So it’s nearing the end of the whale swallowing episode, and either during this portion of the episode or right before we learn that the CEO is involved in other companies in some sort of way (either by having a partnership or being part of the board or something like that). So he talks with the 118 a bit, thanks them once again and says that he doesn’t know how he’ll be able to repay them for saving his life, and then he leaves and we have a few seconds of the crew talking about him before we end the scene
Cut to a mysterious building with elements of both a hospital and a lab. The CEO, looking (almost) good as new, is walking through the halls with a purpose. An employee walks up to him with a tablet, and the CEO starts the conversation
“Any updates?”
“The latest EEG, compared to last time’s” they say, giving the CEO the tablet
“An increase, what about the other tests”
“Also showing progress”
The CEO sighs, several things are going through his mind. “No one expected him to live more than a few months, much less start recovering in less than a year. We need a definitive plan, and some really good lawyers”
The employee turns right into another hall as the CEO keeps walking forward and makes it to a room with a glass window. We are just shown his face and the window as he stands and looks from the outside with a serious expression attempting to hide the worry he feels
The camera cuts to the floor of what seems to be the inside of the room and we hear a steady beeping as the camera slowly moves up to reveal the arm and part of the upper body of this patient, in a hospital bed and body gown
We don’t get the face of the patient but we get a single tiny movement of a finger and a nightstand with a clipboard that clearly labels the patient as “Robert Nash”
So I watched the episode live with all of you last night. I am very tired today, but it was so worth it. OMG… was it worth it. What an episode to watch live with all of my mutuals and friends. I loved all the messages that were going back and forth between me and my friends while we were watching. It was sooo much fun.
I can safely say that I haven’t enjoyed an episode as much since I watched ‘Eddie begins’ for the first time. It was utter perfection to me. 10/10, no notes. It had lots of Buddie, lots of Eddie, lots of whump, basically all the elements I love when it comes to the TV-show tropes. Some other examples of this: the ‘will they, won’t they’ friends being mistaken for a couple, both people in the ship gravely injured, one of them doing everything in their power to get the other one back alive, willing to kill and maim if necessary…
I could go on and on with summing up all of these tropes, but instead I’m going to rewatch the episode and I’m going to go through the episode scene by scene and talk about them as I rewatch them.
Here we go: (putting this under a cut to spare your dashes)
The intro was epic. The way we were immediately thrown into the scene of a car crash? The foggy atmosphere and the sunrise? The slow sad music? The confusion of ‘Is this the 118? Why are we back in LA?’ to ‘OMG! it isn’t the LA at all! OH NO! Eddie!!!!’ The Eddie reveal was so good. The way they pulled him out with all that blood on him. He was on the other side of the accident this time. And then of course, immediately after, the question was: But where is Buck? Such a great way to begin the episode. It had me hooked line an sinker and I’m sure the GA will have been just as hooked from the first scene.
It was such a shock to go from that first scene to the second one where Chimney and Eddie are talking about Hen’s birthday and the whole problem with their flight from Nashville to LA.
Love nosy Harry and Hen, asking Chimney who was on the phone and what they were talking about. ‘There is no tying for first. It’s just two second places!’ LOL! Gotta love Chimney.
I loooove how Eddie immediately goes from ‘Driving???’ to ‘YAY! Road trip!’ just because Buck suggested it. I mean, that man is whipped.😆
The way I started singing out loud as soon as ‘Carry on my Wayward Son’ started. LOL! I loved the first few seasons of Supernatural, but gave up somewhere down the line. That song though… iconic! I love how it now got this new connection to 911. It is such an epic road trip song.
I’ve seen some people say that this is to show Buddie as ‘brothers’ like Sam and Dean in SPN, but noooooo, that is so not what they were doing here. All the scenes that followed proved quite the opposite. LOL! It was just a nod to a song that is deeply rooted in pop culture.
Buck playing air guitar while Eddie is going crazy on the air drums! I never knew I needed to see this scene, but now I don’t know how I would ever live without it. That whole road trip sequence was so great.
They were listing up the best Arnold Schwarzenegger movies? I cannot believe I missed that last night! My stream malfunctioned for about half a minute! I really like ‘Kindergarten cop’ though. I have to agree with Buck. I love ‘Twins’ as well.
Their terrible singing though!!! AAAAH! I love this so much!
Tossing the cheetoh in his mouth! LOL!
The bird poop on the window and their faces! AAAH! This is sooo much fun!
Look at their faces, all happy that they are roadtripping together. BFFs right there! Love that for them.
‘We have something they don’t have… me.’ and Eddie just follows along again. Oh Eddie, you are so whipped my man.
Eddie’s face when he says: ‘We’re lost.’ Epic stuff.
And that is exactly when their epic ‘peak husbandism’ scene started. The way they were bitching and complaining to each other? That was just like a couple. It was all there. And the best thing is that it wasn’t just us, as the audience. It was the in-universe people as well. Every single person in that diner thought that they were a couple. Isn’t that something.
The way Buck once again tried to be the ‘problem solver’ and how he admitted to it, while Eddie once told him that he is always trying to fix things… I love this show!
And the way Buck knows Eddie so well to know that he’ll get gloomy, because that is really what Eddie does. He shuts down and get bitchy. It happened in the 8x17 kitchen fight as well.
EEEE! At that diner, once again Buck makes the decision to sit down and Eddie just follows. Their dynamic is so great. No wonder everyone ships them together. They just ooze chemistry.
Bonnie! There she it. I admit that I didn’t think she’d end up having to do anything with the kidnapping when the pre episode stills dropped, but I was obviously soooo wrong.
That fight in the diner was sooo intense: Buck accusing Eddie of having a death wish was so interesting, because we have see Eddie taking more risks this season, seemingly not caring about his own life too much. Buck noticed.
And there it is: Eddie’s anger, always simmering under the surface. What people don’t seem to get about Eddie and his anger is that it’s very superficial. He gets angry, sure, but he would never hurt anyone if he wasn’t forced to hurt them. It’s interesting how they talked about Eddie’s supposed ‘anger issues’ in previous episodes as well. It keeps coming up. I wonder if they will be something that’ll come back later in the season.
The people in that diner sure did get a show. LOL!
The fork scene! LOLOL! Buck is so dramatic!
And then the best scene starts: Those guys and their ‘your kind’. Eddie immediately reacting and getting in that guy’s face was so intense. Ryan really brought it in that scene. I love how he wasn’t upset over being presumed to be gay, but he was angry at the blatant homophobia.
He never even tried to deny being gay or anything like that. He was genuinely insulted that someone would ‘hatecrime’ him like that. This man KNOWS. I’m telling you… I really think that Eddie knows he isn’t straight at this point. He was so pissed at the way this man talked about queer people.
And then Buck trying to soothe things over. I mean… these two are truly made for each other. They would be an epic couple!
Not going to lie though… Eddie standing in front of that guy? Looking up at him? Ready to throw hands? Kinda hot! He could have taken them so easily as well. That man is a born fighter.
It was then that I realised Bonnie was next to that cook and something was wrong here.
You have to wonder: Did Buck realise that Eddie never denied being queer? That he was just very upset over the homophobia, but never denied it? So interesting…
I love how easy it is for them to make up as well. There’s no remaining grudges, just complete forgiveness. Beautiful.
OOOH, the crash scene! It was so intense!
Okay, Eddie waking up and asking for Buck while the doctor and nurse clearly think he’s confused? Such a big trope in these kinds of storylines where ‘couples’ get separated.
He has a severe concussion, but ends up running around trying to find his Buck. I mean, he should have been vomiting all over the place, not sitting on that horse or driving a car. Eddie really does love Buck the best, doesn’t he? He would defy the laws of nature if he needed to.
That Sherrif walked in and I instantly knew he’d be trouble. The way he tried to intimidate Eddie by eating his dessert? He has that classic small town Sherrif look from ALL movies and TV shows.
The ‘Cute. My wife calls me Woody.’ line is actually insane! This guy is comparing himself and his wife to Buck and Eddie, because he is convinced that Buck and Eddie are a couple. It was implied with the ‘your… friend’. He thinks they had a lover’s spat at that diner and Eddie ended up killing Buck. The classic trope of one romantic partner being accused of killing their partner. This was so ‘The Fugitive’ coded. The way Eddie was telling them about those three assholes at the diner was exactly like Richard Kimble talking about ‘the man with one arm’ and no one believing him. I mean, at this point the ‘they are a couple’ tropes just keep rolling in.
I love how Chimney, Maddie and Athena just stay background characters here. There is no ‘rushing over to help them’. They are relying on Eddie to get the job done and Eddie will do just that, even though he has a severe concussion and so many other health problems. He is so devoted to Buck.
Poor Maddie though. JLH has such an expressive face.
Bonnie. What the hell? She has her son hooked up on machines in her own home and she is trying to substitute him with other men who look like him? It is heavily implied she has done this before, so what happened with the other victims? Probably buried out in the dessert. The way here entire house was like a jail cell? Yeah, she has done this before.
I loved all those scenes between Buck and Bonnie. The way Buck tried to placate her by pretending to be Derek was so great. I really thought they were going the ‘Stockholm Syndrom’ way, but it ended up so different, with Buck playing along and trying to escape.
The way he broke down that toy helicopter though… LOL! You all know what I’m thinking right?
He is definitely gravely injured and he knows it. I wonder if he’s going to get additional health problems from this in the next episodes?
Back to Eddie! ‘He thinks I murdered Buck!’ I cannot get over Maddie and Chimney’s twin looks of surprise. LOL! Eddie killing Buck? Not a chance.
You got to admire the Sherrif though. He wasn’t intimidated by Athena at all. She is not used to that. I’m surprised she didn’t fly out there to put this guy in his place. LOL!
Eddie looked so good in that stolen outfit! It’s incredible how his resolve to find Buck was so much more important than his injuries. He just ignored the pain and went on with it.
Eddie is like a magnet for women at this point. The waitress at the diner flirting with the bloody suspicious guy who was asking for her coworker’s home address? Could never be me. Good for him though! He looked so bewildered! And he isn’t even interested in any of them!
How did Eddie buy that car? He is already too deep in debt from buying himself at that auction. Also, he didn’t have any of his personal things, so I doubt he had his wallet. Hmmm, he did have his phone, but do they even have electronic payments in that place? Confusing.
I love how we got to see the diner scene again, but this time from Bonnie’s POV.
The ex-husband is aware of his ex-wife’s serial killer tendencies and he obviously doesn’t like it, but he isn’t stopping her either.
Maddie! She wants to go there! Yes Maddie! RUN!
Buck talking to Bonnie about how he knows what it feels like to lose someone you love and how he tells Bonnie she is the first person he has told just how much Bobby’s death hurts. That was heartbreaking.
She was about to shoot him and then Eddie is there! YAY!
Buck’s face when he realises it’s Eddie! AAAH! These two, I swear!
And then Buck willing to sacrifice himself for Eddie and Chris… it’s wild! There is so much love there.
I love Eddie’s dogged expression when he is on the mission to save his Buck. You go girl!
And then he spots the truck!
That move he pulled by grabbing her gun? So cool! That was a big chance he took, because he had no way of knowing how close she was.
Buck’s face when he heard the gunshot! NOT AGAIN!
Eddie going crazy! “Where is Buck?! Where is he?!” The despair!
And him yelling for Buck! Heartbreaking!
And then Buck saves him! I just! They are saving each other time and again. I love them so much!
Eddie’s expression when he saw Buck and realised that he was alive. I swear I’m not making this up… his face did this thing… almost like something clicked for him. Like he saw him in a new light. I’m not sure what it means, but I do think Eddie came to some realisations here, combined with all the ‘assumptions’ people made about them earlier. Just saying… 🤷♀️
I really dislike that Sherrif.
Then Buck collapsing and Eddie ignoring the guns and the Sherrif, just running up to Buck in order to help him. So beautiful.
The parallels to the shooting! ‘You’re gonna be okay!’ Buck’s little smile at Eddie, making a joke that he looks like hell. He knew that is what Eddie needed at that moment.
Eddie cradling his face and telling him ‘You should see the other guy.’ with Buck’s reply being: ‘I am the other guy.’ with Eddie nodding and saying ‘I know’. Wild stuff right there. 🤯
Maddie packing, ready to go rescue her brother! The Buckleys man! And then her face when she has him on the phone! I love her so much! And then Buck’s smile as he’s calling her. Once again with that sad music in the background.
The Sherrif’s face when he realised that he had been so wrong. Loved that.
I cannot believe they are going to drive to LA while being so beaten up. Neither of them is ready for that. I mean, Eddie has a concussion and he is driving? LOL! TV show magic I suppose.
Hen isn’t even there! Hold on… where is Chris then? He was supposed to stay at Hen and Karen’s place.
The way they get into that piece of junk car. LOL! They soooo shouldn’t be driving home in that. 🤣
And of course it ends with ‘Carry on my Wayward Son’.
If you made it through this post? Congratulations. This episode was so good.
And I’m sorry, I don’t care what other people might think about it, but I’m saying it out loud: Buddie canon is in the works. I still don’t know the timeline, but it’s happening all right. Nothing I’ve seen so far is telling me that it won’t happen.
Besides that though, this was just a great episode of 911 and a great Buddie friendship episode as well. These two would literally die for each other and isn’t that beautiful?
I cannot wait to see some of the fall-out from this in the next episodes, because apparently, according to Tim, we'll see that on our screens.
Also, talking about Tim… reading that interview is like doing crack. He knows what he is doing. He wouldn’t be talking about Buddie like this if there are no plans for them. He even listens to the @buddiesystempod podcast, which is so great. I always listen to their podcasts as soon as they come out. Cil, Han and Rachel have some really interesting analyses when it comes to Buddie and ‘Eddie’s unrepression’. Love this for them.
Buck knocked on the door, his hands shaking slightly. He blew out a breath and bounced on the balls of his feet while he waited for Maddie to answer the door.
The door opened and Buck felt himself relax as his older sister came into view. “Buck? Hey, I wasn’t expecting you! Come on in.”
Buck followed behind Maddie, closing the door behind him. “I’m sorry to drop in on you without calling, I just— I needed to talk to you.”
“You don’t have to call, Buck,” Maddie said, giving him a soft look. “You know that. Our door is always open to you.”
“Thanks, Mads,” Buck mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. “Uh, you might want to sit down.”
“Okay, now you’re scaring me,” Maddie said, hesitantly sitting down at the kitchen table. She gestured for Buck to sit next to her but he shook his head and stayed standing. “What’s going on, Buck?”
He swallowed roughly and let out a shaky sigh. “I need to tell you something. I— I, uh, kind of only just realized this? It’s new. Very new and I’m— I don’t— I don’t know how to say it.”
Maddie watched as he paced in front of her. “Hey, Buck, look at me. There’s nothing you can’t tell me—“
“I think I’m bisexual,” Buck blurted out, cutting her off.
It was quiet for a beat and then Maddie gave him a gentle smile, standing up and holding her arms out. “Come here.”
Buck folded himself into her arms, making himself smaller and letting out a shuddering breath.
“Thank you for telling me,” Maddie whispered, stroking her hand up his back. “I know that wasn’t easy and I’m so proud of you, Evan. I really am.”
“Thank you,” Buck mumbled, squeezing her tight. He still felt shaky, adrenaline in his veins. He’d known that Maddie would be nothing but supportive but coming out was still scary as hell and she was one of the most important people in the world to him.
“Let’s sit on the couch,” Maddie said, nudging him towards it. “You’re shaking.”
Maddie led him to the couch and they sat down, Buck leaning his head on her shoulder. Her arm came around him and her fingers settled in his hair, playing with it gently and making him relax even further. They sat like that for a while, with Maddie just calmly carding her fingers through his hair and Buck waiting for his racing heart to settle down.
“Have you told anyone else?” Maddie asked when Buck finally settled.
“No, I wanted you to be the first,” Buck admitted shyly.
Maddie squeezed him closer, pressing a kiss to the side of his head. “I’m honoured.”
“Do I have to tell the others?”
“You don’t have to tell anyone you don’t want to,” Maddie said firmly. “If you want to tell the team, I know they’ll be more than supportive but if you aren’t ready there’s absolutely no rush, Buck. You decide when you’re ready. If at all.”
“Thanks, Mads,” Buck mumbled. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell them— or that I think they’ll be unsupportive— it’s just…it feels like a big thing and I don’t want anything to change. I hate change.”
“I know you do, but just remember you don’t have to do anything you aren’t ready for, okay?” She moved so Buck had to look her in the eyes. “This is something that you control. When and if you’re ready, the team will be there to support you. They’re our family. Everything will be okay.”
“Will you be there?” Buck asked, looking at her with wide eyes. “When I tell them?”
“If you want me to, I’ll be there in a heartbeat,” Maddie squeezed his hand, giving him a bright smile. “You can count on me.”
“I know,” Buck smiled. He held his hand out for her to lock her pinky with his. “I always can.”
You know I’m trying to be a reasonable rational adult about Buddie and taking the actors word for it but then Timmy ol boy has to drop his photoshopped poster and include Oliver Stark. Like there is no reason Oliver’s name should be on that poster. He was like wow they didn’t get it after explaining the Vertigo reference, need to paint the picture for these fools. I really hate him. This fandom is a shit show already. *reaches for the clown makeup palette*
I'm so concerned. Not about Bobby, I feel like he will make it with a long recovery, but make it.
But Eddie? I'm so worried. He is bouncing from one emotion to another (anger, loss, pain, then Chris appears and I suspect fear skyrockets).
Seeing the stills, I think Eddie's parents are going to suggest to take Chris to Texas, allowing Eddie time to find himself, come to terms with everything that's been happening. It's terrible. This will break Eddie's heart, confirm that he's not enough for Chris, that he keeps making mistakes.
The only silver lining is that with the repaired (repairing) relationship between Eddie and Ramon, I'm not afraid they will try and keep him. I don't see Ramon doing that and he would (hopefully) override Helena.
But my god... this is Eddie's biggest fear come to life. He is going to break my heart. I just hope that Buck is there to pick of pieces of Eddie and put them back together. That Buck can fix him.
Today's unhinged thought... what if Buck accidently calls out Eddie's name in bed with Tommy? Like he doesn't even know he's done it, until Tommy decides to end things, gently telling him he might have some soul searching to do.
This causes Buck to realize he might be in love with his best friend, which freaks him out, because he doesn't want to make things weird for Eddie, cause Eddie is straight, so he starts to pull away a bit and distance himself.
This causes Eddie to feel confused and alone, like he has no one to turn to (tracks with Ryan's interview about season 8) which causes him to spiral even more!!!
