While, yes there are parallels during the darker moments this season and season 5, there are parallels that show growth.
Maddie and Chimney approaching changes and growth in their personal and professional lives.
Ravi has become the mentor to Harry, like Buck was his mentor.
Dynamic shifting and the stress of how the 118 works together.
The pendulum swing of Eddie being there for Buck while he is going through a crisis, just like Buck was there for Eddie in season 5.
The parallels with both of them "moving on" right before the inevitable breakdown.
May's growth journey as she tries to figure out what steps she needs to make to find her purpose, especially as she made those decisions in relation to Athena.
Hen and Karen struggling with communicating about Hen's health issues, similarly to what Hen had to deal with in season 5 with Toni.
Athena having to let go of her children growing up again and recognizing them being autonomous human beings.
Eddie recognizing Buck's struggling and being present for him as Buck did for him.
Buck blaming himself for things that he had no control over.
Buck and Eddie having struggles with balancing or redefining their relationships.
The return of the physical item parallels that worked for Buck, Eddie, and Christopher, but not for other couples in the show, i.e. couches, home renovations, kitchens, and how they're always fighting for each other and thinking about each other.
BLACK EYES given to them by dad's in distress.
I'm not quite sure where Buck's storyline is going to go as we finish this season, but one of thing I see consistently through every speculation and theory is guilt. Buck feels so much guilt and insecurity around Bobby's death.
Buck's internal schema is fundamentally flawed, his unaddressed trauma with him being abducted and tortured and how that put Eddie and, by proxy, Chris in danger. I can see that while both Eddie and Buck had that fight in 8×17 and both him and Eddie were not the best versions of themselves, Buck is the king the overcorrecting and internalization, Buck has not only been blaming himself about Bobby's death, but is working through the grief cycle.
Buck blames himself of failing and loss. He's been doing it all his life because of the treatment his parents gave him in relation to Daniel's death, with Devon dying, losing Chris in the tsunami, Thomas and Mitchell, Red, Eddie, Maddie, Bobby, and the rest of the 118.
Buck feels fear of himself getting hurt again while Eddie and/or Chris being harmed by the kidnappers. And the one man he would turn to for advice is gone, and Buck is still stuck in the grieving cycle.
Buck is so scared of not doing enough and that he will lose more people he loves.
Because Buck was the guy who was standing there and couldn't do anything about it, too many times.
