9-1-1, what’s your emergency

22 | e/em/eirs | my gifs | main: @prettyboyhere

[olisgifs]

[bucksbeagle]

@lover-of-mine can’t even find the deck they used. the dog is holding us at gunpoint over texas hold ‘em

[lover-of-mine]

And thanks to @ryliversbuddie we know they printed the crossword puzzle Eddie is doing in 905. So like... The dog is getting too smart 😭😭😭

[ryliversbuddie]

the dog is pulling insane moves lately 😭

i went through hundreds of thousands of playing cards for this. i've never seen so many in my entire life. and after about 7 hours of research, i have come to the conclusion that the deck of cards from 9x15 that buck and chris are using doesn't actually exist. oftentimes, props departments in movies and television will print their own versions of things, usually to bypass having to pay the rights. much like the cover for eddie's crossword book as explained here.

there are a few things to note about this deck. it has a pretty intricate design on the back in blue (possibly purple) and white. it looks like a diamond pattern of sorts which seems to be the norm for playing cards. the design in the middle is predominantly white. (i tried to get close up screenshots of the cards, but the quality isn't great.)

there is nothing special about the front face on the cards, they look pretty basic. i've been seeing people say that it looks like the tail of the "J" on the joker card has been altered to look more like an "I" but i don't think that's true. the font is stymie (found a free version here) or at least something very similar. my first thought was maybe egyptian slate (free version here), but the "3"s ends didn't come in far enough, the tail of the "J" curved upwards too much at the end, and the "4"s were too flat at the top and not elongated enough. i put them together on a blank canvas using the colours of the suits, and looking at them side by side with the cards, i think stymie is a damn near perfect match.

with all this in mind i am led to believe that these cards in 9x15 were either created by the props department or were a custom order with a commercial licence.

most people, when playing card games, tend to organise their hand, either numerically or by suit, almost subconsciously. this makes buck's "344J3" hand feel less like a random assortment and more like a deliberate visual choice. the scene itself reinforces this: the cards a re the very first thing we are shown after the conversation with hen and eddie, immediately positioning them as a focal point. buck then places them face up on the table in full view of chris, drawing further attention to their arrangement, before the camera shifts upward to buck watching eddie (+ hen and chim) search his house. taken together, the framing, sequencing, and emphasis suggests the hand isn't just incidental background detail, it's being presented to the audience as something to notice, potentially something to interpret.

from there, the reading becomes almost self-conscious in how "constructed" it feels. if you map the characters visually rather than literally, "344J3" starts to function less like a hand of cards and more like a piece of typographic substitution: the "3"s mirrored reads as "E"s, the "4" (particularly in certain serif forms) resembles a flipped lowercase "d," and the "J" can plausibly stand in for an "i." what's interesting isn't just that this interpretation can be made, but that the show gives you just enough time and emphasis on the cards for your brain to start looking for pattern and meaning.

that's where it tips into something more meta. the scene is already about exposure. buck has just admitted to his hidden struggle, and now his space is being searched, examined, and picked apart. cutting to a close deliberate shot of his hand (in both senses) mirrors that idea visually: something that looks ordinary at first glance but encourages scrutiny. the potential "Eddie" reading then becomes less about whether the letters are objectively there, and more about what the audience is primed to see.

the cards don't cleanly spell anything out unless you choose to read them that way, which mirrors the emotional dynamic at play—nothing is being explicitly stated between buck and eddie, but the framing and the focus and the context load the interaction with subtext, whether intentional or not, the prop and the blocking align to create a tiny visual puzzle that reflects the larger narrative.

the font itself is kind of an interesting choice. stymie isn't what you would typically expect to see on a standard deck of cards. most decks stick pretty close to traditional fonts like card characters, unless they're meant to be decorative or limited edition. when you view them together, every character looks different, but the ones that stand out the most are the "3"s, "J"s, and "Q"s.

this all made me curious, so i went back and checked other scenes in the show where playing cards show up. both to compare the fonts and see if they reused any specific decks. every other time, they've used cards with fonts that look way more like what you would expect from actual playing cards. 9x15 is the only time (from what i could find) where the font feels this distinct. and honestly i think that might be the point. using something like stymie makes the "344J3" read way closer to "Eddie" visually than it would in a more standard card font. those tend to be too rigid or stylised in the wrong ways for that kind of letter substitution to land. with stymie, the shapes are just flexible enough that your brain can make the connection. so even if it's subtle, it feels like a really deliberate stylistic choice to make that reading possible in the first place. especially considering no other playing cards seen in the show have used this font before.

so, enjoy another research rabbit hole with sharky <3

buck played poker with maddie, chim, and josh in 3x12. these are pretty generic looking ones. nothing really special stood out to me with them. they have a red repeating diamond pattern on the back, with lighter lines around the diamonds. the actual faces of the cards are also pretty generic.

it took me a hot minute but i'm pretty certain i found the exact deck here. and the fact that they're unbranded, therefore making them "generic," is so funny to me because i wrote that before finding them.

bobby and athena play cards in 5x09 towards the end of the episode. these are some more pretty plain looking cards until you look a little closer and can see that the pattern on the back is actually a red mosaic floral tile style.

i was unable to find these ones (or similar) anywhere. these also were probably either created by the props department or they were a custom order.

buck and bobby play gin in the hospital in 6x11. their pattern on the back is of a repeating blue diamond, and there is nothing special about the front of the cards that has the suits on it. these are probably the most basic ones out of all the times i can recall seeing playing cards on the show.

at first glance i thought they were "bee diamond back club special playing cards" but the back pattern wasn't quite a match. in the bee cards, the white parts have blue lines going through them, kind of making them look like they're meant to be rope or something? i'm not sure.

and honestly maybe they are the match. it's hard to see the intricacies of the cards buck and bobby are playing so i can't quite tell if their cards have the same blue lines through the white ones or not.

but i also discovered these! the "blue panda blank playing cards." these ones have the plain diamond pattern and could have very easily been put into a printer and had the suits printed on by the props department.

next time we see playing cards is buck and eddie's poker date in 6x13. these ones had a bit more design going on. slightly more detail. the red repeating diamond pattern looks similar to the cards from 3x12, only that there's a border and the pattern doesn't reach the edges of the cards, and the red and white colours are swapped (the diamonds are white and the lines around each is red).

it took me a while but i found a vintage deck of cards on ebay here.

and i also found an almost identical digitised 3d mockup version here.

now these are not the exact same as the ones from 6x13. the font on the cards in the show is smaller, has more space between the number/letter and the centre suits of the cards, and i think is also a slightly different font. the rectangle in the middle of the cards in the show has right angles, whereas the ones from the vintage deck and the 3d mockup have more rounded corners. and the back of the cards have a completely different red pattern, but is still red and white. i wasn't able to find the exact pattern of the back of the cards anywhere online.

to me it looks as if they took inspiration from this vintage deck and printed their own cards with a very similar design.

[charcuteriebuddie]

okay so all of this made me think about cartomancy, aka a version of tarot that uses playing cards. full disclosure i’m not a believer in tarot, but i think the symbolism of it is interesting and i was wondering if there was anything else to decode here! disclaimer that interpretations of the cards can vary and i’m not an expert in this, also idk if this is what the crew was thinking of so this is just for fun.  under a read more:

the suits

suit of clubs ♣️· suit of wands 🪄

clubs/wands are associated with the element of fire, full of action and passion. as an element, it causes permanent damage if not controlled. but when controlled, it can bring safety and comfort.  

this suit can refer to passion and creativity, infusing the user with energy for creation to begin. this could be for projects or pursuits. it also refers to positive changes happening in the near future, for aspects like achievements, social life, dreams, goals and future opportunities.

this suit “encourages us to be true to things that are important to us, and take action in order to change our lives towards the things that make us tick.” (tarotfarm.com)

with a seasonal association, clubs relate to summer and energetic periods.

suit of diamonds ♦️· suit of pentacles ⭐

diamonds/pentacles are associated with the element of earth, the foundation of everything. as an element, it allows growth and prosperity. it also represents stability and hard work.

this suit can represent money, finances, and career. they are tangible and relate to the physical world. they can be relating specifically to your long-term future or your household. they can also be associated more broadly with security, health, and prosperity.

this suit “is associated with life’s materialistic aspects, focusing on work, career, and finances.” (tarotfarm.com)

with a seasonal association, diamonds relate to autumn and harvest.

the numbers

interesting to note here is that pairs indicate balance or duality, with there being two pairs in this particular hand!

number cards refer to progression in aspects of life, with lower numbers (2-5) indicating challenges or decisions. face cards symbolize people in one’s life or personal traits.  

three

the number 3 represents growth, creativity, joy, and social interaction. it also relates to the power of expression and community.

four

the number 4 represents stability, structure, and practicality. it encourages hard work and discipline.

jack · knight

jacks/knights are associated with the element of fire. they can be summed up with the terms passion and eagerness. they are young and eager, wanting to prove themselves to the world.

the colours

black 🖤

black cards suggest challenges.

red ❤️

red cards are positive, with a favourable reading being dominated by them.

the cards

3 of clubs ♣️· 3 of wands 🪄

three of clubs represents patience and progress, with efforts taking shape and possibilities becoming available. these possibilities could be expansion, overseas opportunities, a wealthy partner, a successful marriage, advancements, growth or creative action. however, with a negative interpretation, it could mean a mental blockage.

in traditional tarot, three of wands placed upright represents looking ahead, expansion, and rapid growth. placed in reverse, it represents obstacles, delays, and frustration.

4 of diamonds ♦️· 4 of pentacles ⭐

four of diamonds represents stable finances, investing, saving, being overly frugal, unexpected money, inheritance, or greed.  disregarding a financial interpretation, it could also mean structure, trust, improvement, or stubbornness.

in traditional tarot, four of pentacles placed upright represents conservation, frugality, and security. placed in reverse, it represents greediness, stinginess, and possessiveness.

4 of clubs ♣️· 4 of wands 🪄

four of clubs represents stability, joy, and community. it could also mean creating harmony, achieving goals, finding work-life balance, a stable mind, or a celebration. however, with a negative interpretation, it could refer to a change for the worse or a deceit and betrayal from a friend.

in traditional tarot, four of wands placed upright represents community, home, and celebration. placed in reverse, it represents lack of support, transience, and home conflicts.

jack of clubs ♣️· knight of wands 🪄

jack of clubs combines two elements of fire, referring to a “a very passionate person that goes forward towards the things that are true to him” (tarotfarm.com). eager to prove himself to the world, this person will make mistakes, but will be driven by passion to reach his goals. this person could also be a dark-haired friend, usually a young man, who is reliable and trustworthy. in addition, this person could be a young visionary or an adventurous messenger.

in traditional tarot, knight of wands placed upright represents action, adventure, and fearlessness. placed in reverse, it represents anger, impulsiveness, and recklessness.

3 of diamonds ♦️· 3 of pentacles ⭐

three of diamonds represents a business with promising results or an uncertainty of how to spend or save. disregarding a financial interpretation, it could also mean collaboration, teamwork, projects, legal trouble, domestic arguments, poor focus, or instability.

in traditional tarot, three of pentacles placed upright represents teamwork, collaboration, and building. placed in reverse, it represents lack of teamwork, disorganized, and group conflict.

my interpretations/speculations

these are just my interpretations of the cards with the information above, like i said there’s lots of ways to interpret cartomancy! other people can interpret it however they like with this information, this isn’t definite. i’m looking with a buddie lens for this, as the card theory itself is buddie related.

3 of clubs ♣️· 3 of wands 🪄

i think this could refer to a growth with buck and eddie’s relationship into a romantic one, with perhaps the patience that’s been spent developing it to this point wielding significant results season 10 buddie wedding. however, i think there could be a bit of tension before this happens, perhaps with them both worrying about what could happen to their relationship if it changes (i.e. what if we screw up the relationship).

4 of diamonds ♦️· 4 of pentacles ⭐

i think that maybe a stability in finances could come to buck and/or eddie, either with an inheritance by one of them or a combining of their finances. it could also be them trusting each other to create a foundation for a romantic relationship!

4 of clubs ♣️· 4 of wands 🪄

i think that this could mean that buck and eddie could have some initial issues working with someone that they are in a dating, but eventually managing to find a balance. i do think the element of “deceit from a friend” is interesting, which i could see being some initial tension that one or both of them hid romantic feelings from each other. a deceit could also be eddie finding out that buck hooked up with tommy again and didn’t tell him about the whole “competition” thing, because it seems like eddie doesn’t know about that yet!

jack of clubs ♣️· knight of wands 🪄

what i find most interesting here is how the types of people here seem to reflect buck and eddie. while not absolutely fixed, the “passionate person eager to prove himself” reminds me of buck, while the “reliable and trustworthy dark-haired friend” reminds me of eddie.

3 of diamonds ♦️· 3 of pentacles ⭐

i do think this could mean some tension before buddie canon. i could see them having some conflicts that feel like a domestic argument due to the nature of their dynamic, before they are able to be on the same page and make a relationship work.

sources

https://www.dailytarotdraw.com/tarot-with-regular-playing-cards#gsc.tab=0

https://tarotfarm.com/complete-guide-to-reading-tarot-using-regular-playing-cards/

https://www.horoscope.com/article/cartomancy-card-meanings-combinations/

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/cartomancy

https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/tarot-card-meanings-list

https://alittlesparkofjoy.com/cartomancy/https://deckaura.com/blogs/guide/how-to-read-playing-cards-as-tarot-complete-cartomancy-guide

[fleabagdiaz]

#mybuck who was in love with eddie from the moment he saw him but didn’t know what that meant, who stepped into eddie’s life and loved his son enough to die for him within a year of knowing him, who had to be torn away from crawling though 40 feet of mud by hand for eddie, who carried eddie out of active gunfire, who cared for his child in eddie’s absence even though it felt so wrong, who shares his joy with eddie and who sits with eddie in his grief, who kept eddie’s house warm and safe for him to come back to even though it killed him to be away from him, who would have died or worse so that eddie could get home to the child they both love

#myeddie who right away knew buck needed people to care for and let himself and chris be his people even when it felt impossible to trust anyone, who trusts buck with his entire heart in the form of christopher more than anyone else in the world, who loves and forgives buck through all of his ups and downs because he sees his heart, who tried to pull buck’s limp body up by a single cable, who counted the seconds that buck’s heart wasn’t beating, who jumped off a bridge so buck wouldn’t, who was so desperate to find buck dead or alive that he became a fugitive and jumped out a window and traveled for miles with a broken and bruised body, who is gentle and kind to his core but was ready to kill for buck without a second thought

[hollanderdiaz]

v's 9-1-1 rewatch - season 5 episode 12: boston

[mintedwitcher]

Hear me out: Tommy hearing about Clipboard Buck from the entire 118 before actually experiencing it for himself.

Tommy wants to take Buck on a holiday of some kind and is asking the 118 for advice on whether he should keep it a secret or let Buck help him in the planning. And they all tell him (warn him) about Clipboard Buck.

"What's so bad about that?" Tommy asks them all.

Bobby laughs and says, "It's intense, but the kid is damn efficient with it."

Chim just keeps shaking his head and says, "Don't you dare, Kinard. Don't do it."

Hen stares at Tommy like he's mad and says, "You really do not want to do that. It'll be the most efficient thing you'll ever see but you will want to throttle him at least eight times in the process."

Ravi looks like he's having war flashbacks as he mumbles something about "Probie charging pool, chainsaws." Tommy doesn't ask further.

Eddie rolls his eyes and says, "Okay it's dramatic, I'll admit, but if you just go with it, it's really not that bad."

Cue the explosion of protests from Hen, Chim and Ravi, all arguing that Eddie has Best Friend Privilege so of course it's not that bad for him. Tommy, having Boyfriend Privilege, decides to take the risk.

Tommy gets to experience Clipboard Buck two weeks later when he asks Buck for help planning their vacation. He's never been so efficient while sporting a raging boner before in his life.

[dawntainbobbynash]

Uh... no Captain Wilson today?

[rylandsgrace]

Are you normal or do you wanna throw up every time you see 911 stills

[lengthofropes]

[balfeys]

I kept this book. With 148 lines in it. Every time I saved a life, I filled in a line. One life saved to repay one life lost.

[911bts]

stills - on a call

plus behind the scenes:

[hoziersong]

UM???? HELP WHAT DOES THIS MEAN

[watchyourbuck]

they’re the only couple to ever exist btw

[jackabbot]

EVAN BUCKLEY + close-up 7/?

[thebuckandeddiething]

Awwww I'm literally crying...

[911bts]

stills - Eddie

[songbvrd]

whenever people are like ‘who’s your favourite character in 911’, it’s like … babe. i don’t fuckin know. depends who i’m looking at at the time. the position of the sun. the wind chill. the precipitation prediction. i love them all. i love them all way too much.

[djdangerlove]

Tommy looks like he’s in caps lock and makes Buck look like this