater attention could lead to massive change or at least a long-awaited clarification.
