Buck's Arc in 9-1-1 Season 7 Was a Mess, Here's How It Could've Been Improved
His storyline was too exciting to be treated so poorly.
Summary
- The revelation of Buck's bisexuality was one of the most exciting things about Season 7 of 9-1-1.
- At the same time, it proved to be distressingly boring.
- There may be an objective reason for the poor treatment of Buck's arc in Season 7.
Evan Buckley, known to his friends and most 9-1-1 viewers as Buck, is one of the show's biggest and most beloved characters. Throughout the six seasons that Ryan Murphy's procedural drama aired on Fox, Buck's story captivated millions of fans around the world as they gradually learned about his troubled childhood and watched him try to find happiness.
However, Buck's every attempt to find love and start a family was thwarted for various reasons. As a result, the most compelling relationship he had on the show was with his best friend and co-worker, Ed Diaz. In fact, their friendship was so full of affection and they had such a deep and unique connection that many viewers wanted them to end up together.
While that didn't happen, Buck's story took a turn in a similar direction when he came out as bisexual in Season 7 of 9-1-1. But as much as this and his romance with Tommy Kinard are exciting, many viewers feel that Buck's story was done a great disservice in the seventh installment.
A Two-Way Street
On the one hand, it is nice to see that Buck had no trouble accepting himself. There was some drama surrounding his lack of experience in dating men and the resulting embarrassment, but it was touched on briefly and went away. On the other hand, it is disturbing that there was no serious reevaluation of Buck's life and past relationships.
It didn't have to be dramatic. Buck could have simply reminisced about his old friendships or even reflected on his friendship with Ed and come to the conclusion that he had more complicated feelings for his male friends. Also, it would have been nice to see Buck discuss his situation with someone with a relatively similar experience. Maybe Henrietta could have offered her shoulder and they could have laughed about Buck's feelings and how he must have misinterpreted them in the past.
The Root of All Evil
Ultimately, there was one thing that ruined Buck's arc. The revelation of his bisexuality didn't have to be life-changing. He didn't have to rethink his entire life and every past relationship. He didn't need to seek advice from another queer person. He didn't have to do anything in particular as long as he did something, but his entire 'I'm bi' storyline was pushed aside in Season 7.
The lack of screen time for Buck at this fascinating moment in his life is what bothers 9-1-1 fans the most. But considering that Season 7 was compressed due to the strikes, it could have been helped. Hopefully, Season 8 will give us a proper look at Buck's personal life.